Aiming 2023 Fiscal Year Q2 Earnings Q&A Summary

Aiming’s strategic pivot toward intellectual property-based game development is driven by the increasing difficulty of acquiring new users for original titles. While original games historically offered higher potential returns, the current market landscape favors anime-based intellectual properties, which serve as effective tools for user acquisition and global expansion. The success of titles like The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden has significantly strengthened the company’s industry standing, providing a competitive advantage in securing high-quality licensing agreements with publishing and animation firms.

Financial management remains focused on balancing growth with prudent expenditure. Marketing budgets for new releases, such as DanMachi Battle Chronicle, are contingent upon initial performance metrics, with the company applying lessons from previous campaigns to avoid inefficient spending. Development investment is similarly performance-oriented; high-profile projects like Stream Hero! may receive increased funding if the company maintains strong conviction in their commercial viability, particularly when leveraging the brand power of established industry talent.

The company maintains a distinct market position by prioritizing core-oriented, deep gameplay mechanics over casual experiences. This design philosophy consistently results in higher average revenue per user compared to industry peers. Moving forward, the company intends to leverage its improved negotiation leverage and proven track record to secure premium intellectual property, ensuring a steady pipeline of titles that cater to its dedicated, high-spending player base while navigating the evolving dynamics of the global subscription-driven animation and gaming sectors.