The good old days are here again
In what seems to a symbolic nod to those of us that remember the good old days,King of FightersandMetal Slugdeveloper SNK Playmore isdroppingthe “Playmore” from its company logo and plans to once again use the old Neo Geo-era slogan “The Future is Now” for marketing materials.
SNK was founded in 1978 as Shin Nihon Kikaku (New Japan Project) by Eikichi Kawasaki. In 2001, Kawasaki left SNK shortly before the company went bankrupt and founded Playmore, which later acquired SNK’s intellectual properties at auction and rehired many of its former employees.
Following the release ofKing of Fighters XIIIin 2010/2011, the studio seemed to fall into decline, releasing only mobile games, compilations of old Neo Geo titles, and pachinko machines.
Last year, Chinese investors formed Ledo Millennium, a subsidiary of Leyou Technologies (which, fun fact, also owns Kentucky Fried Chicken meat supplier Sumpo), to purchase a controlling majority of SNK Playmore by acquiring Kawasaki’s 81.25 percent stake in the company for $63.5 million.
Following the acquisition, SNK has been working to return to its former glory. Thus far, those efforts have involvedabandoning its pachinko businessand refocusing on game development.
SNK’s first major project since then,King of Fighters XIV,will be released worldwide this August.
