Tri-Ace

Infobox_Company
company_name = tri-Ace, Incorporated
company_
company_type = Private company
foundation = March 1995
location =Shinagawa Ku Oi
Tokyo, Japan
key_people = Yoshiharu Gotanda(programmer, current president), Masaki Norimoto (designer), Joe Asanuma (former President)
industry = Computer and video game industry
products = "Star Ocean" series, "Valkyrie Profile" series, "Radiata Stories", "Infinite Undiscovery"
revenue = N/A
num_employees = 153
homepage = http://www.tri-ace.com/
http://www.tri-crescendo.co.jp/nihongo|tri-Ace, Incorporated|株式会社トライエース|Kabushiki Gaisha Toraiēsu is a Japanese video game development company formed in 1995 by former Telenet Japan employees Yoshiharu Gotanda (programmer, current tri-Ace President), Masaki Norimoto (game designer,) and Joe Asanuma (director). The name is a play on words regarding the "three aces" who formed the company. All of tri-Ace's games have been published by Square Enix (originally by Enix).

The group exclusively makes console RPGs, and is known for giving their games action-packed battle systems and deep skill systems. This trademark style began when the founders of "tri-Ace" originally worked for Telenet Japan's Wolfteam, and had created "Tales of Phantasia". This game, published by Namco, is a precursor to tri-Ace's own "Star Ocean" games in several ways; i.e. an action battle system where the player controls one character and AI controls others in the party and special battle skills that the player can assign to different buttons. ("Radiata Stories" is the latest example of this design.) Besides the "Star Ocean" series, they also released "Valkyrie Profile" in 1999. Their most recent release, "Infinite Undiscovery", was released in the United States by Square Enix on September 2, 2008.

tri-Ace games have sold over 3.8 million copies worldwide as of September 2005. [cite web | title=tri-Ace Company Sales | url=http://www.tri-ace.co.jp/company/sales.html | work=tri-Ace.co.jp | accessdate=2008-07-19] The company's sound programmer Hiroya Hatsushiba formed tri-Crescendo in 1999 which has since independently developed "Baten Kaitos" and "Eternal Sonata".

Titles

=Super Famicom=

* "Star Ocean": Released July 19, 1996

Game Boy Color

* "": Released June 28, 2001

PlayStation

* "": Released July 30, 1998
* "Valkyrie Profile": Released December 22, 1999

PlayStation 2

* "Radiata Stories": Released January 27, 2005
* "": Released February 27, 2003
* "": Released January 27, 2004
* "": Released June 22, 2006

Xbox 360

* "Infinite Undiscovery": Released September 2, 2008
* "": (In development)

Nintendo DS

* "": (In Development)

Recurring characters

tri-Ace is known for taking characters from one game and placing them as optional, extremely difficult enemies in another, usually as part of bonus dungeons or other extra. ' features Lenneth Valkyrie and Freya from "Valkyrie Profile" as optional bosses; "Radiata Stories" features Valkyrie again, as well as Lezard Valeth. The main character of the game, Jack Russel, has a suit of armor that makes him look identical to Fayt Leingod, the main protagonist from '. Also notable is that Ganz Rothschild wears a costume that makes him look identical to Claude Kenni from "" later on after he is expelled from the Radiata Knights. The optional enemies Gabriel Celesta and Iselia Queen/Iseria Queen (sometimes localized as 'Ethereal Queen') are also present in most tri-Ace titles, and are usually the most powerful and difficult foes in the entire game.

There are also optional dungeons in where the optional bosses are located. For the Valkyrie Profile Series and Infinite Undiscovery it is called the Seraphic Gate while in Radiata Stories it is called the Dragon Lair Cave and Distortion Corridor. In Star Ocean the Second Story it is called the Cave of Trials and in Star Ocean Till the End of Time the dungeons are called Maze of Tribulations, Urrsa Lava Temple, and Sphere 211. In addition to the optional bosses in the optional dungeon, the normal enemies you encounter there are at least two to five time stronger than they would be in the original story. Some who are not careful and get overconfident can get a game over on these enemies alone. Also there are no save points located in these dungeons except at the beginning, (The exception being Infinite Undiscovery which there is a save point on floor seven of the Seraphic Gate).

References

* [http://games.ign.com/objects/027/027051.html IGN's tri-Ace page]
* [http://www.forever-fantasy.net/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=60 New Valkyrie Profile Announced]

External links

* [http://www.tri-ace.co.jp/ tri-Ace Japanese web site]
* [http://www.tri-crescendo.co.jp/ tri-Crescendo Japanese web site]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/company/tri-ace-inc "tri-Ace"] profile at MobyGames