Hold up, Toei's getting into games?! Major Japanese film studio Toei just dropped a bombshell on the 21st, announcing its official entry into the gaming sector. To mark its 75th anniversary, they're launching a new game business brand, "Toei GAMES," positioning games as their "fourth pillar" alongside film, TV, and anime.
The plan? Kick things off with PC titles, then conquer consoles like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.
But here's the kicker: Toei isn't just phoning it in with existing IPs. Nope, they're going "full original," aiming to build brand-new IPs from the ground up. They're teaming up with creators both in Japan and abroad to craft original games for a global audience. Details on their first batch of titles are set to drop on April 24th.
Toei President Fumio Yoshimura chimed in, saying, "Games are a universal language, a global entertainment format that smashes through linguistic and national barriers. This is our way of taking Toei's decades of 'storytelling prowess' and unleashing it on the world." He added that they'll be leveraging their extensive experience in video production to cook up entirely new gaming experiences.
Oh, and get this: the "Toei GAMES" logo? It was designed by none other than Kairosoft (株式会社カイロソフト), the pixel art legends themselves! Apparently, the Toei crew was so keen on working with them, they actually went to Kairosoft's office to seal the deal. They even gave Toei's iconic opening sequence, "waves crashing on rocks," a pixelated makeover – talk about a nostalgic, retro vibe!
And speaking of major Japanese film studios, Toei isn't exactly the first to jump on the gaming bandwagon. Toho already has "TOHO Games," and Shochiku boasts "Shochiku GAMES." Now that Toei's officially in the ring, the big question everyone's asking is: what kind of original games will they be serving up? We're all eagerly awaiting more details!
via： 「東映GAMES」官方X