Level-5 Inc. is a Japanese company that creates and sells video games. It is located in Fukuoka and was established in October 1998 by Akihiro Hino after he left Riverhillsoft. The company is well known for its popular game series, including Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, Ni no Kuni, Yo-kai Watch, Snack World, and Megaton Musashi.
History
Level-5 was formed in October 1998 by Akihiro Hino and his team at Riverhillsoft after the release of OverBlood 2. Hino originally did not believe his team could become an independent developer, so he partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment. Sony allowed him to create games for its upcoming PlayStation 2, but only if he started his own company. The name "Level-5" was inspired by Japanese school report cards, where "Level-5" is the highest possible grade. At first, the company had eleven employees.
Level-5's first major project was the action role-playing game Dark Cloud, developed under contract by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was meant to be a launch game for the Japanese PlayStation 2, but it was delayed until December 2000 in Japan and released worldwide in 2001. A sequel, Dark Cloud 2, was later created. The company also worked with Microsoft Game Studios on an MMORPG called True Fantasy Live Online for the Xbox, but the project was canceled in 2004.
Yasumi Matsuno, known for directing Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy Tactics, and the Ogre Battle series, joined Level-5 in June 2011. He left after completing work on Crimson Shroud for the Nintendo 3DS. By the early 2010s, Level-5 was one of the ten largest video game companies in Japan, with a 3.2% market share. In October 2015, Level-5 created a spin-off company called Level-5 Abby in Santa Monica with Dentsu. However, in October 2020, it was reported that Level-5's North American operations, including Level-5 Abby, were closing due to low sales. That same month, Level-5 launched a manga publishing platform named "Manga 5."
In 2009, Level-5 introduced its Roid service, a mobile phone application that delivers mobile games. The platform is only compatible with NTT DoCoMo's i-mode mobile internet service in Japan. Users pay a monthly fee for access to exclusive games and social features. The service launched with six games: Sloan and McHale's Mystery Story, Professor Layton and the Mansion of the Mirror of Death Remix, Chara Jo P, Yuuenchi wo Tsukurō Revolution, Treasure Island, and Elf the Dragon. The first three were developed by Level-5, while the other three were made by outside companies.