Xseed at 15: Taking Japanese games from niches to hits

Xseed has built a reputation as one of the top publishers of “niche” Japanese games in the West. Founded in November 2004, Xseed is a go-to label for franchises such as Rune Factory, Granblue, Corpse Party, Senran Kengura, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. It offers a variety you don’t find from a number of publishers, and its focus on preserving narrative intent while also localizing the games to fit Western contexts.

Shortly after Xeed turned 15, I interviewed one of its cofounders, the cheery Ken Berry. He’s the president and CEO of Marvelous USA, which runs the Xseed publishing label. He played an instrumental role in Xseed being one of the early publishers of Japanese games on Steam with Ys: The Oath of Felghana in 2012.