Monolith Software (often abbreviated MonolithSoft or MLSI) is a game development studio founded by Hirohide Sugiura when he left Square, using an investment from Namco. The company is mostly widely known for its RPGs and often associated with the Xenosaga franchise created by Tetsuya Takahashi. While continuing to work on Xenosaga, MonolithSoft also created the cross-over strategy RPG Namco x Capcom and collaborated with tri-Crescendo to create the Baten Kaitos games.
In 2007, Nintendo acquired controlling interest of MonolithSoft from Namco while they were working on the Nintendo-published action game Disaster: Day of Crisis, which was released in late 2008 in Japan and Europe. MonolithSoft also worked on two other games Nintendo released in 2008, which include a significant role in the development of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and an action RPG for the Nintendo DS entitled Soma Bringer, and continue to work with Namco Bandai on Namco-owned or licensed properties like Super Robot Wars and Dragon Ball Z. In 2010 MonolithSoft released a sequel to their Super Robot Wars game, Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier EXCEED, and their first RPG for the Wii entitled Xenoblade. Some time after the release of Xenoblade, Nintendo bought out Namco's remaining shares in the company. Since then, MonolithSoft has been making a name for themselves by wowing players and critics with their world design across the Xenoblade-series, turning it into their signature franchise.
Aside from working on their own games, they also frequently help out with development on Nintendo EPD-developed first party titles such as Splatoon, Animal Crossing, and Pikmin with their dedicated asset support studio in Kyoto while the main Tokyo studio also contributes to a larger degree such as very involved field design for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Log in to comment