GREE sets up shop in San Francisco with first U.S. game studio

Joe Osborne
Updated
GREE hiring billboard
GREE hiring billboard

Japanese mobile social game maker GREE really wants to do well in the U.S. against the likes of DeNA, Zynga and even Apple. And what better way to help make that happen than by diving in? The company announced today that it has opened a 41,000 square foot office space in the China Basin district of sunny San Francisco. (Seriously, it's cold here. We're kind of jealous.)

"We know San Francisco is the best place for us to find the significant industry talent we are searching for, to help us bring a top notch social gaming experience to all of our players," GREE CEO Naoki Aoyagi said in a release. "We are thrilled to create this unique and comfortable space to illustrate our commitment to both San Francisco, an international hub of this industry, and our employees."

The San Francisco office is led by GREE SVP of social games Eiji Araki, a six-year veteran of the mobile social games world in Japan. GREE hopes that Araki's extensive experience with the free-to-play business model, combined with top talent from the Bay Area, will mix together and churn out the best mobile social games yet. In fact, two of which are set to launch in March, around the same time GREE proper is expected to land in the states and abroad.

This news follows the announcement that GREE will enlist major technology partners to ensure its mobile game network launches smoothly. With that foundation in place, now GREE looks focused on what matters (to us): the games.

"Our team is hard at work to deliver best-in-class content," Araki said in a release. "Our aim is to constantly change the face of mobile social gaming and we know, without a doubt, that San Francisco is THE city to find the top talent to build unique games from the ground up for the Western Market." (And hey, GREE San Francisco staffers get yoga classes in-house, so that's neat-o.)

Are you more excited about GREE now that it has a foothold in the U.S? Where do you go to socialize in your mobile games right now? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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