Crunchyroll, Ellation’s Anime-focused subscription VOD service, is branching out into games.
Crunchyroll, in partnership with Sumitomo Corp. and GREE, has launched its first game, called Memoria Freese, an adventure title for iOS and Android devices.
The game, released amid season 2 of DanMachi (the anime off which the game is based) is set in the world of Orario, where bands of adventurers gather to seek treasures in an underground labyrinth, known as Dungeon. The North American release of Memoria Freese features dialogue of the original Japanese version with English subtitles provided. GREE developed and designed the game, while Ellation and Sumitomo Corp. are in charge of the game’s distribution, localization and marketing under the Crunchyroll Games brand.
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Crunchyroll, a service with more than 1 million paid subscribers, is offering the game for free, with in-app purchases. Crunchyroll said 90% of its users identify as gamers.
Crunchyroll’s move into gaming comes as it, and other SVODs, attempt to differentiate in a growing and fragmented market, establishing stronger ties with their audiences through ancillary but relevant products and components that extend beyond their core video offerings.
In Crunchyroll’s case, the move into gaming follows other initiatives tied to the service, including events like Crunchyroll Movie Night and Crunchyroll Expo.
