Nintendo acquired a controlling stake in Monolith Soft in 2007.
Monolith Soft was founded in 1999 by former members of Square’s development staff, including Tetsuya Takahashi and his collaborators. The studio became known for role-playing games such as Xenogears-related projects and the Xenosaga series. Before Nintendo’s investment, Monolith Soft was associated with Namco.
In 2007, Nintendo purchased a majority share in the company, while Namco Bandai retained a minority holding. Monolith Soft subsequently became closely linked with Nintendo’s development output, contributing to major projects and creating the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Its work also included support roles on Nintendo games, so the studio is both a franchise developer and an important internal development partner. The acquisition year is sometimes confused with the 2010 release of the first Xenoblade Chronicles game, which came later.