• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Techcolopl

Japanese Game Giant Opens American VR Studio

By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 10, 2016, 6:58 PM ET
Colopl
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Japanese mobile game publisher Colopl, which has a revenue of $700 million a year, had already committed $50 million to a virtual reality investment fund. Now to develop games for emerging platforms such as Samsung Gear VR, Sony PlayStation VR, Facebook Oculus Rift, and the HTC Vive, the company has opened a virtual reality studio, Colopl NI, in San Mateo, Calif.

Jikhan Jung, CEO of Colopl NI, says the company’s headquarters in Japan has been developing in virtual reality for two years. The new studio is going to leverage that experience to grow its virtual reality presence in the U.S. quickly.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“In the beginning, we will focus on the quality of our teams rather than the quantity of our teams, and build out over time,” Jung says. “This will allow us to ensure quality and a strong, long-term plan.”

Jung says Colopl NI is aiming to take a leadership position in virtual reality. The studio is using Unity game engine technology, and will be more focused on PC-based virtual reality games because it has a strong relationship with Oculus. But they are also exploring PlayStation VR. Jung says the long-term business model will be to develop games for virtual reality platforms that provide the best opportunities and largest audience. That will eventually include mobile virtual reality platforms.

Geographically, they are looking to reach players globally, not necessarily targeting specific countries, Jung says. “Games from the U.S. will have a higher chance of working across territories, from what we’ve seen from past experiences within mobile and PC,” he says.

One potential virtual reality growth area outside of the U.S. is Korea. Jung, who is Korean, has been tracking that country’s virtual reality activity. The Korean government announced earlier this month that it will invest approximately $150 million over the next three years in the growth of the virtual reality industry.

“Since Korea has a huge gaming population with lots of experienced PC and mobile gaming engineers with Unity experience, Korea could be a strong country that will generate lots of great VR content in the future,” Jung says.

For more on virtual reality watch our video.

Colopl NI plans to publish multiple virtual reality games this year. Jung says the company is adopting a quick rollout plan from idea to prototype to market in about two to three months.

As for the types of games the company is focusing on, Jung says casino and story-driven games will be a good fit for the early virtual reality hardware adopters.

“We don’t necessarily think it’s the hardcore gamer who is interested in VR at this moment, but more likely early adopters who like to keep track of what is new, innovative, and fun,” Jung says. “This audience will spread out as the pricing becomes more affordable and the experiences become more mainstream.”

Virtual Reality Is Stunning. But Is It a Business?

Jung also says the company will try to make a social game that people can enjoy together in virtual reality. Ten years ago, Jung founded one of the first free-to-play gaming portals, gPotato.com. He sees a future for this business model in virtual reality over time, although early on it will follow the traditional pay model.

“Free-to-play first started on the PC and then hit mobile, so it’s a proven model that consumers want,” Jung says. “No matter what platform it is, free-to-play will be the main business model going forward, because it allows players to try games first before making a commitment.” And for publishers, free-to-play can generate longer-term cash flow than a one-time purchase or monthly subscriptions.

In addition to developing games internally, the new U.S. studio will also collaborate with independent developers. This plays back to the $50 million Colopl Next fund, which is aimed at anyone with an idea that could shake up the industry.

About the Author
By John Gaudiosi
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive officer of Anthropic, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s IPO pitch has a new problem: the government can shut it down
By Eva RoytburgJune 16, 2026
60 minutes ago
Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive officer of Anthropic, at Bloomberg House
AIAnthropic
The shutdown of Anthropic’s Mythos model sparks a global scramble for sovereign AI
By Beatrice NolanJune 16, 2026
2 hours ago
AI won’t transform your business—until you redesign work itself 
AIWorkforce
AI won’t transform your business—until you redesign work itself 
By Francesca CassidyJune 16, 2026
3 hours ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AITech
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 16, 2026
3 hours ago
Isaiah Granet smiles
Startups & VentureVenture Capital
Exclusive: Voice AI startup Bland raises $50 million after being rejected by 180 investors
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 16, 2026
3 hours ago
Alexandra Debrow flocked by her cofounders
AITerm Sheet
Exclusive: How college photo-sharing app Swsh became an AI-powered fan data business backed by Scooter Braun
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 16, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
23 hours ago
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
Success
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
By Preston ForeJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
Startups & Venture
Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
By Eva RoytburgJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 15, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 15, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.