Difference between revisions of "Westone"

Latest revision as of 16:49, 16 August 2024

Westone

Founded: 1986-05^[1]^[2]

Defunct: 2014-09-24^[2]

Headquarters:

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Westone Bit Entertainment (ウエストンビットエンタテインメント), founded as Escape, and later known as simply Westone, was a Japanese video game developer which often did uncredited contract work for publishers such as Sega and Hudson Soft. The company is most notable for developing a number of entries in the Wonder Boy series.

Company

The Tokyo-based developer was founded in May 1986 as Escape (referring to a computer keyboard's Esc key.) Because it was felt that name didn't reinforce the image of a reliable company, it was later changed to Westone, a contraction derived from the first characters of founders Ryuuichi Nishizawa (西澤龍一) and Michishito Ishizuka's (石塚路志人) names: Nishi, meaning West, and Ishi, meaning stone.^[2] It was created as an original equipment manufacturer for both arcades and home consoles.^[3]

Softography

Mega Drive

Game Gear

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (1992)

Mega-CD

Dungeon Explorer (1995)
The Space Adventure (1995)

Pico

Minna de Odorou: Oz no Mahoutsukai (1996)

Saturn

Dreamcast

Akihabara Dennou-gumi Pata Pies! (1999)
Reel Fishing: Wild (2001) (as Westone Bit Entertainment)
Di Gi Charat Fantasy (2001) (as Westone Bit Entertainment)
Shinseiki Evangelion: Ayanami Ikusei Keikaku (2002) (as Westone Bit Entertainment)

PlayStation 2

Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 29: Monster World Complete Collection (2007) (as Westone Bit Entertainment)

Xbox 360

Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World (2012) (as Westone Bit Entertainment)

PlayStation 3

Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World (2013) (as Westone Bit Entertainment)

External links

Official website (Japanese)

References

↑ http://www.westone.co.jp/ir.html (Wayback Machine: 2013-07-08 20:42)
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Westone_Bit_Entertainment
↑ Sega Consumer History, Enterbrain, page 90

NEC Retro has more information related to Westone

[https:.2F.2Fweb.archive.org.2Fweb.2F20130708204234.2Fhttp:.2F.2Fwww.westone.co.jp.2Fir.html-1] ttp://www.westone.co.jp/ir.html (Wayback Machine: 2013-07-08 20:42)

[http:.2F.2Fgdri.smspower.org.2Fwiki.2Findex.php.2FWestone_Bit_Entertainment-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Westone_Bit_Entertainment

[:File:Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf_p90-3] Sega Consumer History, Enterbrain, page 90

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Company
+{{CompanyBob
 | logo=Westone_logo.png
-| width=
+| founded=1986-05{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20130708204234/http://www.westone.co.jp/ir.html}}{{ref|http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Westone_Bit_Entertainment}}
-| founded=1986
+| defunct=2014-09-24{{ref|http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Westone_Bit_Entertainment}}
-| defunct=
-| tseries=
 | mergedwith=
 | mergedinto=
-| headquarters=Sumida, Tokyo, Japan
+| headquarters=[[wikipedia:Sumida, Tokyo|Sumida, Tokyo, Japan]]{{ref|http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Westone_Bit_Entertainment}}
 }}
-'''Westone Bit Entertainment''' is a Mukoujima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan-based development company originally established in May 1986 as Escape  (as in the escape key on computer keyboards). Since that name didn't exactly reinforce the image of a company to be relied upon, it was later changed to Westone. The company's name was changed yet again to Westone Bit Entertainment in April 2000. The company is best known for developing [[Sega]]'s ''[[:Category:Wonder Boy|Wonder Boy]]'' series.
+{{stub}}'''Westone Bit Entertainment''' (ウエストン ビット エンタテインメント), founded as '''Escape''', and later known as simply '''Westone''', was a Japanese video game developer which often did uncredited contract work for publishers such as [[Sega]] and [[Hudson Soft]]. The company is most notable for developing a number of entries in the ''[[:Category:Wonder Boy|Wonder Boy]]'' series.
-The Westone name is derived from the first characters of the names of company founders Ryuuichi Nishizawa (西澤龍一) (Nishi = West) and Michishito Ishizuka (石塚路志人) (Ishi = Stone).
+==Company==
+The [[wikipedia:Tokyo|Tokyo]]-based developer was founded in May 1986 as Escape (referring to a computer keyboard's [[wikipedia:Esc key|Esc key]].) Because it was felt that name didn't reinforce the image of a reliable company, it was later changed to Westone, a contraction derived from the first characters of founders Ryuuichi Nishizawa (西澤龍一) and Michishito Ishizuka's (石塚路志人) names: Nishi, meaning West, and Ishi, meaning stone.{{ref|http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Westone_Bit_Entertainment}} It was created as an [[wikipedia:Original equipment manufacturer|original equipment manufacturer]] for both arcades and home consoles.{{fileref|Sega Consumer History JP EnterBrain Book.pdf|page=90}}
 ==Softography==
-===[[Sega System 1]]===
+{{CompanyHistoryAll|Westone|Westone Bit Entertainment|Escape}}
-* ''[[Wonder Boy]]'' (1986)
-* ''[[Wonder Boy Deluxe]]'' (1986)
-===[[SG-1000]]===
+==External links==
-* ''[[Wonder Boy]]'' (1986)
+* [http://www.westone.co.jp/ Official website] (Japanese)
-===[[Sega System 2]]===
+==References==
-* ''[[Wonder Boy]]'' (1986)
+<references />
-* ''[[Wonder Boy in Monster Land]]'' (1987)
-===[[Master System]]===
+{{NECRetro}}
-* ''[[Wonder Boy]]'' (1987)
+[[Category:Third-party software developers]]
-* ''[[Wonder Boy in Monster Land]]'' (1988)
-* ''[[Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap]]'' (1989)
-* ''[[Wonder Boy in Monster World]]'' (1993)
-===[[Sega System 16A]]===
-* ''[[Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair]]'' (1988)
-===[[Sega System 16B]]===
-* ''[[Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair]]'' (1988)
-* ''[[Aurail]]'' (1990)
-* ''[[Riot City]]'' (1991)
-===[[Game Gear]]===
-* ''[[Wonder Boy]]'' (1990)
-* ''[[Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap]]'' (1992)
-===[[Mega Drive]]===
-* ''[[Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair]]'' (1990)
-* ''[[Wonder Boy in Monster World]]'' (1991)
-* ''[[Monster World IV]]'' (1994)
-* Games known to use Westone's sound driver:
-** ''[[Mega Bomberman]]'' ([[Hudson]]; 1994)
-===[[Mega CD]]===
-* ''[[Dungeon Explorer]]'' (1995)
-===[[Pico]]===
-* みんなでおどろうオズの魔法使い (1996) (''[[Minna de Odorou: Ozu no Mahou Tsukai]]''?)
-===[[Sega Saturn]]===
-* ''[[Kekkon -Marriage-]]'' (1995)
-* ''[[Sotsugyou III Wedding Bell]]'' (1997)
-* ''[[Willy Wombat]]'' (1997)
-* ''[[Sotsugyou Album]]'' (1998)
-===[[Dreamcast]]===
-* ''[[Akihabara Dennou-gumi Pata Pies!]]'' (1999)
-* ''[[Reel Fishing: Wild]]'' (2001)
-* ''[[Di Gi Charat Fantasy]]'' (2001)
-* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion -Ayanami Ikusei Keikaku-]]'' (2002)
-===[[PlayStation 2]]===
-* ''[[SEGA AGES 2500 Vol.29: Monster World Complete Collection]]'' (2007)
-==External Links==
-* [http://www.westone.co.jp/ Westone Bit Entertainment] - Official Website
-[[Category:Third-Party Development Companies]]