NetEase Games has announced the establishment of PinCool, Inc. a new game studio headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and led by Ryutaro Ichimura.
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Meet PinCool, Inc.
NetEase Games has announced the establishment of PinCool, Inc. a new game studio headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and led by Ryutaro Ichimura.
Ichimura, who is leaving Square Enix in March 2023, served as lead producer for games such as Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies and was also involved in the production of anime IPs such as Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai.
Ichimura also leads various other areas of the Dragon Quest IP, including live events and exhibitions.
PinCool, Inc. is made up of industry experts with “extensive experience” in various areas of the interactive entertainment business, including video games, movies, live events, and IP licensing.
PinCool, Inc. also plans to leverage its diverse knowledge as an entertainment production company to deliver quality entertainment to users on a global scale. The studio will focus primarily on the development of titles for game consoles, but will also engage in the planning and production of various other forms of entertainment.
Takashi Ogura will join PinCool, Inc. as a board member. He previously worked in branding, marketing, business development, and business strategy for various online companies, including Doraemon at Epoch, Duffy at Oriental Land, and Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai at Square Enix.
Creativity to make life more fun is our philosophy. The company name comes from the Japanese phrase ‘pin to kuru,’ which expresses when an idea is locked.
The English name ‘PinCool’ is pronounced the same way and stylized to include the English word ‘cool’. We offer something you won’t find anywhere else.
We aim to provide fun experiences to people around the world through projects that utilize new ideas derived from unbound creative freedom.
We also aim to release smaller titles while we continue our work on large-scale titles. I look forward to what the adventures of PinCool will bring!
Ryutaro Ichimura, President and Representative Director of PinCool, Inc.
As a company passionate about creating immersive gaming experiences, we recognize the important role that Ichimura-san played in the development of the Dragon Quest franchise.
We believe that his commitment to quality and building innovative experiences is one of the reasons why the Dragon Quest franchise has lasted so long.
He has shaped the RPG genre and inspired many game developers around the world, so we are thrilled to see him join NetEase Games and start a new journey with PinCool.
We are committed to creating an environment at NetEase Games where Ichimura-san can thrive, explore new ideas, and continue to create unforgettable gaming experiences for game lovers.
Simon Zhu, Global President of Investments and Partnerships at NetEase Games