TGS Forum

Producer "PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SPIRITS A" Series,
Konami Digital EntertainmentYosuke Abe

Joined Konami Digital Entertainment in 2007. After working as a programmer and director, transferred to the U.S. branch (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.) in 2013. Involved in the production of social games for the North American market. After returning to Japan, worked as an assistant producer to launch the smartphone version of "Winning Eleven (now eFootball™)" and has been working as a producer of the "PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SPIRITS A" series since 2022.

Director, Creative Franchise Dept.
Global Head of “Like a Dragon/Yakuza” Franchise
Transmedia Business Unit,
SEGAAshita Yamazaki

After working at global entertainment/gaming companies such as Disney Japan, Scopely, and Wargaming, Ashita joined SEGA as Creative Franchise Director in the Transmedia Business Unit. Here her job was to oversee the In-house and Licensed PD, MD for all SEGA IP and Like a Dragon franchise management. Her mission is to maximize the IP expansion of Like a Dragon, in strong collaboration with RGG Studio (Like a Dragon game development studio).

TEKKEN Series Marketing & Esports Producer,
Bandai Namco EntertainmentNaoya Yasuda (Yasuda Esports)

Entered BANDAI after graduating from university. Started with planning development of GUNPLA and action figurines, then transferred within Bandai Namco Group. Later became the assistant producer of the arcade version of "MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS.", and then producer of the TCG-based online and arcade games, and console version of "GUNDAM VERSUS".
Was dedicated to the esports business from 2018 and was responsible for the global esports development with the main focus on world tours for competitive fighting games. From 2020 and onwards lead projects, project management and marketing for "TEKKEN 8" and other major titles as senior producer.
Has contributed greatly to the business expansion of the "TEKKEN" series thanks to his own rich experience.

Moderator Deputy Editor
Nikkei xTREND,
Nikkei Business PublicationsAya Hirano

Game education journalist
Lecturer at International Professional University of Technology in TokyoKenji Ono

Graduated from the Faculty of Sociology, Kansai University. He has worked as a freelance game journalist since 2000 after working as editor-in-chief of the magazine "Game Hihyo". He has long been involved in the activities of IGDA Japan (formerly IGDA Tokyo). Engaged in game developer education since 2017. Since 2020, he is also active as a lecturer at Tokyo International College of Technology.

Representative director,
Game Creators GuildDaisuke Miyata

In 2011, he joined alt-plus Inc. and held key positions in game development, contributing to the company's listing on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Later, as an executive officer, he was in charge of corporate alliances and new businesses. With the growth of the business, he made the division a subsidiary as STAND Corporation and assumed the position of Representative Director. Aiming to develop the game industry more neutrally, he spun out a co-creation community of creators and game-related companies, and established his own company as Game Creators Guild, Inc. As part of the management of “Game Creators Guild,” which aims to create a world where creators can stand on their own feet for life, he founded the "Game Creators Koushien,” a contest to nurture the next generation of creators. The contest has grown to include over 2,500 participants, approximately 1,000 works, and approximately 100 participating companies, and continues to aim to maximize the potential of young creators.

Director, Graduate School of Film and New Media
Tokyo University of the ArtsTakashi Kiriyama

Professor Takashi Kiriyama has worked at the University of Tokyo's Research into Artifacts, Center for Engineering (RACE), then moved to the Center for Design Research at Stanford University. In 2006, he joined the faculty at the Department of New Media, part of the Graduate School of Film and New Media. His research focuses on exhibit design, image processing, and the development of interactive media.

Moderator Senior Staff Writer
Nikkei xTREND,
Nikkei Business PublicationsJumpei Furuhata

web3 Business Department General Manager,
Konami Digital EntertainmentKen Kanatomo

Worked as a marketing director for an apparel company. Joined Konami Digital Entertainment in 2012. Implemented measures such as customer acquisition through full-funnel marketing and fan engagement and became the general manager of marketing and promotion in 2021. Alongside the position as the marketing and promotion manager, was drawn to the high potential of blockchain technology, and established a development preparation office within the company in 2019 to utilize it for business purposes. Currently, as the general manager of the web3 division, engages in the development of all possibilities and challenges in the web3 domain.

Executive Director,
COLOPLYoshiaki Harai

Mar. 2011 Joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC
Jan. 2015 Joined COLOPL, Inc.
Dec. 2018 Executive Director, COLOPL, Inc. (current position)

Director
Blockchain Entertainment Division
Incubation Center,
SQUARE ENIXKeisuke Hata

He joined Square Enix Co., Ltd. in 2012 and worked as a technical director in the development of games and content for smartphones.
Later, he was transferred to the Operations Department, where he was responsible for negotiations related to each platform and external negotiations.
He also produced the company's first NFT business, the NFT digital seal “Asset Million Arthur” last year in 2021, and continues to this day.

Moderator Associate General Manager
Trend media Unit,
Nikkei Business PublicationsTaku Agatsuma

ZETA DIVISION
SUPER SMASH BROS Playeracola

Last year's awasrd-winning categories
◆eSports Player of the year 2023
◆Fighting Game Player of the year 2023
◆Under 18 eSports Player of the year 2023

ZETA DIVISION
Formar VALOLANT PlayerLaz

Last year’s award-winning categories
◆Shooting Game Player of the year 2023

eFootball™ PlayerUDI

Last year’s award-winning categories
◆Mind Game Player of the year 2023

Puyo Puyo Tetris Playeramemiyataiyou

Last year’s award-winning categories
◆Mind Game Player of the year 2023

Protagon
eSports casterTaiga Kishi

Last year’s award-winning categories
◆eSports Caster of the year 2023

ODYSSEY
MC,eSports casterShuhei Yamato

Last year’s finalist of eSports Caster of the year

Game JournalistKiyoshi Shin

Professor, Graduate School of Digital Hollywood University. CEO of AI Frog Interactive, Inc. Author of "Metaverse Business Hegemony War" (NHK Publishing). He is also a regular contributor to ASCII's "Metaverse Presence".

MCIsabelle Massabo

Isabelle Massabo, born in France to a French father and Japanese mother, was educated in French-speaking countries from an early age and grew up in Japanese society.
She established TELEVISION INC. to interact with people from all over the world and to help bring Japan's proud content to the world and great content from abroad to Japan.
She is also the Secretary General of the ANTOR-JAPAN Council of Foreign Visitors Bureaus in Japan, and undertakes production, PR & marketing, and consulting services for events and programs around the world.