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KID

KID Co., Ltd. (Japanese: 株式会社キッド, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha Kiddo), doing business as KID (an acronym for Kindle Imagine Develop), was a and publisher headquartered in . Founded on May 12, 1988, the company initially focused on arcade action games and porting titles to various platforms, but from the mid-1990s shifted toward developing and publishing visual novels, particularly for personal computers and consoles like the PlayStation. It became known for its series of sound novels and the series, among other titles. KID filed for on November 30, 2006, leading to its dissolution; its intellectual properties were subsequently acquired by CyberFront in February 2007.

History

Founding and early years

KID, an acronym for Kindle Imagine Develop, was incorporated on May 12, 1988, in , , with an initial capital of 160 million yen. The company originated from efforts starting in December 1987 under the leadership of Hisayoshi Ichikawa, a former employee of Logitec and Wood Place. Headquartered in 's Shinagawa Ward, KID launched as a modest studio specializing in software development for the burgeoning . From its inception through the early 1990s, operated primarily as a contract developer and house for third-party publishers, handling projects for arcade conversions, home consoles, and early computer systems. The firm focused on action-oriented titles, leveraging its technical expertise to adapt games across platforms such as the (NES), PC Engine, and hardware. Key early contracts included work for publishers like and Taxan, contributing to the development ecosystem during Japan's late-1980s console boom. Among its inaugural projects, KID developed Burai Fighter (1990), a vertical scrolling shooter for the NES published by Taito and Taxan, and Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man (1990), a platformer also for the NES under Taxan. On the PC Engine, the studio handled ports and development for titles like Dead of the Brain parts 1 and 2, as well as Double Dragon II: The Revenge for Naxat Soft. For Sega systems, KID contributed to Maou Renjishi (known internationally as Mystical Fighter), a 1991 action game published by Taito. These assignments established KID's reputation for reliable porting and adaptation work in a competitive market. By the mid-1990s, KID began shifting its focus from contract obligations toward creating original intellectual properties, particularly in the genre.

Expansion and major releases

In 1997, KID shifted its focus by beginning to port PC games to console platforms, which facilitated its entry into the genre. This expansion laid the groundwork for original development, culminating in the 1999 release of for the on September 30, marking KID's first major original . The following year, on March 23, 2000, KID launched Never 7: The End of Infinity for the , inaugurating the Infinity series and further establishing the company in the genre. During 1999-2002, KID diversified with releases such as the promotional tie-in Pepsiman for on March 4, 1999, and early sequels in the series, including Memories Off 2nd in 2001. By the mid-2000s, had grown to approximately 41 employees, reflecting its transition from contract porting to revenue-driving original titles. In 2005, the company sponsored the popular drama series , enhancing its brand visibility beyond gaming.

Decline and bankruptcy

KID's financial difficulties began to surface around 2003, coinciding with a contraction in the game market and a reduction in the number of development and sales titles the company could sustain. Revenue for the ending March 2003 stood at approximately ¥1.1 billion, but by the ending March 2006, it had fallen to ¥929 million, reflecting ongoing sales declines and escalating development costs in the sector. These challenges were exacerbated by KID's heavy reliance on the visual novel genre, which faced increasing competition from larger studios and a failure to diversify into emerging formats. The rise in popularity of portable gaming devices further eroded demand for console-based titles like those on , where KID released at least one game per month in yet saw persistently poor sales and drying . Despite attempts to restructure, the company could not meet obligations to major creditors, leading to severe liquidity issues. On December 1, 2006, KID filed for bankruptcy protection with the , declaring liabilities of approximately ¥530 million after ceasing operations on November 30. This closure affected the company's approximately 41 employees and marked the end of its independent activities following unsuccessful restructuring efforts.

Works

Infinity series

The Infinity series is a collection of visual novels developed by KID, renowned for blending narrative-driven storytelling with intricate puzzle-solving elements. The series began with Never 7: The End of Infinity, originally released on March 23, 2000, for the under the title Infinity, and later ported to in 2001 and in 2003. This inaugural entry established the franchise's core premise of a group of characters trapped in a mysterious , unraveling secrets through branching paths and revelations that challenge perceptions of reality. Written primarily by , who crafted the scenarios for the early titles, the series was directed by Takumi Nakazawa and featured music by , contributing to its atmospheric tension. Subsequent core titles expanded on these foundations, incorporating recurring motifs of time loops, parallel realities, and psychological suspense. Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, released on August 29, 2002, for and , follows survivors trapped in an underwater theme park called LeMU after a catastrophic incident, with players switching perspectives between protagonists like Kuranari and an amnesiac boy known as "." The game integrates puzzle mechanics that require decoding clues and achieving multiple endings to piece together the overarching narrative, emphasizing themes of memory and fate. Released as the series' commercial pinnacle, Ever 17 achieved widespread acclaim for its twist-laden plot, outselling predecessors and solidifying KID's reputation in the genre. The trilogy concluded with Remember 11: The Age of Infinity on March 18, 2004, for , shifting focus to a plane crash scenario where characters navigate a remote facility amid hallucinations and temporal anomalies. Like its predecessors, it employs body-switching and time-loop structures to heighten disorientation, demanding players track inconsistencies across routes to unlock the true ending. Uchikoshi's writing here delved deeper into philosophical inquiries about and , with puzzle elements woven seamlessly into dialogue choices. A planned fourth entry in a new series, 12Riven: The Ψcliminal of Integral, entered development under , but production was halted following the company's in November 2006; it was later completed and released by CyberFront in 2008. Across the series, shared mechanics such as non-linear , where time loops reset events based on player decisions, and integrated puzzles that reveal hidden , distinguish Infinity from contemporaneous visual novels. These elements, rooted in sci-fi tropes like and perceptual traps, influenced subsequent works in the genre, popularizing complex, replayable narratives that reward attentive engagement over rote progression. Despite KID's financial struggles limiting further expansions, the Infinity series remains a benchmark for suspenseful, intellectually demanding adventures. In , remastered versions of Never 7 and Ever 17 were released for , , and PC by , featuring updated visuals and support for current hardware.

Memories Off series

The Memories Off series is a collection of romance visual novels developed by , focusing on emotional narratives centered around young protagonists navigating love and loss in everyday settings. The franchise began with the debut title, , released on September 30, 1999, for the , marking KID's entry into original romance titles after years of porting PC adventures to consoles. This initial installment introduced a structure of branching story routes, where player choices influence relationships with multiple female leads, emphasizing heartfelt drama over explicit content as an all-ages production. Key early sequels built on this foundation, expanding the cast and timeline while maintaining the series' introspective tone. Memories Off 2nd, launched on September 27, 2001, for the and , shifted to a format exploring aftermaths from the first game's events, introducing new school-based romances and deepening character backstories. These entries solidified the series' progression, with later titles under including Memories Off 3 (2002, PS2), Memories Off: Sorekara (2004, PS2), and Memories Off #5: Togireta Film (2005, PS2), culminating in five main installments before the company's 2006 bankruptcy halted further development. At its core, the emphasized school-life romance infused with emotional , where protagonists grapple with themes of , , and fleeting through dialogue-heavy interactions and subtle plot twists. Multiple branching routes allowed players to pursue different heroines, each with unique arcs revealing personal vulnerabilities, supported by full from notable Japanese talent to heighten immersion. Development under KID prioritized polished presentation, with consistent art styles depicting expressive character portraits and seasonal backdrops, alongside original soundtracks featuring melancholic piano melodies to underscore poignant moments. Ports to PC and handheld platforms, such as and later Windows releases, broadened accessibility beyond consoles. In 2024, several entries in the series, including those developed by KID, were ported to PC via by , making them available internationally with English subtitles. The series' commercial success positioned KID as a specialist in the romance visual novel niche, with the original Memories Off achieving strong sales in and spawning adaptations, novels, and drama CDs that extended its cultural footprint. Subsequent entries sustained this momentum, contributing to KID's reputation for heartfelt, character-driven stories that resonated with fans of the genre, though specific sales figures remain proprietary. This trajectory helped diversify KID's portfolio amid the competitive mid-2000s visual novel market, influencing ports and spin-offs even after the company's closure.

Other titles

In addition to its major franchises, KID developed and ported a variety of standalone titles across genres, often as contract work or promotional projects, reflecting its diversification efforts during the 1990s and early 2000s. These included action games, simulations, and adaptations from other platforms, showcasing the company's technical expertise in porting and budget development. One notable promotional title was Pepsiman (1999), an action game exclusively released for the PlayStation in Japan. In this low-budget endeavor, players control the Pepsi mascot, a silver-armored superhero, as he dashes through obstacle-filled levels to deliver cans of the beverage to thirsty civilians amid disasters like earthquakes and wildfires. The game's fast-paced, endless-runner mechanics, inspired by Japanese Pepsi commercials, emphasized quick reflexes and humorous scenarios, though it remained a Japan-only release due to its tie-in nature. KID also ventured into simulation with Board Game: Top Shop (known as Tenant Wars in Japan), released in 1998 for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, with a Western port in 2001. This multiplayer board game simulates mall management, where up to six players compete to build and upgrade shops in procedurally generated shopping centers, aiming to amass wealth through property acquisition, rent collection, and business expansions. Featuring over 40 shop types and Monopoly-like mechanics adapted to a vertical board layout, it highlighted KID's ability to create accessible, strategy-driven experiences for casual audiences. During its early contract phase in the 1990s, KID handled several ports and original console titles, primarily for platforms. Burai Fighter (1990) was a vertical-scrolling developed by KID for the , involving piloting a transformable fighter against alien forces across 12 stages with branching paths and power-ups. Similarly, Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man (1990) for the featured platforming action with Jack Gibson using a gravity-defying suit, jetpack, and weaponry to thwart a criminal organization in levels blending shooting and puzzle elements. These ports demonstrated KID's role in adapting PC and content to home consoles. Miscellaneous contract work included PC-to-console adaptations throughout the 1990s, such as third-party support for titles and games starting in 1997, alongside minor ports like those for the Densha de Go! train simulation series, where KID contributed to console versions emphasizing realistic rail operations. This mix of action, simulation, and promotional efforts underscored KID's attempts to broaden its portfolio beyond visual novels, though many remained niche or region-specific.

Legacy

Industry influence

KID played a pivotal role in advancing the genre through its development of the Infinity series, including titles like Never7: The End of Infinity (2000) and Ever17: The Out of Infinity (2002), which introduced innovative narrative structures such as prismatic routes—where player choices lead to non-canonical endings—and designs that unlock a comprehensive "true ending" only after completing multiple paths. These mechanics emphasized branching narratives and plot twists within frameworks, shifting focus from pure romance to elements with psychological depth, influencing subsequent works by integrating complex, replay-dependent storytelling. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, contributed to the genre's expansion beyond PC by specializing in console ports and native releases of visual novels, such as the version of (1999) and the / edition of Ever17. This approach helped bridge the gap between PC-centric and mainstream console audiences, popularizing voiced, interactive narratives on platforms like the , where visual novels were still emerging. Culturally, KID's Ever17 left a lasting mark on visual novel tropes, particularly through its use of time-loop and parallel reality mechanics to resolve mysteries, which echoed in later sci-fi titles and their anime adaptations, reinforcing the genre's emphasis on emotional reveals and multiverse concepts. Following KID's bankruptcy in 2006, many of its developers transitioned to 5pb., where they continued to apply the company's narrative-driven style in projects like the Steins;Gate series, perpetuating innovations in plot complexity and character-focused branching. Notable alumni include writer Kotaro Uchikoshi, whose work on the Zero Escape series drew from KID's twist-heavy designs, and producer Chiyomaru Shikura, who advanced similar mechanics in Steins;Gate.

Post-bankruptcy developments

Following KID's in late 2006, its intellectual properties, including game titles and brands, were acquired by CyberFront Corporation in February 2007 through a purchase from the , allowing for the continuation of select projects under the KID brand. In November 2007, 5pb. (now part of MAGES.) entered a with CyberFront and secured exclusive rights to utilize the series, excluding adaptations, which enabled the studio—founded by former KID staff—to develop continuations and ports such as Memories Off 6 T-wave in 2008. In the , CyberFront became a subsidiary of Kaga Electronics in 2010 before its dissolution in 2013, with subsequent assets passing through Kaga Create (which shut down in 2016) to 5pb./MAGES., facilitating further management of KID's portfolio. This transfer supported revivals, including 5pb.'s 2011 remake of Ever 17: The Out of Infinity for , and more recent remastered releases of Infinity series titles like Ever 17 and Never 7: The End of Infinity for , , and PC in March 2025, published by MAGES. in collaboration with . Successor studios under MAGES. have also continued the series with entries like Memories Off -Innocent Fille- in 2018. In 2025, MAGES. released Memories Off Sōsō: Not always true on April 10 for PS5, PS4, and Switch, along with a announced in September. Fan communities have undertaken preservation efforts, such as unofficial patches and translations for older KID titles, amid challenges where some early works remain unavailable due to unresolved licensing and platform obsolescence issues. As of 2025, KID's properties are accessible via digital platforms like and through MAGES.'s ongoing ports and remasters, though no new content is produced under the original KID branding, with developments integrated into successor labels.

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