Spike (company)

Spike Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社スパイク
Company typeKabushiki gaisha (defunct)
IndustryVideo games
FoundedDecember 1989; 34 years ago (1989-12) (as Mizuki)
April 1997; 27 years ago (1997-04) (as Spike)
DefunctApril 1, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-04-01)
FateMerged with Chunsoft
SuccessorSpike Chunsoft
HeadquartersMeguro, Tokyo, Japan
Key people
  • Mitsutoshi Sakurai (Spike, president)
  • Kiyonori Sawada (Mizuki, president)[1]
  • Maki Kimura (director)
  • Hiroyuki Kaneko (director)
  • Junko Yaguchi (auditor)
  • Koichiro Matsumoto (auditor)
Products
Revenue¥60 million[2] (2012)
Number of employees
99[2] (2011)
ParentDwango
Websitespike.co.jp at the Wayback Machine (archived March 12, 2012)

Spike Co., Ltd. (株式会社スパイク, Kabushiki-gaisha Supaiku) was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Most of the staff were part of Human Entertainment.[3] Human's Fire Pro Wrestling series was acquired by Spike after Human ceased operations. In April 2012, the company merged with Chunsoft to become Spike Chunsoft.

History

Spike was founded in December 1989 as Mizuki Ltd. (有限会社みずき, Yūgen-gaisha Mizuki)[4] Its name was changed to Mizuki Co., Ltd. (株式会社みずき, Kabushiki-gaisha Mizuki) on October 18, 1991[5] and then to Spike Co., Ltd. in April 1997. Spike sold its book publishing business to Aspect in March 1999, and Spike was acquired by Sammy in April. Spike established a game development subsidiary named Vaill (ヴァイル株式会社) which consisted of former Human staff in November 1999, and it was eventually absorbed back into Spike in July 2001.[6][7] In 2005, Spike was bought by Dwango. In 2012, it merged with its sister company Chunsoft and became Spike Chunsoft. Two games were in development at the time of the merger: Conception: Ore no Kodomo o Undekure![8] and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.

Games

Published by Spike

Title Developer(s) Platform(s) Release date Localized
Lupin the 3rd Chronicles Spike Sega Saturn August 8, 1997 No
DJ Wars Exit Sega Saturn December 18, 1997 No
Yuuyami Doori Tankentai Exit PlayStation October 7, 1999 No
Fire Pro Wrestling A Vaill Game Boy Advance March 21, 2001 Yes
Way of the Samurai Acquire PlayStation 2 February 7, 2002 Yes
Formation Soccer 2002 Garden Game Boy Advance May 2, 2002 No
King of Colosseum Spike PlayStation 2 December 19, 2002 No
Bakusou Dekotora Densetsu: Otoko Hanamichi Yume Roman Dual PlayStation 2 January 23, 2003 No
Way of the Samurai 2 Acquire PlayStation 2 October 9, 2003 Yes
Michigan: Report from Hell Grasshopper Manufacture PlayStation 2 August 5, 2004 Yes
King of Colosseum II Spike PlayStation 2 September 9, 2004 No
Hard Luck Garden PlayStation 2 October 28, 2004 Yes
Kenshui Tendo Dokuta Spike Nintendo DS December 2, 2004 No
Samurai Western Acquire PlayStation 2 January 1, 2005 Yes
Shin Bakusou Dekotora Densetsu Jaleco PlayStation 2 February 10, 2005 No
Kenka Bancho YSK PlayStation 2 June 9, 2005 No
Kenshui Tendo Dokuta 2: Inochi no Tenbin Spike Nintendo DS October 20, 2005 Yes
Necro-Nesia Spike Wii December 2, 2006 Yes
Kenka Bancho 2: Full Throttle YSK PlayStation 2 March 8, 2007 No
KuruKuru Princess Digital Kids Nintendo DS March 15, 2007 Yes
Elvandia Story Spike PlayStation 2 April 26, 2007 No
KuruKuru Princess II Digital Kids Nintendo DS December 13, 2007 Yes
Bakusou Dekotora Densetsu Black Dearfield Nintendo DS March 20, 2008 No
Jawa: Mammoth to Himitsu no Ishi Spike Wii July 3, 2008 No
Twilight Syndrome: Kinjirareta Toshi Densetsu Xax Entertainment Nintendo DS July 24, 2008 No
Way of the Samurai 3 Acquire PlayStation 3 November 13, 2008 Yes
Kenka Bancho 3: Zenkoku Seiha Bullets PlayStation Portable November 27, 2008 Yes
Princess Ballerina Spike Nintendo DS December 18, 2008 Yes
Shinjyuku no Ōkami YSK PlayStation 2 February 19, 2009 No
428: Shibuya Scramble Chunsoft PlayStation 3 September 3, 2009 No
PlayStation Portable September 17, 2009 No
iOS November 3, 2011 No
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors Chunsoft Nintendo DS December 10, 2009 Yes
KuruKuru Princess III Spike Nintendo DS December 10, 2009 No
Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren 3 Portable Chunsoft PlayStation Portable January 28, 2010 No
Fushigi no Dungeon: Fūrai no Shiren 4: Kami no Hitomi to Akuma no Heso Chunsoft Nintendo DS February 25, 2010 No
Kenka Bancho 4: Ichinen Sensō Bullets PlayStation Portable February 25, 2010 No
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Spike PlayStation Portable November 25, 2010 No
Kenka Bancho 5: Otoko no Rule Bullets PlayStation Portable January 27, 2011 No
Way of the Samurai 4 Acquire PlayStation 3 March 3, 2011 Yes
Gachitora!: Abarenbou Kyoushi in High School Spike PlayStation Portable April 21, 2011 No

Published by other publishers

Title Publisher(s) Platform(s) Release date
Xtreme Wheels BAM! Entertainment Game Boy Color April 26, 2001
Crimson Tears Capcom PlayStation 2 April 22, 2004
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Bandai PlayStation 2 October 6, 2005
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Bandai Namco Games PlayStation 2 October 5, 2006
Wii November 19, 2006
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Bandai Namco Games PlayStation 2 October 4, 2007
Wii October 4, 2007
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast Bandai Namco Games PlayStation 3 November 9, 2009
Xbox 360 November 9, 2009
Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team Bandai Namco Games PlayStation Portable September 30, 2010
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Bandai Namco Games PlayStation 3 November 2, 2010
Xbox 360 November 2, 2010
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi Bandai Namco Games PlayStation 3 October 25, 2011
Xbox 360 October 25, 2011

Localized

Title Platform(s) Release date
Colin McRae: The Rally PlayStation March 11, 1999
Syphon Filter PlayStation August 12, 1999
V-Rally Edition '99 Nintendo 64 October 14, 1999
Game Boy Color October 14, 1999
V-Rally Champion Edition 2 PlayStation January 27, 2000
Driver PlayStation March 9, 2000
Denkō Sekka Micro Runner: Maniac Hakushi no Hisaku PlayStation November 2, 2000
WTC: World Touring Cars PlayStation November 9, 2000
World Rally Championship PlayStation 2 March 14, 2002
WRC II Extreme PlayStation 2 April 24, 2003
WRC 3 PlayStation 2 May 27, 2004
WRC 4 PlayStation 2 April 7, 2005
True Crime: New York City PlayStation 2 July 27, 2006
Commandos: Strike Force PlayStation 2 September 21, 2006
Tomb Raider: Legend Xbox 360 October 5, 2006
PlayStation Portable December 7, 2006
PlayStation 3 December 7, 2006
Call of Duty 3 Xbox 360 March 29, 2007
PlayStation 3 June 14, 2007
Urban Chaos: Riot Response PlayStation 2 June 28, 2007
Battlestations: Midway Xbox 360 February 7, 2008
BioShock Xbox 360 February 21, 2008
PlayStation 3 December 25, 2008
Tomb Raider: Anniversary Xbox 360 March 27, 2008
PlayStation Portable March 27, 2008
PlayStation 2 March 27, 2008
Wii March 27, 2008
Haze PlayStation 3 May 22, 2008
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Xbox 360 July 10, 2008
PlayStation 3 July 10, 2008
The Darkness Xbox 360 September 11, 2008
PlayStation 3 September 11, 2008
Double Clutch Xbox 360 September 11, 2008
PlayStation 3 September 11, 2008
Tomb Raider: Underworld Xbox 360 January 29, 2009
PlayStation 3 January 29, 2009
PlayStation 2 April 23, 2009
Wii April 23, 2009
Midnight Club: LA Remix PlayStation Portable February 5, 2009
Midnight Club: Los Angeles Xbox 360 February 5, 2009
PlayStation 3 February 5, 2009
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis Wii April 16, 2009
Battlestations: Pacific Xbox 360 May 28, 2009
Wanted: Weapons of Fate Xbox 360 June 25, 2009
PlayStation 3 June 25, 2009
Red Faction: Guerrilla Xbox 360 August 6, 2009
PlayStation 3 August 6, 2009
MadWorld Wii February 10, 2010
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Xbox 360 February 10, 2010
PlayStation 3 February 10, 2010
Metro 2033 Xbox 360 May 13, 2010
Greed Corp PlayStation 3 July 15, 2010
Astro Tripper PlayStation 3 August 19, 2010
Homefront Xbox 360 April 14, 2011
PlayStation 3 April 14, 2011
Dead Island Xbox 360 October 20, 2011
PlayStation 3 October 20, 2011
Dragon Age: Origins Xbox 360 February 2, 2012
PlayStation 3 February 2, 2012

References

  1. ^ SPIKE：会社案内：概要 (in Japanese). spike.co.jp. Archived from the original on October 13, 2005. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  2. ^ a b 株式会社スパイク | 会社情報 | 会社概要 (in Japanese). spike.co.jp. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Szczepaniak, John (2015). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. S.M.G. Szczepaniak. p. 266. ISBN 9780992926007. OCLC 890601504.
  4. ^ "Profile: History". Spike. Archived from the original on 2005-03-08.
  5. ^ "Profile". Spike. Archived from the original on 2005-03-07.
  6. ^ 有価証券報告書(2000-04-01 - 2001-03-31)
  7. ^ Introduction
  8. ^ Spencer (October 25, 2011). "Spike's Upcoming RPG Is All About Making Babies". Siliconera. Retrieved 1 July 2012.