NetEase taps Dragon Quest producer to lead new Tokyo studio PinCool

NetEase has established a new Japanese studio called PinCool to create "global entertainment content."

Dragon Quest VIII and Dragon Quest IX lead producer Ryutaro Ichimura will take charge of the studio, which will become a part of the NetEase Games division.

The multifunctional studio will primarily focus on developing games for console platforms, but will also be involved in "planning and producing a range of additional forms of content."

"PinCool is a studio comprised of industry experts with extensive experience in different facets of the interactive entertainment field, including video games, movie creatives, live events and IP licensing," reads a press release.

PinCool's plans

"[The studio] plans to leverage its diverse knowledge as an entertainment production company to provide high-quality entertainment experiences to users worldwide."

Ichimura said the Tokyo-based studio will use creativity to "make life more enjoyable," and noted the company name is derived from the Japanese phrase "pin to kuru," which expresses when an idea clicks.

"We offer something you won’t find anywhere else. We aim to deliver fun experiences to people across the globe through projects that take advantage of the kind of new ideas that come from untethered creative freedom," they add. "We also aim to release smaller titles while we continue our work on large-scale titles. I’m looking forward to what lies in store in the adventure of PinCool."

This is the latest in a string of new openings for NetEase. Since the turn of the year, the Chinese company has established or acquired multiple new studios including Bad Brain Game, Anchor Point, Spliced Inc, and SkyBox labs.