GREE and KDDI Join Forces in Mobile Game Publishing- Partners Ready with Funding and Resources to Help Developers Go Big in Japan -

TOKYO, Japan—October 21, 2014—GREE, Inc. and KDDI Corporation today announced that they have agreed to form a partnership that will focus on publishing mobile games in Japan. Through the partnership, GREE and KDDI will support Japan-based and overseas game developers targeting app markets in Japan such as KDDI’s mobile content portal au SmartPass, Google Play™, and the App Store. As the first title under the partnership, a new game being developed by Tokyo-based TriFort, Inc. is scheduled for release this winter.

From its studios in Japan, North America, and South Korea, GREE has cultivated a rich portfolio of mobile games for Android and iOS, developing and publishing top-charting titles around the world, including major markets such as Japan and the U.S. Drawing from this proven expertise and its network of connections with overseas game companies, GREE will provide support in areas from marketing, promotion, and consulting through to the localization for Japan of mobile games developed overseas. Through the partnership, GREE also plans to provide consulting and other assistance to Japan-based mobile game companies targeting overseas markets.

As well as contributing funding for development costs, KDDI will tap into the user base of au SmartPass, with its more than 11 million subscribers, to support the promotion of games being published through the partnership. Starting from today, KDDI will provide marketing support through au Game, the mobile gaming portal that enables au SmartPass users to easily access games from a side menu. By pooling their expertise in mobile games and smartphone business, GREE and KDDI plan to help developers reach a larger than ever gaming audience in Japan, while making a lasting contribution to the rapidly growing mobile game market.