Earlier this year, Jaleco Holdings announced that it was leaving the video game business. And the company has — poof, it's gone and moved on.
Before it left, as we first broke last January, Jaleco Holdings sold off subsidiary company Jaleco to online game company GAME YAROU.
Jaleco has been struggling for the past decade, and Jaleco Holdings was created in 2006 with Jaleco spun off into a separate entity. GAME YAROU purchased Jaleco for ¥1 (US$0.01) - but agreed to shoulder ¥700,000,000 ($7.736 million) of Jaleco Holding's ¥16,000,000,000 ($17.68 million) loan.
As we reported last January, Jaleco Holdings cited "increasing competition in recent years in the video game market." In an official release, the parent company stated, "The risk factors for our profitability will be removed after withdrawing from the game industry." Jaleco's other subsidiaries include PantaRhei Securities Co. and Japan Central Real Estate Co.
Since Jaleco was sold off to GAME YAROU, Jaleco, however, is still in the game industry. It never left. Like we posted last January, it was sold off to another company. Jaleco has confirmed to Gamasutra that it will retain its company name and release RPG Ougon no Kizuna. Jaleco claims it is working on titles beyond Kizuna, but would not provide any details.
So to recap: Jaleco Holdings has left the building. Jaleco has not. Also, Bases Loaded was pretty awesome and Kizuna looks neato.
Exclusive: Jaleco Not Closing, Preps Kizuna For Wii Release [Gamasutra]