Media & Entertainment

Despite strong demand for its Switch game console, Nintendo has to scale back production plans due to a global shortage of semiconductors.
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo to make 20% fewer Switch consoles due to chip crunch

Production revised down to 24 million units for fiscal 2021 despite high demand

2 November 2021
"Monster Hunter Rise," released on the Nintendo Switch in March, is due out on PC in January.  (Photo by Kento Hirashima)
Media & Entertainment

Capcom catalog's second life on PC gives game maker breathing room

Staying power of older entries cuts reliance on new blockbusters

31 October 2021
Bandai Namco aims to make its famous Gundam brand a symbol of environmental sustainability.
Media & Entertainment

Bandai Namco recycles popular Gunpla plastic model kits

Japanese company aims to turn hobbyists' waste into sustainable products

30 October 2021
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces the social networking company's new name, Meta, in this screenshot from a Oct. 28 presentation.
Technology

Facebook rebrands as Meta in bid to shift focus to the 'metaverse'

U.S. tech giant says it is expanding 'beyond' social apps

29 October 2021
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Cullman, Alabama, on Aug. 21.
Interview

Trump likely to run for White House in 2024, former adviser says

Gettr CEO pegs Kamala Harris or Gavin Newsom as Democratic Party candidate

28 October 2021
Sony is considering a solution to the global chip crunch -- joining with the world's largest contract semiconductor maker on a factory in Japan. (Source photos by Reuters)
Media & Entertainment

Sony confirms possible TSMC partnership on Japan chip factory

Japanese company also says it expects record $9.1bn full-year operating profit

28 October 2021
Seen here is a model of a smart city Indonesia's MNC Group plans to build in the Lido special economic zone in West Java Province. (Photo by Koya Jibiki)
Business trends

Giant theme park and smart city to open near Jakarta in 2024

Amusement facility will be one of Southeast Asia's largest

24 October 2021
Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho is one of Japan's top makers of newspaper printing presses. 
Companies

Printing press maker Tokyo Kikai shareholders back poison pill

Takeover defense comes after fund Asia Development Capital acquired around 40% of shares

22 October 2021
Zee Entertainment Enterprises founder Subhash Chandra was once dubbed "India's Rupert Murdoch.'' (Source photo by AP)
Media & Entertainment

'India's Rupert Murdoch' fights to keep control of his media empire

Subhash Chandra enlists Sony in battle over future of Zee Entertainment

22 October 2021
A newsstand in Beijing. The government on Wednesday expanded its list of which news outlets can have articles republished online.
Media & Entertainment

China amplifies state media, muzzles private voices in news list

Caixin removed from roster of outlets approved for online republishing

21 October 2021
Netflix is hoping that 'Squid Game' and other original content will help pull in more paid subscribers.
Media & Entertainment

'Squid Game' gives Netflix boost as Asia leads subscriber growth

South Korean drama watched by 142 million households worldwide in 4 weeks

20 October 2021
U.S. game publisher Scopely, founded in 2011, has a growing business in games played on mobile phones. (Photo by Masaharu Ban)
Media & Entertainment

Sony to sell mobile gaming subsidiary for $1bn

Entertainment group to focus on games using its own content

19 October 2021
Sony Group looks to create India's largest broadcaster with a merger between its local subsidiary and Zee Entertainment Enterprises.
Business deals

Indian broadcaster Zee draws shareholder fire over Sony merger

U.S. fund manager Invesco cites unfair advantage to founding family

13 October 2021
While male-male romance might be taboo, danmei fiction, movies and web series offer Chinese women a place to escape the male gaze and forget about the duties expected of them in China's deeply patriarchal society.
Arts

Why Chinese women are falling for 'boys love' fiction

Fiction written by straight women, for straight women, has Beijing worried

9 October 2021
Although unpredictable, China has been a major factor in decision-making for American film studios. (Source photos by AP, Reuters and Getty Images) 
Business Spotlight

What blockbuster? China spurns Hollywood's advances

Regulators freeze out U.S. blockbusters as Chinese audiences become harder to woo

8 October 2021
"One Piece" publisher Shueisha is selling prints from the manga series for around 500,000 yen. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) ONE PIECE (c) 2021, Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha Inc. All rights reserved.
Media & Entertainment

NFTs turn Japan's manga and anime into genuine art

Original illustrations from 'One Piece' reborn as high-end collectors' items

2 October 2021
Ikea shows off its gamer-focused furniture at the Tokyo Game Show on Sept. 30. (Photo by Jada Nagumo)
Media & Entertainment

Ikea rolls out 'gaming furniture' as COVID fuels demand

Swedish company exhibits new lineup in Tokyo Game Show debut

30 September 2021
Microsoft's cloud-based gaming service is scheduled to open on Oct. 1 for people in Japan and Australia. (Photo courtesy of Microsoft)
Media & Entertainment

Microsoft to launch cloud gaming service at Tokyo Game Show

Shift away from consoles continues amid chip shortage and China energy crunch

30 September 2021
The Tokyo Game Show is offering a virtual-reality version of one of the world's key gaming expos. (Photo courtesy of TGS)
Media & Entertainment

Tokyo Game Show turns to virtual reality in face of COVID

Expo hopes to lure gamers from around the world to its virtual venues

29 September 2021
The authorities have cited "doxxing" of police officers and their families as justification for the new law. 
Politics

Hong Kong shrugs off Big Tech's concerns about anti-doxxing law

Lawmakers scheduled to hold first vote on bill on Wednesday

28 September 2021
Contenders for the presidential election of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) pose prior to a news conference in Tokyo on Sept. 17. 
Your Week in Asia

Japan LDP election, China auto data law and Tokyo Game Show

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

26 September 2021
This home page of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China as of Thursday afternoon. 
Hong Kong security law

Hong Kong police invoke security law to censor online posts

June 4 vigil organizer forced to purge social media accounts

16 September 2021
"If you look at the competitive landscape, Asia has become an important growth area," Viu CEO Janice Lee said. (Photo courtesy of Viu)
Interview

Hong Kong's Viu focuses on Southeast Asia, fends off Netflix

PCCW unit relies on local content and makes pricing flexible to draw users

16 September 2021
Sony is using its image sensor business to showcases its green initiatives. (Photo by Yasunori Okamura)
Environment

Sony accelerates green push in image sensor business

Japanese giant seeks to cut power consumption with AI-enabled device

15 September 2021
A schoolgirl poses next to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the job of revamping one of India's most revered pilgrimage sites to his trusted architect.
Politics

India's plan to revamp Mahatma Gandhi home meets fierce criticism

Activists warn of 'Gandhi Theme Park' at best or 'second assassination' at worst

13 September 2021