This article has been updated to reflect a statement made recently by Index Digital Media President and CEO Naoto Hiraoka. The addition has been placed at the end of the article, including a link to the full statement.
Another change is coming for Index Corporation. However, unlike the last major change, this one is a bit more minor. Sega Sammy Holdings, the parent company of Index, is splitting the company into two separate entities: Atlus and Index. The new companies will still be working out of Sega’s Tokyo headquarters and will split the current staff of 287 people.
Atlus will be the company that splits away. They will be handling the gaming side, inheriting all the gaming intellectual properties of Index Corporation. The company will have 121 staff members and will be run by Yukio Sugino, the current managing director for Sega as well as Index’s company director.
Index Corporation will become a newly organized division under the Sega umbrella. The new Index will be handling the content delivery and systematic portions of the current Index. The company will have 166 staff members and will be run by the current executive vice president of Index, Yasuhiko Hamada.
In addition to the splitting of Atlus and Index, Index Digital Media, the Western subsidiary of the company, will officially change its name to Atlus USA, Inc. This will be the first time that the Atlus name will appear as a gaming company rather than a brand since 2010, when Index Holdings merged with ATLUS Co., Ltd., to form Index Corporation.
The change is expected to happen April 1st, 2014.
UPDATE: Naoto Hiraoka, senior vice president of the Consumer Software Division of Index Corporation and president and CEO of Index Digital Media, has made an official statement on the Atlus website about the matter. In addition to confirming the change, Hiraoka had this to say on why Sega Sammy made this decision.
As a part of the Sega Sammy group, we are determined to explore new ways of creating synergy and to expand our brand awareness around the world. Additionally, we have many undisclosed titles in the works. We hope that you look forward to these as much as we do.
Hiraoka also took time to thank the fans for their support over the years and promises that the new Atlus will do their best to “produce the highest quality products that will live up to your expectations, once again as ATLUS Co. Ltd.”
