Tose
Japanese contract video-game developer known for working behind the scenes on games for major publishers.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Tose Co., Ltd., also known as Tose Software, is a Japanese video-game development company headquartered in Kyoto Prefecture. Founded in 1979 by Shigeru Saito, the company began as a manufacturer of arcade cabinets before shifting its emphasis toward software development. Its early arcade work included Sasuke vs. Commander for SNK and Vanguard, while its later work expanded across home consoles, handheld systems, mobile phones, web services, amusement machines and other forms of interactive software. Tose became particularly important as a behind-the-scenes development partner for larger publishers and platform holders. The company has worked on a very large number of games, often under contracts that limited or excluded public credit. In its early years, employees sometimes used pseudonyms, and the company developed a reputation in the games industry as a “ghost developer.” Tose has also described this operating model through terms such as “ninja developer” and “unsung hero,” emphasizing its role as a production specialist rather than a visible consumer brand. Its services have included programming, game design, scenario and plot work, sound composition, porting, testing, technical support and co-development. The company’s portfolio has included Nintendo-related projects, the Game & Watch Gallery series, multiple Dragon Ball titles and other licensed or publisher-owned games. Tose’s most visible original association is The Legendary Starfy, a platform-game series created in collaboration with Nintendo. The first Starfy title, Densetsu no Starfy, was released in Japan for Game Boy Advance in 2002 after a lengthy development period. The series later reached North America with The Legendary Starfy for Nintendo DS in 2009. Tose and Nintendo shared copyright in connection with the Starfy series and Game & Watch Gallery 4, representing exceptions to Tose’s usual low-profile contract model. Tose has historically operated as a large-scale production network, with studios and offices in Japan, China and the United States, and later activity in the Philippines. During the 2000s, it expanded its staffing and international footprint while producing games for Nintendo DS, Wii, mobile platforms and other systems. The company also entered mobile content development through Japan’s NTT Docomo i-mode service and diversified into software for web services, smartphone applications, pachinko and amusement machines, as well as software embedded in consumer products. Although Tose has been associated with thousands of development projects, the commercial identity of its clients and the contractual nature of its work mean that many projects are difficult to attribute publicly. The company has therefore been better known within the development trade than among consumers. It briefly experimented with publishing in the early 2010s, releasing Susume Tactics! for PlayStation Portable, but its main business remained contract development and support. In the 2020s, video games continued to account for the majority of Tose’s business, with mobile content making up a substantial secondary segment. The company experienced pressure after partner cancellations and weakness in parts of the mobile and console markets, leading to losses in the period reported for September 2023 through May 2024 and the planned closure of operations in the Philippines and Sapporo. It subsequently reported a strong improvement in sales and profitability for the following reporting period. In 2025, Tose stated that it would place greater emphasis on console development as the mobile market became more saturated. Atlus and Square Enix were identified as major customers in that period. Tose also announced plans to demolish and rebuild its Nagaokakyo offices, with the replacement facility expected to open in 2028.
History
Tose was established in November 1979 in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, by Shigeru Saito as an independent company connected to his father's business, Toa Seiko. Toa Seiko had been involved in manufacturing arcade cabinets, including cabinets associated with Space Invaders, but some customers were concerned about being identified with the video-game industry. Tose initially operated with five employees and concentrated on arcade cabinets and arcade software. Its first reported game was Sasuke vs. Commander, developed for SNK in 1980. The company followed it with Vanguard in 1981 and Vanguard II several years later. By 1982, Tose had moved decisively toward software development. The arrival of Nintendo's Famicom in 1983 created an important opportunity because Tose already understood the hardware's central processing architecture. It worked with Taito on a Famicom version of Space Invaders and contributed to projects such as Kid Icarus and games based on Dragon Ball. These assignments helped establish Tose as a dependable external developer for publishers that needed additional production capacity, ports or technical assistance. Tose relocated its head office within Kyoto Prefecture in 1986, and a new headquarters in Yamazaki was completed in 1988. In 1990, it expanded into Game Boy and Super Famicom development. The company opened offices in Shanghai and Los Angeles in 1993, although its first United States subsidiary was later dissolved. During the same broad period, Tose entered mobile development through NTT Docomo's i-mode service, adding a new business area alongside console and handheld work. The company reached the public markets in 1999, when its shares were listed on the second sections of the Osaka Securities Exchange and Kyoto Stock Exchange. Its Kyoto head office moved to the Shijo-Karasuma area later that year. Tose was listed on the second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2000, established another Chinese subsidiary in Hangzhou in 2001, and moved onto the first sections of the Tokyo and Osaka exchanges in August 2001. A Tokyo office in Shibuya followed in 2002. After six years of development, Tose and Nintendo released Densetsu no Starfy for Game Boy Advance in 2002. It was Tose's first original intellectual property and became the foundation of the Starfy franchise. Tose returned to the United States market in 2003 by establishing a small office in Westlake Village, California. In 2004, Saito became chief executive officer, and the company formed Phoenix Communications to plan, develop, sell and manage digital content for web services. Tose expanded significantly during the middle of the 2000s. By 2006, its customers were concentrated in Japan but also included clients in China, the United States, Korea, Canada and other markets. The company operated several studios across Japan, China and the United States and employed roughly 1,000 people across Japan and China according to contemporary descriptions. In December 2007, Tose reported that business information had been leaked online. The material reportedly included customer names, development cases, project details, fees and receiving dates. By 2008, the company had opened additional Japanese studios in Okinawa, Nagoya and Sapporo and had expanded its Japanese workforce. The Starfy brand reached North America in 2009 with The Legendary Starfy for Nintendo DS. Tose designed the title with accessibility for Western players in mind. Its broader business continued to produce a high volume of games: by 2011, the company was reported to be creating approximately 110 to 120 titles per year. In September 2011, it reorganized amusement-machine development as a separate function. The following year it experimented with self-publishing through Susume Tactics! for PlayStation Portable, although contract work remained central. In 2013, Tose closed its United States subsidiary and opened a Manila office. The company reorganized its development teams in 2014, and by 2015 it had several hundred employees in China and the Philippines. Saito became chairman in 2015, while Yasuhito Watanabe became president and chief operating officer. The company's low-visibility model remained a defining characteristic: many projects were completed without a prominent Tose credit, and some staff used pseudonyms, making the full scope of its contribution difficult for the public to identify. By 2023, video games represented about 70 percent of Tose's business and mobile content represented the remaining 30 percent, according to the cited reference material. The company then faced pressure from canceled partner projects, including projects associated with Square Enix and Bandai Namco. For the period from September 2023 through May 2024, reported sales declined by nearly 28 percent and the company recorded an operating loss of 599 million yen. Tose responded by announcing the winding down of its Philippine and Sapporo operations. The company's position improved in the subsequent period from September 2024 through February 2025, when sales increased substantially and profitability recovered. In 2025, Tose indicated that it would concentrate more heavily on console development because of saturation in the mobile market. Atlus was identified as its largest customer for the second consecutive year, representing 22 percent of total revenue, while Square Enix represented 17 percent. In June 2025, Tose announced plans to demolish and rebuild its Nagaokakyo offices, with a new facility targeted for opening in 2028. The company remains an active, publicly listed Japanese development contractor whose importance lies less in consumer-facing brand recognition than in its extensive production support for better-known game publishers and platform holders.
- 2025
Console strategy and headquarters redevelopment
[1]Tose prioritized console development and announced plans to rebuild its Nagaokakyo offices for a planned 2028 opening.
- 2024
Operational contraction announced
[1]Tose announced plans to wind down its Philippine and Sapporo operations after a difficult period affected by canceled projects.
- 2013
Manila office opens
[1]Tose dissolved its United States subsidiary and opened an office in Manila.
- 2012
First publishing experiment
[1]Tose published Susume Tactics! for PlayStation Portable as part of an effort to diversify its business.
- 2009
The Legendary Starfy reaches North America
[1]The Nintendo DS title became the first Starfy game released in North America.
- 2003
Return to the United States market
[1]Tose established a small office in Westlake Village, California.
- 2002
Densetsu no Starfy launches
[1]After six years of development, Tose partnered with Nintendo on Densetsu no Starfy for Game Boy Advance, its first original intellectual property.
- 2001
Move to first-section listings
[1]Tose was listed on the first sections of the Tokyo and Osaka exchanges and established a second Chinese subsidiary in Hangzhou.
- 2000
Tokyo Stock Exchange listing
[1]Tose was listed on the second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
- 1999
Initial public-market listings
[1]Tose was listed on the second sections of the Osaka Securities Exchange and Kyoto Stock Exchange.
Products and positioning
A large, discreet, technically capable contract-development partner for publishers and platform holders, with an emphasis on reliable production, adaptation, porting and support rather than public authorship.
Nintendo handheld game series
Game & Watch Gallery series
Tose is associated with development work on Nintendo's Game & Watch Gallery series, which modernized selected Game & Watch titles for Nintendo handheld platforms. The games combined original-style versions with updated presentations and features. They exemplify Tose's role as a technically capable external partner working on adaptations and platform-specific production. Game & Watch Gallery 4 is one of the projects for which Tose shared copyright with Nintendo, an unusual exception to the company's generally anonymous contract-development model.
Platform video games · 2002
The Legendary Starfy series
The Starfy series was Tose's principal original intellectual-property collaboration. The first game, Densetsu no Starfy, was released in Japan for Game Boy Advance in 2002 after an extended development period. Later entries appeared in Japan, and The Legendary Starfy brought the property to North America on Nintendo DS in 2009. Tose and Nintendo shared copyright in connection with the series. The games are colorful platform adventures built around the character Starfy and were adapted to make the series approachable for Western audiences.
Licensed video games
Dragon Ball video games
Tose has worked on multiple games based on the Dragon Ball franchise. These projects illustrate its long-running role as a contract developer for licensed entertainment properties. Depending on the title and platform, Tose's work has included programming, adaptation, porting, production support and other development services. Because Tose frequently operated without prominent public credit, its complete contribution across the franchise is not always visible to consumers.
Strategy video game · 2012
Susume Tactics!
Susume Tactics! was released for Sony's PlayStation Portable and represented Tose's move into publishing its own game. The release was part of a diversification strategy at a time when the company remained primarily dependent on contract development. It is notable because Tose generally supplied development services to other companies rather than presenting itself as the publisher or consumer-facing owner of a game.
Handheld video game
Tetris DS prototype for THQ
Tose worked on a version of Tetris DS for THQ that was ultimately unreleased. The project is an example of the company's contract work on adaptations and publisher-directed development, including projects that did not reach the commercial market.
Controversies
2007
Business-information leak
Tose announced that confidential business information had been posted on the internet. The disclosed material reportedly covered customer names, development projects, project descriptions, fees, and intake timing. The available reference material does not specify the full cause, scope of remediation, or any legal outcome.
Brand decisions
2025
Prioritize console developmentStrategyBackground
Tose assessed the mobile-game market as increasingly saturated while maintaining demand for console development services.
Action taken
The company announced that it would place greater emphasis on console game development.
Aftermath
Atlus and Square Enix were identified as major customers in the cited period, with Atlus representing the largest customer share.
2025
Rebuild the Nagaokakyo headquartersOtherBackground
Tose announced a facilities redevelopment project for its current offices in Nagaokakyo.
Action taken
The existing offices are to be demolished and replaced with a new facility planned to open in 2028.
Aftermath
The project is intended to provide Tose with a renewed headquarters site, although the cited material does not provide further operational details.
2024
Wind down Philippine and Sapporo operationsStrategyBackground
Tose faced financial pressure after partner project cancellations and a weak reporting period.
Action taken
The company announced plans to wind down its operations in the Philippines and Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Aftermath
The contraction was followed by a reported improvement in sales and profitability during the period from September 2024 through February 2025.
Operating loss. 599 million yen (September 2023 through May 2024)
2012
Test publishing its own gameStrategyBackground
Declining activity in some Western console markets encouraged Tose to diversify beyond its established role as an external developer.
Action taken
Tose published Susume Tactics! for PlayStation Portable.
Aftermath
Publishing remained a secondary activity while contract development continued to be the company's core model.
2011
Separate amusement-machine developmentStrategyBackground
Tose maintained both video-game and amusement-machine development capabilities, and the company decided to give the latter a distinct organizational structure.
Action taken
The amusement-machine development business was separated from the second game-development department and organized as its own development function.
Aftermath
The change clarified the organizational separation between conventional game production and amusement-machine work.
Sources1 sources
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