SNK Playmore Corporation (株式会社SNKプレイモア Kabushikigaisha Esu Enu Kei Pureimoa) is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. They are the current owners of the SNK video game brand as well as the Neo Geo video game platform. The previous SNK Corporation was founded in Suita, Osaka, Japan in July 1978 by Eikichi Kawasaki. Originally called Shin Nihon Kikaku (新日本企画, lit. "New Japan Project"), the name was shortened to SNK Corporation in 1986.
SNK is most notable for creating the Neo Geo family of arcade and home game consoles beginning in 1990. Their most popular and successful console was the handheld Neo Geo Pocket Color. Launched in 1999, the Pocket Color was also the last of the Neo Geo family at that time. The Neo Geo line was halted in 2001 when financial troubles forced SNK Corporation to close. Anticipating the end of the company, Kawasaki founded Playmore Corporation in August of 2001. By October, Playmore had acquired all of the intellectual property of the former SNK Corporation. Playmore then became SNK Playmore in 2003 and firmly established themselves as the successors to the SNK brand and legacy. For this reason, the name SNK is frequently used to refer to either company.
Today, SNK Playmore operates primarily as a third party video game developer and publisher on all major platforms including arcade and PC. Outside of video gaming, SNK Playmore has also expanded into pachinko and slot machines since 2004 and mobile game development beginning in 2009. Classic SNK franchises like Metal Slug and King of Fighters feature heavily in their current offerings.
In 2012, SNK Playmore revived Neo Geo with the launch of the Neo Geo X handheld console.