Yuke's


Yuke's Co. Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer based in Osaka. It was established on 26 February 1993 by Yukinori Taniguchi. The company is best known for their development of the WWE video game series, which came to an end after WWE 2K19.

History

Founded in 1993, Yuke's was named after founder Yukinori Taniguchi's high school nickname. The first two games that the company developed were the platform game Hermie Hopperhead and the pro wrestling game Toukon Retsuden. The latter title was a best-seller in Japan. Though Activision purchased the rights to publish the game in North America and began localization work, only the first game was localized, becoming Power Move Pro Wrestling with a different roster of wrestlers.
After a string of successful Toukon Retsuden titles, the company began to develop wrestling games for THQ based on the World Wrestling Federation. They were recommended to THQ by Aki, who had developed their own successful line of wrestling games.
From 2005 to 2012, Yuke's also owned 54% of New Japan Pro Wrestling, the top professional wrestling promotion in Japan. It was also their DVD production house.
In August 2019, 2K Games announced it had moved WWE 2K game development away from Yuke's to California-based studio Visual Concepts. Earlier that year Yuke's had revealed its frustration over what it had been able to achieve with recent WWE 2K games and suggested that its relationship with publisher 2K Sports was partly responsible. Producer Hiromi Furuta revealed that Yuke's had established a new development team tasked with creating a rival wrestling IP, with the intention of reinvigorating its staff.

Games developed

These are the list of games that the company developed.
YearTitlePublisherPlatform
29.09.1995Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling: Toukon RetsudenTomyPlayStation
29.09.1995'SCEIPlayStation
20.12.1996'TomyPlayStation
19.12.1997'Hudson SoftNintendo 64
04.01.1998'Hudson SoftNintendo 64
26.03.1998'TomyPlayStation
28.05.1998SoukaigiSquareSoftPlayStation
26.12.1998'HudsonNintendo 64
14.01.1999Evil ZoneTitus SoftwarePlayStation
28.05.1999Last Legion UXHudsonNintendo 64
02.09.1999'TomyDreamcast
16.12.1999'ASCII CorporationDreamcast
02.03.2000WWF SmackDown!THQPlayStation
01.08.2000WWF Royal RumbleTHQArcade, Dreamcast
21.11.2000'THQPlayStation
14.12.2000The Pro Wrestling 2D3 PublisherPlayStation
16.11.2001WWF SmackDown! Just Bring ItTHQPlayStation 2
26.02.2002'Eidos InteractivePlayStation 2
28.03.2002Edit RacingD3 PublisherPlayStation 2
09.06.2002WWE WrestleMania X8THQGameCube
31.10.2002WWE SmackDown! Shut Your MouthTHQPlayStation 2
08.09.2003WWE WrestleMania XIXTHQGameCube
27.10.2003WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the PainTHQPlayStation 2
06.05.2004Online Pro WrestlingYuke'sPlayStation 2
30.08.2004WWE Day of ReckoningTHQGameCube
07.10.2004'Sammy CorporationPlayStation 2
02.11.2004WWE SmackDown! vs. RawTHQPlayStation 2
09.11.2004Rumble RosesKonamiPlayStation 2
17.02.2005D1 Grand PrixYuke'sPlayStation 2
29.08.2005WWE Day of Reckoning 2THQGameCube
20.10.2005D1 Grand Prix 2005Yuke'sPlayStation 2
11.11.2005WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006THQPlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
22.12.2005Wrestle KingdomYuke'sXbox 360, PlayStation 2
27.04.2006'Yuke'sPlayStation Portable
10.11.2006WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007THQPlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable
26.04.2007The Dog IslandYuke'sPlayStation 2, Wii
10.05.2007Wrestle Kingdom 2Yuke'sPlayStation 2
28.09.2007Go! Sports SkiSCEIPlayStation 3
06.11.2007NevesAtlusNintendo DS
09.11.2007WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008THQPlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
15.11.2007Soukou Kihei VotomsBandai Namco EntertainmentPlayStation 2
16.07.2008Double D DodgeballYuke'sXbox 360
16.10.2008'Bandai Namco GamesPlayStation 2
27.10.2008Neverland Card BattlesIdea FactoryPlayStation Portable
06.11.2008WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009THQPlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
19.03.2009WWE Legends of WrestleManiaTHQPlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS
19.05.2009UFC 2009 UndisputedTHQPlayStation 3, Xbox 360
20.10.2009WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010THQNintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
25.05.2010UFC Undisputed 2010THQPlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable
26.10.2010WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011THQPlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
12.10.2011Real SteelYuke'sPlayStation 3, Xbox 360
22.11.2011WWE '12THQPlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
14.02.2012UFC Undisputed 3THQPlayStation 3, Xbox 360
30.10.2012WWE '13PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360-
12.07.2013Pacific RimYuke'sXbox 360, PlayStation 3
29.10.2013WWE 2K142K SportsPlayStation 3, Xbox 360
28.10.2014WWE 2K152K SportsPlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
27.10.2015WWE 2K162K SportsPlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
11.10.2016WWE 2K172K SportsPlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
13.10.2017WWE 2K182K SportsMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
09.10.2018WWE 2K192K SportsMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
'D3 PublisherPlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Earth Defense Force: World BrothersD3 PublisherPlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch