Enix

Infobox Defunct company
company_name=nihongo|Enix Corporation|株式会社エニックス|Kabushiki-gaisha Enikkusu
company_logo=
company_type=Public (defunct)
fate=Merged with Square Co.
successor=Square Enix
foundation=September 22 1975
defunct=April 1, 2003
location=Tokyo, Japan
industry=Software & Programming & Publishing
products="Dragon Quest" video game franchise
"Star Ocean" video game franchise
key_people=Keiji Honda, President
Yasuhiro Fukushima, Founder and CEO
subsid=See subsidiaries

The nihongo|Enix Corporation|株式会社エニックス|Kabushiki-gaisha Enikkusu was a company that produced Japanese video games and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as nihongo|Eidansha Boshu Service Center|株式会社営団社募集サービスセンター|Kabushiki Gaisha Eidansha Boshū Sābisu Sentā and renamed Enix in cite web "> author=Square Enix | title=Square Enix History (timeline) | url=http://www.square-enix.com/jp/company/e/history/ | work=Square-Enix.com | accessdate=2007-08-20] The name is a play on the words "Phoenix", a mythical bird that is reborn from its own ashes, and "ENIAC", the world's first digital computer.cite web | author=David Smith | date=June 16, 2005 | title=Feature: What's in a Name? | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=2&cId=3141379 | work=1UP.com | accessdate=2008-07-27]

Enix is perhaps best known for publishing the "Dragon Quest" series of console role-playing games. The company merged with Square Co. in 2003 to become Square Enix.

History

Enix began its foray into the gaming market in 1982 by holding a personal computer game programming contest.cite paper | first = Daiji | last = Fujii | title = Entrepreneurial choices of strategic options in Japan's RPG development | publisher = Faculty of Economics, Okayama University | date = January 2006 | url = http://www.e.okayama-u.ac.jp/~dfujii/Option.pdf | format = pdf | accessdate = 2008-06-01] One of the winners was "Love Match Tennis", created by Yuuji Horii. It would go to become one of the company's first PC releases.Cite book | author=Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson | title= | url= | accessdate=2008-07-31 | edition=2nd edition | date 2004 | publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional | location= | isbn=0072231726 | oclc= | pages=374 | chapter=Across the Pacific] Another winner was the puzzle game "Door Door" by Koichi Nakamura, which would become one of the company's better known home computer titles. The game was subsequently ported to the Nintendo Famicom, but never saw any form of release outside of Japan. Nakamura would stay onboard as one Enix's key programmers.

Over the next few years, Enix published several video games for various Japanese home computer systems. Rather than developing games within its own company, Enix would continue to outsource the production of its games to other developers through the use of royalties. Enix is perhaps most famous for publishing the "Dragon Quest" series of console games (released as "Dragon Warrior" in North America until 2005) developed by Chunsoft. Key members of the developer's staff consisted of director Koichi Nakamura, writer Yuuji Horii, artist Akira Toriyama, and composer Koichi Sugiyama, among others. The first game in the Famicom-based RPG series was released in 1986. The game would eventually sell 1.5 million copies in Japan and establish the company's most profitable franchise.cite web |url=http://www.square-enix.com/jp/ir/e/explanatory/download/0404-200402090000-01.pdf#page=27 |title=Square Enix: February 2, 2004 - February 4, 2004 |date=2004-02-4 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher=Square Enix |pages=27 | format=pdf]

In 1991, Enix registered its stock with the Japan Securities Dealers Association, later known as JASDAQ. Enix soon began publishing manga from its shonen magazine "Monthly Shōnen Gangan". The company established ties with more video game developers and would go on to publish several games for fourth, fifth, and sixth generation game consoles. Despite the announcement that Enix's long-time competitor Square Co., Ltd. would develop exclusively for Sony PlayStation, Enix announced in January of 1997 that it would release games for both Nintendo and Sony consoles. [cite web | author=IGN staff | date=January 9, 1997 | title=Enix To Develop Titles For The PlayStation | url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/062/062196p1.html| work=IGN.com | accessdate=2008-07-19] This caused a significant rise in stock for both Enix and Sony. [cite web | author=IGN staff | date=January 16, 1997 | title=Enix/Sony Update | url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/062/062208p1.html | work=IGN.com | accessdate=2008-07-19] By November of 1999, Enix was listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 1st section, indicating it as a "large company." [cite web |date=March 2008 | title=Transfers to 1st section | url=http://www.tse.or.jp/english/rules/transfers/index.html | work=TSE.or.jp | accessdate=2008-07-29]

Merger with Square

In June of 2001, Enix expressed interest in partnering with both Square and Namco in online ventures to deal with mounting development costs. [cite web | author=IGN staff | date=June 18, 2001 | title=Square, Enix and Namco Reveal First Tie-up Details | url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/095/095904p1.html | work=IGN.com | accessdate=2008-07-19] That same month, Enix invested in the company Game Arts, acquiring ¥99.2 billion worth of stock shares in order to publish the latter's "Grandia" series. [cite web | author=Long, Andrew | date=June 4, 2001 | title=Enix Acquires Share In Game Arts | url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q2-2001/060401a.html | work=RPGamer.com | accessdate=2007-07-29] Despite Enix's profound advertisement of "Dragon Quest VII" in 1999, the game was delayed numerous times. The game's sales were ultimately good, but its success did not contribute to the fiscal year 1999, cutting the company's previous profit-to-sales ratio in half and dropping its stock value by 40% in the early 2000. [cite web | author=IGN staff | date=April 28, 2000 | title=Dragon Quest VII Sells Like Crazy | url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/084/084151p1.html | work=IGN.com | accessdate=2008-06-01] Enix was further hurt by a delay of "Dragon Warrior Monsters 2" in Japan in 2001, dropping its first-half 2001 fiscal year profit by 89.71%. [cite web | author=Long, Andrew | date=November 14, 2001 | title=Enix Announces Figures | url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q4-2001/111401f.html | work=RPGamer.com | accessdate=2007-07-29]

Enix's competitor Square also suffered financially in 2001, mainly from the box office failure of its feature film "". This made Enix hesitant to join with the company.cite web | author=Long, Andrew| date=2003 | title=Square-Enix Gives Chrono Break Trademark Some Playmates | url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q2-2003/042503e.html | work=RPGamer.com | accessdate=2008-06-01] However, it was announced on November 26, 2002 that the two companies would merge the following year in order to mutually decrease development costs and to compete with foreign developers.cite web | author=Anoop Gantayat | date=November 25, 2002 | title=Square and Enix Merge | url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/378/378635p1.html | work=IGN.com | accessdate=2008-07-19] The merge was delayed until April 1, 2003, when Enix merged with Square, and as the surviving entity became the modern day company Square Enix. The merger between Enix and Square was apparently in consideration since at least 2000.

Products

Video games

From 1983 to 1993, Enix published games for Japanese home computers including the NEC PC-8801, MSX, Sharp X68000, and FM-7. Beginning on the Famicom, Enix published the very successful "Dragon Quest" series, which, after the formation of Square Enix, had already sold over 35 million copies worldwide.cite paper | title=IR Roadshow Document (June 28, 2004 - June 30, 2004)| publisher=Square Enix | date=July 7, 2004 | url=http://www.square-enix.com/jp/company/e/news/2004/download/0404-200407070000-01.pdf| format=pdf | accessdate=2008-08-04] Although the first few titles were developed by Chunsoft, other companies would also develop main installments, spin-offs, and remakes for the series including Heartbeat, ArtePiazza, and TOSE. The "Dragon Quest" franchise would carry over as one of Square Enix's most important assets. Other notable franchises published by Enix include the acclaimed "Star Ocean" and "Valkyrie Profile" series by tri-Ace, both of which would also continue with Square Enix. The company Quintet developed several role-playing games for Enix such as "ActRaiser", "Robotrek", "Soul Blazer", "Illusion of Gaia", and "Terranigma" for the Super Nintendo.

Manga and toys

Enix began publishing manga in 1991 in its own Gangan Comics publications, which originally consisted of Monthly Shōnen Gangan, Monthly Gangan Wing, and Monthly GFantasy.

ubsidiaries

Enix America Corporation was the corporation's first American localization subsidiary. It was organized after the release of "Dragon Warrior" by Nintendo of America in 1989. The subsidiary came into existence in 1990, but closed in November 1995 when the parent company decided to no longer release products in North America. [cite news | title=Enix on a Quest | work=Nintendo Power #80 | publisher=Nintendo| page=58 |date=1996 | accessdate=2008-05-18] One of the games they published, "King Arthur & the Knights of Justice", was Enix's first and only North America exclusive game. [Citation | last=Averill | first=Alan | publication-date=March 1995 | title=King Arthur & the Knights of Justice | periodical=Nintendo Power | series=Epic Center | publisher=Nintendo | volume=70 | pages =p. 36. "Our first Epic Center developer focus zooms in on "King Arthur & the Knights of Justice" from Enix. Manley & Associates is breaking ground with this game as the first American developer of a major adventure for Enix."]

Digital Entertainment Academy Co., Ltd. was established as a partially owned subsidiary in 1991. Originally called Toshima Ku Hokkaido University, the school was founded to teach game development. As of April 2008, it is funded by 20 gaming corporations, including Square Enix. [cite web | title=Digital Entertainment Academy history | url=http://www.d-e-a.co.jp/school/history.html | work=D-E-A.co.jp | language=Japanese | accessdate=2008-07-21]

Enix America, Inc., Enix's last American localization subsidiary, was organized in 1999 after the release of "Dragon Warrior Monsters" through a joint venture with Eidos. [cite web | author=Tidwell, Mike | date=August 3, 1999 | title=News from Enix | url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q3-1999/080399a.html | work=RPGamer.com | accessdate=2008-07-29] Paul Handelman, who was part of Enix America Corporation's staff, returned to lead Enix America, Inc. as President. The corporation was in existence until 2003, ceasing to exist after the merger with Square Co., Ltd. [cite web | author=Stone, Cortney | date=2003 | title=Enix America Shuts Down | url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q1-2003/020203a.html | work=RPGamer.com | accessdate=2007-09-11]

Square Enix Webstar Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. was a company formed between Enix and Mauritius Webstar Inc. in 2001 to develop online and mobile phone games in China and, later, other parts of Asia. One of the products includes the MMORPG "Cross Gate". The subsidiary was carried over after the merger between Square and Enix, but was dissolved in 2005 after the establishment of Square Enix China.cite paper | title=Square Enix enhansed a presence in the Chinese online and mobile game market with a 100% Square Enix subsidiary based in Beijing.| publisher=Square Enix staff | date=February 28, 2005 | url=http://www.square-enix.com/jp/company/e/news/2005/download/0302-200502281500-01.pdf | format=pdf | accessdate=2008-07-27]

References

External links

* [http://www.square-enix.com/ Square Enix Global site]
* [http://www.square-enix.com/jp/company/e/history/ History of Enix and Square (official site)]