SNK

SNK Corporation (Japanese: 株式会社SNK, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha SNK) is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It was founded in 1978 as Shin Nihon Kikaku (新日本企画; lit. 'New Japan Project') by Eikichi Kawasaki and began by developing arcade games. SNK is known for its Neo Geo arcade system on which the company established many franchises during the 1990s, including Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury, Metal Slug, Samurai Shodown, and The King of Fighters; it continues to develop and publish new titles on contemporary arcade and home platforms. Since the 2000s, SNK has diversified from its traditional arcade focus into pachislot machines, mobile game development, and character licensing. In 2001, due to financial troubles, the original SNK Corporation was forced to close. Anticipating the end of the company, founder Kawasaki established Playmore Corporation, which acquired all of the intellectual property of the SNK Corporation. In 2003, Playmore Corporation was renamed to SNK Playmore Corporation. In 2016, SNK dropped "Playmore" from its name. It has been owned by Electronic Gaming Development Company, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Misk Foundation, since 2022.