Technosoft#Releases

Some staff members left Technosoft to start the game development companies Arsys Software in 1985 (founded by Kotori Yoshimura, creator of Thunder Force and Plazma Line), CAProduction in 1993, and Ganbarion in 1999.

In 2006, the URL for Technosoft was registered and updated. However, no updates other than "We will restart soon! Please wait for a while." and "THUNDERFORCE is a registered trademark." have been added to the website. In 2008, The Technosoft brand was revived by Twenty-One company. Technosoft licensed merchandising and music of the brand's past titles. The copyright for Technosoft's intellectual properties were not registered under Technosoft nor Twenty-One Company, but to Kazue Matsuoka.{{Cite web|url=https://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1216397_1407.html|title=『サンダーフォースVI』数々の伝説を残した名作シューティングが復活 - ファミ通.com|website=www.famitsu.com}}

Sega revealed that Thunder Force III will be part of Sega 3D Classics Collection,{{cite web |url=http://www.siliconera.com/2016/09/17/technosofts-thunder-force-iii-will-third-sega-3d-classics-collection/ |title=Technosoft's Thunder Force III Will Be In The Third Sega 3D Classics Collection - Siliconera |website=www.siliconera.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919132857/http://www.siliconera.com/2016/09/17/technosofts-thunder-force-iii-will-third-sega-3d-classics-collection/ |archive-date=2016-09-19}} and on September 17, 2016, at the Tokyo Game Show, Sega announced that they acquired the intellectual property and development rights to all the games developed and published by Technosoft. When questioned about future Technosoft releases, Sega would look into re-releasing Thunder Force IV, Thunder Force V and Herzog Zwei.{{cite web|url=http://segabits.com/blog/2016/09/17/sega-announces-acquisition-of-technosofts-ips/|title=Sega announces acquisitions of Technosoft IP's|date=September 2016}}

In September 2016, there was a total of 21 registrations made by Sega Holdings. These registrations revised the copyright of Technosoft intellectual properties from Kazue Matsuoka to Sega Games Co, Ltd thus completing the acquisition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/web/all/top/BTmTopPage|title = メンテナンス情報 (Maintenance information) | J-PlatPat/AIPN}} As of 2016, the digital soundtrack rights for the Thunder Force series will still be handled by Twenty-One Company through the Twenty-One Technosoft division.{{cite web |url=http://www.tecnosoft.com/ |title=Home |website=tecnosoft.com |access-date=2008-08-14 |archive-date=2010-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329080448/http://www.tecnosoft.com/ |url-status=dead }}

Factors that influenced the acquisition included the former Technosoft president stating that they did not want the Technosoft brand to desist, and so handing over the intellectual properties to Sega was the only other option. Sega and Technosoft also had an established collaboration during the Genesis/Mega Drive era and so this pre-established relationship was also a factor when acquiring the brand rights to Technosoft titles.{{Cite web|url=https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1020718.html|title = 「セガ3D復刻アーカイブス3 Final Stage」に「サンダーフォースIii」収録!! テクノソフトの権利をセガが取得、元テクノソフトの新井氏も登場して経緯を語った|date = 17 September 2016}}

{{Main|Thunder Force (series)}}

The company's most commercially successful franchise was the Thunder Force series. It was a series of scrolling shooter video games. The series began with the original Thunder Force in 1983. The games are known by fans of the genre for their hardcore appeal, pleasing graphics, and generally well composed synthesizer-based chiptune music soundtracks.

The series' first game, Thunder Force, appeared in 1983 on a variety of Japanese computers, such as the Sharp X1, NEC PC-8801 mkII, and FM-7. Technosoft also released a level editor, or game creation system, entitled Thunder Force Construction, for the original game on the FM-7 computer in 1984.{{cite web|title=Thunder Force Construction|url=http://retropc.net/fm-7/museum/softhouse/tecnosoft/330602301.html|work=Oh!FM|accessdate=1 September 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728113345/http://retropc.net/fm-7/museum/softhouse/tecnosoft/330602301.html|archivedate=28 July 2013|url-status=bot: unknown}} Since Thunder Force II, the majority of installments in the series appeared on the Mega Drive console, where the series gained much of its popularity. The most recent entry was released on PlayStation 2.

{{Infobox video game

| title = Plazma Line
プラズマライン

| collapsible =

| state = expanded

| image =

| caption =

| developer = Technosoft

| publisher = Technosoft

| series =

| engine =

| platforms = NEC PC-8801, NEC PC-6001, FM-7, Sharp X1

| released = PC-8801 / PC-6001 / X1
1984
FM-7
December 1984

| genre = First -person racing game
Space flight simulator

| modes =

| director =

| producer =

| designer = Kotori Yoshimura

| programmer =

| artist =

| writer =

| composer =

}}

File:Plazma Line.gif port of Plazma Line (1984), an early first-person futuristic racing video game. This GIF animation of the game demonstrates early use of 3D polygon graphics and automap feature.]]

Plazma Line (プラズマライン) is a first-person space racing game released by Technosoft for the NEC PC-8801 and FM-7 computers in 1984. It is notable for being the first computer game, and home video game in general, with 3D polygon graphics.

The objective of the game is to race through outer space in a first-person view while avoiding obstacles (rendered in 3D polygons) along the way. It also featured an automap radar to keep track of the player's position.{{cite web|title=Plazma Line|url=http://retropc.net/fm-7/museum/softhouse/tecnosoft/330602600.html|work=Oh!FM|accessdate=1 September 2012|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130112015322/http://retropc.net/fm-7/museum/softhouse/tecnosoft/330602600.html|archivedate=12 January 2013|url-status=bot: unknown}}

The game was created by Kotori Yoshimura, who also created the original Thunder Force.{{cite web|title=Wibarm|url=http://www.retropc.net/fm-7/museum/softhouse/arsyssoftware/001100100.html|work=Oh!FM|accessdate=1 September 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119012944/http://fm-7.com/museum/softhouse/arsyssoftware/001100100.html|archivedate=19 January 2015|url-status=bot: unknown}} Yoshimura later left the company in 1985 to start the development studio Arsys Software along with fellow Technosoft member Osamu Nagano.{{cite web|title=Corporate profile |url=http://www.cyberhead.co.jp/info.htm |publisher=Cyberhead |accessdate=30 August 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011024203406/http://www.cyberhead.co.jp/info.htm |archivedate=October 24, 2001 |url-status=unfit }}

In March 1985, Plazma Line was ranked number five on the Beep list of best-selling Japanese computer games.{{Cite book |last=Koyama |first=Yusuke |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uITCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA35 |title=History of the Japanese Video Game Industry |date=2023-06-02 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-99-1342-8 |pages=35}}

{{Clear}}

{{Main|Herzog (video game)|Herzog Zwei}}

Herzog (German: "Duke") is a strategy video game released by Technosoft in Japan for the MSX and NEC PC-88 computers in 1988. It was a real-time tactics and tactical shooter game with real-time strategy elements.

The series' best known entry is the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) title Herzog Zwei (1989), which is sometimes regarded as the world's first real time strategy game. Although released two years after Nether Earth, it was the first game with a feature set that falls under the contemporary definition of the real-time strategy genre, predating the genre-popularizing Dune II.{{cite web|url=http://www.strategyplanet.com/features/articles/strategypeak/|title=Are Real Time Strategy Games At Their Peak?|date=2001-05-09|publisher=www.strategyplanet.com|accessdate=2011-01-22|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115071241/http://www.strategyplanet.com/features/articles/strategypeak/|archivedate=2010-11-15}}{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134179 | title=Essential Top 50: Herzog Zwei | author=Sharkey, Scott | website=1UP.com | accessdate=2007-09-27 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040913063641/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134179 | archivedate=2004-09-13 }}{{cite web|url = http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/p2_01.html|title = A History of Real-Time Strategy Games: Part I: 1989-1998|author = Geryk, Bruce | website = GameSpot|accessdate=2009-01-09}} The producers of Dune II acknowledged Herzog Zwei (meaning "Duke 2" in German) as an influence on the game.{{cite web|last=Clarke-Willson|first=Stephen|title=The Origin of Realtime Strategy Games on the PC|url=http://above-the-garage.com/rblts/vie16b.htm|work=The Rise and Fall of Virgin Interactive|publisher=Above the Garage Productions|accessdate=30 January 2012|authorlink=Stephen Clarke-Willson|date=August 18, 1998}}{{cite magazine|title=The Making of... Dune II|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/making-dune-ii|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121208185911/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/making-dune-ii|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2012|magazine=Edge|publisher=Next-Gen.biz|accessdate=July 27, 2011|date=December 9, 2008|quote=Herzog Zwei was a lot of fun, but I have to say the other inspiration for Dune II was the Mac software interface. The whole design/interface dynamics of mouse clicking and selecting desktop items got me thinking, ‘Why not allow the same inside the game environment? Why not a context-sensitive playfield? To hell with all these hot keys, to hell with keyboard as the primary means of manipulating the game!}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.tecnosoft.com/}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/19980625185539/http://www.tecnosoft.com/INDEX.HTM Archived version of official website from 1998]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20011201222622/http://www.tecnosoft.com/index.htm Archived version of official website from 2001]

{{Sega Sammy Holdings}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Companies based in Nagasaki Prefecture

Category:Video game companies established in 1980

Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2001

Category:Defunct video game companies of Japan

Category:Video game development companies

Category:Japanese companies established in 1980

Category:Japanese companies disestablished in 2001