NIS America

United States Founded 2003 Website

Nippon Ichi Software was founded in September 1991 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, as an entertainment software company. It was relocated and reincorporated on July 12, 1993. Since then Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. has grown into an international company focused on creating video game products across modern console platforms. NIS America, Inc. subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. of Japan, established its North American operations on December 24, 2003. Based in Santa Ana, California, NIS America, Inc. handles operations including localization, marketing, and publishing of Nippon Ichi titles. The first game to be released in North America by NIS America was Phantom Brave. NIS America was the result of the company's wish to focus on international publication of their works in the U.S., given the increased popularity of their titles. Prior to the creation of this subsidiary, NIS software titles that appeared in the U.S. were localized and distributed by outside publishers. Notable examples would be Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, published in North America by Atlus and in Europe by Koei, La Pucelle, published in North America by Mastiff Inc, and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure which was also published in North America by Atlus. The publisher has become a somewhat of a well-known presence in the North American market, having won RPGLand's "Stateside Publisher of the Year Award" in 2009.

NIS America at a Glance

If you are browsing PlayPile looking for niche strategy and role-playing games, NIS America is a publisher you will encounter often. This United States-based subsidiary of the Japanese developer Nippon Ichi Software began operations in late 2003 to handle localization and marketing for its parent company. The first title they released in North America was Phantom Brave. Over the years, the company has published 134 games on PlayPile, with the vast majority serving as a publisher rather than a developer. Their output has grown significantly since their early days. They released only nine games during the 2000s. That number jumped to 70 titles in the 2010s and remains strong with 55 releases in the 2020s. Their catalog is heavily focused on Role-playing games, which make up 89 of their total entries. Adventure and Strategy genres also appear frequently with 65 and 34 titles respectively. They have a specific strength in Turn-based strategy and Tactical games, each holding 34 spots in their library. You will find fewer Platformers, Shooters, or Arcade titles in their collection. In terms of hardware, they dominate the Nintendo Switch with 75 releases. PlayStation 4 and PC follow closely behind with 65 and 57 games respectively. They have also maintained a presence on older systems like the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3. The quality of their library is generally solid but varies widely. Their average IGDB rating sits at 71.8 out of 100 across 79 rated titles. The data shows that 24 games are considered great, while 44 fall into the good category. There are nine mixed titles and two poor ones. Top-rated entries include Persona 4 Golden with a score of 90.1, Mad Rat Dead at 90, and La-Mulana at 89.1. More recent releases like Kemono Heroes have also scored well at 85. Upcoming projects scheduled for late 2026 include various editions of R-Type Tactics I & II Cosmos. While they have won awards for their work in the US market, their portfolio is defined by a steady stream of specific genre titles rather than a wide variety of mainstream hits.

135

Total Games

71.8

Avg Rating

2006

First Release

2026

Latest Release