Atlus

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Not to be confused with Atlas.
Atlus
アトラス
1990–20132013–Present

Logo from 1990–2013

Logo from 2013–present

Established April 7, 1986[1]
September 5, 2013 (as Sega Dream Corporation)
Dissolved October 1, 2010[2]
Product(s) Megami Tensei franchise
Parent Takara (2003-2006)[3]
Index Corporation (2006-2013)[4][a]
Sega (2013-Present)[b]
Website https://www.atlus.co.jp

Atlus Co., Ltd.,[c] stylized as ATLUS, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. A subsidiary of Sega, the company is responsible for producing most games in the Megami Tensei franchise.

History

As an independent company

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Atlus was founded in 1986 by seven people:[5] Naoya Harano, Kazutoshi Ueda, Hideyuki Yokoyama, Tsukasa Masuko, Kōji Okada, Yukito Hayashi, and Tohru Okajima.[6][d] The company's first game, Galaxy Odyssey,[e] was a shoot 'em up action-adventure game for the Famicom Disk System published by Imagineer in November 1986. Its second game, Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, was published by Namco for the Famicom in 1987, and got a sequel in 1990.

The first game Atlus self-published was Puzzle Boy, released on Game Boy in 1989, and the first Megami Tensei title self-published by Atlus was Shin Megami Tensei, released for the Super Famicom in 1992.

Under Takara

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Atlus was acquired by Takara Co., Ltd. in 2003.

Under Index

See also: Index

Index Holdings acquired Atlus from Takara in 2006. Atlus was dissolved and merged into Index in 2010.[2] While Atlus no longer existed as a company, Index would continue to use it as a brand name, and Atlus continued to exist as a division of Index.

In June 2013, it was reported that Index Corporation filed for civil rehabilitation proceedings, facing bankruptcy with debts of ¥24.5 billion.[8] In September 2013, Sega announced their acquisition of Index Corporation at a reported value of ¥14 billion.[9] Index's business operations would be transferred to Sega Dream Corporation in November 2013 (which was renamed to Index Corporation at the same time), and this new Index Corporation would be renamed to Atlus in April 2014.

Under Sega

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Atlus Game Music

Main article: Atlus Game Music

Atlus Game Music is a record label that distributes Atlus soundtracks worldwide. In addition to releasing music for modern releases, the label also redistributes soundtracks for past Atlus titles, and shares information about live performances and other events related to the company.[10]

Production teams

This section is in need of research.
Reason: Needs more info, see [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]

Historical

Research and Development 1

Logo

Research and Development 1,[f] called R&D1 for short, was a division of Atlus which developed the majority of Atlus's in-house games until the mid-2000s, including the Shin Megami Tensei, Devil Summoner, Persona, and Digital Devil Saga series. The last Megami Tensei game to be credited to Research and Development 1 was 2005's Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2, with the last game overall being 2005's PSP version of Princess Crown.

Development Division

Around 2005, Atlus's multiple development groups were consolidated into the Development Division, known in full as the CS Department Development Group.[g][h] The last Megami Tensei game to be credited to the Development Division was 2009's Persona 3 Portable, with the last game overall being 2011's Catherine.

Current

Atlus 1st Production

Atlus 1st Production,[i] also known as Team Maniax, is a part of Atlus's Creative Department. The 1st Production was founded around 2010 when Atlus was merged into Index and its Development Division was split into the 1st Production and 2nd Production.[11] The first game to be credited to 1st Production was 2012's Nintendo 3DS version of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers. The division currently is headed by Shinjiro Takata and is responsible for all mainline installments in the Shin Megami Tensei series and the Devil Summoner series, as well as other works like Etrian Odyssey.

Atlus 2nd Production

Logo

Atlus 2nd Production, also known as P・STUDIO or Persona Team, is a part of Atlus's Creative Department. The 2nd Production was founded around 2010.[11] The P-Studio trademark was filed and obtained in 2012[12] and first credited on Persona 4 Golden, and the team has since developed subsequent titles in the Persona series. The team was founded by director Katsura Hashino and originally consisted of developers who had worked on Persona 3, Persona 4, and Catherine; it has been led by Kazuhisa Wada since Hashino's departure in 2016.

Atlus 3rd Production

Atlus 3rd Production, also known as Studio Zero, is a part of Atlus's Creative Department. The division was founded in 2016 by former P-Studio leader Katsura Hashino with the goal of creating RPGs that are unconnected to the Persona or Shin Megami Tensei series. The studio's first credited game was Catherine: Full Body in 2019, and the first game fully developed by the division was Metaphor: ReFantazio in 2024.

Atlus Sound Team

Atlus Sound Team is an internal division of composers and sound designers that work on all titles produced by Atlus. The group has been credited as the composer for game soundtracks since the release of the Gouketsuji Ichizoku soundtrack in 1994, and has published albums under the Atlus Game Music label since April 2024.

Atlus Artwork Team

Atlus Artwork Team is an internal division of designers that work on various titles produced by Atlus.[13] Artwork Team was founded around 2016.[14]

In North America

Asuka Technologies Inc.

Initially, Atlus did not publish its own games in the west. Atlus in North America began as Accel Computer Corporation in February 1989,[15] before changing its name to Asuka Technologies Inc. in February 1990.[15][16] As Asuka, the company produced scanner hardware, including equipment for Apple and IBM.[17] In May 1990, Asuka filed a trademark for "ATLUS" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office,[18] which became officially registered in June 1992.[19] The game Cosmo Tank, developed by Atlus in Japan, was published by Asuka in North America in September 1990, and was the only game to be published under the company. Asuka Technologies filed for termination in March 1991 and was dissolved in March 1992;[15] its trademark was transferred to Atlus Software, Inc. in April 1991, and was last renewed by Atlus Co., Ltd. in October 2022.[19]

Atlus Software, Inc.

Atlus Software, Inc. was founded in January 1991 as a North American branch of Atlus Co., Ltd. (using the same office formerly used by Asuka Technologies),[15] and its first game published was Spud's Adventure, a spinoff of 1989's Puzzle Boy, which had been published in the west by Acclaim as Kwirk. Along with publishing Atlus's own games, it also localized and published titles by other developers. Atlus Software, Inc. would be absorbed into Atlus Co, Ltd. in June 1996;[15] Atlus Co., Ltd. would directly publish games in the west (using the same office formerly used by Atlus Software) until Atlus U.S.A., Inc. was founded in March 1999.

Atlus Dream Entertainment

Atlus Dream Entertainment Co., Ltd. was a subsidiary of Atlus Co., Ltd. established in October 1997,[20] co-owned by Atlus, Sega, Itochu, and The Prime Co., Ltd.[21] This division was primarily responsible for distributing and localizing Atlus's arcade games, with focus on the Print Club and Nail More lines of photo booths.[22]

In November 1997, Atlus Dream Entertainment Co., Ltd. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against SNK Corp. of America and American Photo Booths Inc. (APBI).[23] Atlus Dream claimed exclusive rights to U.S. Patent No. 5,386,386, involving certain technology used in their photo booth kiosks. The company alleged that SNK's NeoPrint machines, which debuted in the U.S. before Print Club, infringed on this patent. SNK, in response, filed a counterclaim, claiming that the patent was both invalid and not infringed by their products. The dispute centered around the validity of the patent, with SNK suggesting that prior on-sale activities might render the patent invalid under the on-sale bar doctrine, which prevents the patenting of inventions that were sold or offered for sale more than a year before the patent application. Information found during the case's discovery phase led Atlus Dream to voluntarily dismiss its infringement claims and SNK's counterclaims for declaratory judgment, acknowledging the potential issues surrounding the patent's validity. Subsequently, SNK amended its complaint to include claims for malicious prosecution, alleging that Atlus Dream had falsely asserted exclusive rights and that the patent in question was invalid. Atlus Dream and APBI came to an agreement to cross-license the patent in August 1998,[24] and Atlus Dream and SNK settled out of court in October 1998.[25]

Atlus Dream defaulted on its payments in December 2000 after failing to repay a bank loan, forcing Atlus. Co., Ltd. to repay the $7.9 million in debt.[26] Atlus Dream was downsized and eventually closed in 2003, merging with and taking the name of Atlus Holding, Inc.

Atlus Holding, Inc.

Atlus Holding, Inc. was a holding company established in April 1999 to maintain Atlus U.S.A., Inc.[27] After merging with Atlus Dream in March 2003, the company remained as Atlus Holding until it was absorbed by Atlus U.S.A. in April 2017.[15][28]

Atlus U.S.A.

Main article: Atlus U.S.A.

Atlus U.S.A., Inc. was founded in March 1999.[29] Its publishing duties would be taken over by Sega of America in 2016,[30] and in 2019, Atlus U.S.A. was merged into Sega of America, Inc. and ceased to exist.[15]

Atlus West

Main article: Sega of America

After Atlus U.S.A. was merged into Sega of America, Sega of America has continued to use the Atlus brand name, now as Atlus West, in marketing.

Nomenclature

The company name is derived from Atlas, the god who holds up the Earth.[31] Kazunari Suzuki claimed Naoya Harano choose the name ATLUS because ATLAS was already taken.[32] Kenichi Tsuchiya claimed Buddhist monk chose the spelling because both the katakana アトラス and the English ATLUS consist of 8 strokes, a number associated with prosperity and growth In Japanese onomancy.[33] Unofficial Publication Megami Tensei Sanjū-nen Shi claimed the monk was a high priest from Nakayama Shingoshoshu.[34]

Names in Other Languages
Language Name Meaning
English ATLUS
Japanese アトラス Atorasu ATLUS
Korean 아틀러스 Ateulleoseu
아틀라스 Ateullaseu

Gallery

  • Metallic version of Atlus' old logo used in North America in the 1990s
    Metallic version of Atlus' old logo used in North America in the 1990s
  • Logo used as Atlus West's Twitter profile picture in summer 2024 to celebrate the release of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
    Logo used as Atlus West's Twitter profile picture in summer 2024 to celebrate the release of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
  • Research and Development 1 logo
    Research and Development 1 logo
  • Creative Department 2nd Production (P-Studio) logo
    Creative Department 2nd Production (P-Studio) logo
  • Creative Department 3rd Production (Studio Zero) logo
    Creative Department 3rd Production (Studio Zero) logo
  • Atlus Game Music logo
    Atlus Game Music logo
  • Photo of Atlus CEO Osamu Ohashi with a Morgana mascot
    Photo of Atlus CEO Osamu Ohashi with a Morgana mascot

Notes

  1. ↑ Index Corporation was the prior owner of Atlus and merged into it in 2010, making Atlus as an entity cease to exist during that time. But the company faced bankruptcy in 2013
  2. ↑ Sega bought Index Corporation in 2013 and renamed it Atlus
  3. ↑ Japanese: 株式会社アトラス, romanized Kabushikigaisha Atorasu
  4. ↑ The official Atlus recruiting website claims there were only six founders.[7]
  5. ↑ Japanese: 銀河伝承 ギャラクシーオデッセイ
  6. ↑ Japanese: 第一開発部, romanized Daiichi kahatsubu; renamed in 2004 to Japanese: 開発第一グループ, romanized Kahatsu daiichi gurūpu
  7. ↑ Japanese: CS事業部開発グループ, romanized Shī esu jigyōbu kahatsu gurūpu
  8. ↑ The English name used in this article is taken from the credits of Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon. It was previously localized as R&D Division in Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army. Other game credits have mentioned the wider CS Department as the "CS Division" or "Consumer Software Division".
  9. ↑ Japanese: アトラス第一プロダクション, romanized Atorasu daiichi purodakushon

References

  1. ↑ ::: アトラス :::. Website.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 グループ価値最大化を図りインデックス、アトラスの２社を吸収合併. Archived: [1]. Published August 30, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2025 (archived April 28, 2013). Index Holdings.
  3. ↑ 沿革：株式会社アトラス　IR情報・会社情報. atlus.co.jp.
  4. ↑ Atlus 'Dissolved' By Parent Company Index Holdings. Website. Gamasutra August 30, 2010
  5. ↑ メガテンの生みの親，岡田耕始氏が自身を捧げたRPGという祭（前編）アトラス立ち上げと初代「女神転生」　ビデオゲームの語り部たち：第31部. Retrieved April 8, 2026. 4gamer.net.
  6. ↑ "原野さん、上田さん、横山さん、増子さん、岡田さん。あとの2人がどなたなのか分からなかったのですよ。(...) 上： 林くんと、岡島くん。" 女神転生 ～三十年“誌”～. Japanese. Page 26.
  7. ↑ "1986年、アトラスはわずか6名でコンピュータゲームの開発会社として設立しました。" アトラスの歴史 ｜ アトラス採用サイト. Retrieved April 8, 2026. atlus.co.jp.
  8. ↑ Atlus at risk after parent company announces bankruptcy (update). Archived: [2]. Retrieved Jun 27, 2013. Polygon.com.
  9. ↑ Sega buys owner of Persona developer Atlus. Archived: [3]. Retrieved Oct 26, 2013. GameSpot.com.
  10. ↑ Atlus Game Music About Page
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20140603090511/http://p2is.atlusnet.jp/blog/2010/12/post-23.html
  12. ↑ P Studio Japanese Trademark
  13. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20201113205942/https://mynavi-creator.jp/blog/article/creators-file-0038
  14. ↑ "じつは副島にも、このたび新設したアトラスアートワークチームに所属してもらい、" Publication. Published by Kadokawa. Japanese. No. 1464 Page 8. Cover date January 5, 2017.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 California Business Search. Retrieved March 5, 2025. California Secretary of State.
  16. ↑ "ATLUS was established in 1991 as Asuka, an American branch of then ATLUS Co., Ltd., with the stated mission of introducing high-quality video games for North America." Atlus, Atlus Company History. Archived: [4]. Retrieved March 8, 2025. Atlus.com.
  17. ↑ https://fccid.io/ISWAC010001-0025
  18. ↑ ATLUS Trademark FURM. Retrieved March 9, 2025. FURM.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 ATLUS Trademark USPTO. Retrieved March 9, 2025. United States Patent and Trademark Office.
  20. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/19990427021824/http://www.atlus.co.jp/company/press/press971014.html
  21. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/19981202173840/http://www.atlus.co.jp/company/press/press971031.html
  22. ↑ ATLUS DREAM ENTERTAINMENT President's Message. Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20010619205804/http://www.printclub.com/message.htm]. Retrieved March 9, 2025. Printclub.com.
  23. ↑ SNK Corp. of America v. Atlus Dream Entertainment Co., Ltd.. Archived: []. Published June 4, 1999. Retrieved March 9, 2025. Casetext.com.
  24. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/19990501073705/http://www.atlus.co.jp/company/press/press980901.html
  25. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/19990501081811/http://www.atlus.co.jp/company/press/press981015.html
  26. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20010203141100/http://www.atlus.co.jp/company/press/press200_1227.html
  27. ↑ http://www.kabupro.jp/edp/20091029/S0004F1Q.pdf
  28. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20180729081613/https://www.segasammy.co.jp/japanese/ir/library/pdf/printing_yuhou/2018/2018034q_yuho_all.pdf
  29. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20010208233034/http://www.atlus.co.jp/company/press/press990331a.html
  30. ↑ Sega will publish all future Atlus games, finalizes acquisition. Archived: [5]. Retrieved April 5, 2016. Polygon.com.
  31. ↑ "◆社名の由来地球を支える神、アトラスにちなんで。ちなみに社風は、"社員全員の自己実現の場であること"だそうだ。" Weekly Famitsu. Published by ASCII. Japanese. No. 527 Page 99. Cover date January 22, 1999.
  32. ↑ "むかしむかし、原野社長になぜ、AじゃなくてUなのかって聞いたのですが、会社作るとき、ATLASはすでにあったので、ATLUSにしてみて、アメリカ人にどうよって確認したら、まあアトラスってちゃんと読めるしいいんじゃない、と言われて正式決定したと教えてもらいました。" [6]. Retrieved January 30, 2026. x.com.
  33. ↑ "不覚にもお祓いの場で笑いを取ってしまったアトラスの社名ですが、実は徳の高いお坊様に付けて頂いた名前だ…というような縁起話を、誰あろうアトラスの創業者、当時の原野社長から聞かされた記憶があります。 他ならぬ創業社長が語った事ですから間違いないと思うんですが、なにぶん私が入社したばかりの大昔、確かお酒の席だった事もあって私の記憶が大間違いな可能性もありますので、ここは話半分で…。ただ、カタカナでもアルファベットでも画数が末広がりの八画になるように、一般的な「ATLAS」ではなく「ATLUS」とした、という説明に妙に納得した事を鮮明に覚えているので、信憑性は高い…？？" http://www.atlusnet.jp/topic/detail/702 [7]. Retrieved January 30, 2026. atlusnet.jp.
  34. ↑ "アトラスの会社設立は1986年4月。社名は、(社員6人を背負う身として、いい加減な名前を付けたくなかったから、とのこと) 中山身語正宗の大僧正静蓮院師に、片仮名で「ア」で始まる名を希望して作られたそうです。" 女神転生 ～三十年“誌”～. Japanese. Page 4.
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