Media & Entertainment

Splatoon 3, launched in September, set a new Japanese sales record for Switch games in the days following its launch. (Photo courtesy of Nintendo)
Media & Entertainment

Splatoon 3 helps lift Nintendo Switch sales 36% in Japan

Game hardware bounces back from year-earlier slump, magazine's data shows

5 October 2022
Takashi Miike’s “Connect” stars Jung Hae-in as a man who has his eye removed by a criminal gang of organ hunters.  (Courtesy of Walt Disney Co.)
Arts

Foreign directors create their own Korean dramas

Films by Japan's Miike and Kore-eda to be showcased at Busan festival

3 October 2022
Supported by the popularity of BTS, Hybe has attracted would-be artists from around the world to form a pool of trainees and built a structure to mass-produce K-pop idols. (Photo courtesy of Hybe)
Media & Entertainment

BTS's talent agency in rapid business diversification mode

New artists debuted, game business launched to cut reliance on K-pop sensation

1 October 2022
Sony Group agreed to buy Repeat.gg, a platform that hosts esport tournaments for Fortnite and other popular games. (Photo by Hiromi Sato)
Media & Entertainment

PlayStation, PCs and M&A: Sony goes all-in on esports

Japanese group sets sights on nearly 500m global fans of competitive gaming

1 October 2022
Li is known as the "Lipstick King" for selling 15,000 lipstick tubes in five minutes on Taobao.
Media & Entertainment

China's livestream king resurfaces after mystery disappearance

Austin Li's low-key return to Alibaba's Taobao tests government reaction

21 September 2022
The Columbia Pictures Aquaverse set to open in Thailand will have attractions featuring content from film franchises such as "Hotel Transylvania." (Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures Aquaverse)
Travel & Leisure

Sony's Aquaverse set for Thai debut as Paramount eyes Bali theme park

Southeast Asia's growing population and incomes draw overseas players

21 September 2022
The Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California. The U.S. media giant aims to expand the lineup of its streaming service by training creators in Asia.
Media & Entertainment

Disney targets content creators in Asia for growth

U.S. media giant's program meant to secure original works for Disney+ service

19 September 2022
Established in Beijing 10 years ago, ByteDance has become one of the world's most valuable private companies despite finding itself in the crossfire in battles over technology between the U.S. and China.
China tech

ByteDance to spend $3bn to offer exit for investors

Plan values Chinese tech group and TikTok owner at $300bn

16 September 2022
Players try out Street Fighter 6 at the Tokyo Game Show 2022 on Sept. 15. The popular series from Capcom was only available for consoles in the past but can now be bought on Steam for playing on PCs. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Media & Entertainment

PlayStation takes back seat to PCs at Tokyo game expo

The rise of Steam heralds the sunset for console games

16 September 2022
Disney+ is trying to win over new subscribers in Asia and elsewhere with locally focused content. 
Media & Entertainment

Topped off at home, Disney+ seeks growth in Asia and elsewhere

'It's not about quantity. It's a quality game,' head of international content says

15 September 2022
A woman takes a picture with a cosplayer at a booth of Eastward Legend: the Empyrean by Tencent Games.
Media & Entertainment

Tencent and NetEase allowed to issue new games after 14-month freeze

Beijing gives nod to licenses as it gradually loosens crackdown on tech sector

14 September 2022
A gambling watchdog has given Star Entertainment 14 days to respond to a damning report into operations at its Sydney casino.
Companies

Inquiry finds Australia's Star unfit to run Sydney casino

Gambling regulator says report into casino 'is, quite frankly, shocking'

13 September 2022
The launch of ALLTV marks the official entry into the television business of the Philippines' richest man, Manuel Villar, a supporter of former President Rodrigo Duterte and new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Media & Entertainment

Philippine billionaire Manuel Villar launches TV venture

ALLTV begins broadcast via former channel of shuttered ABS-CBN

13 September 2022
Splatoon 3 sold more units in its early days than any other Nintendo title for the Switch.
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo's Splatoon 3 hits Japan sales record, beats Animal Crossing

Paintball-style shooter debuts to broader base of Switch gamers

13 September 2022
Sony Group suspended Russian operations across the board following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Kei Higuchi)
Media & Entertainment

Sony Music exits Russia operations in deal with local company

Other Sony businesses in country remain suspended after Ukraine invasion

12 September 2022
Yoshiki speaks during an interview with Nikkei at the head office of Coca-Cola Japan in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
Interview

Musicians offer lifestyles as well as their work: Yoshiki

Avoiding obsession with money is key for any business, says artist

11 September 2022
Stream article image
Obituaries

Tim Page, the photographer who lived on borrowed time

Witness to the Vietnam War with an idiosyncratic humanist agenda

9 September 2022
Stream article image
Life

Players' paradise: Four of Tokyo's most exciting game centers

From retro-tastic classics to mind-blowing VR adventures, every gaming taste is catered to here

8 September 2022
The Japanese fantasy adventure series follows pirates exploring the seas in search of the ultimate treasure.
Travel & Leisure

Chinese water parks hook 'One Piece' pirate character licensing deal

Hong Kong-listed operator Haichang taps local fan base for Japanese pop culture

7 September 2022
Fundard CEO Kazue Murase poses with a doll made in her likeness by the company she launched shortly after leaving Bandai. (Photo by Naoyuki Kozuki)
Media & Entertainment

Tamagotchi innovator leaves Bandai behind with new stuffed avatars

Kazue Murase sees toys as tools for communication and interaction

4 September 2022
Japan's video game industry is wary of turning off players by diving too aggressively into crypto, while gamers say they do not want the real world worry of having to earn money encroaching on their pastime. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Business Spotlight

Japan's video game heavyweights tiptoe into blockchain

Square Enix aims to monetize NFT project while 'play-to-earn' games sour globally

2 September 2022
ABS-CBN said on Sept. 1 it has "mutually agreed" to terminate an agreement that would have enabled it to air more content on TV5's free-to-air channel.
Media & Entertainment

Philippine TV network scraps deal with rival amid political heat

Shuttered by Duterte, ABS-CBN struggles to make a comeback

1 September 2022
FromSoftware's Elden Ring had sold 16.6 million copies as of June.
Business deals

Tencent and Sony to buy into Elden Ring game developer in $260m deal

Share sale will fund more in-house development at Kadokawa-owned studio

1 September 2022
Apple Daily Taiwan is closing down on Aug. 31.
Media & Entertainment

Jimmy Lai-connected Apple Daily Taiwan to shut down

Would-be buyer says he will instead hire ex-staff for own new outlet

30 August 2022
Indian cricket franchises eyeing new markets have tasted success with the IPL, where fat paychecks and unwavering supporter loyalty have lured players and sponsors from across the globe.
Media & Entertainment

Indian cricket franchises aim to hit big in overseas leagues

But experts warn stunning success of Indian Premier League is hard to replicate

29 August 2022