By Dr. Serkan Toto – On Japan's Game Industry
Business social network LinkedIn is a juggernaut on a quite a few levels, but as many sites of its kind, it never gained traction in Japan. The American company started working on a Japanese localization (in February this year) before announcing a full-fledged entry into the local market back in...
Japan’s e-commerce juggernaut Rakuten and the country’s 2nd largest telco KDDI au have announced a strategic linkup focused on electronic money today. Under the agreement, Rakuten’s Edy electronic money system will be combined with KDDI au’s mobile checkout infrastructure...
As announced two weeks ago, DeNA started rolling out Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on Mobage today, a social role-playing game that’s based on the hit anime of the same name. The game, which takes place in the same setting as the anime, is initially available for Mobage on Japanese feature...
DeNA today announced they opened an office in South Korea on June 13. DeNA Seoul Co., Ltd. is being led by Makoto Haruta who joined the company as early as 2000 and was the CFO – until DeNA did away with titles for their executives a few months ago (he is now listed as Director and Chairman)...
One big trend in Japan’s social gaming industry is that local video game makers, from smaller developers to listed companies, are starting to produce more and more social games for GREE, DeNA, and Mixi. Japanese business daily The Nikkei recently investigated how successful three major video...
With over 45 million units sold on various gaming platforms, Resident Evil (Biohazard) is one of the biggest video game franchises in history. In April, maker Capcom announced Biohazard Outbreak Survive, the first social version of the adventure/horror title, for GREE on Japanese feature phones...
By Dr. Serkan Toto – On Japan's Game Industry