Collectible Games: Harvest Moon (Part I: It is Complicated)

Before actually delving into Harvest Moon (Bokujou Monogatari or "Farm Story/Tale" in Japan), I feel it is necessary to give some background information on this ongoing series...that has recently become two series. This has led to a lot of confusion amongst gamers, and if I am going to be honest, with myself as well. After reading up on the legal dispute though, it all makes perfect sense in the way only court battles can. So sit back while I spin you a yarn about two (or so) companies...

Bokujou Monogatari for the Super Famicon (Japan's SNES)

Back on August 6 1996 Pack-In-Video (soon to be Victor Interactive Software) released a video game for the Japanese market called Bokujou Monogatari, or "Farm Story/Tale" translated. Since Pack-In-Video just developed the game, they needed someone to actually port the thing to the North American market and translate it (Nintendo had Europe, while Pack-In-Video covered Japan).
This is where a company called Natsume comes in to localize and distribute in North America. This also means that they had the rights to the name Harvest Moon because they specifically created it for an English speaking audience and it was never used in Japan.

In 2003-4, Marvelous USA Inc. (Marvelous bought/merged with XSEED JKS Inc. ...we are going to need a flow chart)  buys Victor Interactive Software (the developer) as part of a string of company acquisitions. In November of 2004 they also created a subsidiary called XSEED Games out of XSEED JKS that will localize, publish, and distribute games for them so they do not need to hire an outside party. However, for the time being they stick with Natsume for Harvest Moon for North American localization. I am unsure why, but most likely because XSEED was busy finishing up projects that it had going on before being bought. As a side note: XSEED does still make their own games that they made prior to the merger.
However, after a bankruptcy that followed the Rune Factory spin-off series of Harvest Moon/Bokujou Monogatari, Natsume and Marvelous finally decided to part ways.

During the making of the game Story of Seasons (Bokujou Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi in Japan), Marvelous decided to cut the middle man for the first time since the Rune Factory incident by using its own localization studio, XSEED games. In doing so they had to change the North American and European name of "Harvest Moon". This was the proper split from Natsume.
Meanwhile, the old localization team for Harvest Moon (Natsume) has begun making their own cute farming simulation games...of course called Harvest Moon.

That about wraps that up for this blog. Games will actually be covered next time, I promise!
In addition to looking at the Pack-In-Video/Victor Games/Marvelous Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, I will be covering what Natsume has done since the split as well. Check up coming blogs! Collectible Game blogs are released every Thursday, with an extra sometimes thrown in for fun.
Thanks for reading.

Sources: 

1)http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/28/harvest-moon-returns-in-story-of-seasons-on-3ds
2)http://www.xseedgames.com/news.php?id=37 
3)http://web.archive.org/web/20110714105059/http://www.mmvus.com/release/001.pdf
4)http://www.destructoid.com/so-what-the-hell-is-happening-with-harvest-moon--276051.phtml
5)http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/05/xseed_games_localizing_newest_harvest_moon_for_north_american_release
6)http://www.siliconera.com/2015/07/03/return-to-popolocrois-fails-to-attract-the-harvest-moon-audience-in-japan/