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Yuji Nakamura
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Feb 21, 2018
Uber CEO eyes Japan taxi partnerships as Asia trip highlights global ambitions
Uber Technologies Inc. isn't ready to give up the world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 9, 2018
Japanese 26-year-old who doesn't code creates Asia's hottest game with 'Tabi Kaeru'
Japanese frogs are proliferating across Asia. The good news is, they're not an invasive species, nor are they real.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 9, 2018
At last, Japan gives nod to gaming as a profession
A skinny chain smoker with pale skin, Yota Kachi doesn't look much like a professional athlete. But this weekend, the 31-year-old will get a chance to become one by playing video games.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 10, 2018
Office-sharing firm WeWork looks to offer child- and pet-friendly working spaces in Japan
In Japan, where pets outnumber children, WeWork Cos. is adapting to the lay of the land.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 6, 2017
Nintendo opens games to rival console for first time with China-only Nvidia tie-up
For the first time ever, Nintendo Co.'s games will be playable on gaming hardware that wasn't made by the Kyoto-based company.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 24, 2017
Gaming industry treads precarious path as it brings in-game purchases to PC and console titles
Free, it turns out, can be a great business.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2017
China's bitcoin barons seek new life in Japan and Hong Kong
China's largest cryptocurrency operators are proving hard to keep down.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 24, 2017
Game makers deploy deep-learning AI algorithms to keep players coming back for more
In today's game industry, titles like "Clash Royale" and "Pokemon Go" are free for most people to enjoy because there's a small number of players who pay for extras, like special weapons or more lives. Game developers have to strike a delicate balance in this free-to-play model between drawing the masses...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 13, 2017
Infostellar to improve satellite access with global antenna-sharing platform
Telling satellites what to do is expensive, complicated, and can only be done a few times a day.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 12, 2017
As sanctions bite, are North Korea hackers stepping up bitcoin attacks?
North Korea appears to be stepping up efforts to secure bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which could be used to avoid trade restrictions, a new report from security researcher FireEye Inc. states.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 7, 2017
Pokemon chief hints at big plans for augmented reality smartphone game
It's been more than a year since "Pokemon Go" took the world by storm, getting people to wander outside and look for virtual monsters with their smartphones.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2017
If not for yakuza laws, Japan could be cleaning up in e-sports ring
Spectators packed a Seattle arena and 5 million more went online to watch a video game tournament this summer in which winners each earned $2.2 million, about as much as tennis pro Rafael Nadal won at this year's French Open. Players came from all over the world but, as usual at these events, none was...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 10, 2017
Sega embraces rogue fan programmers with retro Sonic sequel
Sega is doing what Nintendon't.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 9, 2017
Budding inventors find encouragement in Sony's Seed Accelerator Program
Sony Corp., which is emerging from five years of brutal restructuring that gutted its workforce and product lineup, wants to show off a few new things.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2017
With Switch, Nintendo seen enticing players to use just one device
For more than two decades, Nintendo Co.'s twin product lines were the envy of its rivals: a home console and a handheld gaming device. But signs are emerging that its new hybrid Switch may upend all of that.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 15, 2017
Cool Japan bets $10 million on U.S. fund to attract more foreign venture capital
Japan, eclipsed by China in startup activity, is boosting efforts to get foreign venture capital firms more involved with its entrepreneurs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 29, 2017
BITPoint in talks to add bitcoin payments to outlets across Japan
BITPoint Japan, the company behind Peach Aviation's move to let travelers use bitcoin to pay for tickets, is planning to give hundreds of thousands of retail outlets the ability to accept the digital currency.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 14, 2017
A year after Kyushu quakes, Sony's sensor business expands to AR, robots
The earthquakes that jolted Kyushu a year ago killed dozens, left tens of thousands homeless and were a reminder of how much the global supply chain for smartphones and digital cameras depends on Sony Corp.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 9, 2017
Nintendo counting on high praise for Zelda to fuel Switch sales
Nintendo Co. is earning early accolades for making sure that its new Switch console debuted with a strong gaming title, "Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." The big question now is whether that will translate into sales.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 3, 2017
Nintendo treading on shaky ground as new mobile game takes 'gacha' global
Nintendo Co. found out with its first smartphone game it's tough to get people to pay $10 even if the draw is Super Mario. With its second mobile title, the Japanese powerhouse is taking a different approach that is potentially more lucrative — and much more controversial.

Longform

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