netease

NetEase Games Acquires Goichi Suda Studio Grasshopper Manufacture

Top GamesNetEase Games has acquired the studio behind the No More Heroes series. / Photo courtesy of Grasshopper Manufacture/NetEase GamesChinese conglomerate NetEase Games has acquired development studio Grasshopper Manufacture, the company announced Friday. Grasshopper Manufacture is best known for the games it's made with founder Goichi "SUDA51" Suda, including Killer 7, Lollipop Chainsaw and No More Heroes.This is the second time Grasshopper has been acquired. Suda founded the studio in 1998, and it remained independent until Japanese publisher GungHo Online Entertainment acquired it in 2013. GungHo Online's stake in the

Toshihiro Nagoshi confirms he is leaving Sega, Yakuza series producer Daisuke Sato also exits the company

After initial rumors surfaced in August, Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator of popular franchises such as Yakuza and Monkey Ball, is officially leaving Sega after more than 30 years with the company, along with long-time Yakuza series producer Daisuke Sato. In a post to the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio official website, both developers confirmed that they would be departing, while the studio itself announced it would be transitioning to a new structure, with writer and designer Masayoshi Yokoyama taking over for Daisuke Sato as the studio’s head director.  Yokoyama notes that

NetEase reportedly finalizing deal to bring on Sega creative director, Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi

The race between Chinese video game companies to build up development assets has been heating up for some time now, but it looks like NetEase is finalizing a deal that will coax Toshihiro Nagoshi away from Sega after more than 30 years, according to Bloomberg. Nagoshi, who has been with Sega since 1989, worked as Sega of Japan’s chief creative officer from 2012 until January of this year, when he stepped down to become the creative director and is well known as the creator of the popular Yakuza franchise. His

China roundup: Games are opium, algorithms need scrutiny

Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch’s China roundup, a digest of recent events shaping the Chinese tech landscape and what they mean to people in the rest of the world. The question for the tech news cycle in China these days has become: Who is Beijing’s next target? Regulatory clampdowns are common in China’s tech industry but the breadth of the recent moves has been unprecedented. No major tech giant is exempted and everyone is being attacked from a slightly different angle, but Beijing’s message is clear: Tech businesses are to

Meet NetEase’s Project M, the Alleged Valorant Mobile Clone

Project M, NetEase's upcoming free-to-play, tactical FPS mobile game, is in the midst of a closed beta test. PlatoAi. Web3 Reimagined. Data Intelligence Amplified. Click here to access. Source: https://www.dbltap.com/posts/meet-netease-s-project-m-the-alleged-valorant-mobile-clone-01fcbkyhkh50?utm_source=RSS

Former Epic and Blizzard Developers Establish Lightforge Games

They’re working on an RPG. Former Epic and Blizzard developers have announced the formation of Lightforge Games. Lightforge Games is an all-remote studio that’s “on a quest to change how RPGs are played.” Lightforge is currently working on a “cross-platform, social video game where players have the power to create worlds and tell stories with unprecedented freedom.” Lightforge recently raised $5 million with investments from 1UP Ventures, Dreamhaven, Galaxy Interactive, Maveron, NetEase Games, and several other investors. The studio was founded by industry veterans Matt Schembari, Dan Hertzka, Nathan Fairbanks,

Avatar startup Genies scores $65 million in funding round led by Mary Meeker’s Bond

Over the past several years I’ve covered my fair share of upstart avatar companies that were all chasing the same dream — building out a customizable platform for a digital persona that gained wide adoption across games and digital spaces. Few of those startups I’ve covered in the past are still around. But by netting a string of successful partnerships with celebrity musicians, LA-based Genies has come closer than any startup before it to realizing the full vision of a wide-reaching avatar platform. The company announced today that they’ve closed

OWL 2021 Power Rankings – #10 Washington Justice

The Washington Justice takes 10th place in our Overwatch League 2021 power rankings. The Overwatch League 2020 Season was rough for the Washington Justice. The team ended up in 19th place, out of 20 teams. But a new Overwatch League season is coming and with it a brand new roster for the Washington Justice. Washington Justice 2021 Roster Preview Tank: Tae-sung "Mag" Kim Seong-Wook "Ria" Park Jun-ho "Fury" Kim The entire tanking line of the Washington Justice is new for the Overwatch League 2021 Season. Tae-sung "Mag" Kim played two

OWL 2021 Power Rankings – #11 Toronto Defiant

The Toronto Defiant come in at 11th place in our Overwatch League 2021 power rankings. The past two Overwatch League seasons were complicated for the Toronto Defiant. The team placed 15th in 2019 and 17th in 2020 - out of 20 teams. For this new Overwatch League season, the Toronto Defiant signs a brand new roster, with some popular faces from other Overwatch League teams. Toronto Defiant 2021 Roster Preview Tank: Adam "Beast" Denton Su-min "SADO" Kim Min-hyuk "Michelle" Choi Adam "Beast" Denton makes a comeback with the Toronto Defiant.