Taito Corporation
Encyclopedia
The is a Japan
ese publisher
of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix
. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi
, Shibuya
, Tokyo
, sharing the facility with its parent company.
Taito imports and distributes American
coin-op video games in Japan, as well as their own games all around the world. Taito also owns several game center
s in Japan known as Taito Stations.
Taito Corporation currently has a subsidiary in Beijing, China. In the past, the company had operated divisions in North America
, Brazil
, South Korea
and Italy
.
as . Taito started out importing and distributing vending machine
s. Later, they began leasing jukebox
es and they eventually started to manufacture their own. They eventually began producing electro-mechanical arcade game
s in the 1960s.
Taito introduced their first video arcade game in 1973. It was also this year that they changed their name from Taito Trading Company to Taito Corporation. In 1978 Toshihiro Nishikado
, a designer at Taito, created Space Invaders
which became the company's most popular title ever and one of the most memorable games in arcade history
. The game was published in the US by Midway
. Space Invaders was inspired by an earlier 1972 electro-mechanical game by Taito called Space Monsters.
Due to the huge success of Space Invaders, Taito opened in 1979 an American division called Taito America Corporation in order to release games in North America
. Taito America was based in Wheeling, Illinois
and was handling the arcade sector of the company in North America. While the majority of the games Taito America published were games developed by the Japanese parent company, they did also publish games that they licensed from third-party companies, as well as games that were developed in the U.S. for Taito.
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Besides Taito America, Taito had another division in North America called Taito Software Inc that was in charge of the non-arcade sector of the company. Based in North Vancouver, British Columbia
and established in 1988, Taito Software released Taito games exclusively for home computers and consoles. Prior to Taito Software, the consumer side was also handled by Taito America. Like Taito America, Taito Software's catalog was mainly games developed by the Japanese parent company and occasionally games licensed from other companies.
1995 marked the last year that North America saw the Taito label on new games as Taito America and Taito Software closed down their offices at the same time. Video games developed by Taito are still available in North America to this day, but they now bear the name of other publishers.
Taito has had a big influence on the course of videogame history, developing some very innovative games. Space Invaders
is probably the most notable, but games such as Speed Race, Gun Fight
, Qix
, Bubble Bobble
, Jungle Hunt
, Elevator Action
, Puzznic
, Operation Wolf
and Puzzle Bobble
also introduced unique and innovative gameplay ideas. Taito also had a license from Hanna-Barbera
to do games based on The Flintstones
and The Jetsons
.
In 1992, Taito announced a CD-ROM
-based console
system named WOWOW
, that would have allowed people to play near-exact ports of Taito's arcades (similar to the Neo Geo
), as well as download games from a satellite transmission (as the Satellaview
would do later). It was named after the Japanese television station WOWOW
and would have utilized its stations to download games. The WOWOW was never released.
When Taito was owned by Kyocera
, their headquarters were in Hirakawachō
, Chiyoda
.
On August 22, 2005, it was announced that gaming giant Square Enix
would purchase 247,900 Taito shares worth ¥45.16 billion (US$
409.1 million), to make Taito Corporation a subsidiary of Square Enix. The purpose of the takeover by Square Enix was to both increase Taito's profit margin exponentially as well as begin their company's expansion into new forms of gaming (most notably, the arcade scene), and various other entertainment venues. The takeover bid from Square Enix was accepted by previous majority stockholder Kyocera, making Taito an official Square Enix subsidiary. On September 22, 2005, Square Enix announced successfully acquiring 93.7% of all shares of Taito, effectively owning the entire company. By September 28, 2005, Taito became a subsidiary wholly owned by Square Enix. The present Taito Corporation was formed on March 31, 2006 by merging Taito into SQEX Corporation (formerly The Game Designers Studio).
Square Enix
officially announced on July 28, 2008 that they would liquidate two subsidiaries of Taito, Taito Art Corporation and Taito Tech Co., Ltd. on the grounds that both had fulfilled their business purpose. The process officially ended in October 2008.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese publisher
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi
Yoyogi
is a neighborhood in the northern part of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.-Geography:The area encompassed by Yoyogi is typically defined two ways:* Only the five Yoyogi ....
, Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, sharing the facility with its parent company.
Taito imports and distributes American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
coin-op video games in Japan, as well as their own games all around the world. Taito also owns several game center
Game Center
Game Center is an online multiplayer social gaming network released by Apple. It allows users to invite friends to play a game, start a multiplayer game through matchmaking, track their achievements, and compare their high scores on a leader board.-History:...
s in Japan known as Taito Stations.
Taito Corporation currently has a subsidiary in Beijing, China. In the past, the company had operated divisions in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
History
The company was founded in 1953 by a Russian businessman named Michael KoganMichael Kogan
was a Russian Jewish businessman who founded the Japanese games maker Taito Corporation. He was born in Odessa, but his family moved to Harbin, Manchuria to escape the Russian Revolution of 1917, where he later met Colonel Yasue Norihiro, a member of the Japanese Army's intelligence services and...
as . Taito started out importing and distributing vending machine
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
s. Later, they began leasing jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
es and they eventually started to manufacture their own. They eventually began producing electro-mechanical arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s in the 1960s.
Taito introduced their first video arcade game in 1973. It was also this year that they changed their name from Taito Trading Company to Taito Corporation. In 1978 Toshihiro Nishikado
Toshihiro Nishikado
is a Japanese video game developer. He is best known as the creator of the shooter game, Space Invaders, released to the public in 1978 by the Taito Corporation of Japan, often credited as the first shoot 'em up and for beginning the golden age of video arcade games.Originally Nishikado wanted to...
, a designer at Taito, created Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
which became the company's most popular title ever and one of the most memorable games in arcade history
Timeline of arcade game history
This is a timeline of notable events in the history of video arcade gaming.-Pre-golden age :1971* The Galaxy Game, the earliest known coin-operated arcade video game, makes its debut on the campus of Stanford University....
. The game was published in the US by Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
. Space Invaders was inspired by an earlier 1972 electro-mechanical game by Taito called Space Monsters.
Due to the huge success of Space Invaders, Taito opened in 1979 an American division called Taito America Corporation in order to release games in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Taito America was based in Wheeling, Illinois
Wheeling, Illinois
Wheeling is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. The population was 34,496 at the 2000 census, and 38,555 at the 2006 special village census.-Geography:Wheeling is located at ....
and was handling the arcade sector of the company in North America. While the majority of the games Taito America published were games developed by the Japanese parent company, they did also publish games that they licensed from third-party companies, as well as games that were developed in the U.S. for Taito.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and established in 1988, Taito Software released Taito games exclusively for home computers and consoles. Prior to Taito Software, the consumer side was also handled by Taito America. Like Taito America, Taito Software's catalog was mainly games developed by the Japanese parent company and occasionally games licensed from other companies.
1995 marked the last year that North America saw the Taito label on new games as Taito America and Taito Software closed down their offices at the same time. Video games developed by Taito are still available in North America to this day, but they now bear the name of other publishers.
Taito has had a big influence on the course of videogame history, developing some very innovative games. Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
is probably the most notable, but games such as Speed Race, Gun Fight
Gun Fight
Gun Fight, known as Western Gun in Japan and Europe, is a 1975 arcade shooter game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released by Taito in Japan and Europe and by Midway Games in the United States. It was a historically significant game, and a success in the arcades. It was later ported to the...
, Qix
Qix
Qix is an arcade game, released by Taito America Corporation in 1981.-Gameplay:The objective of Qix is to fence off, or “claim”, a supermajority of the playfield...
, Bubble Bobble
Bubble Bobble
is an arcade game by Taito, first released in 1986 and later ported to numerous home computers and game consoles. The game, starring the twin Bubble Dragons and , is an action-platform game in which players travel through one hundred different stages, blowing and bursting bubbles, avoiding...
, Jungle Hunt
Jungle Hunt
Jungle Hunt is a one- or two-player side-scrolling arcade platform game produced by Taito in 1982.The player controls a jungle explorer who sports a pith helmet and a safari suit. The player must rescue his girl from a tribe of hungry cannibals...
, Elevator Action
Elevator Action
is a 1983 arcade game by Taito. It debuted during the "Golden Age of Arcade Games". Innovative in gameplay, this game was very popular for many years, with game music created by musician Yoshino Imamura...
, Puzznic
Puzznic
Puzznic is a puzzle arcade game. It was developed and produced by Taito in 1989 and was ported for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, PC Engine, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, DOS and ZX Spectrum between 1990 and 1991. Home computer ports were handled by Ocean...
, Operation Wolf
Operation Wolf
Operation Wolf is a one-player shooter arcade game made by Taito in 1987. It spawned three sequels: Operation Thunderbolt , Operation Wolf 3 and Operation Tiger .-Description:...
and Puzzle Bobble
Puzzle Bobble
, also known as Bust-a-Move, is a 1994 arcade puzzle game created by Taito Corporation, based on Taito's popular 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble, featuring characters and themes from the original...
also introduced unique and innovative gameplay ideas. Taito also had a license from Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
to do games based on The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
and The Jetsons
The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
.
In 1992, Taito announced a CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
-based console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
system named WOWOW
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
, that would have allowed people to play near-exact ports of Taito's arcades (similar to the Neo Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
), as well as download games from a satellite transmission (as the Satellaview
Satellaview
The is a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Famicom system that was released in Japan in 1995. Available for pre-release orders as early as February 13, 1995, the Satellaview retailed for between ¥14,000 and 18,000 and came bundled with the BS-X Game Pak and an 8M Memory Pak.The...
would do later). It was named after the Japanese television station WOWOW
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
and would have utilized its stations to download games. The WOWOW was never released.
When Taito was owned by Kyocera
Kyocera
is a multinational manufacturer based in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. The company has diversified its founding technology in ceramic materials through internal development as well as strategic mergers and acquisitions...
, their headquarters were in Hirakawachō
Hirakawacho
is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, consisting of 1-chōme and 2-chōme. As of April 1, 2007, its population is 1,104. Note that Kanda-Hirakawachō, also located in the Chiyoda ward, is a completely different district. Hirakawachō's postal code is 102-0093....
, Chiyoda
Chiyoda, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards...
.
On August 22, 2005, it was announced that gaming giant Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
would purchase 247,900 Taito shares worth ¥45.16 billion (US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
409.1 million), to make Taito Corporation a subsidiary of Square Enix. The purpose of the takeover by Square Enix was to both increase Taito's profit margin exponentially as well as begin their company's expansion into new forms of gaming (most notably, the arcade scene), and various other entertainment venues. The takeover bid from Square Enix was accepted by previous majority stockholder Kyocera, making Taito an official Square Enix subsidiary. On September 22, 2005, Square Enix announced successfully acquiring 93.7% of all shares of Taito, effectively owning the entire company. By September 28, 2005, Taito became a subsidiary wholly owned by Square Enix. The present Taito Corporation was formed on March 31, 2006 by merging Taito into SQEX Corporation (formerly The Game Designers Studio).
Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
officially announced on July 28, 2008 that they would liquidate two subsidiaries of Taito, Taito Art Corporation and Taito Tech Co., Ltd. on the grounds that both had fulfilled their business purpose. The process officially ended in October 2008.
See also
- List of Taito games
- Magical DateMagical DateMagical Date is a skill game and dating sim published by Taito in 1996 for arcade and PlayStation. In this game, the player picks one of three possible girls to date and then starts off in a square as in a board game, proceeding to other squares which have different mini games...
- Square EnixSquare Enixis a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
External links
- Taito.com - Company homepage (in English)
- Taito.co.jp - Company homepage (in Japanese)
- The Taito Project from Emulation Status
- Taito Corporation at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- The History of Taito at Jap-Sai.com
- Arcade Games Manufactured by Taito at Arcade-History.com