Updated Mar 23, 2026 by GREE
Report
Published by GREE
The briefing outlines GREE’s performance and strategic outlook for the second quarter of FY2023, focusing on its Internet and Entertainment Business. Sales in the Game and Anime segment remained steady for “Heaven Burns Red,” though revenue tapered after the half‑year anniversary promotion; growth continued in Metaverse and Commerce & DX divisions. The company anticipates a one‑year anniversary event for the Japanese version of Heaven Burns Red and imminent releases in Korean and traditional Chinese, with pre‑registrations already generating significant buzz at local game shows. The Anime Business is positioned to secure and diversify intellectual property, enabling in‑house development of game‑to‑anime adaptations that can enhance user engagement and revenue. Metaverse operations, branded as REALITY, have surpassed the break‑even point and achieved profitability. Over the past six months, overseas sales grew markedly, with North America leading after Japan, followed by Indonesia and Thailand. User demographics skew female and Generation Z, with a strong preference for private communication features. Monetization streams—live‑stream gifting, avatar sales, and in‑game purchases—are expanding consistently across regions. Advertising spend is expected to rise in the third quarter, driven by anniversary events and new language releases for Heaven Burns Red, as well as intensified promotion of REALITY. Operating income projections for the Internet and Entertainment Business in Q3 FY2023 range from ¥1.0 billion to ¥1.5 billion, contingent on the performance of the Korean and Chinese versions. The Investment and Incubation Business remains cautious, with potential short‑term losses anticipated due to market conditions. However, diversified investment timing and targets are projected to stabilize contributions over the medium‑to‑long term.
■Summary of main supplementary explanations questions and answers at the FY2023 Second Quarter GREE results briefing held on February 8, 2023 【Q1】 Can you give us a picture of sales trends in the Internet and Entertainment Business? 【A1】 In the Game and Anime business, Heaven Burns Red remained firm, but sales declined on a winding down of the impact from half-year anniversary events. Steady growth continued in the Metaverse Business and the Commerce and DX Business. 【Q2】 What is the outlook for Heaven Burns Red from 3Q onward? 【A2】 Our main focus points are the one-year anniversary event for the Japanese version and the release of Korean and traditional Chinese language versions. Pre-registration for the Korean and traditional Chinese versions are proceeding smoothly and these versions sparked considerable buzz at local game shows, with many users voicing their anticipation. 【Q3】 Can you give us some background on the activities and goals of the Anime Business? 【A3】 Our Anime Business has two main goals. First is the securing of IP. Acquiring and holding IP is an essential element in terms of developing our business and increasing profitability in the entertainment field and we see our Anime Business as one way of doing so. The second goal is diversification of our IP development. We have seen many examples of other companies developing game IP into anime content that allows users to enjoy games even more and eventually contributes to earnings. We established the Anime Business to give us the ability to conduct this kind of IP development in-house.
on of our IP development. We have seen many examples of other companies developing game IP into anime content that allows users to enjoy games even more and eventually contributes to earnings. We established the Anime Business to give us the ability to conduct this kind of IP development in-house. 【Q4】 Please give us an update on the Metaverse Business. 【A4】 REALITY continues to achieve steady growth and has topped its breakeven point to become profitable. Over the past six months, growth in overseas sales has been especially large and the ratio of overseas sales to total sales is rising. We aim to develop REALITY into a platform used by hundreds of millions of people around the world and we are considering making investments in promotional campaigns etc. to target further growth. 【Q5】 Can you let us know about REALITY’s regional distribution, user attributes, and overseas monetization? 【A5】 The ratio of overseas users is steadily growing and, after Japan, the second-highest ratio of users is from North America, followed by Asian countries such as Indonesia and Thailand. While we see no major differences in how the platform is used in Japan and
overseas, overseas users have a strong tendency to use it for private communications among friends. A higher ratio of users are female than male and many users are from “generation Z”. Regarding overseas monetization, as in Japan, the three main monetization points of gifting via live streaming, avatar purchases, and in-game purchases are all showing steady growth and we aim to continue this growth going forward. 【Q6】 What is the outlook for advertising costs? 【A6】 We expect advertising costs to increase somewhat in 3Q in connection with the oneyear anniversary event and the release of Korean and traditional Chinese language versions of Heaven Burns Red, and the strengthening of promotional activities for REALITY. 【Q7】 What is the income outlook for 3Q FY2023 in the Internet and Entertainment Business? 【A7】 In 3Q FY2023, we expect contribution to operating income in the Internet and Entertainment Business from the one-year anniversary event and the release of Korean and traditional Chinese language versions of Heaven Burns Red, but we also plan aggressive advertising investment targeting growth in IP over the medium-to-long term. Based on this, we expect 3Q FY2023 operating income in the Internet and Entertainment Business of between roughly ¥1.0 billion and ¥1.5 billion. However, operating income could vary based on trends related to the Korean and traditional Chinese language versions of Heaven Burns Red.
m-to-long term. Based on this, we expect 3Q FY2023 operating income in the Internet and Entertainment Business of between roughly ¥1.0 billion and ¥1.5 billion. However, operating income could vary based on trends related to the Korean and traditional Chinese language versions of Heaven Burns Red. 【Q8】 Please let us know the outlook for the Investment and Incubation Business. 【A8】 We still see little reason for optimism based on recent market conditions and we think the business could post quarterly losses over the near term. However, as we have diversified the timing and targets of our investments, we expect this business to make stable contributions to income over the medium-to-long term.
Chinese gaming developers are aggressively expanding their global footprint by leveraging sophisticated monetization models and high-volume, AI-driven marketing strategies. The primary objective for these publishers is to balance the high revenue potential of mature markets like the United States, Japan, and South Korea against the rising costs of user acquisition. By prioritizing video advertising, which currently yields the highest Day 7 return on ad spend at 21%, developers are successfully capturing market share in competitive strategy and RPG segments. Success in these international territories is increasingly predicated on hyper-localization and technological integration. Publishers are utilizing generative AI to streamline the production of localized ad creatives, voice-overs, and performance-tested copy, allowing for rapid iteration and regional customization. Leading titles demonstrate that high-engagement gameplay loops—such as the inclusion of social hangout spaces, customizable home systems, and minigame integrations—are essential for sustaining long-term retention. These efforts are further bolstered by strategic partnerships with local influencers and the implementation of innovative, time-limited gacha mechanics. To maintain consistent growth, developers are diversifying their engagement tactics through gamified live events, including seasonal collections and interactive board-style challenges. These features, combined with trial character systems, allow publishers to cater to varied player motivations while maintaining a steady revenue stream. By synthesizing competitive intelligence with agile content updates, Chinese gaming apps are effectively navigating the complexities of global expansion, ensuring that both monetization and user interest remain high across diverse geographic regions.
Role-playing games represent the most lucrative segment of the global mobile gaming market, generating $18.5 billion in 2020 and accounting for nearly a quarter of all mobile gaming revenue. This market is geographically concentrated in East Asia, where China, Japan, and South Korea collectively generate over 70% of the genre's global earnings. The landscape is characterized by the dominance of domestic publishers and a heavy reliance on established intellectual properties from movies, literature, and PC ports, which account for approximately half of the top-performing titles. The Marvel franchise serves as a primary example of this trend, exerting a pervasive influence on player acquisition and revenue generation through its immense brand saturation. While IP-based titles leverage organic recognition, original properties must utilize aggressive influencer marketing and high-quality creative advertisements to compete. Long-term sustainability in the genre is driven by consistent content updates, social competitive mechanics, and time-limited gacha systems. Although in-app purchases remain the primary revenue driver—particularly among high-income male audiences—there is a significant shift toward hybrid monetization. Approximately 83% of players now accept non-disruptive rewarded video ads as a means to progress without direct spending. To navigate evolving privacy regulations and tracking challenges, developers are increasingly prioritizing high-value user signals within the first 24 hours of gameplay. Interactive playable ads have emerged as a highly effective acquisition tool, occasionally increasing eCPMs by over 200%. By combining traditional spending triggers like battle passes and limited-time events with sophisticated ad integration, publishers are successfully monetizing both high-spending "whales" and non-paying users to maintain growth in an increasingly competitive global market.
The briefing presents GREE Inc.’s financial performance for FY2022 second quarter, highlighting a net sales figure of ¥19.5 billion and operating income of ¥2.5 billion, both up markedly from the prior quarter largely due to a new title launch. EBITDA reached ¥2.7 billion, with the Internet and Entertainment Business contributing the full operating income margin. The company attributes growth to the strong start of “That Time I Got Reincarnated as Slime: ISEKAI Memories,” which achieved over two million downloads within two months and secured a top‑four sales ranking globally. Forecasts for the third quarter project operating income between ¥1.5 billion and just under ¥2 billion, driven by anticipated new releases. Operationally, GREE expanded its Metaverse platform REALITY, adding multilingual support and interactive features for up to eight avatars. The Advertising and Media Business introduced a new SaaS marketing tool, “aumo My Business,” targeting physical stores, and partnered with regional tourism bodies to promote local content. Investment activities remained steady; the LP fund and CVC arms invested in domestic and international venture funds, with IRR figures of 17 % (growth phase) and 22 % (exit phase), outperforming domestic benchmarks. Cost analysis shows advertising expenses rose by ¥200 million, commission fees increased with sales, and fixed costs climbed due to bonus provisions. Total operating costs reached ¥17 billion, up ¥4.9 billion quarter‑on‑quarter. Share repurchase and cancellation activities reduced the share count by 35 million shares, lowering outstanding equity. Overall, GREE’s strategy focuses on sustaining game revenue growth, expanding metaverse and SaaS offerings, and maintaining a robust investment portfolio.
GREE, Inc. reported a robust fourth‑quarter performance for the fiscal year ending June 30 2011, driven by rapid user growth and expanding monetization across its global platform. Net sales rose 29 % to ¥21,093 million, while operating profit increased 19 % to ¥9,789 million; both figures represent the largest quarterly gains of FY2011. The company’s consolidated user base reached 123.6 million worldwide, with 26.4 million in Japan and a growing presence in the United States, Europe, China, and other Asian markets. The acquisition of OpenFeint added 50 million users and broadened GREE’s reach in emerging mobile markets. Revenue diversification is evident: paid‑service sales grew to ¥18,387 million, and advertising revenue climbed to ¥3,000 million. The company launched “GREE Market,” a pre‑installed app store on KDDI’s Android platform, and expanded its in‑app billing to web, Android, and iOS. Operating expenses rose 37 % YoY, largely due to increased advertising spend (27 %) and rental fees for data‑center decentralization. Strategic initiatives include standardizing smartphone platform specifications with mig33, partnering with Tencent and SK Telecom, and establishing a Beijing office to support development in China. Forecasts for FY2012 target net sales of ¥90–100 billion, operating profit of ¥40–50 billion, and net income of ¥22–28 billion, reflecting continued emphasis on user acquisition, platform expansion, and diversified revenue streams.