KOEI #90
Games developed: 19
Games published: 19
Period: 1989 - 1996
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In the crowded arena of strategy games, KOEI games have always stood out from the pack. These strategy games not only are based on the intriguing Japanese and Chinese military histories, but are also unique for their strong "board-game" options, a good mix of tactical- and strategic- level management, excellent intro and ending scenes, and strong diplomatic and personnel focus. With the exception of Romance of the Three Kingdoms 1 which won the prestigious "Strategy Game of the Year" award from Computer Gaming World and went on to sell very well, KOEI games never achieved success on par with its Western counterparts. Nevertheless, the games attracted many loyal fans and became classics in its niche.More than for any other strategy game, the two keys to winning KOEI games are: recruiting the best people for your cause, and matching the right person to the task. Because personnel management lies at the core of every human endeavor, KOEI should be credited as among the first game companies to incorporate this factor into their games and make it the centerpiece. Consider this my rebuttal to anyone who blames KOEI for producing "completely unrealistic" games :) - Go to KOEI's Homepage (USA) for information on their current games (which are unfortunately not up to par as the earlier classics), and hints/tips. It hasn't been updated in almost a year, though, and KOEI seems to have abandoned their English-speaking fanbase for good, as all of the recent releases are only available in Chinese.
- For Chinese/Japanese players, KOEI's Japan Homepageis superior to its US counterpart, with better layouts, late-breaking news, and information on Koei's latest games. Non-Japanese gamers may be surprised to find here that KOEI also designs and carries a wide range of business software for the Chinese-speaking public.
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