Cave and Gree, with license consent from Sanrio, have released a new feature phone social game for GREE, “Monster Children.”

“Monster Children” is a social game featuring popular Sanrio characters disguised as vampires, ghosts, zombies, and other Halloween monsters, with a concept and style that’s “A little scary, but totally cute!”

Zombies, vampires, paper umbrella ghosts... “Monster Children” features Hello Kitty, My Melody and other popular characters dressed up as monsters from many countries.  Matched with new items, over 400 different combinations are possible.

In addition, coinciding with the release of “Monster Children,” Laforet in Harajuku, Tokyo will hold a limited term collaboration event from October 8th through the 31st, and if you fulfill all of the conditions below, you will be granted a rare character within the game, “Laforet Original Hello Kitty.”

1. Register location at Harajuku: Laforet Limited Item
2. Scan the QR code at Harajuku Laforet: Laforet Limited House
3. Shop at the Laforet store: Limited Item “Laforet Original My Melody”
4. Purchase item within “Monster Children:” Limited Event “Laforet Original Cinnamoroll”
5. Fulfill all conditions 1-4: Limited event “Laforet Original Hello Kitty”

Event and present details: http://www.laforet.ne.jp/campaign/halloweenkitty/ [J]

© CAVE Interactive CO.,LTD.
© 1976,1999,2001,2011 SANRIO CO.,LTD. APPROVAL NO.S 522345
© Laforet HARAJUKU

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Tags: Japan, Social game by Chiho Komoriya
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Metabirds Co. [J] has begun an alias based SNS on “metabirds,” [J] a portal for internet denizens.

“Metabirds” is a social network for using an “alter ego,” not just a real name or anonymity.  The concept is to express your alias identity “nicknames,” and “screen names,” as your own personal “sub character,” and this social network is for those who want to intermingle with “sub character” comrades.  On this service, continuing from the predecessor virtual society oriented portal “metabirds,” will be the following features:

- Blog function
- Miniblog (tweet) function
- Love (for websites and favorite digital contents, other places on top of the net, registering people, “Like,” “Check in” etc. synthesis) function
- Follow function
- Timeline indication as well as Twitter/Facebook integration function
- Level up in response to activity, badge allowance function
- Smartphone optimization function
- English user interface offered

As for the business model, in addition to establishing a developer-user paid plan and a free plan, they will strengthen notice functions, and continue to offer various revenue oriented activities.  From here on, their plan is to open up badge functions for developers and offer application programming interfaces.

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Tags: Japan, New Service by Chiho Komoriya
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After the news of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ death was reported on October 6th, there were some happenings at the Apple Store in Ginza.  At the moment there seem to be no plans to hold an official memorial event accordion to Apple Store, but nevertheless many Apple fans came to give flower offerings.  Also in many places sudden memorial events were held.

The state of affairs at the Ginza Apple Store on night of the 6th.  Although it may appear that the number of people was minimal, at that time people had gathered to the point that security guards went onto the sidewalk to regulate.

The situation at 10:00 P.M.  Although the store had been closed for an hour, bouquets were piled up thick.

Not only bouquets but also message cards and apples referencing the logo mark were offered in tribute.  Also in this way, the feeling that people truly love Steve Jobs the man and the Apple Corporation could truly be expressed.

Incidentally when I checked in to the Ginza Apple Store with the location information app “Foursquare,” I saw that some 266 users had also checked in.  Don’t you think that’s probably the first time so many people have ever checked into the Apple Store in one day?

Also, Melting Dots CEO Hiroshi Asaeda made a memorial video of  Steve Jobs and opened them out on YouTube and NicoNico Douga (Smile Video).  Please go ahead and watch it from here too.

Youtube version

NicoNico Douga version

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Tags: Japan by Chiho Komoriya
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From the first time rumored, Japanese social game network giant Mobage company DeNA has been rumored to buy a Yokohama-based professional baseball team, Yokohama Bay Stars. DeNA side never commented on that. And some media reported the deal went up into air.

Today Nikkei reported [J] that TBS Holdings, a TV broadcast network currently owning the team, is almost agreeing with DeNA on the deal. Nikkei also says that even those two agrees they need to get permission of the deal by owners committee of all 12 teams.

Recently Tsuneo Watanabe, ex-Yomiuri Giants owner who still has a lot of influences on the most popular team's management, the league and even whole Japanese sports business, expressed that he dislikes (without mentioning the name) that the Japan pro-baseball should not accept a company who is running "a dating site", which he likely was explained by his staffs. Last month, when he was asked comment around DeNA/Mobage rumor first, he said "DeNA? I do not know at all.". But yesterday on 18th, he said that he feels that the deal is almost done, with telling "There are no other buyers. (Only DeNA) remained from multiple candidates."

[Update 9:50] DeNA has published a short, likely not-scheduled, release in Japanese. "Today there was a media report that we are considering to purchase a baseball team. Although it is true that we are at the negotiation, nothing has been fixed at this point." So DeNA admits that they are at the table at least.

Tags: Japan, Social game by Akky Akimoto
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ONE of THEM,Inc., [J] from October 5th’s fixed date deposit, has issued third party allocation of shares totaling about 300 million yen, through Globis Capital Partners and Infinity Ventures LLP.

ONE of THEM.Inc is a corporation established in January of 2011.  They offer planning and development of both joint and in-house contents centered on the feature phone and smart phone market.  As well as managing the feature phone social game “Umi No Ue No Kame Nouen” (The Turtle Plantation Over the Sea) for CyberAgent’s Ameba since June, they also have established a marketing center in Singapore from September.

The funds they have accrued at this time will be used for expanding and reinforcing their development for smartphone systems and applications, strengthening their management base, applications and contents M&A, developing their international marketing base, and growing their team of talented individuals.

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Tags: Japan, Social game by Chiho Komoriya
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