French-Bread Explained
Soft Circle French-Bread |
Native Name: | フランスパン |
Native Name Lang: | ja |
Romanized Name: | Furansu Pan |
Former Name: | Watanabe Seisakujo (1995–2003)[1] |
Founder: | Nobuya Narita |
Num Employees: | 14 (2021)[2] [3] |
Key People: | - Nobuya Narita[4]
- (Studio Manager)
- Seichi Yoshihara
- (Primary Sprite Artist)
- Kamone Serizawa
- (Game Director)
- Masaru Kuba (Raito)
- (Sound and Music Composer)
- Takehiko Wagatsuma
- (Special Effect, UI and Layout Artist)
|
Industry: | Video games |
Homepage: | (Old) (New) |
Location City: | Taitō |
Location Country: | Japan |
also known simply as French-Bread, is a Japanese video game developer founded in 1995 as, based in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan.[4] Originally a doujin circle, French-Bread became well known for their work in fighting games, particularly the Melty Blood series. In recent years, they worked on other licensed-based fighting games, such as Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax[5] and the company’s original game, Under Night In-Birth.[6] Most of its developed video games are commonly released for Microsoft Windows, Sega arcade systems, and PlayStation consoles.
History
The studio was named after a friend of Nobuya Narita, with whom he often played video games after school. They initially developed desk accessories for Windows. Narita discovered dojin Windows action games and fighting games such as the and Moon Lights 2 that were ported from the X68000 home computer. He subsequently decided to develop his own project for Windows. It was initially conceived as an original work, but creating unique character designs and graphics proved difficult. Narita was later introduced to the visual novel To Heart and decided to develop his game as a derivative work. Characters for his project were sourced from To Heart, while the system mechanics were based on Asuka 120%, a game that served as an influence for Narita and his team. The Queen of Heart '98 was released on December 30, 1998 to positive critical reception from dojin gamers.[7] The Queen of Heart series sold about 100,000 copies, and Watanabe Seisakujo became one of the most popular dōjin game developers.[8] This surfaced significant copyright concern.[9] Some hobbyists also uploaded M.U.G.E.N characters with data extracted from the game. Watanabe Seisakujo and Leaf received many inquiries about permission, although they had no relation to uploaders.[10] Narita didn't hope a derivative work disturbed its original work and developer. He decided to stop creating unlicensed games, and start fresh with . The circle name came from the dōjin circle to which Narita belonged to before Watanabe Seisakujo.
Since Melty Blood, French-Bread heavily uses a sprite drawing software known as EDGE2 to create character sprites for their future games.
Narita is also a close friend of Hiiragiboshi Takumi, the author of the Absolute Duo light novel series. They met over 15 years ago while both were still amateurs making doujins. Narita and the game developer's sprite artist Seichi Yoshihara has helped in designing battle suits for said novel series.[11]
The founder of freelance video game developer group Subtle Style and the creator of Akatsuki EN-Eins series, Subtle becomes reoccurring freelance sprite artist for later modern French-Bread games since Under Night In-Birth and exchange to allow French Bread to include the titular Akatsuki Blitzkampf protagonist guest appearing in French Bread's said first original game series.[12]
Games developed
As Watanabe Seisakujo
Title | Year | Platform(s) | Notes |
---|
The Queen of Heart '98 | 1998 | | Features characters from To Heart. Its game system was influenced by Asuka 120%.[13] |
The Queen of Heart '99 | 1999 | Microsoft Windows | Features characters from Leaf games[14] |
The Queen of Heart '99 Second Edition | 2000 | Microsoft Windows | |
| 2000 | Microsoft Windows | |
| 2000 | Microsoft Windows | Features characters from Kanon |
The Queen of Heart '99 with Second Edition | 2001 | Microsoft Windows | |
Party's Breaker: The Queen of Heart 2001 | 2001 | Microsoft Windows | Features characters from Comic Party[15] |
| 2001 | Microsoft Windows | Features characters from Air |
| 2002 | Microsoft Windows | Features characters from various dating sims, anime, and dōjin games. |
Melty Blood | 2002 | Microsoft Windows | | |
As Soft Circle French-Bread
Arcade Games
Title | Year | Publisher(s) | Hardware | Notes |
---|
Melty Blood: Act Cadenza | 2005 | | | Updated to Version A in 2005, Version B in 2006, and Version B2 in 2007. |
Melty Blood: Actress Again | 2008 | Ecole Software | Sega NAOMI | The first French Bread game to be featured at the international Evolution Championship Series tournament in 2010. |
Melty Blood: Actress Again Current Code | 2010 | Ecole Software | | Updated to Ver.1.05 and Ver.1.07 in 2011. |
Under Night In-Birth | 2012 | Ecole Software | | Updated to EXE:Late in 2013.[16] |
| 2014 | | | |
| 2015 | | Sega RingEdge 2 | |
| 2015 | Sega and Dengeki Bunko | Sega RingEdge 2 | |
| 2021 | Arc System Works | Sega ALLS HX | |
|
Console & Computer Games
Notes and References
- https://web.archive.org/web/20011206000731/http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~k_wata/index2.htm Official Website of Watanabe Seisakujo
- Web site: ふらぱん情報局 2018年04月27日放送 - YouTube . . 2021-01-12.
- Web site: 会社概要COMPANY . Unknown Co. Ltd . 2023-02-02 . 2023-02-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202090108/http://unknown-corp.co.jp/company/ . live .
- Web site: The surprising story of the French Bread studio . Loreille . Thomas . 2018-08-20 . Bas Gros Poing . 2019-02-03 . 2019-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190204014937/https://basgrospoing.fr/en/articles/the-surprising-history-of-french-bread-studio . live .
- Web site: Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax developers revealed . Romano . Sal . 2013-11-10 . Gematsu . 2019-02-03 . 2019-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190204065922/https://gematsu.com/2013/10/dengeki-bunko-fighting-climax-developers-revealed . live .
- Web site: Toyad . Jonathan Leo . Melty Blood creator gives birth to new 2D fighter . . February 6, 2011 . February 9, 2011 . June 28, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110628212948/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6297965.html . live .
- Web site: 同人から商業にフィールドを移したフランスパンが,新作「アンダーナイト インヴァース」で目指したもの。代表・なりた氏に聞く,その思惑. 2012-11-03. 4Gamer.net. Aetas, Inc. 2016-12-05. 2016-11-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20161129210324/http://www.4gamer.net/games/128/G012841/20121101001/index_2.html. live.
- Web site: ゲーム産業成長の鍵としての自主制作文化. Hichibe. Nobushige. 2013-09-30. Tokyo Institute of Technology. 32. 2019-02-10. 2019-02-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20190212012011/http://t2r2.star.titech.ac.jp/cgi-bin/publicationinfo.cgi?q_publication_content_number=CTT100674911. live.
- Web site: 飛躍する同人業界 〜 同人ソフトサークル『渡辺製作所』にインタヴュー 〜. キム. 2003-02-05. 探偵ファイル/探偵魂. 2019-02-10. 2022-08-08. https://archive.today/20220808101034/http://www.tanteifile.com/tamashii/scoop/0302/05_01/. live.
- Web site: このページに関する注意. 渡辺製作所. https://web.archive.org/web/20011203105926/http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~k_wata/tyuui.htm. 2001-12-03. 2019-02-10. dead.
- Web site: 2014-03-25. 24 March 2014. 2021-01-12. 2024-04-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20240403043242/https://hstar.hatenadiary.org/entries/2014/03/25. live.
- Web site: 「エヌアイン完全世界 Anastasis(仮)」,クラウドファンディングを本日開始 . 2022-05-18 . 2022-05-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220521015149/https://www.4gamer.net/games/618/G061891/20220425116/ . live .
- Book: 同人ゲームマニアックス. Kill Time Communication. 2001. 4-906650-96-1. 30–45. Dōjin Games Maniax. 名作同人ゲーム Best 5 : Queen of Heart '99. The 5 Best Dōjin Video Games : Queen of Heart '99.
- Web site: Games - The Queen of Heart '99 SE . . Kitchen Discotheque . 2019-02-03 . 2019-02-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190216125303/http://kitchen.realotakuheroes.com/games/qoh99_intro.htm . live .
- Web site: Games - Party's Breaker . . Kitchen Discotheque . 2019-02-03 . 2019-10-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191022050452/http://kitchen.realotakuheroes.com/games/pb_intro.htm . live .
- Web site: Melty Blood Developer Upgrading Under Night In-Birth. 27 May 2013. 29 May 2013. 7 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130607111913/http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/26/melty-blood-developer-upgrading-under-night-in-birth/. live.
- Web site: Review: Drill Milky Punch . Kitsumeda . 2013-03-13 . Rice Digital . 2019-02-03 . 2020-09-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200924014130/https://ricedigital.co.uk/review-drill-milky-punch/ . live .
- Web site: Team HotPulse. 2003-12-28. French-Bread Online. 2019-02-09. 2019-03-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20190313194935/http://www13.plala.or.jp/french/bike.htm. dead.
- Web site: French-Bread Online . 2012-01-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090502153441/http://www13.plala.or.jp/french/gof2.htm . 2009-05-02 . dead .
- . Arc System Works Releasing 5 Titles on Steam by Summer 2016! . Arc System Works . 2015-12-08 . 2019-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151208222539/http://arcsystemworksu.com/arc-system-works-releasing-5-titles-on-steam-by-summer-2016/ . 2015-12-08 . dead .
- Web site: Under Night In-Birth coming to PS3 in Japan this July. 2014-04-22. 2014-04-22. 2014-04-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20140424093530/http://gematsu.com/2014/04/night-birth-coming-ps3-japan-july. live.
- Web site: UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late[st] is Coming to Steam on 8/20! | Arc System Works. 20 July 2018. 23 September 2018. 24 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180924033746/https://arcsystemworks.com/under-night-in-birth-exelatest-is-coming-to-steam-on-8-20/. live.
- Web site: UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late[cl-r] | アンダーナイト インヴァース エクセレイト クレア . 2019-08-29 . 2019-08-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190820040352/https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uniclr/ . live .
- Web site: Melty Blood Type Lumina Announced for Consoles . Siliconera . 25 March 2021 . 25 March 2021 . 25 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210325163227/https://www.siliconera.com/melty-blood-type-lumina-announced-for-consoles/ . live .
- Web site: UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II [Sys:Celes] | アンダーナイト インヴァース II シスセレス . 2023-08-05 . 2023-08-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230804180656/https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/uni2celes/ . live .