Anyone who even half-cares about anime knows about Toei Animation, but that’s just one of the arms of Toei Company, a broader entertainment giant. From Dragon Ball to Digimon, it’s impossible to discuss the past and present of Japanese animation without Toei. Now, it’s jumping into the crowded video game arena with surprising plans.
Via GamesIndustry.biz, we’ve learned about the creation of Toei Games, which was unveiled by Toei president and CEO Fumio Yoshimura, who promises the publisher will first releases games on PC via Steam, before making the jump to consoles. The first of such games will be announced this Friday, 24th April, with more coming soon.
The biggest shocker is that Toei Games won’t be using existing IPs like Dragon Ball, One Piece, Digimon, or Sailor Moon. Instead, it’s focusing on creating new properties “in collaboration with creators in Japan and abroad.” It’s a bold move, but one which could easily pay off as the younger generations seek new characters and worlds vs. reheated ones inherited from their parents. Plus, Toei clearly has enough leeway to experiment.
Yoshimura added the following in 21st April’s press release: “Toei Games aims to create entirely new IPs from scratch, rather than simply utilising existing IPs. We will leverage the technology and expertise we have cultivated through video production into our new game business, delivering Toei’s unique entertainment experience to players around the world.”
