YGG Japan

YGG Japan is the Japanese-focused subDAO (sub-decentralized autonomous organization) of the global Yield Guild Games (YGG) network, established in March 2022. The organization aims to onboard Japanese gamers into the Web3 ecosystem by lowering entry barriers and promoting a "Play-and-Earn" model, an evolution of the "Play-to-Earn" concept. YGG Japan operates as a crucial link between Japan's significant gaming market and the global blockchain gaming community, supporting domestic game developers in launching their titles internationally and bringing global games to Japanese users.

The company was co-founded by Tetsuya Fujiwara of ForN Inc., Gabby Dizon of Yield Guild Games, and Akio Tanaka of Infinity Ventures Crypto (IVC). Fujiwara, who serves as CEO of ForN, has a background in marketing for major game companies like CyberAgent and Netmarble Japan. Dizon is a veteran of the Southeast Asian game industry and a co-founder of the parent YGG, a pioneering decentralized gaming guild that invests in NFT assets. Tanaka is a partner at Headline Asia and IVC, with extensive experience in venture capital and technology, including roles at Adobe and Macromedia Japan.

YGG Japan's business model involves investing in the NFT assets of blockchain games and operating a guild where players can use these assets to earn rewards. This model addresses the high entry costs often associated with NFT games. The company generates revenue and supports its ecosystem through these investments and by providing marketing and development support to game publishers. It has secured significant funding to pursue its objectives, including an initial $2.8 million seed round in July 2022 and a subsequent $2.95 million round in January 2023, with notable investors like Square Enix, SEGA, Animoca Brands, and Bandai Namco Research.

A key product initiative is "GabeeTown," a Web3 gaming hub designed to help players discover and access legitimate crypto games. YGG Japan is also developing the "YAIBA" project, a next-generation Web3 gaming platform that facilitates collaboration between players, developers, and investors, and features its own native token, JPGG. The firm actively forms strategic partnerships with companies like Oasys and Creta to strengthen marketing efforts and expand the blockchain gaming market in Japan.

Keywords: Play-and-Earn, blockchain gaming, Japanese gaming market, Web3, NFT, gaming guild, GameFi, decentralized autonomous organization, YGG, subDAO, Tetsuya Fujiwara, Gabby Dizon, Akio Tanaka, Square Enix, SEGA, Animoca Brands, Infinity Ventures Crypto, Oasys, GabeeTown, YAIBA, JPGG token