Just as social gaming powerhouses GREE and DeNA begin their break out in the west, so it appears they may have to contend with a new major player back at home.
NHN Japan has revealed plans to transform its LINE messaging platform into a social gaming hub, with the tool set to carry third-party games and apps in the near future.
A new challenger appears
NHN Japan CEO Morikawa made the plans public during an industry event in Sapporo, with further details set to be laid out on 3 July.
LINE, which launched little over a year ago, already boasts 40 million users worldwide, with almost half 18.5 million based in Japan.
The platform already plays host to first-party LINE releases, making the move to take on additional titles a logical one.
The company, which operates as a Tokyo-based subsidiary of a larger Korean web company, also already has experience in the field, having launched online gaming portal Hangame for PC, smartphones and feature phones.
[source: SerkanToto.com]
News
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
Related Articles
Top Stories
Feature
May 17th, 2024
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from a battle royale to a console classic remake
Feature
May 16th, 2024
Behind the scenes: How adding sandwich offers to an idle merge game boosted three metrics at once
Events
Digital Dragons | Europe | May 19th |
GamesBeat Summit 2024 | North America | May 20th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Nordic Game Spring 2024 | Nordic | May 21st |
Impact 2024 - Indie Games | May 23rd | |
Morocco Gaming Expo | Africa | May 24th |
MomoCon 2024 | North America | May 24th |
Unreal Fest Gold Coast 2024 | Australasia | May 29th |
Popular Stories
Feature
May 14th, 2024
53 top mobile games in soft launch: Squad Busters, Battle Guys: Royale, Plants vs. Zombies 3, LEGO Hill Climb Adventures, and more
Feature
May 13th, 2024
Hot Five: Dubai's new Gaming Visa, April's mobile game charts, and Xbox studio closures
Feature
May 14th, 2024