| 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.
| Year | Title | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Nihon Daihyo-senshu Ni Naro | PlayStation 2 |
| One Piece: Nanatsu Shima no Daihihō | Game Boy Advance | |
| 2003 | PlayStation 2 | |
| Drakengard | ||
| Takahashi Naoko no Marathon Shiyouyo! | ||
| Kamen Rider Seigi no Keifu | ||
| 2004 | Soccer Life! | |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex | ||
| Game Boy Advance | ||
| 2005 | Steamboy | PlayStation 2 |
| Soccer Life 2 | ||
| Drakengard 2 | ||
| PlayStation 2, Xbox | ||
| Nintendo DS | ||
| Tetris: The Grand Master Ace | Xbox 360 | |
| 2006 | Tsuushin Taisen Majyan: Toryumon | |
| Zitsuroku Oniyomenikki: Shiuchi Ni Taeru Otto No Rifuzintaiken Adventure | PlayStation Portable | |
| PlayStation 2 | ||
| PlayStation 2, Xbox | ||
| Lovely Complex: Punch de Conte | PlayStation 2 | |
| Bullet Witch | Xbox 360 | |
| Zegapain XOR | ||
| Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 | PlayStation 2 | |
| Zegapain NOT | Xbox 360 | |
| Death Note: Kira Game | Nintendo DS | |
| 2007 | Wii | |
| Fate/Tiger Colosseum | PlayStation Portable | |
| Wii | ||
| 2008 | Fate/unlimited codes | Arcade, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable |
| Sega Bass Fishing | Wii | |
| KORG DS-10 | Nintendo DS | |
| 2009 | Suzumiya Haruhi no Heiretsu[2] | Wii |
| Suzumiya Haruhi no Chokuretsu[3] | Nintendo DS | |
| KORG DS-10 plus | Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi | |
| Wii | ||
| 2010 | Nier Gestalt | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
| Nier Replicant | PlayStation 3 | |
| Cancelled | Cry On | Xbox 360 |
| Catacombs[4] | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |