CSK Research Institute

Founded: 1988

T-series code: T-68

Merged into: Sega AM2

Headquarters:

Japan

2000

AM2 of CRI →

CRI Middleware →

CSK Research Institute Corp. (CSK総合研究所), was set up to function as a research institute for the CSK group in 1988, whose primary holding was Sega. That year, the company developed Japan's first CD-ROM software: After Burner II for the Fujitsu FM Towns console. Using its skills gained in CD-ROM technology, in 1993 the institute took part in the development of the Sega Saturn. CRI developed the Saturn's BIOS file system, development tools and supplied technical support for the system. In 1996, CRI Sofdec (formerly CRI MPEG Sofdec) and CRI ADX are developed. Apart from doing research into new media and formats and developing support tools for the software industry (mainly Sega and its third parties), it did also do some games development itself for the Sega Mega Drive, Mega-CD, Sega 32X, Sega Saturn and Sega Dreamcast.

On October 1, 1999, CSK sold its 100% interest in CRI to Isao Okawa for ¥5,362 million^[1]. When Sega was splitting of its divisions into separate companies in 2000, the software development teams of CRI merged with the AM2 division, while their middleware development became CRI Middleware.