Cavia (company)
Cavia Inc. (Japanese: 株式会社キャビア, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Kyabia) was a Japanese video game developer. The company name was apparently an acronym for Computer Amusement Visualizer, although the company web site also claims it refers to caviar.
Native name | 株式会社キャビア |
---|---|
Romanized name | Kabushiki gaisha Kyabia |
Subsidiary | |
Industry | Video games |
Fate | Absorbed into AQ Interactive |
Founded | March 1, 2000 |
Defunct | July 12, 2010 |
Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
Key people | Chikara Uchino (President & COO), Yoko Taro |
Products | Drakengard |
Parent | AQ Interactive |
Website | cavia.com (archived) |
The company was founded on March 1, 2000 and had its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Its shareholders included Amuse Capital, Tokuma Shoten, Tohokushinsha Film Corporation, Nippon Television Network Corporation, Tokyo FM Broadcasting, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Hayao Nakayama.
Cavia is best known for the Drakengard series and two Resident Evil rail shooters: The Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles.
On October 2005, the company’s name was sold to AQ Interactive. AQ Interactive 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. Cavia would henceforth stop developing games, with Nier which it released in May 2010 being the last game developed by Cavia.[1] Despite the closure, some members of the development staff from Nier, including director Yoko Taro, went on to produce a sequel to the Drakengard series, Drakengard 3, under Access Games and published by Square Enix.
Former members of the development teams at Cavia, Inc. have either gone freelance, or joined other development teams within Marvelous AQL (as a part of their merger), Comcept, Tango Gameworks, From Software or rejoined the teams at Namco where members of Cavia, Inc. were from originally.
Games developed
- Nihon Daihyo-senshu Ni Naro - (2002, PlayStation 2)
- One Piece: Nanatsu Shima no Daihihō - (2002, Game Boy Advance)
- Resident Evil: Dead Aim - (2003, PlayStation 2)
- Drakengard - (2003, PlayStation 2)
- Takahashi Naoko no Marathon shiyouyo! - (2003, PlayStation 2)
- Kamen Rider Seigi no Keifu - (2003, PlayStation 2)
- Soccer Life! - (2004, PlayStation 2)
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - (2004, PlayStation 2)
- Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors - (2004, Game Boy Advance)
- Steamboy - (2005, PlayStation 2)
- Soccer Life 2 - (2005, PlayStation 2)
- Drakengard 2 - (2005, PlayStation 2)
- Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles - (2005, PlayStation 2)
- Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance - (2005, PlayStation 2/Xbox)
- Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 - (2005, Nintendo DS)
- Tetris: The Grand Master Ace - (2005, Xbox 360)
- Tsuushin Taisen Majyan: Toryumon - (2006, Xbox 360)
- Zitsuroku Oniyomenikki: Shiuchi Ni Taeru Otto No Rifuzintaiken Adventure - (2006, PlayStation Portable)
- Dragon Quest: Shōnen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon - (2006, PlayStation 2)
- WinBack 2: Project Poseidon - (2006, PlayStation 2/Xbox)
- Lovely Complex: Punch de Conte - (2006, PlayStation 2)
- Bullet Witch - (2006, Xbox 360)
- Zegapain XOR - (2006, Xbox 360)
- Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 - (2006, PlayStation 2)
- Zegapain NOT - (2006, Xbox 360)
- Death Note: Kira Game - (2006, Nintendo DS)
- Victorious Boxers: Revolution - (2007, Wii)
- Fate/Tiger Colosseum - (2007, PlayStation Portable)
- Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - (2007, Wii)
- Fate/unlimited codes - (2008)
- Sega Bass Fishing - (2008, Wii)
- KORG DS-10 - (2008, DS)
- KORG DS-10 plus - (2009, DS/DSi)
- Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles - (2009, Wii)
- Nier Gestalt - (2010, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Nier Replicant - (2010, PlayStation 3)
- Cry On - (Cancelled, Xbox 360)
- Catacombs - (Cancelled, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)[2]
References
- Darryl (2010-07-12). "NieR To Be Cavia's Last Title, Company Ceases". Gaming Union. Archived from the original on 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
- Spencer (April 30, 2012). "Catacombs – The Game Cavia And Square Enix Were Working On After Nier". Siliconera.com. Retrieved May 31, 2012.