Tecmo
| Company type | Public (until 2009) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Imperial Trustee Corporation, Nippon Yacht Co., Ltd |
| Founded | July 31, 1967 (as Nippon Yacht Co., Ltd) |
| Founder | Yoshihito Kakihara |
| Defunct | April 1, 2010 |
| Fate | Merged with Koei to form Tecmo Koei Holdings; brand phased out in 2016 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo (Kudankita, Chiyoda) , Japan |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Yoshihito Kakihara (founder), Junji Nakamura (former president), Yoshimi Yasuda (former president), Yasuharu Kakihara (chairman) |
| Products | Video games including Captain Tsubasa, Dead or Alive, Deception, Fatal Frame, Gallop Racer, Monster Rancher, Ninja Gaiden, Rygar, Star Force, Tecmo Bowl |
| Parent | Tecmo Koei Holdings (2009–2010) |
was a Japanese video game corporation established in 1967, with its main office located in Tokyo's Kudankita area.[1] Its American branch, Tecmo Inc, was based in Torrance, California.[2] Prior to 1986, the company operated under the name Tehkan.
The company is recognized for creating prominent video game series including Captain Tsubasa, Dead or Alive, Deception, Fatal Frame, Gallop Racer, Monster Rancher, Ninja Gaiden, Rygar, Star Force, and Tecmo Bowl. During its Tehkan era, it produced arcade games such as Bomb Jack, Gridiron Fight, and Tehkan World Cup.[3]
In 2009, Tecmo combined with Koei, resulting in the formation of the holding entity Tecmo Koei Holdings, where Tecmo functioned as a subsidiary until its closure in April 2010.[3] The Tecmo brand remained active until 2016,[4] after which its gaming properties have been owned and managed by Koei Tecmo Games.[5]
History
Founded on July 31, 1967, as Tehkan, the company initially manufactured cleaning machinery.[3][6] By 1969, it had diversified into amusement machines.[3]
Early history
The origins of Tecmo Ltd., which merged with Koei in 2009, stem from two entities: Imperial Trustee Corporation (established in 1964) and Nippon Yacht Co., Ltd (established in 1967).[7]
Imperial Trustee Corporation
Tecmo’s beginnings date to September 1964 with Imperial Trustee Corporation, focusing on building upkeep and cleaning equipment.[7]</ref> In July 1969, the company expanded into amusement equipment sales and inaugurated its first self-operated amusement venue in March 1970 within Chiba Prefecture.[8]
In October 1977, Imperial Trustee Corporation rebranded as "Tehkan Ltd," adopting "Tehkan" as its trade name.[7] This name originates from the original Japanese .
In March 1981, the company established a U.S. branch called "U.S. Tehkan, Inc." located in Los Angeles.[3] The subsequent month saw Tehkan release its inaugural internally developed arcade title, Pleiads, which was distributed in North America by Centuri.[3]
On January 8, 1986, Tehkan Ltd officially changed its corporate name to Tecmo Ltd. Its debut home console game, Mighty Bomb Jack, was released for the Family Computer in April of that year.[3]
Nippon Yacht Co, Ltd
Established on July 31, 1967, Nippon Yacht Corporation specialized in managing ship-related real estate.
On December 6, 1982, the company underwent a name change to "Tehkan Electronics Corporation."
Merger and Concentration on Console Gaming
On April 1, 1987, Tehkan Electronics Corporation merged with Tecmo Ltd., with the latter name being retained despite Tehkan surviving as the corporate entity.
By the early 1990s, Tecmo had pivoted its primary focus toward console video games. Although it continued its involvement in arcade gaming, its major successes were driven by titles for the Nintendo Entertainment System such as Ninja Gaiden, Tecmo Bowl, and the Japan-exclusive Tsuppari Ōzumō. Following the launch of Sony's PlayStation, Tecmo broadened its portfolio with franchises including Dead or Alive, Monster Rancher, Deception, and Gallop Racer.
In March 2000, Tecmo was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's second section and advanced to the first section by March 2001.
On October 1, 2001, founder Yoshihito Kakihara stepped down from his role as president due to health concerns and transitioned to chairman, with Junji Nakamura assuming the presidency. By 2002, Tecmo had discontinued the development of new arcade games.
On January 1, 2006, Junji Nakamura resigned as president and was succeeded by Yoshimi Yasuda. Nakamura remained chairman until his departure on February 1, 2006.
Yoshihito Kakihara passed away from interstitial pneumonia on July 18, 2006, at age 67.
Ahead of its merger with Koei, Tecmo withdrew from the Tokyo Stock Exchange on March 26, 2009.
Legal Disputes
Former president Junji Nakamura initiated a lawsuit against Tecmo on February 14, 2007, seeking 166 million yen in executive retirement benefits; the matter was resolved by March 28.
On June 3, 2008, Tomonobu Itagaki, head of Team Ninja, resigned and filed a lawsuit for ¥145 million (approximately $1.4 million) against Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda over unpaid completion bonuses and emotional distress. Shortly thereafter, two plaintiffs filed a separate suit representing around 300 Tecmo employees for unpaid wages totaling ¥8.3 million.
Merger with Koei
On August 20, 2008, Tecmo revealed that president Yoshimi Yasuda would step down, with chairman Yasuharu Kakihara taking over the role on September 1. Shortly after, on August 29, Square Enix made a friendly acquisition proposal for Tecmo, offering ¥22.3 billion—representing a 30% premium—but Tecmo rejected the offer on September 4.
Following this, Tecmo initiated merger discussions with Koei, culminating in an agreement in November 2008 to unite on April 1, 2009, creating Tecmo Koei Holdings. The official announcement occurred on January 26, 2009, and the merger proceeded as scheduled. Post-merger, Tecmo operated as a subsidiary and maintained its brand identity under Tecmo Koei Holdings. In January 2010, Tecmo Inc. and Koei America consolidated their American branches into Tecmo Koei America Corporation.
On April 1, 2010, during a global restructuring within Tecmo Koei Holdings, Tecmo ceased to exist as an independent entity in Japan. Its intellectual properties were transferred to Koei Tecmo Games.
Before this dissolution, on March 15, 2010, Tecmo’s internal development team was spun off into "Tecmo Co., Ltd.," a fully owned subsidiary of Koei Tecmo Games. Initially called "Tehkan" to prevent confusion with the original company, it adopted the Tecmo name following the original company's termination. This new unit was merged with Koei’s development teams into Koei Tecmo Games by April 1, 2011.
Although legally dissolved twice, the Tecmo brand continued appearing on titles released by Koei Tecmo Games until a corporate restructuring in 2016 phased out the name. Prominent games carrying the Tecmo label included Dead or Alive 5, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, and Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess.
Divisions
- Team Ninja, founded in 1995
- Team Tachyon, founded in 2007
References
- ↑ "主要営業所." Tecmo. February 20, 2002. Retrieved on October 18, 2010. "本社 東京都千代田区九段北4丁目1番34号 03-3222-7645."
- ↑ "Contact Archived 2011-07-05 at the Wayback Machine." Tecmo. Retrieved on October 18, 2010. "Tecmo, Inc. 21213-B Hawthorne Boulevard Torrance, CA 90503."
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