Yuke's

"Yukes" redirects here. For the Canadian rugby player, see Colin Yukes.
Yuke's Co. Ltd.
Company typeKabushiki gaisha
IndustryVideo games
Founded26 February 1993; 31 years ago (1993-02-26)
FounderYukinori Taniguchi
Headquarters
Osaka
,
Japan
ProductsWWE 2K series (2000–2018)[1]
Number of employees
188 (January 2023[2])
Websitewww.yukes.co.jp/en/

Yuke's Co. Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer based in Osaka. It was established on 26 February 1993 by Yukinori Taniguchi. The company is best known for developing the WWE video game series, based on the professional wrestling promotion of the same name, until 2018.

History

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Founded in 1993, Yuke's was named after founder Yukinori Taniguchi's high school nickname. The first two games that the company developed were the platform game Hermie Hopperhead and the pro wrestling game Toukon Retsuden.[3] The latter title was a best-seller in Japan.[4] Though Activision purchased the rights to publish the game in North America and began localization work,[4] only the first game was localized, becoming Power Move Pro Wrestling with a different roster of wrestlers.

Beginning in 2000, Yuke's began to develop wrestling games for THQ based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; now WWE). They were recommended to THQ by Aki, who had developed their own line of wrestling games.[3]

From 2005 to 2012, Yuke's owned 54% of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the top professional wrestling promotion in Japan.[5][6][7]

In August 2019, then-series publisher 2K Games announced it had moved WWE game development to California-based studio Visual Concepts.[8] Earlier that year, Yuke's had revealed its frustration over what it had been able to achieve with recent WWE 2K games and suggested that its relationship with publisher 2K Sports was partly responsible. Producer Hiromi Furuta revealed that Yuke's had established a new development team tasked with creating a rival wrestling IP, with the intention of reinvigorating its staff.[9] On November 10, 2020, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced an upcoming console game developed by Yuke's, led by Def Jam Vendetta and WWF No Mercy director, Hideyuki "Geta" Iwashita,[10]; this game would later go on to become AEW Fight Forever.

Games developed

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These are the list of games that the company developed.[11]

Year Title Publisher(s) Platform(s)
1995 New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden Tomy PlayStation
1995 Hermie Hopperhead: Scrap Panic SCEI
1996 New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden 2 Tomy
1997 Ucchannanchan no Honō no Challenger: Denryū Iraira Bō Hudson Soft Nintendo 64
1998 New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Road Brave Spirits
1998 New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden 3 Tomy PlayStation
1998 Soukaigi SquareSoft
1998 New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Road 2 - The Next Generation Hudson Soft Nintendo 64
1999 Evil Zone Titus Software PlayStation
1999 Last Legion UX Hudson Soft Nintendo 64
1999 New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden 4 Tomy Dreamcast
1999 The Pro Wrestling D3 Publisher PlayStation
1999 Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage ASCII Corporation Dreamcast
2000 WWF SmackDown! THQ PlayStation
2000 WWF Royal Rumble Arcade, Dreamcast
2000 WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role PlayStation
2000 The Pro Wrestling 2 D3 Publisher
2001 WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It THQ PlayStation 2
2002 EOE: Eve of Extinction Eidos Interactive
2002 Edit Racing D3 Publisher
2002 WWE WrestleMania X8 THQ GameCube
2002 WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth PlayStation 2
2003 WWE WrestleMania XIX GameCube
2003 WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain PlayStation 2
2004 Online Pro Wrestling Yuke's
2004 WWE Day of Reckoning THQ GameCube
2004 Berserk: Millennium Falcon Hen Seima Senki no Shō Sammy Corporation PlayStation 2
2004 WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw THQ
2004 Rumble Roses Konami
2005 D1 Grand Prix Yuke's
2005 WWE Day of Reckoning 2 THQ GameCube
2005 D1 Grand Prix 2005 Yuke's PlayStation 2
2005 WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 THQ PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
2005 Wrestle Kingdom Yuke's PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
2006 The Dog: Happy Life PlayStation Portable
2006 Rumble Roses XX Konami Xbox 360
2006 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 THQ PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360
2007 The Dog Island Ubisoft PlayStation 2, Wii
2007 Wrestle Kingdom 2 Yuke's PlayStation 2
2007 Go! Sports Ski SCEI PlayStation 3
2007 Neves Atlus Nintendo DS
2007 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 THQ PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
2007 Petz: Dogz 2 and Catz 2 Ubisoft PlayStation 2, Wii
2007 Soukou Kihei Votoms Bandai Namco Entertainment PlayStation 2
2008 Double D Dodgeball Yuke's Xbox 360
2008 Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters Bandai Namco Entertainment PlayStation 2
2008 Neverland Card Battles Idea Factory PlayStation Portable
2008 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 THQ PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
2009 WWE Legends of WrestleMania PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS
2009 UFC 2009 Undisputed PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2009 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
2010 UFC Undisputed 2010 PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360
2010 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
2011 Real Steel Yuke's PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2011 WWE '12 THQ PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
2012 UFC Undisputed 3 PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2012 WWE '13 PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
2013 Pacific Rim Yuke's Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
2013 WWE 2K14 2K Sports PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2014 WWE 2K15 Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
2015 WWE 2K16 Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
2016 WWE 2K17
2017 WWE 2K18 Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2018 WWE 2K19 Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2019 Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain D3 Publisher Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
2020 Earth Defense Force: World Brothers Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
2023 AEW Fight Forever THQ Nordic Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
2024 Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2[12] D3 Publisher Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
2025 Double Dragon Revive[13] Arc System Works Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

References

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  1. ^ Andy Robinson (6 August 2019). "2K splits with veteran WWE studio Yuke's". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  2. ^ "Company Profile".
  3. ^ a b Ekberg, Brian (November 11, 2005). "Yukes Behind the Scenes". GameSpot. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Buyers Beware". GamePro. No. 98. IDG. November 1996. p. 24.
  5. ^ "Yuke's Media Creations". Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-10.. uk.games.ign.com
  6. ^ Yuke's Buys Controlling Share of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Gamasutra.com (November 15, 2005). Retrieved on May 10, 2014.
  7. ^ Caldwell, James (January 31, 2012). "NJPW News: New Japan sold to new owners, change-over taking effect February 1". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  8. ^ Robinson, Andy (August 6, 2019). "2K splits with veteran WWE studio Yukes". Video Games Chronicle.
  9. ^ Robinson, Andy (May 13, 2019). "WWE 2K studio creating rival wrestling IP". Video Games Chronicle.
  10. ^ Walker, Ian (November 10, 2020). "Three All Elite Wrestling Games In Development". Kotaku. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "Game RELEASES". YUKE'S Co., Ltd. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  12. ^ "Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 launches May 23 in Japan, September 26 worldwide". Gematsu. 2024-02-29.
  13. ^ Romano, Sal (July 11, 2024). "Double Dragon Revive teaser trailer, first details and screenshots". Gematsu. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
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