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[Ridley327]

To be more specific, Wikipedia says Kadokawa Games was a merging of the game divisions of ASCII, Enterbrain and Kadokawa.

Yes, Enterbrain as in "the folks who publish Famitsu".

40s for FROM's games for now until the end of time!

I'm not too worried about this, as this is a pretty clear appeal to getting a presence in the west.

 

[Dusk Golem]

The only thing that worries me is the new ownership continuing to let From not advance the Souls franchise. For all the sales and building fanbase, the series has not advanced much in the graphics and gameplay department.

It's time for FROM to start evolving the game because it's becoming predictable.

If anything, From will just make another spin-off from the series. Dark Souls is a spin-off from Demon Souls, which is a spin-off from Shadow Tower, which is a spin-off from King's Field.

 

[hoggert]

No one has mentioned it yet, but some people might be more familiar with Kadokawa Games if we used the old name for them -- ASCII Games.

I had to check the cases, but they published some of the early From titles in the US that Agetec and Sony didn't.

Edit: whoops, Agetec is/was ASCII

 

[Ridley327]

I just remembered Kadokawa games publish many of Grasshopper Manufacturer's games, so I don't think there is much to worry about. If they will fund and publish those games, I assume they're very open to unique games aimed at niches.

You won't be seeing that anymore with GungHo owning GHM these days, but that's actually a pretty good example of something turning out far better than people feared, since Lily Bergamo looks like it's going to be a pretty big deal for GungHo, and is getting a budget to match it.

 

[injurai]

Dark Souls Formula to be milked and not innovated on...

3 games in, it will only get worse. You know this to be true.

 

[Santiako]

I'm trying to stay true to my avatar, but I'm finding it pretty hard. Let's hope they let them do what they do best.

 

[graywolf323]

Grasshopper is owned by Gung-Ho actually. Killer Is Dead was the last game they signed before they got bought.

if anything I'm surprised From wasn't bought by either Sony or Gung-Ho

 

[Dwight Schrute]

What if... htey dedicate more ressources to FROM and that it actually is good for the franchises ?

I want to beleive

 

[Shengar]

Sadly not Berserk.

Can anyone in this world bring back Miura pre-idolmaster?

This gif is so fucking Nito

The only thing that worries me is the new ownership continuing to let From not advance the Souls franchise. For all the sales and building fanbase, the series has not advanced much in the graphics and gameplay department.

It's time for FROM to start evolving the game because it's becoming predictable.

Believe in Miyazaki
Yeah I know that he probably not working on Demon's Souls 2. Though I believe he is, or at least he work on a brand new game with SCEJ.

Dark Souls Formula to be milked and not innovated on...

3 games in, it will only get worse. You know this to be true.

Does Kadokawa Game have the record of milking? They are not Level 5 at the very least.

 

[BadWolf]

From Software is pretty much the Souls company to me so just going to wait on how they handle the series going forward.

 

[sörine]

Well I guess Agetec gets to publish Armored Core again now.

 

[Dusk Golem]

Dark Souls Formula to be milked and not innovated on...

3 games in, it will only get worse. You know this to be true.

I think it'll get better. Really Dark Souls is the ninth game in its series.

Spoiler

Yes, I consider the King's Field and Shadow Tower games and Dark Souls all in the same series since they all have many similarities, including reoccurring enemies and mechanics, and the definite tie-ins with these older games from them.

Dark Souls has gotten the most attention from them but it's not like it was them just suddenly striking gold, it was development mechanics, setting, and the like that have evolved over the studios existence since 1994 (when the first King's Field game released, and also the studios first game). If anything they'll probably make some other series several years down the line that'll be different and evolve mechanics.

The good/bad thing about this is if you look at their series, they do evolve their series, but to them evolution seems to mostly evolve and advance things and make it into a new franchise (but that's still part of the same series).

Spoiler

I'm going to go be sad now that most people hardly know From's previous games outside of the Souls series, or half don't even know what King's Field or Shadow Tower are. Or for me, know what Echo Night or Kuon are. I hope someday From returns to straight-up horror games.

 

[Gbraga]

Dark Souls formula, moe art. It would be the definitive game, I wouldn't need anything else in my life.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

If anything, From will just make another spin-off from the series. Dark Souls is a spin-off from Demon Souls, which is a spin-off from Shadow Tower, which is a spin-off from King's Field.

Deep Down not only blows away DS2 but looks more compelling in game play. I realize the visual comparison might be unfair but FROM should be ashamed with how little the visuals have advanced. DS might be a GAF darling but the initial honeymoon with DS's has worn after DS1/2. On a similar note, I think Dragons Dogma is also better than the Souls games.

Expectations were low with DS. I feel like the sales and praise are not being met with much needed game play and graphics advancements.

I now expect more from FROM and the diehard fans should as well with the 3rd game in the franchise under their belt. Don't start being like CoD and phoning it in.

 

[injurai]

I think it'll get better. Really Dark Souls is the ninth game in its series.

Spoiler

Yes, I consider the King's Field and Shadow Tower games and Dark Souls all in the same series since they all have many similarities, including reoccurring enemies and mechanics, and the definite tie-ins with these older games from them.

Dark Souls has gotten the most attention from them but it's not like it was them just suddenly striking gold, it was development mechanics, setting, and the like that have evolved over the studios existence since 1994 (when the first King's Field game released, and also the studios first game). If anything they'll probably make some other series several years down the line that'll be different and evolve mechanics.

The good/bad thing about this is if you look at their series, they do evolve their series, but to them evolution seems to mostly evolve and advance things and make it into a new franchise (but that's still part of the same franchise).

Spoiler

I'm going to go be sad now that most people hardly know From's previous games outside of the Souls series, or half don't even know what King's Field or Shadow Tower are. Or for me, know what Echo Night or Kuon are. I hope someday From returns to straight-up horror games.

That's such a contrived frame of view though. Many games draw on past mechanics regardless them following a development continuity or not. At this point Dark Souls is by far the most valuable asset that From has. They have expanded greatly to cultivate it, but that also means they have to meet their new quotas. If they were bought out. Then there is a new two-fold dynamic. From wants to mitigate risk, Kadokawa wants to invest in turnaround. It would be too risky for them to drastically change something that sells a lot. They would be better off financially to milk this into the ground, and only innovate when the fear of them losing the IPs worth is presented to them. The Souls series has followed reduction design philosophies so there is even less of a reason to innovate within the series.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

That's such a contrived frame of view though. Many games draw on past mechanics regardless them following a development continuity or not. At this point Dark Souls is by far the most valuable asset that From has. They have expanded greatly to cultivate it, but that also means they have to meet their new quotas. If they were bought out. Then there is a new two-fold dynamic. From wants to mitigate risk, Kadokawa wants to invest in turnaround. It would be too risky for them to drastically change something that sells a lot. They would be better off financially to milk this into the ground, and only innovate when the fear of them losing the IPs worth is presented to them. The Souls series has followed reduction design philosophies so there is even less of a reason to innovate within the series.

That is their ultimate double edged sword. If this series can garner Skyrim/ES's like success then great. It's not going to do so if we get another game that does little to expand on the scope of the game as well as gameplay. If they don't leverage the building fame of the series then it deserves to fail.

 

[kick51]

I had to check the cases, but they published some of the early From titles in the US that Agetec and Sony didn't.

Edit: whoops, Agetec is/was ASCII

thread title threw me for a loop, but Agetec sort of makes sense since they published all their PS2 RPGs.

 

[Deepo]

From Software to develop annual football games confirmed.

 

[Shengar]

That's such a contrived frame of view though. Many games draw on past mechanics regardless them following a development continuity or not. At this point Dark Souls is by far the most valuable asset that From has. They have expanded greatly to cultivate it, but that also means they have to meet their new quotas. If they were bought out. Then there is a new two-fold dynamic. From wants to mitigate risk, Kadokawa wants to invest in turnaround. It would be too risky for them to drastically change something that sells a lot. They would be better off financially to milk this into the ground, and only innovate when the fear of them losing the IPs worth is presented to them. The Souls series has followed reduction design philosophies so there is even less of a reason to innovate within the series.

Not all company follows this philosophy and they shouldn't to. We will see later whether or not they continue Souls series on some basis or have another spiritual successor like their usual MO.

 

[popyea]

Deep Down not only blows away DS2 but looks more compelling in game play. I realize the visual comparison might be unfair but FROM should be ashamed with how little the visuals have advanced. DS might be a GAF darling but the initial honeymoon with DS's has worn after DS1/2. On a similar note, I think Dragons Dogma is also better than the Souls games.

Expectations were low with DS. I feel like the sales and praise are not being met with much needed game play and graphics advancements.

I now expect more from FROM and the diehard fans should as well with the 3rd game in the franchise under their belt. Don't start being like CoD and phoning it in.

lol, if deep down is a better game than DS2, i'll eat my hat. And even a sub-par Souls game is head and shoulders above Dragon's Dogma. It'll take more than shoddy implementation or lack of polish to knock it to the bottom of the pile.

 

[Dusk Golem]

That's such a contrived frame of view though. Many games draw on past mechanics regardless them following a development continuity or not. At this point Dark Souls is by far the most valuable asset that From has. They have expanded greatly to cultivate it, but that also means they have to meet their new quotas. If they were bought out. Then there is a new two-fold dynamic. From wants to mitigate risk, Kadokawa wants to invest in turnaround. It would be too risky for them to drastically change something that sells a lot. They would be better off financially to milk this into the ground, and only innovate when the fear of them losing the IPs worth is presented to them. The Souls series has followed reduction design philosophies so there is even less of a reason to innovate within the series.

In this particular case it's true though. The director of Dark Souls said he joined From Software because he loved the King's Field games, as its his favorite game series of all time. Dark Souls is an official spiritual successor as well, and that's even ignoring tie-in elements, references, reoccurring elements, story threads, enemies, and the fact that the original Demon Souls was made as a love letter to King's Field originally.

However, the games do stand on their own obviously. And it's arguable if the series should be considered in whole as a sort of legacy thing or in parts as an individual franchise deal. Part of me feels how it should be looked at is based on how Dark Souls evolves. Part of the reason I think of them as the same thing is that it's the studios basic continuation of the same basic concept, just with different mechanics, over the course of the whole companies history. It just so happens Dark Souls/Demon Souls hit success. If they turn it into it's own spiraling franchise then that's one thing, but two or three games in a series is a bit less than King's Field got and about the same as what Shadow Tower got. And I'm not convinced they'll keep on making Soul games before they spin-it off into some other franchise in a few years, as that seems to be one of their favorite things once a series of theirs get 2-4 games under its belt. The exception to this being the Armored Core series.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Not all company follows this philosophy and they shouldn't to. We will see later whether or not they continue Souls series on some basis or have another spiritual successor like their usual MO.

The thing is they are now starting to see some attention for the first time in the west. You would not find much arguing if I say that the western audience has made the Souls IP increasingly relevant.

If FROM follows their mentality from the past then as I said before, the series deserves to fail. With all the gathering momentum in the IP I'm seeing complacency.

If Demons Souls sold around 500k theoretically) and we now have a series which can sell 2m+ then my expectations on them building the franchise have just increased.

That's why I said that not only is the game play a little robotic but games like Deep Down and Dragons Dogma not only look better but offer more compelling game play.

FROM is becoming a darling of GAF but I think it's time for even the most ardent fans to start raising their expectations on not just the visuals but game play and anything involving the game. Otherwise I'm going to wonder where all the extra revenue is going and why I mentioned the CoD phoning it in comparison. That's where the complacency comes in.

lol, if deep down is a better game than DS2, i'll eat my hat. And even a sub-par Souls game is head and shoulders above Dragon's Dogma. It'll take more than shoddy implementation or lack of polish to knock it to the bottom of the pile.

The Souls games are hardly refined as far as controls though. I feel like I'm playing with cumbersome tank controls akin to RE sometimes. Game play can be merely decent but if I am fighting controls and clunky UI or mechanics then we have a problem.

I want to laugh when Deep Down comes out and not only is a better playing game but ultimately fun. Online co op already puts it ahead after watching the dragon boss video from last year. We can all laugh or dismiss the game as an f2p but to do so would make that person foolish since what we've seen so far looks fun and more engaging than any Souls game I've played. But Deep Down has already had it's name kind of put through the ringer with the alleged downgrade (as if that matters to how the game plays) but as I said before, the video from last year looked damn good.

 

[Alric]

I wouldn't mind if the Dark Souls guys made a Berserk... Kadokawa does a lot of film / manga doesn't it?

Fuuuu, a another berserk game is always welcome.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Well this was unexpected , Kadokawa is a huge media group hopefully this mean they going to put more effort into gaming side .

 

[Dusk Golem]

If FROM follows their mentality from the past then as I said before, the series deserves to fail. With all the gathering momentum in the IP I'm seeing complacency.

From has always struck me as a studio who focuses mostly on passion projects, again. They've always been kind of niche until recently, but then I guess the question comes if they want to continue as they have been or if they want to try to be a competitive company. I'd argue nether route is best. I also think stating a company 'deserves to fail' is one of the silliest arguments (as well as it's opposite argument, 'deserves to succeed'), but that's a whole other story.

However, with the Kadokawa I might guess they may try to compete. But From has never struck me as a studio who works off brand names with their series. Sure, most of their games get sequels, but they always strike me as, "We wanted to work on this series more, so we made a new game," sequels rather than sequels to try and build a brand or compete or anything.

 

[LiK]

I can finally date Maiden in Black.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

From has always struck me as a studio who focuses mostly on passion projects, again. They've always been kind of niche until recently, but then I guess the question comes if they want to continue as they have been or if they want to try to be a competitive company. I'd argue nether route is best. I also think stating a company 'deserves to fail' is one of the silliest arguments (as well as it's opposite argument, 'deserves to succeed'), but that's a whole other story.

Not as a company, the IP being mishandled while sales grow is what I'm equating it to. I don't want the company to sink in no way. I want to see a much better Souls game that I expected after Demons Souls. The last 2 games have felt like expansions.

But I mainly wanted to further clarify that I don't want the company defunct.

Expectations rise with the growth of an IP. Souls games don't have the luxury of having golden game play which might carry a series a game or two. CoD kind of found that with CoD4 but as we have seen and has ultimately turned me off from that particular IP is that ever since 4, complacency has set in all the while sales have increased. We know have yearly rollercoaster ride campaigns and MP expansion packs.

I don't mean to imply that Souls will be yearly but figuratively it can have similarities without coming out every year. The series does not deserve the accolades and sales if we continue on the current patch. I want a better Souls game so the series can not only grow but be validated for growth and expansion of the ideas in place instead of FROM finding a niche and sticking to their past methodologies.

However, with the Kadokawa I might guess they may try to compete. But From has never struck me as a studio who works off brand names with their series. Sure, most of their games get sequels, but they always strike me as, "We wanted to work on this series more, so we made a new game," sequels rather than sequels to try and build a brand or compete or anything.

I agree with you there. I ultimately have tried to be as clear as possible on why that mentally is what is ultimately hurting the growth of the series.

I'm ready to start seeing some advancement and results with the notoriety that the western audience has showered the series with.

 

[Ranger Taffles]

I'm just hoping FromSoft retains their creative freedom and secure future releases for PC too.

 

[Shengar]

The Souls games are hardly refined as far as controls though. Game play can be fine but if I am fighting controls and clunky UI or mechanics then we have a problem.

I want to laugh when Deep Down comes out and not only is a better playing game but ultimately fun. Online co op already puts it ahead after watching the dragon boss video from last year. We can all laugh or dismiss the game as an f2p but to do so would make that person foolish since what we've seen so far looks fun and more engaging than any Souls game I've played. But Deep Down has already had it's name kind of put through the ringer with the alleged downgrade (as if that matters to how the game plays) but as I said before, the video from last year looked damn good.

Do we even have actual. solid gameplay video for Deep Down? Sorry but I'm not just buying this. Yes, FromSfot should continue evolved their series, whether it's gameplay or graphical (something that they achieved with Dark Souls II as far as I'm concerned). Also I'm agree to some quite extent that Dragon's Dogma is better, but not in gameplay as they played almost radically different, rather fun factor. You've stretched things too far here with saying that Dragon's Dogma have better graphic and Deep Down a better gameplay while we haven't even see an actual gameplay footage yet! I don't knoq what your aiming, but your posts seems just wishing FromSoft to make Dragon's Dogma 2 rather continuing the bloodline of King's Field gameplay by the way Souls gameplay now which you dub as "robotic". I wouldn't derail this thread, but saying it's robotic without any argument backing it up, and come saying that Dragon's Dogma gameplay feels more compelling is far from convincing at all.

 

[injurai]

In this particular case it's true though. The director of Dark Souls said he joined From Software because he loved the King's Field games, as its his favorite game series of all time. Dark Souls is an official spiritual successor as well, and that's even ignoring tie-in elements, references, reoccurring elements, story threads, enemies, and the fact that the original Demon Souls was made as a love letter to King's Field originally.

However, the games do stand on their own obviously. And it's arguable if the series should be considered in whole as a sort of legacy thing or in parts as an individual franchise deal. Part of me feels how it should be looked at is based on how Dark Souls evolves. Part of the reason I think of them as the same thing is that it's the studios basic continuation of the same basic concept, just with different mechanics, over the course of the whole companies history. It just so happens Dark Souls/Demon Souls hit success. If they turn it into it's own spiraling franchise then that's one thing, but two or three games in a series is a bit less than King's Field got and about the same as what Shadow Tower got. And I'm not convinced they'll keep on making Soul games before they spin-it off into some other franchise in a few years, as that seems to be one of their favorite things once a series of theirs get 2-4 games under its belt. The exception to this being the Armored Core series.

I am curious as to what Miyazaki is working on now. It's probably a next-gen only Souls game. It will probably feature numerous improvements. But if the series continues to get entries like Dark Souls 2 they will find the series fledgling and beginning to fall out of favor.

You may be very right about them starting a new series after a handful of games. But I'm not convinced we will get a meaningfully innovated Souls game during this chapter of the studios endeavors. Souls is no longer new, and to maintain a similar market share they can't invest drastically with each title. They will be conservative and slowly iterate upon ideas with each entry.

I want to laugh when Deep Down comes out and not only is a better playing game but ultimately fun. Online co op already puts it ahead after watching the dragon boss video from last year. We can all laugh or dismiss the game as an f2p but to do so would make that person foolish since what we've seen so far looks fun and more engaging than any Souls game I've played. But Deep Down has already had it's name kind of put through the ringer with the alleged downgrade (as if that matters to how the game plays) but as I said before, the video from last year looked damn good.

See I just don't think From can work at that scale. Even if they have the better formula, the better approach to this sort of series. You will have these clunky marred games. They have a tone of potential, I just don't see them moving on. They will either innovate and stay really clunky. Or they will polish themselves up and end up highly milked and unchanging between iterations.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

See I just don't think From can work at that scale. Even if they have the better formula, the better approach to this sort of series. You will have these clunky marred games. They have a tone of potential, I just don't see them moving on. They will either innovate and stay really clunky. Or they will polish themselves up and end up highly milked and unchanging between iterations.

Good points. Time will tell.

Do we even have actual. solid gameplay video for Deep Down? Sorry but I'm not just buying this. Yes, FromSfot should continue evolved their series, whether it's gameplay or graphical (something that they achieved with Dark Souls II as far as I'm concerned). Also I'm agree to some quite extent that Dragon's Dogma is better, but not in gameplay as they played almost radically different, rather fun factor. You've stretched things too far here with saying that Dragon's Dogma have better graphic and Deep Down a better gameplay while we haven't even see an actual gameplay footage yet! I don't knoq what your aiming, but your posts seems just wishing FromSoft to make Dragon's Dogma 2 rather continuing the bloodline of King's Field gameplay by the way Souls gameplay now which you dub as "robotic". I wouldn't derail this thread, but saying it's robotic without any argument backing it up, and come saying that Dragon's Dogma gameplay feels more compelling is far from convincing at all.

When I pick up the controller and the movement is sluggish and tank like then it prevents me from being able to enjoy the game as much is what I was touching up upon. The series has othe issues but that's that.. I don't think I'm being too harsh by expecting more improvements given the growth in sales/notoriety the series has enjoyed.

 

[QaaQer]

To me the disappointing part of this is that Kadokawa spends very little money on their games, and have a poor track record with identifying and supporting quality.

Unless they intend to change their behavior, I'd have rather a larger publisher bought them.

.

Whatever happens, I'll always have Demon's Souls.

 

[popyea]

The Souls games are hardly refined as far as controls though. I feel like I'm playing with cumbersome tank controls akin to RE sometimes. Game play can be merely decent but if I am fighting controls and clunky UI or mechanics then we have a problem.

So basically you're against design philosophies that give specific meaning to actions that have tangible effects and consequences. Learn to appreciate the differences in design style, and understand that the wishy washy, borderline meaningless interactions with monsters in Dragon's Dogma is completely outdone by the Souls games. Your interactions with the game might feel clunky to you, but that's because you're approaching the game like attacks from yourself or enemies have little inherent meaning beyond on/off. Just because the interactions aren't like turning on a lightswitch doesn't make the controls unrefined. It probably points to them having some actual design behind them.

 

[Shengar]

When I pick up the controller and the movement is sluggish and tank like then it prevents me from being able to enjoy the game as much is what I was touching up upon. The series has othe issues but that's that.. I don't think I'm being too harsh by expecting more improvements given the growth in sales/notoriety the series has enjoyed.

This is pretty subjective as far as I can think off. Movement speed and such is matched with how the overall game design. I don't think we could gain anything by continuing this discussion. But one point that I want to make is that "milking" or "CoD iteration" is a very derogative as far as term for their current MO. By that logic, all company is the same as Level 5 or Capcom for they are always milked their with series of games that innovate slowly as series goes on, completely ignoring the overall design and development cycle they needed to develop games of those series.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

So basically you're against design philosophies that give specific meaning to actions that have tangible effects and consequences. Learn to appreciate the differences in design style, and understand that the wishy washy, borderline meaningless interactions with monsters in Dragon's Dogma is completely outdone by the Souls games. Your interactions with the game might feel clunky to you, but that's because you're approaching the game like attacks from yourself or enemies have little inherent meaning beyond on/off. Just because the interactions aren't like turning on a lightswitch doesn't make the controls unrefined. It probably points to them having some actual design behind them.

Good point. I can halfway with you there.

 

[Usobuko]

I don't know how I should feel about this.

 

[Parakeetman]

I don't know how I should feel about this.

You shouldnt feel anything. As doubt things will change much.

 

[Nocturno999]

I'm just hoping FromSoft retains their creative freedom and secure future releases for PC too.

Yes, hopefully they venture into more new, unique titles as they were known for.

 

[Easy_D]

A new IP aimed at the west? :/ let's hope it's not a shooter atleast.

From Software and Kadokawa Games Present: CHROMEDAWGZ

 

[KojiKnight]

For how much ?



Because most of their titles have been jp low-key bombas - with games like Dark Souls that tune might change.

I'm expecting this... I'm sure there are quite a few Japanese companies that would love to break out bigger into the global market. Dark Souls would be a great way to do that for them.

 

[Kyuur]

I see that they have published some .hack stuff.

Please, .hack game with Dark Souls combat engine.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

My Little Sister Can't Possibly Be This Armored!

 

[Krusenstern]

I wonder how much this will actually change. Will Kadokawa publish From's future games or not? Does this mean bye bye Namco?

They better not restrict From's budget or creative freedom.

 

[Parakeetman]

I wonder how much this will actually change. Will Kadokawa publish From's future games or not? Does this mean bye bye Namco?

They better not restrict From's budget or creative freedom.

As others and myself have said, they dont exactly have things set up in the US to do publishing themselves. So am sure they would be perfectly happy with current arrangements as long as BanNam pays out.

 

[Lucumo]

Moe Souls 3.

If so, I would take a trip there to kill them with my bare hands.

 

[Tamanator]

As others and myself have said, they dont exactly have things set up in the US to do publishing themselves. So am sure they would be perfectly happy with current arrangements as long as BanNam pays out.

Exactly, do Agetec even publish games anymore? Haven't seen their logo for years.

 

[faridmon]

Kadokawa aren't bankrupt but have enough money to buy a studio?

WTF?

 

[Silky]

Dark Souls saved from Bamco
Armored Core saved from Bamco

 

[Vlade]

Dark Souls saved from Bamco
Armored Core saved from Bamco

I want to think of it this way, but I'm scared.

 

[Strife In a Teacup]

I had to check the cases, but they published some of the early From titles in the US that Agetec and Sony didn't.

Edit: whoops, Agetec is/was ASCII

So is this the reason we never got another King's Field? Because it's owned by Kadokawa?

I remember the ASCII Entertainment intro in King's Field quite clearly.