Takara
Takara was a Japanese toy company and Decipher's partner for the Japanese-language Star Wars CCG. Takara developed and distributed Japanese versions of the game, including three expansions and two introductory two-player products.[1][2]
Partnership with Decipher[edit]
Decipher and Takara announced their partnership in December 1996 to develop and distribute a Japanese-language edition. In 1997, Decipher executive Steve Stanley described Takara as Decipher's marketing partner and sole distributor in Japan. Takara demonstrated the game at the Tokyo Toy Show in March 1997 and was translating the tournament kit. At the time, Takara could not ship Japanese Premiere outside Japan; Decipher was investigating ways to make the cards available elsewhere.[1]
Former Players Committee advocate Jim Colson wrote that Decipher supplied card templates and artwork to Takara, which translated and printed the Japanese cards. Colson reported that some Japanese players encountered translation differences and came to prefer English cards. He attributed declining demand for Japanese printings to this preference.[3]
Japanese releases[edit]
| Product | Release | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere Limited | April 1997 | 324-card expansion; booster packs and 60-card starter sets |
| Premiere Introductory Two-Player Game | 1997 | Two preconstructed decks and a booster pack |
| A New Hope Limited | September 1997 | 162-card expansion; booster packs |
| Hoth Limited | September 1998 | 162-card expansion; booster packs |
| The Empire Strikes Back Introductory Two-Player Game | 1998 | Two preconstructed decks, a booster pack and rules booklets |
Japanese Premiere starter sets included a Japanese rulebook, and Takara issued player's guides. The two-player games included Japanese rules materials; the Empire Strikes Back game also included a sample-game booklet.[2]
Later Japanese cards[edit]
Decipher included Japanese-language cards among the reprints in Reflections II: Expanding the Galaxy. Its announcement also identified Japanese Darth Vader as a foil case topper.[4] Colson wrote that Decipher purchased the Japanese product from its Japanese distributor, including the nonfoil Japanese cards used in Reflections packs.[5]
Japanese foil cards also appeared in Reflections III: A Collector's Bounty, including Luke Skywalker and The Circle Is Now Complete from Japanese Premiere.[6]
Other planned language releases[edit]
The planned German release involved a company identified as Queens Games and was not completed. A Spanish-language release also did not appear. See Translations of SWCCG for their surviving materials and publication history.
Company history[edit]
Takara's predecessor, Sato Vinyl Industry, was founded by Yasuta Sato in 1955.[7] Takara's products included Licca-chan dolls and Transformers toys. Keita Sato was president from 2000 to 2005. In 2006, Takara merged with Tomy to form Takara Tomy.[8][9][10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rich Loftus, Star Wars CCG in Japan, Decipher (1 April 1997), reposted on rec.arts.sf.starwars.games (3 April 1997).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 SWCCG Collecting Encyclopedia 3.2, pp. 41–45. Preserved copy: Internet Archive.
- ↑ Post your questions here!, Jim Colson, Star Wars CCG Players Committee Forums (25 July 2009).
- ↑ Star Wars: Reflections II Official Announcement, Decipher announcement reproduced by TheForce.Net (6 November 2000).
- ↑ Collecting archive items, Jim Colson, Star Wars CCG Players Committee Forums.
- ↑ Star Wars CCG Complete Card List 4.0, Reflections III foil list. Preserved copy: Internet Archive.
- ↑ Takara 50-year history, Takara.
- ↑ Company history, Takara Tomy. Preserved copy: Internet Archive.
- ↑ Takara chief to leave over fiscal decline, The Japan Times (28 January 2005).
- ↑ Investor relations FAQ, Takara Tomy. Preserved copy: Internet Archive.