ACS Visual Entertainment LLC., also known as simply ACS, is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate, video game developer and publishing company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Beyond its video game business, the company also produces and distributes trading cards, light novels and arcade cabinets, among others. In the past, ACS has also distributed pachinko and slot machines up until leaving the pachislot business altogether in 2020. Currently, ACS is one of the largest gaming companies in the world in terms of revenue.
Founded in 1967 as A.C.S. Manufacture Ltd., the company originally started out as a manufacturer of arcade attractions such as kiddie rides, toy cranes and coin pusher game, before later shifting their focus toward video game development. The company later officially changed its name to ACS Co., Ltd. in 1981, following this change, eventually renaming themselves once again into ACS Computer Entertainment LLC. in 1995, before later adopting its current name in 2006, in order to emphasize their new vision, expanding their horizons and producing other forms of media.
ACS is best known for their various video game franchises, including Fighting Champions, Sentoki, Fight or Die, Code Chronos, Crisis Moon, Arkane Arena (a shared IP with SBEntertainment), Spunky the Squirrel, Blazin' Wheels, To the Beat and Half*Dead, among others. ACS also currently owns the publishing rights to the Bloody Roar franchise, after having bought the IP rights from Konami.
