Smilebit

Smilebit[lower-alpha 1] was a division of Japanese video game developer Sega.

Smilebit
TypeDivision (defunct)
IndustryVideo games
FateMerged with Sega's Research and Development
SuccessorSega Sports R&D
Founded2000 (2000)
FounderShun Arai
Defunct2004 (2004)
HeadquartersJapan
OwnerSega

History

In 2000, all of Sega's in-house Consumer (CS) and Amusement Machine (AM) R&D departments were separated from the main company and established on 9 semi-autonomous subsidiaries, with each subsidiary getting an elected president as a studio head.[1] However, for more financial stability, Sega began consolidating its studios into six main ones (Sega Wow, Sega AM2, Hitmaker, Amusement Vision, Smilebit, Sonic Team) in 2003, and merged them back into a uniform R&D structure in 2004.

Smilebit was formed from CS1, which contained staff from the Panzer Dragoon series, sports games and PC conversion staff. It was headed by Shun Arai and Takayuki Kawagoe. While continuing sports-related games, the studio became more known for its high-end console games, which includes Jet Set Radio and Hundred Swords for Dreamcast, and the Xbox trio of Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon Orta and GunValkyrie.[2] Due to the teams experience with converting games to the PC since the mid 1990s, the team was quickly able to get high performance from the Xbox.[3] This part of the team became assigned to Amusement Vision in 2003.[4] Owing to this the number of Smilebit employees was at 51 right before integration back into Sega in 2004.

List of games

Dreamcast

Xbox

PlayStation 2
  • Soccer Tsuku 2002: J.League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! (2002)
  • Derby Tsuku 3: Derby Uma o Tsukurou! (2003)
  • J.League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 3 (2003)
  • Pro Yakyuu Team o Tsukurou! 2 (2003)
  • Pro Yakyuu Team o Tsukurou! 2003 (2003)
  • Derby Tsuku 4: Derby Uma o Tsukurou! (2004)
  • J.League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! '04 (2004)
  • The Typing of the Dead: Zombie Panic (2004)
  • Let's Make a Soccer Team! (2006)

Game Boy Advance

PC

Notes
  1. Japanese: 株式会社スマイルビット Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha Sumairubitto

References
  1. "https://www.segasammy.co.jp/japanese/ir/library/pdf/printing_archive/2000/sega/sega_annual_tuuki_2000.pdf" (PDF). www.segasammy.co.jp. Retrieved 2015-05-17. External link in |title= (help)
  2. "Classic SEGA Magazine Corner: Xbox Nation interviews Smilebit's Panzer Dragoon Orta artists". Retrieved 2015-05-18.
  3. "http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/PDO4_SMALL.png". External link in |title= (help)
  4. "Video Games Daily | News: Sega Studio Mergers: Full Details". archive.videogamesdaily.com. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
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