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Tencent to Purchase Clannad, Kanon, Air Publisher Visual Arts
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Baba explained in the blog post that the company had its biggest earnings in its 33-year history in June, thanks to the hard work of the staff and the performance of the Heavens Burn Red smartphone game.
He explained that as to why he is retiring, while he is currently very healthy, he is now 63 years old. According to Baba, while the company is a joint stock company, the Baba family owns 100% of those stocks as a private enterprise. Since the company has no successor, if something happened to him, the company would have no choice but to close. Baba said he wanted to avoid that happening no matter what. He stated, "of course Visual Arts will stay Visual Arts" even though it is becoming a subsidiary of Tencent. Baba stressed that Visual Arts did not go through middlemen for the purchase; instead Baba and the staff selected the company that they thought would be best for the future of Visual Arts.
Visual Arts was founded in March 1991. The company is known for publishing many visual novels and "kinetic novels" from its brand Key, including Kanon, Air, Clannad, Little Busters!, planetarian, Kud Wafter, Rewrite, Angel Beats! 1st Beat, Harmonia, Summer Pockets, LOOPERS, and Prima Doll, among others. The company was also credited as the original creator of the The Day I Became a God anime, and has been involved in the anime adaptations of many of Key's works.
Visual Arts released the Heaven Burns Red smartphone game in February 2022.
