CyberAgent, Game Developer Cygames Establish Anime Fund in June

CyberAgent and its consolidated subsidiary Cygames announced on Thursday that they will establish CA-Cygames Anime Fund by the end of June. The companies will invest 3 billion yen (about US$27.3 million) in anime IP through the fund.

CyberAgent's press release states:

"CA-Cygames Anime Fund" will inject funds to the anime production committee to obtain the rights to stream anime videos on the Internet and produce games and specialize in investment in anime IP, with the aim of expanding the business of our corporate group in the anime field, and the total amount of funds is to be 3 billion yen.

Due to the continued growth of the anime industry in recent years, the companies will produce video games based on anime and expand CyberAgent's streaming service subsidiary AbemaTV.

Cygames was established in 2011, and the company has produced games such as Rage of Bahamut and Granblue Fantasy. Cygamesestablished an anime division in March 2015 and the anime production subsidiary Cygames Pictures in April 2016. The company has worked on anime productions inspired by its games including Rage of Bahamut Genesis, Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul, and Granblue Fantasy the Animation.

The game developer has also already invested in production committees for television and theatrical anime such as Yuri!!! on Ice and In This Corner of the World. The company stated, "We aim to produce globally hit products from Japan, by actively developing the games of Japanese anime IP, which attracts attention from around the world." Cygames' mission is to be "the company to make the highest content," and it hopes to expand its anime content and help grow the anime industry through the fund.

CyberAgent's AbemaTV streaming service launched in April 2016, and it has been downloaded more than 17 million times. Anime ranks highly in AbemaTV's monthly viewership, and the service has offered more than 700 anime titles. AbemaTV was the first service to exclusively stream Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 3: Rebellion in Japan.

Cygames and publisher Kodansha announced in May that they have formed a business partnership to launch the new "Cycomi" label. The new label shares a name with Cygames' digital manga website, where the company posts manga based on its games. The new label will focus on publishing compiled book volumes of the manga on the Cycomi site.