DeNA(Mobage) gets mid-core games secretly

I see news that GREE is out of condition frequently recently. On the other hand, DeNA seems to grow up solidly. And they gave announcement on new games in succession this week. They provide "Godus", the new works of Peter Molyneux in Mobage of Japan, Korea, Europe and U.S.

Peter Molyneux is the artist who is famous in Japan, and Japanese game news sites reported progress of Godus project  in Kickstarter one by one. However, the press release of DeNA was reached with surprise. There are the people who still speak ill of a mobile social game in Japan(The most are core gamers). They think that social game platformers provide only a casual games. DeNA seems to gradually evolve from there.

Furthermore, they announced that they released mobile game of TRPG masterpiece "Dungeons & Dragons". The title is "Dungeons & Dragons Arena of War". It's a turn battle RPG of full 3DCG developed by Unity.

What will the difference between GREE and DeNA be? GREE persisted in the J-style mobile social game in the foreign countries. However, the Japanese market is very unique. Probably, the localization is insufficient only by translation and artworks change. DeNA performs a partnership tie-up abroad and gets new games locally. Besides, they put a mobile game for mid-cores in the field of vision. Will this become the new guidance of the Japanese mobile social game market?

Subsidiary of Sony starts business that make figures by 3D printer

Sony music communications, one of Sony groups starts new business "3D Print Figure". They make real figure skating 3D scanner and 3D printer.

This was released at ANIME CONTENTS EXPO 2013 held in Chiba Makuhari messe in March, and became the topic. However, costs may be slightly expensive. S size(h/15cm) is 49,000yen(about 490USD), M size(h/20cm) is 69,000yen(about 690USD), and L size(h/30cm) is 120,000yen(1200USD). We can order life-sized size, but how much the cost? :D

There are already similar business in Japan and abroad. However, it is important that Sony group began this. Though it was not music business, why did they begin this? I think that they make collaboration with artists sometime soon. Because a sample already includes the figure of the member of girls band AKB48.

Japanese startup goopa helps Anime by crowd funding

Japanese startup goopa opened crowd funding platform "Anipipo". Today's Japan has too many crowd funding platform. However, a characteristic of Anipipo is specialize project contents in Anime.

This is crowd funding service supporting creators making a new attempt in the anime industry. Some projects have been already shown. However, goopa intends to support the projects except anime such as a movie, game, figure in future. Interestingly, they have already performed English support(This is rare in Japan). Well, naturally they think about global expansion. Their first year aim total support circulation sum is 50 million yen(about 50.0000USD).

LINE provides a game even in mobile virtual world LINE Play

Social game platform LINE GAME of Japanese popular messaging application LINE is peak form. However, they do not seem to be satisfied with it. They offer a game in mobile virtual world LINE Play. The first game is "Tsuri Tomo(Fishing friends)".

The fishing is a basic game existing in every virtual worlds and MMOs. Tsuri Tomo is similar to them, too. Users catch various fish at the sea and can make a fish album. There are 240 kinds of kinds of fish, and we can be improved by catching many fish and can upgrade a fishing rod and bait.

Unfortunately this is contents only for Japanese regions at present. However, of course they will provide this in a global region in future.

JapanSocial provides Japanese mobile games for Taiwanese players

Japanese game startup JapanSocial opens platform "TokyoGameStyle" that providing Japanese mobile social games  for Taiwanese on June 1.

They translate and localize popular Japanese mobile social games for a Taiwanese. The offer of 7 games has been already arranged informally.

They disclose information in Taiwanese maximum game site Bahamut and start pre-registration ahead of opening. According to them, the press release for Taiwan is received favorably by Taiwanese people. Furthermore, the official FaceBook page of TokyoGameStyle gets 3,500 Like!.