Mages (company)

Mages Inc. (株式会社メージス, Kabushiki gaisha Mējisu, stylized "MAGES.inc"), formerly 5pb. Inc. (株式会社5pb., Kabushiki gaisha 5pb., short for "The Five powered & basics"), is a Japanese video game developer and record label for video game and anime music. It was formed on April 6, 2005,[1] after Chiyomaru Shikura left Scitron to begin the company as its executive director, a position he formerly held until January 2023. The company is divided into two parts, 5pb. Games for the manufacturing of video games, and 5pb. Records for the record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of the TYO Group until Shikura purchased the remaining rights from the TYO Group on April 15, 2009.[2] Shikura co-owns 5pb. with AGOne, an affiliate of Dwango Japan.[3] Staff members include scenario writer Naotaka Hayashi, artist Yukihiro Matsuo, and producer Tatsuya Matsuhara.

"Mages." redirects here. For other uses, see mage (disambiguation).
Mages Inc.
Native name
株式会社メージス
Kabushiki gaisha Mējisu
Formerly5pb. Inc. (2005–2011)
Type
Industry
FoundedApril 6, 2005 (2005-04-06)
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
Headquarters
Shibuya, Tokyo
,
Japan
Key people
Chiyomaru Shikura (Former Executive Director and Chairman)
Parent
Websitemages.co.jp
Former logo

In April 2011, a group of companies consisting of Arkray, Seed Project, Dwango Creative School, Animelo Summer Life, 5pb. Records, and 5pb. Games merged under the parent company Mages. Inc. led by executive director Chiyomaru Shikura.[4]

In July 2019, Mages was acquired by Shikura's concept studio Chiyomaru Studio, with the goal of being more flexible and fast in its decisions as a company independent from their parent company Dwango and from the Kadokawa group. With that said, while Mages would no longer be a part of Kadokawa Group following the management buyout, it still expected to maintain the same favorable relationship with the Group that it had so far. Along with this buyout, the company intended to strengthen its branding by consolidating the 5pb. brand into Mages.[5]

In March 2020, Colopl acquired Mages from Chiyomaru Studio for ¥1.612 billion (approximately US$14.92 million).[6]

In December 2022, it was reported that Mages would enter insolvency as a result of financial losses of ¥613 million (approximately $4.6 million).[7][8]

In January 2023, Chiyomaru Shikura announced via Twitter that he would resign as company Chairman and Executive Director,[9] but stated that he would still be part of Mages as an Executive Producer.[10]

Artists

Previously called 5pb. Records, since 2019 the brand does not exist anymore, with the Mages brand being the only one used for everything.

Video games

5pb. Games was a division of Mages, which dealt with video game development. The brand was originally named Five Games Kid, or 5gk. for short, but the name was changed in December 2007 to coincide with the name of 5pb's record label 5pb. Records. Some of 5pb. Games' developers arrived from KID, Tonkin House and Scitron, such as with Takeshi Abo in December 2006. Since 2019, the 5pb. Games brand is not used anymore, with the Mages brand being the only one used for everything.

Year[lower-alpha 1] Title Platform(s)
2007 Que: Fairy of Ancient Leaf PS2
Memories Off 5: Encore PS2, PSP
Umishō PS2
2008 Your Memories Off: Girl's Style PS2, PSP
Night Wizard! The Video Game: Denial of the World PS2
Prism Ark: Awake
Chaos;Head Windows
Memories Off PSP
Memories Off 2nd
Ghost Hound DS DS
Kanokon Esuii PS2
L no Kisetsu 2: Invisible Memories
Memories Off: Sorekara PSP
Omoide ni Kanata Kimi: Memories Off
Memories Off 6: T-wave PS2, iOS, PSP, X360
Monochrome Factor: Cross Road PS2
2009 Memories Off 5: Togireta Film PSP
Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai PS3, PS Vita, Windows
DoDonPachi DaiOuJou Black Label Extra X360
Kemeko Deluxe! DS: Yome to Mecha to Otoko to Onna DS
KimokawaE!
11eyes CrossOver X360, PSP, iOS
Chaos;Head Noah X360, PS3, PSP, iOS, Android, PS Vita
Hakushaku to Yōsei: Yume to Kizuna ni Omoi o Hasete PS2
Hyakko: Yorozuya Jikenbo!
Skip Beat!
Memories Off After Rain PSP
Lucian Bee's: Resurrection Supernova
Memories Off 6: Next Relation PS2, X360, PSP
Item Getter: Bokura no Kagaku to Mahō no Kankei DS
Steins;Gate X360, PS3, Windows, PSP, iOS, PS Vita, Android, PS4
Taishō Baseball Girls PSP
L no Kisetsu W pocket
Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity X360
2010 Chaos;Head Love Chu Chu! X360, PS3, PSP, PS Vita
Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi Extra X360
Lucian Bee's: Evil Violet PS2, PSP
Lucian Bee's: Justice Yellow
W.L.O. Sekai Renai Kikō X360
Memories Off: Yubikiri no Kioku
Corpse Party PSP, iOS, 3DS, PS4, Switch, XONE
Sharin no Kuni: The Girl Among the Sunflowers X360
Lucian Bee's: Resurrection Supernova PSP
Pastel Chime Continue
2011 Bullet Soul X360
Memories Off: Yubikiri no Kioku Windows, PSP
Phantom Breaker X360
Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace X360, PS3, PSP, PS Vita, PS4, Switch, iOS
Dunamis 15 X360, PS3, PSP
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows PSP
Steins;Gate: Variant Space Octet Windows
Muv-Luv X360, PS3, PS Vita
Muv-Luv Alternative
Ever 17 X360
Beyond the Future: Fix the Time Arrows PS3, PSP
2012 Robotics;Notes PS3, X360
Corpse Party: Sachiko's Game of Love Hysteric Birthday 2U PSP
Bravely Default[lower-alpha 2] 3DS
2013 Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds X360, PS Vita, Windows
Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram PS3, X360, PS Vita, iOS, PS4, Switch
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san Meijoshigatai Game no Yona Mono PS Vita
Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi Extra PS3
Disorder 6 PS3, X360
Phantom Breaker: Extra
Hero X Battle Princess PS3
Eiyuu*Senki
Liberation Maiden Sin PS3
2014 Bullet Soul Infinite Burst X360
Corpse Party: Blood Drive PS Vita
Robotics;Notes Elite PS Vita, PS4, Switch, Windows
Chaos;Child[11] XONE, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, iOS, Windows, Android
Infinite Stratos: Versus Colors Windows
2015 Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness XONE, PS4, PS Vita, Windows
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive PS4, Switch
Steins;Gate 0[12] PS3, PS4, PS Vita, XONE, Switch, Windows
2016 If My Heart Had Wings: Cruise Sign PS3, PS Vita
Plastic Memories[13] PS Vita
2017 New Game! The Challenge Stage[14] PS4, PS Vita
Kamaitachi no Yoru: Rinne Saisei[15] PS Vita, Windows
Chaos;Child Love Chu Chu!! PS4, PS Vita
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World PS4, PS Vita, Switch, Windows
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Judgment on this Greedy Game!
Occultic;Nine[16] PS4, PS Vita, XONE
2018 Steins;Gate Elite PS4, PS Vita, Switch, Windows, iOS
2019 Judgement 7 - Our World is Ended PS4, Switch
Robotics;Notes DaSH PS4, Switch, Windows
2020 Ogre Tale PS4, XONE, Switch, Windows
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love for this Tempting Attire PS4, Switch
2021 Memories Off Historia Vol. 1
Memories Off Historia Vol. 2
Quintessential Quintuplets ∬: Summer Memories
SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky PS4, Switch, Windows
Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir Switch
Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind
Miyamoto Mathematics Classroom KENKEN - The World's Most Exciting Math and Logic Puzzle -
TIMINGooo![17]
Yuru Camp△: Have a nice day! PS4, Switch
2022 Phantom Breaker: Omnia PS4, XONE, Switch, Windows
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie: Five Memories of My Time with You PS4, Switch
Anonymous;Code[18]
2023 Summer Time Rendering: Another Horizon[19][20]
2024 Corpse Party II: Darkness Distortion TBA
TBA Mystereet ~Yasogami Kaoru no Chousen!~[21] PS4, XONE, XSXS
Steins;Gate 0 Elite TBA
Steins;???

Chiyomaru Studio
Chiyo St. Inc.
Chiyomaru Studio
Native name
千代丸スタジオ
Chiyomaru Sutajio
FormerlyChrome Edge
Key people
Chiyomaru Shikura
Products
SubsidiariesMages (2019–2020)
Websitechiyomaru-studio.com

Chiyo St. Inc., doing business as Chiyomaru Studio (Japanese: 千代丸スタジオ, Hepburn: Chiyomaru Sutajio), is a multimedia concept studio led by Chiyomaru Shikura,[22] the representative director and president of Mages.[23] The company, which was originally named Chrome Edge (クロウムエッジ, Kuroumu Ejji), was founded separately from Mages for the purpose of managing the copyrights to the media projects Shikura works on, including the Science Adventure franchise and the Occultic;Nine novel series, and for creating stories for use in various media.[22] In July 2019, Chiyomaru Studio made a management buyout of Mages, acquiring all shares held by its former parent company Dwango;[5] the following year, Chiyomaru Studio sold all Mages shares to Colopl.[6]

While the concept work is done by Chiyomaru Studio, they work together with Mages to develop video games using the concepts, and with Kadokawa Corporation to print books and produce anime and manga.[22] The studio includes staff members from Mages, who communicate through instant messaging; as of 2015, Shikura was the only on-site staff.[24]

The first new intellectual property developed by Chiyomaru Studio, not based on Shikura's previous works, is the upcoming video game Anonymous;Code, which is developed together with Mages' video games division 5pb. Games,[25][26] and is together with Occultic;Nine part of a media franchise referred to internally as Science Visual Novel.[27][28] Chiyomaru Studio has also developed the Science Adventure game Robotics;Notes DaSH.[29] Since 2017, the studio organizes live music events where they also release updates on their media projects, called "Chiyo-ST Live".[30][31]

See also
  • Kaga Create, whose former subsidiary CyberFront was acquired by 5pb.
  • KID, whose assets 5pb acquired as part of CyberFront.

Notes
  1. Initial release
  2. Scenario

References
  1. "5pb. company information" (in Japanese). 5pb. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
  2. 弊社株式の異動（譲渡）に関するお知らせ [Concerning Our Company Stock Change (Transfer) Notification] (in Japanese). 5pb. 2009-04-15. Archived from the original on 2009-08-10. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  3. "Outline - Corporate" (in Japanese). Dwango. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  4. "Visual Novel Publisher 5pb Becomes Mages, 5pb Director Is Head Of The Company". Siliconera. April 21, 2011. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  5. Romano, Sal (2019-07-26). "Mages goes independent from Kadokawa Group, 5pb. to consolidate into Mages". Gematsu. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  6. Romano, Sal (2020-03-30). "Colopl acquires Mages". Gematsu. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  7. rawmeatcowboy (2022-12-26). "STEINS;GATE dev 'MAGES' entering insolvency". GoNintendo. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  8. Kiwami, Soul (2022-12-27). "MAGES. Enters Insolvency, Reports Massive Financial Losses in 2022". Final Weapon. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  9. "Chiyomaru Shikura steps down as MAGES. chairman and executive director". Gematsu. 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  10. "【お知らせ】エグゼティブプロデューサー就任のお知らせ". MAGES. Inc. (in Japanese). 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  11. "Chaos;Child PlayStation versions and anime confirmed". Gematsu. March 28, 2015. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  12. "Steins;Gate 0 announced". Gematsu. March 28, 2015. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  13. "5pb. announces Plastic Memories game". Gematsu. April 19, 2016. Archived from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  14. "First Screens Of New Game! The Challenge Stage! Show Aoba, Hifumi, Kou, And Shizuku". Siliconera. July 20, 2016. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  15. "Kamaitachi no Yoru remake announced for PS Vita [Update]". Gematsu. 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  16. "Occultic;Nine game announced". Gematsu. March 28, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  17. "TIMINGooo!". Gematsu. 27 October 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  18. "5pb. announces Anonymous;Code". Gematsu. March 28, 2015. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  19. Romano, Sal (September 6, 2022). "Summer Time Rendering: Another Horizon confirmed for PS4, Switch". Gematsu. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  20. Romano, Sal (October 18, 2022). "Summer Time Rendering: Another Horizon debut trailer". Gematsu.
  21. MAGES. "ミステリート～八十神かおるの挑戦！～ 公式サイト" (in Japanese). Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  22. 『シュタインズ・ゲート』新作など千代丸スタジオが贈る新作タイトルについて志倉千代丸氏へ独占インタビュー(1/2). Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. 2015-03-28. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  23. "Mages.Inc.: Private Company Information". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  24. Fushimachi, Yuzuru (2015-03-30). "志倉千代丸「ADVをゲームとは思ってない」…その真意と「CHIYOMARU STUDIO」の正体とは". Inside Games (in Japanese). IID, Inc. Archived from the original on 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  25. "Anonymous;Code Visual Novel's 1st 2 Characters Revealed". Anime News Network. 2016-03-07. Archived from the original on 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  26. Ishaan (2015-03-29). "Anonymous;Code Is 5pb's Next Sci-Fi Visual Novel". Siliconera. Curse, Inc. Archived from the original on 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  27. Token (2016-07-03). "【5pb.祭り2016】「ANONYMOUS;CODE」ステージでは"セーブ＆ロード"を用いる新システム「ハッキングトリガー」が明らかに！". Gamer (in Japanese). Ixll Co. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  28. "本作のトリガーは"ハッキングトリガー"！？ 『アノニマス・コード』の見どころについて志倉千代丸氏が語る【5pb.祭り2016】". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. 2016-07-03. Archived from the original on 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  29. "東京ゲームショウ2017にて『ロボティクス・ノーツ ダッシュ』の映像が公開【TGS2017】". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. 2017-09-21. Archived from the original on 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  30. 『シュタインズ・ゲート』と『ロボティクス・ノーツ』の新作などが発表――ライブイベント“チヨスタライブ”での発表内容をお届け！. Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. May 28, 2017. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  31. "おなじみの楽曲から一夜限りのスペシャルコラボまで！ 濃密過ぎる3時間!! "科学アドベンチャーライブ2018-SINGULARITY-"リポート". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. April 30, 2018. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
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