NetEase Games have announced the establishment of PinCool, a new development studio based in Tokyo, Japan. PinCool is led by representative director and president Ryutaro Ichimura, the former Dragon Quest producer from Square Enix.
Ryutaro Ichimura is a 20-year veteran in the gaming industry, and he served as lead producer on Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies. Additionally, Ichimura was involved in production of the Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai anime. This past March, he left Square Enix to pursue another venture in the gaming industry. The new venture is NetEase Games’ newest studio, PinCool.
Takashi Ogura joins Ryutaro Ichimura as a board member for PinCool, which is part of the NetEase Games division. PinCool plans to produce “high-quality entertainment experiences” to users worldwide. PinCool’s focus will be developing games for consoles, but the studio states that it will plan and produce “a range of additional forms of entertainment.” Moreover, the studio’s official website is now live, reiterating the same information discussed in the press release.
Messages from PinCool and NetEase Games
“‘Creativity to make life more enjoyable’ encapsulates our philosophy. The company name comes from the Japanese phrase ‘pin to kuru,’ expressing when an idea clicks. The English name ‘PinCool’ is pronounced similarly and is stylized to include the English word ‘cool’ as well.” said PinCool president Ryutaro Ichimura in a press release. “We offer something you won’t find anywhere else. We aim to deliver fun experiences to people across the globe through projects that take advantage of the kind of new ideas that come from untethered creative freedom. We also aim to release smaller titles while we continue our work on large-scale titles. I’m looking forward to what lies in store in the adventure of PinCool!”
“As a company that is passionate about creating immersive gaming experiences, we recognize the significant role that Ichimura-san played in the development of the Dragon Quest series. We believe that his commitment to quality and to building innovative experiences is one of the reasons why the Dragon Quest franchise has endured for so long,” said Simon Zhu, global president of investments and partnerships at NetEase Games. “He has shaped the RPG genre and inspired countless game developers around the world so we’re very excited to see him join NetEase Games and begin a new journey with PinCool. We are committed to creating an environment at NetEase Games for Ichimura-san to thrive, explore new ideas, and continue creating unforgettable gaming experiences for game lovers.”
