Difference between revisions of "Hitmaker"

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[[Image:Hitmaker.png|thumb|right|300px|Hitmaker logo]]'''Hitmaker''' (originally '''AM3''') is a former second-party developer for [[Sega|Sega Corporation]]. The development house has produced some popular [[arcade|arcade game]] and video games, including ''Virtual On'', ''Crazy Taxi'', and ''Virtua Tennis''. In 2000, as a part of a restructuring of Sega, they were renamed Hitmaker. Later in 2004, they were merged back with the other "AM teams" into Sega.
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{{CompanyBob
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| logo=Hitmaker Logo.svg
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| width=300
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| founded=2000-04-21{{fileref|IR EN 2003-07-30.pdf|page=3}}
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| defunct=2004-07-01{{fileref|IR EN 2004-05-18.pdf}}
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| headquarters=Japan
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| prevdate=2000-04-21
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| prev=[[Sega Software R&D Dept. 3]]
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| nextdate=2004-07-01
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| next=[[Sega AM3 (2005-2008)|Sega AM3]]
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}}
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'''Hitmaker''' (ヒットメーカー) is a former internal development studio owned by [[Sega]]. It was founded in 2000 largely on the remains of '''Sega Software R&D Dept. 3''' (formerly [[Sega AM3]]), and was one of the ten that was spun off during the 2000 restructure.
  
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==Production history==
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AM3 was a dominant force within Sega throughout the 1990s, however had been arcade-orientated by design. With Hitmaker, this focus shifted more towards home consoles, but as the arcade section did not go away, this led to Hitmaker producing a large proportion of Sega games during the 2000-2004 period.
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*1994 - Star Wars Arcade
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*1995 - Sega Rally Championship, Virtual On, Gunblade NY, Baku Baku
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The biggest international successes for Hitmaker were ''[[Crazy Taxi]]'' and ''[[Virtua Tennis]]'', popular on their original arcade releases and subsequent [[Dreamcast]] ports. In Japan, however, the studio also changed the Japanese arcade landscape, with ''[[World Club Champion Football: Serie A 2001-2002]]'' and
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*1996 - Last Bronx, Manx TT
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''[[The Key of Avalon: The Wizard Master]]''. These titles, alongside [[Sega AM2]]'s ''[[Virtua Fighter 4]]'' and [[Mirai R&D]]'s ''[[Mushiking: The King of Beetles]]'', popularised new features and dynamics with cards and internet usage.
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*1997 - The Lost World, Top Skater
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*1998 - Crazy Taxi, Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram, L.A. Machineguns
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In October 2003, [[Sega Rosso]] was merged back into the studio.{{fileref|IR EN 2003-07-30.pdf|page=3}}
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*1999 - Virtua Tennis  
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*2000 - Confidential Mission
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Hitmaker had their own record label, [[Hitmaker Records]], for a short period.
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*2001 - Crazy Taxi 2, Tennis 2K2
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==Company statistics==
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*'''Capital:''' 140 million yen{{magref|dmjp|2000-26|37}}{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20010204235100/http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/home.html}}, 190 million yen{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20031003064800fw_/http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/site/company.html}}
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*'''Number of Employees:''' 124 (2000-03){{magref|dmjp|2000-26|37}}{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20010204235100/http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/home.html}}, 188{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20031003064800fw_/http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/site/company.html}}
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==Softography==
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{{CompanyHistoryAll|Hitmaker|Hitmaker Div}}
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{{multicol|
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===PC===
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* ''[[Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller]]'' (2004)
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* ''[[Derby Owners Club Online]]'' (2004)
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===Mobile===
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* ''[[Nakayoshi Techo]]'' (2000)
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* ''[[Virtua Tennis (N-Gage)|Virtua Tennis]]'' (2003)
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* ''[[Sega Rally Championship (N-Gage)|Sega Rally Championship]]'' (2004)
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* ''[[The Sumou Kokoro Waza Tai]]'' (2001)
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* ''[[Uchuujinda!]]'' (2001)
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|cols=2}}
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==List of staff==
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{{StaffList|Hitmaker|employees=yes}}
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==Magazine articles==
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{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
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==Promotional material==
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<gallery>
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Hitmaker UK InfoSheet.pdf|UK info sheet
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</gallery>
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[http://www.hitmaker.co.jp Hitmaker Official websites]
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* [http://web.archive.org/web/20040629001328/http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/site/index.html Hitmaker Official websites (Internet Archive)]
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** [http://web.archive.org/web/20040610032406/http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/site/comphistory.html Production history of the Hitmaker]
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==References==
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<references />
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{{clear}}
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{{SoJ}}
  
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[[Category:Companies]]
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[[Category:Sega companies]]
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[[Category:Developers]]
 

Latest revision as of 20:14, 19 January 2024

https://segaretro.org/images/d/dd/Hitmaker_Logo.svg

Hitmaker Logo.svg
Hitmaker
Founded: 2000-04-21[1]
Defunct: 2004-07-01[2]
Headquarters:
Japan
2000-04-21
2004-07-01

Hitmaker (ヒットメーカー) is a former internal development studio owned by Sega. It was founded in 2000 largely on the remains of Sega Software R&D Dept. 3 (formerly Sega AM3), and was one of the ten that was spun off during the 2000 restructure.

AM3 was a dominant force within Sega throughout the 1990s, however had been arcade-orientated by design. With Hitmaker, this focus shifted more towards home consoles, but as the arcade section did not go away, this led to Hitmaker producing a large proportion of Sega games during the 2000-2004 period.

The biggest international successes for Hitmaker were Crazy Taxi and Virtua Tennis, popular on their original arcade releases and subsequent Dreamcast ports. In Japan, however, the studio also changed the Japanese arcade landscape, with World Club Champion Football: Serie A 2001-2002 and The Key of Avalon: The Wizard Master. These titles, alongside Sega AM2's Virtua Fighter 4 and Mirai R&D's Mushiking: The King of Beetles, popularised new features and dynamics with cards and internet usage.

In October 2003, Sega Rosso was merged back into the studio.[1]

Hitmaker had their own record label, Hitmaker Records, for a short period.

Company statistics

  • Capital: 140 million yen[3][4], 190 million yen[5]
  • Number of Employees: 124 (2000-03)[3][4], 188[5]

Softography

NAOMI

NAOMI GD-ROM

NAOMI Satellite Terminal

NAOMI 2 Satellite Terminal

Hikaru

Chihiro

Triforce

Dreamcast

PlayStation 2

GameCube

Xbox

PlayStation 3

Game Boy Advance

N-Gage

Windows PC

i-mode 503i

J-Sky (50KB)

EZweb (Java Phase 2/2.5)


PC

Mobile

List of staff

Magazine articles

Main article: Hitmaker/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

  • UK info sheet

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 File:IR EN 2003-07-30.pdf, page 3
  2. ↑ File:IR EN 2004-05-18.pdf
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dreamcast Magazine, "2000-26 (2000-08-04,11)" (JP; 2000-07-21), page 37
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/home.html (Wayback Machine: 2001-02-04 23:51)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/site/company.html (Wayback Machine: 2003-10-03 06:48)


Timeline of Sega of Japan research and development divisions








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