Former Co-Founding Member of Xbox 360 Team, AJ Redmer, will bring the company’s focus on regional success to new studios and oversee first party creative development
SAN FRANCISCO & TOKYO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 21, 2014 — Today gumi Inc., a leading developer and publisher of mobile games, is announcing its first major North American expansion plans since the close of a $50 million round of funding. The company is officially expanding into the U.S. with the opening of a games studio and the hiring of former Microsoft Game Studios GM AJ Redmer. The U.S. studio, combined with others across the world, plan to release thirty new titles worldwide, including Chain Chronicles--a SEGA game, which is already a top grossing mainstay on both iOS and Android in Japan - soon to be released in the U.S.
In addition to studios in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China, and France, gumi Inc. is announcing new studios that will make content for English speaking countries, with North America being the primary market. The new U.S. headquarters is in Austin for first party creative development with another studio in Vancouver. AJ Redmer, former General Manager of Microsoft Game Studios, will oversee the aforementioned studios and future teams involved in gumi's Western expansion efforts. AJ was one of the founding members of the Xbox360 team and personally executed essential components to the console’s success, such as high level strategy, hardware design, developer relations, content strategy, marketing, design and manufacturing plans. He also oversaw key studios in both North America and across Asia at different tenures during his career, most recently as the CEO of WeMade Entertainment USA. To compliment the development studios, gumi will also establish an office in San Francisco focusing on business development and public relations.
“In our experience of achieving global success with Brave Frontier, we recognized that Western markets, such as the U.S., Canada, and Europe, have unique tastes to their local cultures and playing styles. As we have already done with our studios in Asia, we've set out to build studios in key regions with the best talent and domain expertise to produce original content that is relevant to local markets in the West,” said Hironao Kunimitsu, CEO of gumi Inc. “With AJ's first-hand experience overseeing production of several of the gaming world's most iconic franchises, gumi aims to raise the bar of mobile gaming development for global regions.”
gumi Inc. is also expanding its relationship with SEGA. The company will publish SEGA’s Japanese game titles in North America, Europe and South Asian countries, and the two parties will further collaborate in order to provide consumers with localized support to match player preferences, languages and gameplay environments.
About gumi
Established on June 13th, 2007, gumi Inc. is a top developer and operator of mobile online games, and has distributed more than 40 titles on various platforms including many hit games starting with 任�nbsp;道 (Ninkyodo) in 2011 and Brave Frontier, recently developed by its subsidiary Alim Co. Ltd. and published globally by gumi. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the company has been growing its presence globally since 2012, with overseas operations in Asia in Singapore, Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and in Western countries in the U.S. and France.
gumi Inc. also maintains strong relationships with EA, Capcom, Kabam and others for co-development and co-publishing of hit franchise titles like FIFA World Class Soccer, MonsterHunter, and others.
For more information, visit http://gu3.co.jp/en/
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Creighton Vance, 415-677-9125
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