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Thursday, May 17, 2004
Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association Press Release
Establishment of the CESA Online Community Committee In recognition of the major role online games have come to play in the online community business, the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA - located at 1-22-10 Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, chaired by Kenzo Tsujimoto) has established a new committee specializing in the 'online community business' field. The committee, named "Online Community Committee", under the direct control of the Board of Managing Directors, will start its activities by broadly recruiting new members from business entities which are interested in the online community. In accordance with the slogan advocated by the Intellectual Property Policy Headquarters of the Cabinet Office to support the promotion of IT "contents" businesses as a national strategy, the government and economic industries have been promoting activities to achieve such a goal. As a result, the environment for IT venture companies wanting to enter the online community business field has become much more favorable. "Online community business" is defined as services providing IT 'contents' such as gaming and other forms of entertainment and services over the Internet to home videogame systems consoles, personal computers, and mobile phones. It is clear that through online gaming, the number and variety of online communities will continue to grow, enabling a wide rage of new industries to flourish. The special committee plans to analyze industrial trends, enhance the field's social recognition and provide a means for business exchange between various industries related to the online community. It will also make efforts to encourage the continued development and expansion of the industry by conducting research on business models and technical trends, performing marketing case studies, and engaging in public relations activities. Anticipated major member companies to join the newly formed Online Community Special Committee are corporations providing services via communication networks as well as their constituent organizations and individuals. According to data released by the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affaires, Posts and Telecommunications, the number of established broadband connections in Japan already exceeds more than 11 million lines. Together with the increase of broadband connections there has been a dramatic increase in the number of subscribers to online games. Future growth of the Internet-based online community business field supported by the online gaming business shows considerable potential. The number of online game users in Japan is projected to reach five million by 2005 and the value of the Japanese market alone is expected to reach 100 billion yen. The committee will strive to enhance the appeal as well as the potentiality of the market's services both inside and outside of Japan through the activities of its corporate members made up from providers of online games, other forms of entertainment and additional online services.
Contact: Ms. Yuki Takamatsu at the Online Community Committee, Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, 3F Nishi-shimbashi Annex, 1-22-10 Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003 TEL: 03-3591-9151 E-mail: takamatsu@cesa.or.jp URL: http://www.cesa.or.jp/ |
