Our Story

1983

• CSK Research Institute Corp. founded as a R&D subsidiary of CSK Corporation (now SCSK Corporation).
• Development of the very first game on CD-ROM, leveraging our expertise in AI and audio/video technologies.

1989

• “FM-TOWNS”: the world’s first PC equipped with a CD-ROM drive developed by FUJITSU Ltd. Development of the core system of “Towns GEAR”.
• Launch of “After Burner II (FM-TOWNS)”, the first CD-ROM game distributed in Japan.

1996

• Participation in the development of the Sega Saturn™ with SEGA Enterprises, Ltd. (now SEGA) and start of the R&D for multi-streaming and audio compression technologies.
• Release of our first middleware (CRI ADX, CRI Sofdec, CRI Clipper, etc.) for Sega Saturn™.

1998

• Release of our middleware for Dreamcast®.

2001

• Incorporation of CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.
• Created as an entity independent from CSK/Sega Corporation.
• Release of our middleware for PlayStation®2, NINTENDO GAMECUBE®, Xbox®.

2002

• Moved our headquarters to Omotesando and established our US office in San Francisco.
• Launch of middleware for game consoles (for commercial use) and PC (Windows).
• Adoption of “CRI Sofdec” in the “TMPGEnc” series (PEGASIS Inc.).

2003

• Compatibility of our middleware with “Dolby Digital 5.1ch”, the global standard for surround sound.
• Participation in CEDEC (CESA Developers Conference).

2004

• Winner of the “FRONTLINE AWARD ’04” from Game Developer magazine in the audio category.
• Winner of the Technology Award from “Best of WPC Expo 2004” (Nikkei BP) for CRI Sofdec.

2005

• Release of our middleware for PlayStation®3 and Xbox360™.
• Release of our middleware for PSP®.
• The number of titles powered by CRIWARE exceeds 1000 licenses!

2006

• Release of our middleware product for Wii®.
• Launch of “CRI Audio” for multi-core game consoles.
• Establishment of “CRI Middleware, Inc.” in US.
• Launch of “CRIWARE” – the umbrella brand for the Company’s products.

2007

• Release of our middleware for Nintendo DS®.
• Release of “Kyuseisyu” and “FileMajik” for Nintendo DS®.
• Launch of “CRI-HVC”, a full HD video capture service.
• Release of “Cinema Studio”, a video system for Wii.

2008

• Launch of “C-TST,” a technology to control real-time playback speed without changing the quality of the voice.
• Member of the “SpursEngine Partners Association” (Toshiba Semiconductor Company).
• Release of “FileMajik PRO”, a file compression and packing system.
• Participation in the development of “ACCESS™ Connect Ecosystem” (ACCESS).

2009

• Release of “i kyuseisyu”, a middleware for iPhone/iPod touch. Expansion of business to smartphones.
• Release of “CLOUDIA”, a cloud based in-app PR engine for iPhone.
• Moved our headquarters to Shibuya.
• The number of titles powered by CRIWARE exceeds 2000 licenses!
• Launch of “SpursCoder”, a high-speed H.264 encoder (SpursEngine).

2010

• Launch of “CRI Elements Plug-in for TOSHIBA” for TOSHIBA dynabook Qosmio.
• Launch of audio middleware for embedded microcomputers “CRI ADX7”.
• Launch of all-in-one audio solution “CRI ADX2”, the first major update from “CRI ADX” in 15 years.
• Launch of “CRI Sofdec2”, a major update from “CRI Sofdec”.

2011

• Release of our middleware for PlayStation®Vita.
• Launch of “D-Amp Driver”, “Karu-i-i-ne” and “Karu-e-e-zo” , audio/ video middleware for embedded microcomputers.
• Co-development of “MR2GO – DMV powered by CLOUDIA”, a sales presentation system for smart devices, with CSK (now SCSK). Launch of this middleware for the medical industry. Start of experience transfer from the game sector to the enterprise sector.
• 10th Anniversary.
• Grand Prize of Audio at CEDEC AWARDS2011 for CRI ADX2.
• First runner-up prize for D-Amp Driver at the ET AWARD2011, in the software category.

2012

• Use of our real-time audio processing by the “LS-100” multi-track recorder from OLYMPUS CORPORATION (now OM Digital Solutions Corporation).
• Support of the Unity game engine.
• Release of our middleware for Wii U™.
• Pedagogical use of “CRI ADX2” by VANTAN Game Academy (Professional training college in Japan). Support of human resources by providing professional tools.

2013

• Free download of “CRI ADX2 LE”, our audio development tool for indies.
• Release of our middleware for PlayStation®4.
• Appointment of Masao Oshimi as President and CEO. New CRI has started.
• Support for Cocos2d-x and Unreal Engine 4.

2014

• Adoption of CRIWARE by “Destiny”, the AAA title with the highest development budget.
• 27 November, 2014 – Listing on TSE (Mothers, Code: 3698).

2015

• The number of titles powered by CRIWARE exceeds 3000 licenses!
• Participation in the “Medical support system from home” project with Keio University, School of Medicine.
• Start of the “CRIWARE Ambassador Program” with three partners.
• Launch of “BEATWIZ” – Ultra high-speed/high quality Music Analysis Middleware.
• Strategic partnership with Shanghai Oriental Pearl Media (the sole provider of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in China) concerning the game development middleware in China.

2016

• Launch of “CRI DietCoder”, a High-Compression Transcoding System to compress the video to half-size.
• Exhibitor at the “Game Developers Conference 2016” – the biggest game developers event in the world.
• Patent obtained for a “MEDICAL TREATMENT POLICY DETERMINATION SUPPORT SYSTEM” issued from the “Medical support system from home” project with Keio University, School of Medicine.
• Adoption of “CRI ADX2” by Bandai Namco for “VR ZONE Project i Can”.
• Haptic technology partnership with Immersion. Support of haptic effects.
• “2D/3D graphics middleware business delegated from SEGA Games Co., Ltd. (currently SEGA CORPORATION).”
• Launch of “CRI HAPTIX” – Haptic Middleware for Smartphones.
• CRIWARE blanket license agreement with Square Enix.
• “Karu-i-i-ne” (audio middleware) used in “Healsio”, a steam oven from Sharp.
• Collaboration with Vanguard Sound (China) to expand our middleware business in China.
• Launch of “LiveAct PRO”, a WEB video middleware for browsers.
• Launch of “CRI ADX2 for browsers”, a version of our audio middleware for browsers.
• Cooperation with UEI Solutions to work with our VR technology. Launch of “VRider plus Powered by CRIWARE”.
• Cooperation with FINDEX in the medical video management field. Launch of a video filing system to compress medical video to half-size.

2017

• Partnership with Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (now Hitachi High-Tech Corporation) to develop an IoT infrastructure for smart factories.
• Adoption of “Piezo D-Amp Driver,” our audio middleware to convert buzzers into voice guides, by Yazaki Energy Systems’ gas alarms.
• Launch of “CRI ADX Automotive”, an Integrated Sound Solution for Automotive.
• Release of PlayStation®VR exclusive app, “DMM.com”, and “Winning Eleven” at CEDEC 2017.
• “CRI HAPTIX” compatibility with both iOS and Android.
• The number of titles powered by CRIWARE exceeds 4000 licenses!
• Launch of “Aeropoint GUI”, a UI Creation Middleware.
• Co-developed with Pioneer and Dirac Research AB (Sweden).

2018

• Launch of the “McDSP” plugin for “CRI ADX2”, aimed at music and audio production.
• Adoption of “LiveAct PRO” by “GAZOO.com”, the used car (U-Car) website operated by Toyota Motor Corporation.
• Acquisition of all shares of Web Technology, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.
• Launch of “Aeropoint Signage”, a digital signage solution for creative (advertising) production.
• Release of “Vsecure™” (featuring CRI DietCoder), the world’s first solution to provide critical infrastructure level security for IoT devices. Expansion of our North America market with Terafence, our business investment and partner company in Israel.

2019

• Adoption of ”Dirac Audio by CRI for Fujitsu” – the application for acoustics correction co-developed by Pioneer, Dirac Research AB and CRIWARE – for the FMV series of Fujitsu computers.
• Release of our middleware for Google Stadia.
• Adoption of “LiveAct PRO” – our web video solution – as the core technology for the video production tool of ecbeing Inc.
• Adoption of “D-Amp Driver”, our audio playback middleware, by the multifunction printer “ApeosPort-VII C / DocuCentre-VII C” series of Fuji Xerox.
• Incorporation of CRI Middleware China Co., Ltd.
• Adoption of our piezoelectric audio output technology in “Possi”, the toothbrush co-developed by Kyocera and Lion.
• The number of titles powered by CRIWARE exceeds 5000 licenses!
• Release of “OPTPiX ImageStudio 8,” an image optimization tool with a high-quality texture conversion feature, by our subsidiary Web Technology .
• Adoption of CRI’s proprietary AI technology for audio and video by Daiichi Kosho’s “LIVE DAM Ai” online karaoke system.
• Adoption of CRIWARE by Google’s “Stadia” titles – “FINAL FANTASY XV” and “Destiny 2”.
• Acquisition of all shares of TWOFIVE, specialized in game audio production, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.
• Launch of “CRI ADX LipSync”, our middleware for the automatic generation of natural mouth patterns.

2020

• Adoption of “CRI ADX LipSync” by the smartphone app “THE iDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS STARLIGHT SPOT” from Bandai Namco Entertainment.
• Adoption of “ADX7” – our audio middleware – by the medal game machine “Sea Story Lucky Marine Tours” from Bandai Namco Amusement.
• Acquisition of all shares of R-force, a studio specialized in developing and managing online games, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.
• Launch of “Smart Lessons by LiveAct PRO” to support remote lessons from schools.
• Debut of “real-time remote supervision system” from TWOFIVE for remote control from outside the studio.
• The number of titles from overseas using CRIWARE exceeds 500 licenses. It represents more than 130 companies from around the world, including North America, Europe and Greater China.
• “CRIWARE” offers licenses for educational applications.
• Launch of “CRI DXExpo by LiveAct PRO”, our digital exhibition platform.
• Adoption of ”Dirac Audio by CRI for Fujitsu” by all 17 devices of the FMV series of Fujitsu computers.
• Organization by CRI China of “CRIWARE Tech Summit 2020”. Held in Shanghai, it is an event for technical exchange with Chinese game developers.
• Release of “CRI Atom Craft Robot”, a new automatization feature of “CRI ADX®2”.
• Integration of “CRI ADX®2” with “Nuendo,” a DAW provided by Steinberg, and released worldwide.

2021

• Agreement with Dirac Research AB – an audio tech company with headquarters in Sweden – for local representation.
• Adoption of “LiveAct® PRO” as the core technology for the “PLAY” feature of “STAFF START” by Vanish Standard.
• Co-development of “Vsecure” with Terafence, a company specializing in IoT cybersecurity. “Vsecure” has been adopted by defense facilities in Okinawa.
• Release of the new SonicSYNC feature for CRI ADX, allowing for ultra-low latency on mobile.
• Held the first “CRI CREATORS CONFERENCE 2021” (by CRI group).
• Partnership with Diarkis Inc, which develops the real-time communication engine “Diarkis”.
• Renewal of the CRIWARE brand logo to symbolize CRI’s “challenge, trust, and innovation” for its 20th anniversary. [Special 20th anniversary web page]
• “Animaze” – the virtual avatar production tool – is powered by “CRI LipSync” – our voice analysis-based lipsync middleware.
• Release of “CRI TeleXus”, a the brand-new communication system.

2022

• “CRI VOD Player” – Online Video Playback technology – for “ABEMA” app for Nintendo Switch™.
• “Hosts three in-house recording studios, one of them equipped with a Dolby Atmos®7.1.4ch system for spatial audio.”
• Co-development of “NA1150” of Nisshinbo Micro Devices using “CRI D-Amp Driver®” to achieve advanced quality audio playback.
• Launch of “CRI TeleXus”, a brand-new communication system for the metaverse or games.
• CRIWARE provided for CEDEC2022, the biggest technology conference for game developers in Japan.

2023

• “CRIWARE” for mobility used in over 2 million vehicles.