# Cellius

> Japanese video game developer

**Wikidata**: [Q2944021](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2944021)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellius)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cellius

## Summary
Cellius was a Japanese video game developer founded in 2007 as a joint venture between Sony Group and Bandai Namco Entertainment. The company was established by Ken Kutaragi and focused on creating software for the video game industry. Cellius operated until its dissolution on February 19, 2012.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type:** Video game developer (software development organization).
- **Founding:** Established in 2007 by Ken Kutaragi.
- **Ownership Structure:** Jointly owned by Bandai Namco Entertainment (51%) and Sony Group (49%).
- **Parent Organization:** Bandai Namco Holdings.
- **Headquarters:** Tokyo, Japan.
- **Industry:** Video game industry.
- **Dissolution:** The company was dissolved on February 19, 2012.
- **Product:** Software.
- **Website:** http://cellius.jp/

## FAQs
### Q: Who owned Cellius?
A: Cellius was a joint venture owned by two major entities: Bandai Namco Entertainment held a 51% majority stake, while Sony Group held the remaining 49%.

### Q: When was Cellius founded and dissolved?
A: The company was founded in 2007 and was dissolved a few years later on February 19, 2012.

### Q: Who founded Cellius?
A: The company was founded by Ken Kutaragi, a key figure in the gaming industry.

### Q: Where was Cellius located?
A: Cellius was headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

## Why It Matters
Cellius represents a notable strategic alliance in the mid-2000s video game industry, bringing together two Japanese corporate giants: Bandai Namco Entertainment and Sony Group. The formation of the company was significant because it was spearheaded by Ken Kutaragi, the creator of the PlayStation brand, following his departure from the frontline management of Sony's gaming division.

The specific ownership split (51% Bandai Namco, 49% Sony) highlights a unique collaboration where a hardware manufacturer (Sony) and a content publisher (Bandai Namco) sought to synergize their capabilities. Although the company had a relatively short lifespan—dissolving in early 2012—its existence serves as a case study in corporate joint ventures within the technology sector. It exemplifies how competing or complementary entities attempt to pool resources to accelerate software development before eventually consolidating or ending the partnership.

## Notable For
- **High-Profile Founder:** Founded by Ken Kutaragi, often regarded as the father of the PlayStation.
- **Unique Joint Venture:** A rare 51/49 partnership between a major game publisher (Bandai Namco) and a hardware platform holder (Sony).
- **Corporate Heritage:** Operated as a subsidiary under the Bandai Namco Holdings umbrella while maintaining significant investment from Sony.
- **Short Operational Life:** Functioned for approximately five years (2007–2012) before being dissolved.

## Body
### Founding and Structure
Cellius was incorporated in 2007 with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. It was classified as a software development organization specializing in the creation of video games. The entity was legally structured as a joint venture. The ownership was divided with Bandai Namco Entertainment holding a controlling 51% stake and Sony Group holding a 49% stake. Despite the Sony investment, the parent organization was listed as Bandai Namco Holdings.

### Leadership and Vision
The company was founded by Ken Kutaragi. His involvement linked the company directly to the legacy of the PlayStation brand, although the entity operated with the mandate of producing general video game software.

### Dissolution
After five years of operation, Cellius ceased to exist. The dissolved, abolished, or demolished date recorded for the entity is February 19, 2012. Following its dissolution, its web presence remained at cellius.jp, though the entity was no longer active.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "VideoGame",
  "name": "Cellius",
  "description": "Cellius was a Japanese video game developer founded in 2007 as a joint venture between Sony Group and Bandai Namco Entertainment, dissolved in 2012.",
  "url": "http://cellius.jp/",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1054543",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellius"
  ],
  "foundingDate": "2007",
  "dissolutionDate": "2012-02-19",
  "founder": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Ken Kutaragi"
  },
  "areaServed": "Japan"
}

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013