Natsume
Natsume Inc. is a privately held, Burlingame-based video game publisher and developer founded in 1991, serving casual and enthusiast gamers with farming, fishing, and retro-action franchises—most notably Harvest Moon and Reel Fishing—across all major console, PC, and mobile platforms, supplemented by an indie publishing program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersBurlingame, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Natsume does
Natsume Inc. is a privately held video game publisher and developer founded in 1991 and headquartered in Burlingame, California, operating with 51–100 employees under its "Serious Fun" brand. The company develops and publishes games across Nintendo Switch/3DS, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC (Steam, GOG, Epic), iOS, and Android, with a product portfolio anchored by long-running franchises including Harvest Moon (farming simulation, since 1997), Reel Fishing (fishing, since 1999), Wild Guns (arcade shooter), River City (beat 'em up), and the licensed Pocky & Rocky (from TAITO Corporation). Its current slate emphasizes cozy life-simulation titles, with active releases and pre-orders spanning 2024–2026 (e.g., Harvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea, Home Sweet Home Special Edition, Cozy Bundle, Winds of Anthos Complete Edition).
Natsume monetizes through one-time perpetual game licenses sold via digital storefronts and physical retail, supplemented by branded merchandise and limited-edition collectibles sold through natsumestore.com at fixed unit prices (e.g., $19.99 T-shirts). Distribution in Europe is handled through a channel partnership with Rising Star Games. The company also operates the Natsume Indie Program, a publishing initiative supporting independent developers such as Lucid Dreams Studio (Legends of Ethernal) and YummyYummyTummy (ConnecTank), adding a modest third-party publishing layer to its first-party franchise business.
Customer segments center on casual and enthusiast gamers seeking cozy farming, fishing, and retro-style action experiences, with a secondary B2B segment of indie developers seeking console publishing support. Marketing is conducted via social media (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Instagram), newsletters, press releases, and event participation such as E3. The company is independently owned with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or M&A activity in the source data, and is GDPR-compliant per its self-attested privacy policy.
Natsume firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Natsume
- Legal name
- Natsume Inc.
- Website
- https://natsume.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Natsume Inc. is a privately held, Burlingame-based video game publisher and developer founded in 1991, serving casual and enthusiast gamers with farming, fishing, and retro-action franchises—most notably Harvest Moon and Reel Fishing—across all major console, PC, and mobile platforms, supplemented by an indie publishing program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Natsume industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Game Publishing
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios (MPAFAAAM)
Keywords
Where Natsume is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burlingame
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Natsume business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Video Game Sales: Sale of video game software through digital distribution and physical retail across multiple gaming platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, iOS, and Android.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including T-shirts and collectible items through Natsume's official store and Amazon.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Video Games |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Natsume product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Natsume develops and publishes family-oriented video games across Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and mobile platforms, anchored by its Harvest Moon farming-simulation franchise. It also produces fishing (Reel Fishing), arcade shooter (Wild Guns, Pocky & Rocky), beat 'em up (River City), and action-adventure titles, plus operates the Natsume Indie Program to publish third-party games. The company sells games through digital storefronts, physical retail, and its own NatsumeStore.com alongside branded merchandise.
Product overview
Natsume Inc. is a video game publisher offering a diverse portfolio of titles primarily focused on farming/life simulation games (Harvest Moon franchise), fishing games (Reel Fishing franchise), arcade shooters (Wild Guns, Pocky & Rocky), and action-adventure games. The company operates under its 'Serious Fun' motto and publishes games across multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, iOS, and Android. Key product lines include the Harvest Moon series (farming simulation), Reel Fishing series (fishing games), Wild Guns (arcade shooter), and the River City series (beat 'em up). Natsume also runs an Indie Program to publish third-party titles. The company maintains an official online store (NatsumeStore.com) for merchandise and game sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos Open-world Harvest Moon farming simulation where players explore the land of Anthos, featuring farming, animal care, and character relationships across multiple areas. Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox, and Steam.
- Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Cozy farming simulation mobile game for iOS and Android featuring a return-to-roots storyline.
- Harvest Moon: One World Harvest Moon game featuring a whole new world to explore with innovative farming mechanics and new exotic animals. Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Steam.
- Harvest Moon: Light of Hope
- Harvest Moon: Mad Dash
- Harvest Moon Cozy Bundle Standalone bundle for Nintendo Switch featuring Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley and Harvest Moon: Skytree Village with all DLC included.
- Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Special Edition Enhanced console/PC version of Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home with new features including the Hoverbike 5000, two new marriageable candidates, and new cutscenes.
- Reel Fishing: Days of Summer Fishing game where players catch over 40 species of fish from 14 different fishing locations, crafting over 50 different kinds of tackle. Available on Switch, PS4/5, Xbox Series X, and Steam.
- Reel Fishing: Road Trip Adventure JRPG-inspired fishing adventure where players join three friends on a summer road trip to catch the elusive Legendary Fish. Available on Nintendo Switch and PS4.
- Wild Guns Reloaded Fast-paced arcade-style shooter mixing the Wild West with steampunk, supporting up to 4 players with online rankings. Available on Nintendo Switch and PS4.
- Pocky & Rocky: Reshrined Classic 16-bit style multi-directional scrolling shooter published under license from TAITO Corporation with improved graphics and sound and new characters. Available on Nintendo Switch and PS4.
- ConnecTank 2D action-adventure tank battle game set in New Pangea, published under the Natsume Indie Program. Available on Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam.
- Legends of Ethernal 2D single-player action adventure game featuring hand-crafted environments, puzzles, and challenging creatures with 4K resolution support. Available on Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam.
- Cosmic Defenders 2D fast-paced revolving shooter where players protect the galaxy from chaotic aliens using powers of nature. Available on Nintendo Switch.
- River City Series Beat 'em up game series featuring Kunio and friends, including titles like River City: Rival Showdown, River City: Knights of Justice, and River City: Tokyo Rumble.
Companies that use Natsume
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Natsume technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Natsume partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- YummyYummyTummy Inc.corePartnership for ConnecTank, a tank battle game. ConnecTank is the third title launched from the Natsume Indie Program. Natsume and YummyYummyTummy collaborated on game development and publishing.
- Lucid Dreams StudiocorePartnership for Legends of Ethernal, published through the Natsume Indie Program. First title published by Lucid Dreams Studio through Natsume's indie publishing initiative, released on Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
- Natsume Indie ProgramcoreIndie publishing program for independent developers of console and PC games. Cosmic Defenders was the first title under this program. Natsume provides publishing, marketing, and distribution support to indie developers.
- Rising Star GamescorePartnership for European distribution of Harvest Moon titles and other Natsume games. Rising Star Games handles publishing and distribution in Europe for multiple Natsume titles including Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition and Harvest Moon: Mad Dash.
- NIS AmericaminorLimited edition distribution partner for Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos special editions.
- TAITO CorporationcoreLicensing partner for Pocky & Rocky Reshrined. Natsume publishes the game under license from TAITO Corporation, the original developer and IP holder of the Pocky & Rocky series.
- IMAGICA GEEQ Inc.minorDevelopment partner for Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Special Edition (2025).
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Natsume competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marvelous Inc. Japanese developer/publisher that originally created Bokujo Monogatari (Harvest Moon's Japanese name) and now publishes Story of Seasons, the franchise's spiritual successor. Closest direct peer because it competes for the same farming-sim audience and IP lineage.
- XSEED Games: Marvelous' North American localization and publishing arm. Directly comparable mid-tier niche publisher focused on Japanese games for Western markets, with overlapping genre and platform footprint.
- NIS America: Western publishing subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software; similar mid-tier size, multi-platform niche JRPG and family-friendly catalog, and reliance on Japanese parent IP licensing.
- Aksys Games: Independently owned mid-tier publisher with comparable employee scale and a niche portfolio spanning console and handheld platforms — competes for similar shelf space at retail and on digital storefronts.
- KEMCO: Long-running Japanese publisher specializing in retro-styled RPGs across mobile and console. Similar catalog breadth strategy, multi-platform publishing model, and family-friendly positioning.
- PQube: UK-based mid-tier publisher of Japanese and indie games in Western markets. Comparable scale, multi-platform strategy, and reliance on licensing relationships with Japanese developers.
- PM Studios: Mid-sized indie publisher operating across console and PC with physical and digital distribution. Closely comparable business model to the Natsume Indie Program.
Broad incumbents
- Koei Tecmo: Much larger publisher with overlapping farming-life-sim titles (Rune Factory). Not a direct peer on size, but a structural competitor in the cozy/farming niche and a benchmark for premium-tier farming sims.
- Level-5: Established Japanese developer/publisher with family-friendly and casual-friendly IPs (Yo-kai Watch, Inazuma). Larger portfolio but overlapping audience and multi-platform publishing approach.
Regional players
- Zoo Corporation: Japanese indie publisher focused on console ports and remasters of niche titles — overlaps with Natsume's strategy of remastering classic IPs (Wild Guns, Pocky & Rocky) for modern platforms, but primarily Japan-domestic.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Natsume social profiles
Digital presenceNatsume compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Natsume financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Natsume leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Natsume funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Natsume M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Natsume
What does Natsume do?
Natsume develops and publishes family-oriented video games across Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and mobile platforms, anchored by its Harvest Moon farming-simulation franchise. It also produces fishing (Reel Fishing), arcade shooter (Wild Guns, Pocky & Rocky), beat 'em up (River City), and action-adventure titles, plus operates the Natsume Indie Program to publish third-party games. The company sells games through digital storefronts, physical retail, and its own NatsumeStore.com alongside branded merchandise.
Is Natsume a public or private company?
Natsume is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Natsume founded?
Natsume was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Natsume based?
Natsume is headquartered in Burlingame, United States, in the North America region.
How does Natsume make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Video Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales.
Who are Natsume's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marvelous Inc., XSEED Games, NIS America, Aksys Games, KEMCO, PQube and PM Studios. Broad incumbents are Koei Tecmo and Level-5. Zoo Corporation is listed as a regional player.
Does Natsume have an API?
No public API is recorded for Natsume.
What industry is Natsume in?
Natsume's product category is Video Game Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAM, Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 3944.