LINE and GREE to Establish Joint Venture, Epic Voyage, Inc.- New Company to Develop and Operate Mobile Games for LINE GAME -

TOKYO, Japan—October 9, 2014—LINE Corporation, owner and operator of the free call and messaging app LINE, and GREE, Inc., a global technology company and leading developer of mobile games, announced today that they have entered into a framework agreement to establish Epic Voyage, Inc., a joint venture that will focus on the development and operation of mobile games for LINE GAME, LINE’s global platform for game distribution.

The new company will combine GREE’s advanced development capabilities, accumulated over years as a mobile gaming pioneer, with LINE’s extensive user base across Asia and the globe to produce games that are competitive on a global level. Details concerning the new company, such as plans for game releases and other matters pending decision in the near future, will be disclosed at a later date.

Through the creation of the new venture, LINE and GREE hope to further accelerate the development of their respective businesses while providing high-quality Japan-made games to players around the world.

Overview of New Company

Company name Epic Voyage, Inc.
Date of establishment October 31, 2014 (tentative date)
Capital JPY 10 million
CEO Eiji Araki, Vice President at GREE, Inc.
Directors Jun Masuda, CSMO at LINE Corporation
Satoshi Fukuda, Japan Game Business Division at GREE, Inc.
Business Development of games for the LINE platform

Comment from Jun Masuda, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer at LINE Corporation:

“Since beginning service in November 2012, LINE GAME has released games developed in-house and in conjunction with third-party content providers to players through the LINE platform, establishing its identity and raising its profile as a gaming platform. The service has recently concentrated a greater share of its effort on expanding globally in order to transcend the domestic Japanese market and provide high quality gaming content to the entire world. GREE is the largest developer of native apps in Japan. Their developmental expertise and impressive track record is exactly what LINE GAME needs at this stage, and all of us here at LINE are extremely excited by the opportunity to create a new business venture together. We hope to leverage the strengths of the LINE platform to provide better games than ever to players around the world.”

Comment from Naoki Aoyagi, Senior Vice President at GREE, Inc.:

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with LINE in this business partnership. GREE already develops mobile games for a global audience at our studios in Japan, North America, and South Korea, and we’re looking forward to bringing some of that accumulated expertise to bear in the new company to produce high-quality games that LINE users will enjoy. By tapping into LINE’s global network, we hope to reach more people than ever with new mobile gaming experiences that will surprise and excite.”

Overview of LINE

Company name LINE Corporation
Headquarters Shibuya Hikarie 27F, Shibuya 2-21-1,Shibuya-ward, Tokyo, Japan
Representatives Akira Morikawa, President; Takeshi Idezawa, COO
Business description Internet enterprises and web-based services (LINE, NAVER, livedoor)
Capital JPY 12,596 million

Overview of GREE

Company name GREE, Inc.
Headquarters Roppingi Hills Mori Tower, Roppongi 6-10-1, Minato-ward, Tokyo, Japan
Representatives Yoshikazu Tanaka, Founder, Chairman and CEO
Business description Mobile gaming, social media, advertising, and venture capital
Capital JPY 2,262 million (as of June 30, 2014)

About LINE Corporation

LINE Corporation is based in Japan and develops and operates the LINE app for smartphones. Since launching in June 2011, the LINE app has grown into a global service used in 230 countries, ranking first in the free app category in 60 countries. LINE offers free one-to-one and group messaging, as well as free domestic and international voice and video calls. LINE also includes a wide array of social elements such as fun and expressive stickers, a personal Home, a Timeline, and numerous LINE family apps, including LINE games and LINE camera. For more information about LINE, please visit http://linecorp.com/en/.

About GREE, Inc.

GREE is a global technology company with businesses that include mobile gaming, social media, advertising, and venture capital. Established in December 2004, GREE created the world's first mobile social game in 2007 and today is a global leader in free-to-play, reaching audiences around the world with its portfolio of first-party and partner titles. GREE has studios in Tokyo, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Seoul, and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (3632).

GREE and the GREE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of GREE, Inc. in Japan and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information

Press Contacts
GREE, Inc. PR
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
E-mail: jp-pr@gree.net
URL: https://corp.gree.net/jp/en/
Twitter: @GREE_pr_jp
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