Working Designs

Working Designs

Company type	Private
Industry	Video game publishing
Founded	1986
Founder	Victor Ireland
Defunct	2005-12-12
Fate	Shutdown
Headquarters	Redding, California , United States
Area served	North America
Key people	Victor Ireland (President)
Products	Localized Japanese role-playing games, strategy games, and top-down shooters

Working Designs was a United States-based video game publisher that concentrated on localizing Japanese role-playing video games, strategy video games, and top-down shooter titles for multiple gaming platforms. Renowned primarily as the sole North American distributor of the Lunar franchise, the company sought to connect Japanese and American gaming cultures throughout the 1990s. They were also among the pioneers in utilizing the CD-ROM format to deliver fully English-voiced dialogue, a feature uncommon in mainstream titles during that era.

On December 12, 2005, Working Designs' President Victor Ireland declared the company's shutdown. The following year, in 2006, he established Gaijinworks.

History

Initially established as a software firm specializing in logging management solutions for IBM PC systems, Working Designs transitioned to video game publishing after the passing of lead programmer Todd Mark in 1988. Victor Ireland finalized Mark’s projects before steering the company toward game publishing by 1990.

The publisher focused mainly on titles for the Sega CD and TurboGrafx-CD, preferring CD-based media over cartridge formats such as those used by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Working Designs set itself apart by offering deluxe packaging featuring foil stamping, abundant artwork, and full-color manuals showcasing anime illustrations and concept art—features rarely seen in Western releases at that time. Their manuals often contained thorough explanations of the translation process and concluded with the phrase, "We're nothing without you!"

The company became known for blending unique American humor into their translations while preserving loyalty to the original Japanese text and thoughtfully adapting cultural nuances for U.S. players.

With the debut of the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn, Working Designs initially prioritized support for the Sega Saturn due to Sony Computer Entertainment America's (SCEA) limited interest in non-action genres. This focus aligned with their catalog of strategy and role-playing games and reinforced their collaboration with Sega.

Their last U.S. release for the Sega Saturn, Magic Knight Rayearth, was delayed by more than two years. After Bernie Stolar left his position as SCEA president, Working Designs broadened its publishing efforts into PlayStation titles, ultimately releasing a record ten games on that console and introducing their "Spaz" label dedicated to arcade-style shoot 'em ups. Post-E3 1997, citing inadequate support from Sega of America and apprehensions regarding how the impending Dreamcast would affect Saturn sales, Working Designs announced it would halt further Saturn game publishing aside from projects already underway.

Due to setbacks involving delays, approval complications, and diminishing sales on PlayStation 2 endeavors, Working Designs terminated all staff and ceased operations in December 2005. Victor Ireland attributed this closure to financial losses caused by difficulties obtaining approvals for upcoming releases despite maintaining a loyal core fanbase.

List of Published/Handled Working Designs Games

Title	Release date	System	Produced/Developed by
Parasol Stars	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	TurboGrafx-16	Taito
Cadash	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	TurboGrafx-16	Taito
Cosmic Fantasy 2	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	TurboGrafx-CD	Telenet Japan
Exile	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	TurboGrafx-CD	Telenet Japan
Vasteel	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	TurboGrafx-CD	Human Entertainment
Exile: Wicked Phenomenon	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	TurboGrafx-CD	Telenet Japan
Dungeon Explorer II (English-Dub Only)	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	TurboGrafx-CD	Hudson Soft
Lunar: The Silver Star	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega CD	Game Arts
Vay	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega CD	SIMS, Hertz
Popful Mail	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega CD	Sega, Sega Falcom
Lunar: Eternal Blue	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega CD	Game Arts
Iron Storm	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega Saturn	Sega
Shining Wisdom	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega Saturn	Sega, Camelot Software Planning
RayStorm	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation	Taito
Dragon Force	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega Saturn	Sega, J-Force
Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega Saturn	Sunsoft
Sega Ages Volume 1	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega Saturn	Sega
Alundra	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation	Sony Computer Entertainment, Matrix Software
Elemental Gearbolt	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation	Sony Computer Entertainment, Alfa System
Thunder Force V	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation	Technosoft
Magic Knight Rayearth	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Sega Saturn	Sega
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation	Game Arts
Silhouette Mirage	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation	Treasure
Vanguard Bandits	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation	Human Entertainment
RayCrisis	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation	Taito
Gungriffon Blaze	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	PlayStation 2	Game Arts
"Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete"	Template:Dts 2000–12–15	PlayStation	Game Arts	-	Silpheed: The Lost Planet	April 10, 2001	PlayStation 2	Game Arts, Treasure	-	Arc the Lad Collection	April 18, 2002	PlayStation	Sony Computer Entertainment, ARC Entertainment	-	Growlanser II: The Sense of Justice / Growlanser III: The Dual Darkness (as Growlanser Generations)	December 7, 2004	PlayStation 2	Atlus, Career Soft

External links

• Archived official site
• Profile on IGN
• Company profile on Moby Games