It looks like a couple of Western game developers or publishers are coming over to Japan to expand. I’m not sure what the long term effects are of this move between THQ Nordic and Microïds, but the expansion is happening as we speak.

First and foremost, if you are unfamiliar with Microïds and what is currently under their portfolio, the company is best known for games like the Syberia trilogy, the Moto Racer franchise, and the upcoming remake of Ubisoft’s 2003 FPS stealth title XIII.

I bet you are wondering, “Why is this company even venturing over to Japan?” The answer to that question sits over on Microïds’ newly posted blog spot:

“After three successful years in Japan, Microids is proud to announce the opening of a representative office in this region. Microids will be represented by Martial Meyssignac (present in Japan for 30 years) who will work closely with Yves Bléhaut, Senior VP Strategic Partnerships at Microids. This new office is part of a policy of expansion; its main roles will be the distribution of games from the company’s catalog and the establishment of agreements with iconic Japanese titles, in conjunction with its parent company in France.

 

[…] Stay tuned! Microids will soon announce the signature of agreements to acquire new licenses and new games!”

Before switching over to THQ Nordic Japan, Microïds claims that they have big plans for the year 2020, and this new studio will help fulfill those plans.

Moving on to THQ Nordic and their new branch, the official article section on thqnordic.com sees Klemens Kreuzer, Managing Director at THQ Nordic GmbH, saying:

“In our opinion, the only real way to truly embrace (pun intended) the Japanese market is to run it with a team of Japanese professionals, which was our approach for the new Japanese subsidiary. A warm, heartfelt welcome to the entire team based in Tokyo, Japan. Good things come to those who wait and we took our time to realize it with the best setup possible.”

Folks to help THQ Nordic bring new games to the gaming scene with the help of local talent in the land of the rising sun comes Yuji Kato, Junko Kato, and Hiroshi Ogawa:

• Yuji Kato – Managing Director. Nearly 20 years of games industry experience. Former programmer.
• Junko Kato – Manager Former editor. Former programmer, mainly QA and project management.
• Hiroshi Ogawa – Project Management. Former programmer. Networking and exhibitions management.

So there you have it. Two Western developers want to expand their presence and operations in Japan during 2020 and beyond.

With all of that said, what do you think of all of this?