Taito Corporation

The Taito Corporation is a Japanese company specializing in video games, arcade and merchandising businesses. The origins of the company were founded by Michael Kogan as Taito Trading Company in 1953. Taito is best known for producing hit arcade games, such as Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, Darius, Arkanoid and the home console franchise of Lufia. Taito also owns several arcades in Japan known as Taito Stations and distributes its arcade games through their NESiCAxLive service.
==Taito as a Square Enix subsidiary==
On August 2005, Square Enix negotiated with Taito to purchase enough shares of the company in order to make it a subsidiary. The reason for the acquisition was to gain new channels to reach consumers and to adapt to the rapid changes in video game industry and to have Square Enix compete against Japanese gaming conglomerates in the arcade gaming market which was an industry that neither Square or Enix had dabbled in since either companies inception. 
On March 2006, Square Enix wanted to incorporate Taito as a wholly-owned subsidiary, so they decided to absorb Taito Corporation's assets into SQEX (The Game Designers Studio). The result of this process meant that the original Taito Corporation company was dissolved and that SQEX was the surviving entity in the process. In order to maintain the Taito brand recognition, Square Enix renamed the surviving SQEX entity to Taito Corporation.
On February 2010, Square Enix wanted to streamline Taito as their arcade brand, so they decided to merge Taito (SQEX/The Game Designers Studio) with a shell company called ES1 Corporation. The result of this meant that the Taito Corporation formerly called SQEX (The Game Designers Studio) was dissolved and that ES1 Corporation was the surviving entity in the process. As such, the current Taito Corporation was the company formerly known as ES1 Corporation.
====Taito game franchises====
*Space Invaders established on the Arcade in 1978
*Time Gal established on the Arcade in 1985
*Bubble Bobble established on the Arcade in 1986
*Arkanoid established on the Arcade in 1986
*Darius established on the Arcade in 1987
*Chase H.Q. established on the Arcade in 1988
*Rastan established on the Arcade in 1988
*Lufia established on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993
*Psychic Force established on the Arcade in 1995
==Final Fantasy games developed==
*Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (as the Game Designers Studio)
*Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
==External links==
*Taito Corporation on Wikipedia
*Official website
Category:Square Enix partner companies