Brownies Game Company Becomes Mutan's Subsidiary
Game developer Brownies announced on May 15 that it has become a subsidiary of another game development company MUTAN, as of May 11. MUTAN's announcement clarified that its acquisition of Brownies is not the result of management difficulties. MUTAN stated that the acquisition is based on a positive agreement that both companies share in their philosophies and future visions. In an interview with Famitsu.com, Brownies founder and now Chairman/Fellow Shinichi Kameoka stated that the decision of selling his shares came with the consideration of the company's future when he retires, especially since he manages everything in the company, including salary transfers of the employees.Kameoka approached MUTAN president and CEO Hiroyuki Watanabe, first asking him to join Brownies as president, but he eventually considered selling the company to Watanabe. Watanabe previously worked for Kameoka in his first independent game development company Brownie Brown (now called 1-UP STUDIO), which he started in 2000.Following the transfer's finalization, the two companies are now in talks of projects, and Watanabe has already asked Brownies to design a guide character for MUTAN and Story Note's upcoming mystery adventure game Sofia in Exchange for Lies, which will launch on July 3.Kameoka founded Brownies in 2012 and has created games such as Seventh Rebirth, Shooting Hero, Fantasy Life Link!, and EGGLIA: Legend of the Redcap. Brownies also developed the Doraemon: Story of Seasons (Doraemon: Nobita no Bokujō Monogatari) game and its sequel Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom game.Watanabe established MUTAN in 2007. Aside from it and Story Note's original game Sofia in Exchange for Lies, MUTAN was in charge of creating the main character models for Koei Tecmo and Gust's Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land game, Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, and Atelier Ryza 2 Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy among others. MUTAN was also in charge of development of the Final Fantasy XV Episode Ardyn game, and was in charge of implementing enemies and summoned beasts for the Final Fantasy XVI games.Sources: Brownies, MUTAN, Famitsu (ロマンシング★嵯峨)
