New Game Start: Why a Classic Studio Went Solo with Fresh Korean Titles

A long‑time Japanese media giant, known for popular cartoons and movies, has stepped into the video game world. The company rolled out a new indie publishing label in April, calling it “TOEI GAMES. ” Instead of turning its famous series into games, the label is looking for brand‑new ideas that can grow worldwide. The team behind TOEI GAMES acts like a small startup inside the larger company. Four people, most of whom have never worked in gaming before, are learning everything from scouting games to marketing. Their goal is to find unique indie titles that can become part of a bigger franchise across movies, shows, and merchandise. The label’s first trio of games came from outside the company. One of them is “KILLA, ” a title created by a Korean indie studio called Geomgyuldan. The other two are “HINO” and “DEBUG NEPHEMEE. ” All three were chosen because they stand out as strong stories with a distinct art style. The team sees them as potential future cross‑media projects.Why pick new IPs instead of the company’s famous ones? The answer is that creating fresh concepts lets the label build a new pipeline of revenue. While they may eventually adapt existing properties, the current focus is on discovering original stories that can be turned into games, merchandise, and even shows. The first game, “KILLA, ” caught the team’s eye at an award booth in Japan. Its art looks like a picture book, but its plot is about revenge and dark twists. The Korean studio’s ability to speak Japanese made communication easier, but the company still prefers face‑to‑face meetings for important talks. The label is open to more Korean indie developers. They have seen many high‑quality games at international shows and want to explore future collaborations. However, the team is small, so they will take time to review new pitches and prefer initial meetings at live events. TOEI GAMES plans to launch on PC first, especially on Steam, because the platform lets them reach a global audience quickly. Later, they hope to bring titles to consoles as well, but no exact timeline is set yet. The company encourages Korean creators and fans to visit their booth at gaming events. They want to build positive partnerships and grow new stories together.