Monolith Soft
"Xenogears", the first entry in what would become the "Xeno" series, was first proposed to Square by Tetsuya Takahashi and his wife, known under the pseudonym Soraya Saga, as a potential storyline for "Final Fantasy VII". While it was considered too mature for the "Final Fantasy" series, Takahashi was allowed to create an original work based on the premise. After initially attempting to create a sequel to "Chrono Trigger", Takahashi made the project entirely unique, beginning development approximately two years prior to its release. While a second "Xenogears" game was being planned, Square decided to focus on the "Final Fantasy" series, a decision that Takahashi did not agree with. Leaving Square, he established Monolith Soft in 1999 along with multiple other "Xenogears" staff. Monolith Soft was founded so that Takahashi could continue developing the concepts of "Xenogears", and with funding from Namco, the team began development on the first "Xenosaga".