TOKYO--Japan-based developer Hitmaker has announced it will be closing its official Web site on July 1. According to the studio, the change comes to accommodate the movement of Sega's subsidiaries to Sega's main branch, which will take place on the same day. The product pages for Hitmaker's recent releases and games that are still in operation at the arcades will remain available, but other sections such as the staff columns will be taken down. Hitmaker’s online shop will be closing one day earlier on June 30, but its products will continue to be sold at Sega’s online retailer, Sega Direct.

　　Hitmaker is the developer of a number of popular games, such as the Virtua On and Crazy Taxi series. The studio is currently developing a new American-style quiz show game for the arcades, appropriately titled "The Quiz Show."

　　Sega's decision to return its development studio operations back to headquarters is a preparation for the merger between Sega and Sammy. Sega and Sammy announced back in mid-May that they will be merging in October by becoming subsidiaries of a new holding company, Sega Sammy Holdings. Once merged, Sega and Sammy's combined annual income for the fiscal year 2005 is expected to be at 501 billion yen ($4.4 billion), making it one of the biggest game companies in Japan.