Wolf Team

Founded: 1987

Defunct: 2003 (renamed to Namco Tales Studio), 2011 (as Namco Tales Studio)

T-series code: T-32

Merged into: Namco (Namco Tales Studio)

Headquarters:

Japan

Wolf Team (ウルフ・チーム) was a Japanese video game development and publication studio founded in 1986 as part of Telenet Japan, mostly existing that way until 2003, when Telenet sold its last shares to Namco, who renamed the studio Namco Tales Studio Ltd., under which it still continues to operate until 2011.

Between its founding and 1996, Wolf Team was developing their games to run on both the X68000 and various Sega systems, most notably the Sega Mega-CD, where they dominated the third party market between its launch (developing launch title Sol-Feace) and 1993. Most of their Sega games exist as independent entities, however three series — Arcus, Zan, and the Earnest Evans/Annet Myer trilogy — have had releases on Sega consoles.

In 1992, many of the people responsible for their Mega Drive titles left the company and formed Gau Entertainment.

In 1994, the group offered the first of their flagship Tales series, the late 1995 Super Famicom game Tales of Phantasia, as a joint contract with Namco. Disputes between the two groups led much of the original Wolf Team staff to leave and form tri-Ace. Phantasia's success shaped the future of Wolf Team as a Nintendo/Sony console developer primarily focused on the Tales series.

In 2003, Namco purchased the company (the rights to most of Wolf Team's properties still would be owned by Nippon Telenet at that time) and renamed it as Namco Tales Studio.