KID

KID, an abbreviation of Kindle Imagine Develop, was a Japanese video-game company that operated from 1988 until its bankruptcy in 2006. The company became particularly associated with porting, adapting, and developing bishōjo games and story-driven visual novels for consumer game platforms, although its catalogue was considerably broader during its early years. KID worked as a contract developer in the early 1990s and contributed to a range of action, sports, arcade, licensed, and family-oriented games. Early projects and development work included Burai Fighter, Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man, G.I. Joe, Isolated Warrior, Recca, and other titles for platforms such as the Famicom, Super Famicom, Game Boy, and arcade hardware. A significant change in KID’s business occurred in 1997, when it began porting PC games to consoles. This placed the company within Japan’s growing market for consumer adaptations of PC adventure and romance games and helped establish the production practices that later defined its better-known visual-novel catalogue. In 1999, KID released Memories Off for the original PlayStation. The title developed into the company’s first major long-running original series and became a central part of its identity. KID also released Pepsiman in 1999, a game based on the Japanese soft-drink mascot. Although it was not initially a major commercial success, it later acquired a cult following among players interested in unusual licensed and character-driven games. KID expanded its reputation in 2000 with Never 7: The End of Infinity, the first released entry in the Infinity series. The series combined branching narrative structures, romance-oriented character routes, mystery, and speculative or psychological themes. Subsequent entries included Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, Remember 11: The Age of Infinity, and 12Riven: The Psi-Climinal of Integral. The company continued to develop and publish visual novels while also producing or adapting other works, including My Merry May, Monochrome, Close to, We Are*, Separate Hearts, and titles based on existing properties or previously released PC games. KID’s output was not limited to visual novels. Its catalogue included sports and board-game software, platform and action games, racing titles, shooters, and licensed works. It developed or published projects for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PSP, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, WonderSwan, Game Boy, Super Famicom, and other systems. The company also created the unconventional PlayStation title Board Game Top Shop and remained active in adaptations and consumer-platform conversions. In 2005, KID served as a sponsor of the Japanese television drama Densha Otoko, linking the company to a high-profile contemporary media property outside the game market. KID declared bankruptcy in 2006. Its closure did not end the commercial life of its intellectual property. In February 2007, CyberFront Corporation was reported to have acquired KID’s rights and to have continued unfinished projects. CyberFront later closed in December 2013. Kaga Create subsequently acquired CyberFront and held rights connected with KID’s works; after Kaga Create itself ceased operations, 5pb. acquired CyberFront’s assets, including KID-related properties. Many of KID’s best-known works therefore continued through successor companies, re-releases, ports, and related publishing arrangements, with Mages later identified as the current owner of most of the former KID intellectual property. KID is consequently remembered less as an active company than as an influential catalogue and brand within Japan’s visual-novel and bishōjo-game history.

KID was founded in Japan in 1988 and initially operated primarily as a contract developer. During the early 1990s, its work covered a broad selection of genres and platforms rather than focusing exclusively on visual novels. The company was involved with titles such as Burai Fighter, Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man, G.I. Joe, Isolated Warrior, Recca, and other games for Nintendo systems, handheld hardware, and arcade platforms. This period gave KID experience in technical development, licensed properties, and conversion work. In 1997, KID began porting PC games to consoles. The move was strategically important because Japanese PC adventure and romance games could reach new audiences through consumer systems. KID developed a substantial body of adaptation and publishing expertise during this period, later applying it to original narrative projects and to games originating with other PC developers. The company’s major breakthrough came in 1999 with Memories Off, an original PlayStation visual novel. The game established a continuing series and helped define KID’s public identity as a producer of romance-oriented, character-focused adventure games. That same year, KID released Pepsiman, a licensed title based on the Japanese beverage mascot. The game had limited initial success but later became recognized as a distinctive cult title. KID’s other defining property began in 2000 with Never 7: The End of Infinity. It launched the Infinity series, which developed a reputation for combining relationship routes and visual-novel conventions with mystery, psychological tension, speculative concepts, and complex narrative structures. Later works included Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, Remember 11: The Age of Infinity, and 12Riven: The Psi-Climinal of Integral. KID also produced or adapted numerous other visual novels and adventure games, including My Merry May, Monochrome, Close to, We Are*, Separate Hearts, and consumer versions of games originally created by other studios. Despite this specialization, KID maintained a diverse catalogue. Its work included board games, sports games, racing software, action titles, shooters, platform games, and adaptations of anime, manga, television, and commercial characters. The company released games across the PlayStation family, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Super Famicom, PSP, WonderSwan, arcade systems, and other platforms. In 2005, KID sponsored the Japanese television drama Densha Otoko, demonstrating an effort to associate the company with a broader media property and contemporary popular culture. KID declared bankruptcy in 2006. The company’s closure was followed by a series of asset and rights transfers rather than the disappearance of its catalogue. CyberFront acquired KID’s intellectual property in 2007 and continued unfinished projects, but CyberFront itself closed in 2013. Kaga Create then acquired CyberFront and held rights connected with KID’s works. After Kaga Create shut down, 5pb. acquired CyberFront’s assets, including KID-related properties. The former KID catalogue subsequently remained relevant through successor-company releases and ownership arrangements, and most of the intellectual property is currently associated with Mages. KID therefore occupies an important historical position as a Japanese game company whose early contract work evolved into a recognizable visual-novel publishing and development identity, even though the original company no longer exists.

• 2013

  CyberFront closes

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  CyberFront shuts down, leading to further transfers of KID-related rights and assets.

• 2007

  CyberFront acquires KID properties

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  CyberFront acquires KID’s intellectual property and takes responsibility for unfinished projects.

• 2006

  Bankruptcy

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  KID declares bankruptcy and ceases operating as an independent company.

• 2005

  Densha Otoko sponsorship

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  KID becomes a sponsor of the Japanese television drama Densha Otoko.

• 2000

  Infinity series begins

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  Never 7: The End of Infinity is released as the first entry in KID’s Infinity series.

• 1999

  Memories Off launches

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  KID releases Memories Off for PlayStation, creating its first widely recognized long-running original series.

• 1999

  Pepsiman is released

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  KID releases the licensed Pepsiman game, which later develops a cult reputation despite modest initial reception.

• 1997

  Expansion into PC-to-console ports

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  KID begins porting PC games to consumer game consoles, establishing a business direction that later supports its visual-novel activities.

• 1988

  KID is founded

  [1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  KID begins operations in Japan as a game-development company.

A Japanese developer and publisher positioned around narrative-led console games, bishōjo visual novels, PC-to-console adaptations, and a varied catalogue of licensed and contract-developed titles.

• Visual novel series · 1999

  Memories Off series

  Memories Off was KID’s best-known original romance-oriented visual-novel property. The series began with a PlayStation release in 1999 and expanded through sequels, side stories, and related entries. Its structure centers on character relationships, branching routes, and emotionally focused drama, making it representative of KID’s consumer-console visual-novel strategy.

• Science-fiction visual novel series · 2000

  Infinity series

  The Infinity series began with Never 7: The End of Infinity in 2000 and became one of KID’s signature narrative properties. Its games combine romance and branching adventure-game design with mystery, psychological themes, speculative ideas, and intricate plot construction. Later entries include Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, Remember 11: The Age of Infinity, and 12Riven: The Psi-Climinal of Integral.

• Licensed action game · 1999

  Pepsiman

  Pepsiman is a character-based game developed and released by KID in 1999 around the Japanese Pepsi mascot. Its fast-moving gameplay and unusual advertising-property premise gave it a distinctive place in KID’s catalogue. Although its initial commercial performance was limited, it later became known as a cult game.

• Visual novel · 2000

  Never 7: The End of Infinity

  Never 7: The End of Infinity was an original KID visual novel released in 2000. It introduced the Infinity branding and established the series’ combination of relationship routes, mystery, and speculative narrative devices. The title marked a major step in KID’s evolution from a general contract and porting developer into a company identified with ambitious story-driven games.

• Science-fiction visual novel

  Ever 17: The Out of Infinity

  Ever 17 is a later Infinity-series visual novel associated with KID’s reputation for elaborate plotting and science-fiction storytelling. It uses multiple character routes and perspective-based narrative development to build a mystery around its setting and cast. The game is one of the most prominent works in the former KID catalogue.

• Multi-genre video games

  Other console and contract-developed games

  Beyond its visual novels, KID developed or published a wide range of software, including Burai Fighter, Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man, G.I. Joe, Isolated Warrior, Recca, Board Game Top Shop, sports and racing games, licensed character titles, and numerous consumer ports. This broader body of work reflects the company’s origins as a general-purpose contract developer before its later specialization in narrative games.

• 2005Densha Otoko sponsorship

  Japan

  KID sponsored the Japanese television drama Densha Otoko, extending its brand presence into television and connecting the company with a widely recognized contemporary Japanese media property.

  Outcome. The sponsorship is documented as part of KID’s late operating history; no further campaign performance data is available in the supplied material.

  Source

• 2006

  Bankruptcy and business closureOther

  Background

  After years of development, porting, publishing, and visual-novel production, KID entered bankruptcy.

  Action taken

  The company declared bankruptcy and ceased independent operations.

  Aftermath

  Its intellectual property and unfinished projects passed through CyberFront, Kaga Create, and later 5pb.-related asset transfers, with most properties eventually associated with Mages.

  Source

• 2000

  Launch of the Infinity seriesProduct launch

  Background

  Following the establishment of Memories Off, KID continued investing in original narrative games with more complex mystery and speculative elements.

  Action taken

  KID released Never 7: The End of Infinity, the first entry in the Infinity series.

  Aftermath

  The series became one of KID’s defining intellectual properties and led to later entries including Ever 17 and Remember 11.

  Source

• 1999

  Launch of Memories OffProduct launch

  Background

  KID sought to develop original consumer-console software after gaining experience with contract work and PC-game ports.

  Action taken

  KID released Memories Off for PlayStation as an original romance-oriented visual novel.

  Aftermath

  The game became the foundation of KID’s first major long-running original series and strengthened the company’s association with visual novels.

  Source

• 1997

  Move into PC-to-console game portingStrategy

  Background

  KID had previously worked mainly as a contract developer across several game genres and platforms.

  Action taken

  The company began porting PC games to consumer consoles, building capabilities in the adaptation and publishing of narrative-oriented software.

  Aftermath

  This direction helped establish the expertise and market identity that supported KID’s later visual-novel catalogue.

  Source

• 2013

  CyberFront closes[1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  CyberFront ceased operations, beginning another stage of transfers involving the rights and assets associated with KID’s catalogue.

• 2007

  CyberFront acquires KID intellectual property[1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  CyberFront acquired KID-related intellectual property and announced plans to continue projects that had remained unfinished at the time of KID’s bankruptcy.

• 2006

  KID declares bankruptcy[1]KIDen.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy

  KID entered bankruptcy proceedings and ceased operating as an independent game company after nearly two decades of development and publishing activity.

1. 1KIDen.wikipedia.org
2. 2k-ID launches Kai SDK to automate age assurance and age-adaptive app controls | Biometric Updatebiometricupdate.com