New publishing company established by former Square-Enix execs

Set up by six former members of Square-Enix, fledgling publisher will be bringing two RPG licenses to market in the US next year, with more titles to follow.

The company has been established in order to provide Western gamers with a number of RPG titles which might not otherwise have seen a release outside of Japan. Utilising the extensive experience and knowledge gained from their time at Square- Enix, the company founders, including former Square-Enix CEO Jun Iwasaki, have a very clear strategy for the firm.

In a company statement announcing the first two titles to be published by the company, Iwasaki commented: "Our extensive past experience working with some of the highest quality titles in the industry has really honed our ability to spot the best in interactive entertainment."

Xseed will release Wild Arms 4 and Shadow Hearts: From the New World in Q1, 2006 on consoles. Previous titles in the Shadow Hearts series were published by Midway, whilst Agetec published the previous Wild Arms title.

Iwasaki is confident that Xseed has a place in the US market, and that the company's choice of titles for its first release will be a success, leading to further US releases for the company. In a recent statement, Iwasaki said: "These two titles are the first of what the Xseed Games label will come to represent in bringing great entertainment to the U.S. audience. We expect both Wild Arms 4 and Shadow Hearts to not only appeal to the existing fans of the series but also attract newcomers."

Square-Enix was formed in April 2003 following a merger between Square Co. and Enix Corporation. The company publishes a number of Role Playing Games, the most successful of which is the Final Fantasy series. Xseed is a newly formed publisher focusing on the US markets, founded by six former Square-Enix executives.