Enix

K. K. Enix (Japanese株式会社 エニックス, Kabushiki - gaisha Enikkusu, Eng. Enix Corporation) is a Japanese video game maker and publisher that was founded in 1975 as Eidansha Boshu Service Center. In 1982 the company changed its name in Enix, which is a composition of ENIAC and Phoenix, that is the name of the first computer and the miracle of the legendary bird. 2003 merged with Enix Square Co., Ltd.. to Square Enix 's net sales amounted to nearly 22 billion yen this year.

Among the most important games of the Enix RPG series Dragon Quest belongs ( Dragon Warrior in the U.S. ), their success in Japan only by Final Fantasy, is achieved by former competitors Squaresoft. In the States only published the first four parts for the NES. It was only the seventh part was released worldwide for the Sony PlayStation. In Europe at least offshoot of the series, the playful style similar to Pokemon Dragon Quest Monster games have been published.

Unlike rival Squaresoft Enix is less of a developer rather than a distribution that leaves the development of games smaller, independent companies. So published Enix for the SNES various action role-playing games, including Actraiser, Illusion of Time and Terranigma, all developed by Quintet. The Star Ocean series of tri-Ace is also marketed in Japan by Enix, just like the Valkyrie Profile series. However, the western releases of these games left Enix usually Nintendo and Sony.

Although the Dragon Warrior games were among the most popular role-playing games for the NES, but were role-playing games on consoles just a little profitable niche genre, so Enix withdrew for a long time from the western market. Only at times, the genre Playstation with Final Fantasy VII by Squaresoft competitor was the mass market, what Enix encouraged to publish the seventh part of her most famous series in the USA. However, Dragon Warrior VII could not be repeated in the U.S. to the enormous success of over four million units sold in Japan: the disappointingly simple presentation deterred too many buyers.

These difficulties, to break into the Western market walk, set for Enix then also the main motivation is to merge in 2003 with Square. The relationship with Square was previously marked already friendly, and as Square because of costly prestige projects such as the commercial flop Final Fantasy: The Spirits put in you in financial difficulties, you agreed to a merger. Enix benefited from this fusion mainly by Square Soft's know-how in the areas of computer animation and online games as well as those known in the West brand name.