FromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanese video game development company founded in November 1986. The company is known primarily outside Japan for being the developers of the Armored Core and Souls series, as well as Bloodborne. FromSoftware was founded on November 1, 1986, and developed productivity software for the first several years of their existence. They released their first video game, titled King's Field, as a launch title for the PlayStation in 1994. The initial King's Field did not see a release in North America, although a 1995 sequel would later be released in North America bearing the same title, which was released as King's Field II in Japan. After releasing a third title in that series, FromSoftware moved on to release Echo Night as well as Shadow Tower in 1998. IGN would later note that the latter was "effectively a King's Field follow-up" as it shared many of the gameplay conventions of its brethren. Also during this time FromSoftware would release Armored Core, the first in a mech game series which would go on to spawn many sequels. In April 2014, Kadokawa Corporation announced its intention to purchase the company from former shareholder Transcosmos. The deal was finalized on May 21, 2014. FromSoftware expanded into a new studio in Fukuoka in January 2016, which focuses on creating computer-generated imagery (CGI) assets for the games made by the main studio. In December 2015, FromSoftware was nominated for developer of the year at The Game Awards 2015, but lost to CD Projekt Red