Cavia (company) explained

Cavia Inc.
Type:Subsidiary
Fate:Merged into AQ Interactive
Native Name:株式会社キャビア
Native Name Lang:ja
Romanized Name:Kabushiki gaisha Kyabia
Location:Tokyo, Japan
Key People:Chikara Uchino (President & COO), Yoko Taro
Industry:Video games
Parent:AQ Interactive
Products:Drakengard, Nier
Website:cavia.com (archived)

was a Japanese video game developer. The company name was apparently an acronym for Computer Amusement Visualizer, although the company's web site also claimed it referred to caviar.

The company was founded on March 1, 2000, and headquartered in Tokyo. Its shareholders included Amuse Capital, Tokuma Shoten, Tohokushinsha Film Corporation, Nippon Television Network Corporation, Tokyo FM Broadcasting, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Hayao Nakayama.

Cavia was best known for the Drakengard series, the first title in the Nier series (a spin-off of the former) and two Resident Evil rail shooters: The Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles.

In October 2005, the company was sold to AQ Interactive, who became a holding company responsible for the management of subsidiary companies as well as sales and promotion of game software. The old company's game planning & development business was transferred to a newly established Cavia Inc.

In July 2010, the company was officially disbanded and absorbed into AQ Interactive. Nier, released in May 2010, was the studio's last game.[1] Despite the closure, some members of the development staff from Nier, including director Yoko Taro, went on to produce a prequel to the Drakengard series, Drakengard 3, under Access Games and published by Square Enix.

Former members of Cavia have either gone freelance, or joined other development teams within Marvelous AQL (created from the merger of AQ Interactive), Comcept, Tango Gameworks, FromSoftware or rejoined the teams at Namco where members of Cavia were from originally. Former member Yoichi Take (also previously of Namco) left on December 1, 2006 to start his own development studio, Toylogic.

Games

YearTitlePlatform
2002Nihon Daihyo-senshu Ni NaroPlayStation 2
One Piece: Nanatsu Shima no DaihihōGame Boy Advance
2003PlayStation 2
Drakengard
Takahashi Naoko no Marathon Shiyouyo!
Kamen Rider Seigi no Keifu
2004Soccer Life!
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Game Boy Advance
2005SteamboyPlayStation 2
Soccer Life 2
Drakengard 2
PlayStation 2, Xbox
Nintendo DS
Tetris: The Grand Master AceXbox 360
2006Tsuushin Taisen Majyan: Toryumon
Zitsuroku Oniyomenikki: Shiuchi Ni Taeru Otto No Rifuzintaiken AdventurePlayStation Portable
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2, Xbox
Lovely Complex: Punch de ContePlayStation 2
Bullet WitchXbox 360
Zegapain XOR
Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2PlayStation 2
Zegapain NOTXbox 360
Death Note: Kira GameNintendo DS
2007Wii
Fate/Tiger ColosseumPlayStation Portable
Wii
2008Fate/unlimited codesArcade, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Sega Bass FishingWii
KORG DS-10Nintendo DS
2009Suzumiya Haruhi no Heiretsu[2] Wii
Suzumiya Haruhi no Chokuretsu[3] Nintendo DS
KORG DS-10 plusNintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
Wii
2010Nier GestaltPlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Nier ReplicantPlayStation 3
CancelledCry OnXbox 360
Catacombs[4] PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NieR To Be Cavia's Last Title, Company Ceases . Darryl . 2010-07-12 . Gaming Union . 2010-07-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100715061743/http://www.gamingunion.net/news/nier-to-be-cavias-last-title-company-ceases--2175.html# . 2010-07-15 . dead .
  2. Web site: 涼宮ハルヒの並列 - マーベラス . 2023-06-01 . マーベラス公式ウェブサイト - MARVELOUS! . ja.
  3. Web site: 涼宮ハルヒの直列 - マーベラス . 2023-06-01 . マーベラス公式ウェブサイト - MARVELOUS! . ja.
  4. Web site: Catacombs – The Game Cavia And Square Enix Were Working On After Nier. Spencer. April 30, 2012. Siliconera.com. May 31, 2012.