History Creator / MonolithSoft

Following a change in executives at Namco, Monolith Soft found themselves starting to relive the same creative restrictions its older members faced at Square, which only worsened after the [[Creator/BandaiNamcoHoldings Namco Bandai]] merger. At the same time, the studio found themselves in a positive relationship with executives over at Creator/{{Nintendo}}, who vocalized support of their innovative ideas whenever the topic arose. As a result, Monolith would seek to become a subsidiary of Nintendo towards the beginning of the [[MediaNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames seventh generation]]. Bandai Namco Entertainment would sell 80% of its shares in Monolith to Creator/{{Nintendo}} in 2007, before eventually selling their entire 97% stake, turning Monolith Soft into a first-party developer for the gaming giant.[[note]]The remaining 3% is split between studio heads Takahashi, Sugiura, and Yasuyuki Honne.[[/note]] Now under Nintendo, they are known for both their ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' series and for lending developmental assistance to various other Nintendo franchises such as ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' and ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''.

Following a change in executives at Namco, Monolith Soft found themselves starting to relive the same creative restrictions its older members faced at Square, which only worsened after the Creator/BandaiNamco merger. At the same time, the studio found themselves in a positive relationship with executives over at Creator/{{Nintendo}}, who vocalized support of their innovative ideas whenever the topic arose. As a result, Monolith would seek to become a subsidiary of Nintendo towards the beginning of the [[MediaNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames seventh generation]]. Bandai Namco Entertainment would sell 80% of its shares in Monolith to Creator/{{Nintendo}} in 2007, before eventually selling their entire 97% stake, turning Monolith Soft into a first-party developer for the gaming giant.[[note]]The remaining 3% is split between studio heads Takahashi, Sugiura, and Yasuyuki Honne.[[/note]] Now under Nintendo, they are known for both their ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' series and for lending developmental assistance to various other Nintendo franchises such as ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' and ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''.

Following a change in executives at Namco, Monolith Soft found themselves starting to relive the same creative restrictions its older members faced at Square, which only worsened after the Bandai Namco merger. At the same time, the studio found themselves in a positive relationship with executives over at Creator/{{Nintendo}}, who vocalized support of their innovative ideas whenever the topic arose. As a result, Monolith would seek to become a subsidiary of Nintendo towards the beginning of the [[MediaNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames seventh generation]]. Bandai Namco Entertainment would sell 80% of its shares in Monolith to Creator/{{Nintendo}} in 2007, before eventually selling their entire 97% stake, turning Monolith Soft into a first-party developer for the gaming giant.[[note]]The remaining 3% is split between studio heads Takahashi, Sugiura, and Yasuyuki Honne.[[/note]] Now under Nintendo, they are known for both their ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' series and for lending developmental assistance to various other Nintendo franchises such as ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' and ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''.

During the 1990s, Takahashi and Sugiura worked at [[Creator/SquareEnix Square Co.]] on various [=RPGs=], most notably ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''. When a proposal for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' created by Takahashi and his wife Kaori Tanaka (now known under her PenName, Soraya Saga) fell through for being "too dark", they were allowed to develop it into its own original game that became known as ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}''. However, the [[TroubledProduction various issues]] encountered in the game's development and Square's lack of interest in supporting any new properties resulted in Takahashi and a good chunk of the ''Xenogears'' team, which also included many who worked on ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', deciding to leave the company to form their own video game studio. [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Namco]] would be the ones to fund their new operations, and thus Monolith Soft was born as a subsidiary of Namco in 1999.

Due to his departure from Square, Takahashi could not acquire the rights to ''Xenogears'', which he had planned to build into a large series. Undaunted, he decided to create a SpiritualSuccessor in ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'', a planned hexalogy. ''Xenosaga'' would see more success than its predecessor with its first entry, but ultimately fall prey to its own production issues -- as well as [[AcclaimedFlop incredibly poor sales of the second entry]] -- and be cancelled after ''Episode 3''. The ''Xenosaga'' series wouldn't be Monolith Soft's only project during this time period, however, as they also ended up producing the CultClassic UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube [=RPG=] ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' and its prequel.

Following a change in executives at Namco, Monolith Soft found themselves starting to relive the same creative restrictions its older members faced at Square, which only worsened after the Bandai Namco merger. At the same time, the studio found themselves in a positive relationship with executives over at Creator/{{Nintendo}}, who vocalized support of their innovative ideas whenever the topic arose. As a result, Monolith would seek to become a subsidiary of Nintendo towards the beginning of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames seventh generation]]. Bandai Namco Entertainment would sell 80% of its shares in Monolith to Creator/{{Nintendo}} in 2007, before eventually selling their entire 97% stake, turning Monolith Soft into a first-party developer for the gaming giant.[[note]]The remaining 3% is split between studio heads Takahashi, Sugiura, and Yasuyuki Honne.[[/note]] Now under Nintendo, they are known for both their ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' series and for lending developmental assistance to various other Nintendo franchises such as ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' and ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''.

* ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos''
** ''Baten Kaitos Origins''

* ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' series
** ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}''

* ''Splatoon'' series

*** ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country''

Following a change in executives at Namco, Monolith Soft found themselves starting to relive the same creative restrictions its older members faced at Square, which only worsened after the Bandai Namco merger. At the same time, the studio found themselves in a positive relationship with executives over at Creator/{{Nintendo}}, who vocalized support of their innovative ideas whenever the topic arose. As a result, Monolith would seek to become a subsidiary of Nintendo towards the beginning of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames seventh generation]]. Bandai Namco Entertainment would sell 80% of its shares in Monolith to Creator/{{Nintendo}} in 2007, before eventually selling their entire 97% stake, turning Monolith Soft into a first-party developer for the gaming giant.[[note]]The remaining 3% is split between studio heads Takahashi, Sugiura, and Yasuyuki Honne.[[/note]] Now under Nintendo, they are known for both their ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' series and for lending developmental assistance to various other Nintendo franchises such as ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' and ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''.