XTALSOFT
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese software house
established in 1982 to develop games for Japanese computers. Most of XTALSOFT's games are traditional role-playing game
s, with gameplay similar to that of Eye of the Beholder
.
In July 1986, XTALSOFT was among six other companies to form the Disk Original Group, a collective publishing house for Famicom Disk System games headed by Square
For their part, XTALSOFT developed Sword of Kalin
under the Disk Original Group.
At the dawn of the 90s, XTALSOFT was experiencing management difficulties, and on October 1, 1990 they combined with T&E Soft
to form T&E Soft's Osaka
development department.
XTALSOFT's name is a blend of "crystal software," where "crystal" is abbreviated with the letter X
, a common jargon abbreviation in written English. Originally, their name was written with an apostrophe as "X'TAL SOFT."
, although some, such as Sword of Kalin
, have been unofficially translated
by fans.
Software house
A software house is a company whose primary products are software.- Types :There are a number of different types of software houses:*Large and well-known companies such as Microsoft, SAP AG, Oracle Corporation, HP, Adobe Systems, Apple Inc...
established in 1982 to develop games for Japanese computers. Most of XTALSOFT's games are traditional role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s, with gameplay similar to that of Eye of the Beholder
Eye of the Beholder (computer game)
Eye of the Beholder is a role-playing video game for computers and video game consoles developed by Westwood Studios. It was published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. in 1990 for the DOS operating system and later ported to the Amiga, the Sega CD, and the SNES...
.
In July 1986, XTALSOFT was among six other companies to form the Disk Original Group, a collective publishing house for Famicom Disk System games headed by Square
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
For their part, XTALSOFT developed Sword of Kalin
Sword of Kalin
is an action-RPG developed by XTALSOFT and published by DOG for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan in .-The story:Kalin no Tsurugi takes place in the peaceful Altenia Kingdom. Recently, however, monsters have been appearing. To help combat these monsters, the King calls forth his best knight:...
under the Disk Original Group.
At the dawn of the 90s, XTALSOFT was experiencing management difficulties, and on October 1, 1990 they combined with T&E Soft
Technology and Entertainment Software
, fully titled as Technology and Entertainment Software, is a Japanese based video game developer founded in 1982. Although they have made games with a wide variety of genres, they are primarily known in the U.S...
to form T&E Soft's Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
development department.
XTALSOFT's name is a blend of "crystal software," where "crystal" is abbreviated with the letter X
X
X is the twenty-fourth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Uses:In mathematics, x is commonly used as the name for an independent variable or unknown value. The usage of x to represent an independent or unknown variable can be traced back to the Arabic word šay شيء = “thing,” used in Arabic...
, a common jargon abbreviation in written English. Originally, their name was written with an apostrophe as "X'TAL SOFT."
Games
Only Babylon (Curse of Babylon in the US) was ever released outside of JapanJapan
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...
, although some, such as Sword of Kalin
Sword of Kalin
is an action-RPG developed by XTALSOFT and published by DOG for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan in .-The story:Kalin no Tsurugi takes place in the peaceful Altenia Kingdom. Recently, however, monsters have been appearing. To help combat these monsters, the King calls forth his best knight:...
, have been unofficially translated
Fan translation
A fan translation, in video gaming, refers to an unofficial translation of a computer game or video game.The fan translation practice grew with the rise of video game console emulation in the late 1990s. A community of people developed that were interested in replaying and modifying the games they...
by fans.