Launches cloud service specializing in game distribution for the Chinese market
Beyond Inc. (Head office: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Representative Director: Masahiro Haraoka; hereinafter referred to as "Beyond"), a provider of cloud and server services, is pleased to announce that it has partnered with SB Cloud Corp. (Head office: Minato Ward, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Satoshi Uchiyama; hereinafter referred to as "SB Cloud") and Game Server Services Inc. (Head office: Setagaya Ward, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kazutomo Niwa; hereinafter referred to as "Game Server Services") to begin offering a high-speed game distribution service for China
Challenges in distributing games to the Chinese market
In recent years, the market for online games, including those for smartphones, has been expanding in China, making China an attractive market for the Japanese game industry
However, when Chinese users access Japanese game services, they face the challenge of experiencing delays in game display due to the unstable network connection between Japan and China, making it difficult to play the games satisfactorily
Furthermore, if a server is set up in China to distribute games, it is necessary to establish a local subsidiary and obtain certifications such as an "ICP License*1" and the game title's "version number*2," which currently poses a significant hurdle for Japanese companies to enter the market
To address these issues, SB Cloud, Beyond, and Game Server Services have begun offering a cloud service specifically tailored to game distribution in China
*1 The ICP license is a registration system that is mandatory for websites that distribute content from servers within China. Only Chinese companies are permitted to apply for an ICP license, and foreign companies wishing to publish a website must first establish a local Chinese corporation or office in China before applying
*2 The edition number is the license number issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SPRFC) required to release a game in China. As with the ICP license, applications for this license are limited to Chinese companies
Service Overview
This service utilizes Alibaba Cloud's international dedicated line service "Global Accelerator" and Game Server Services' game server infrastructure "Game Server Services (GS2)" to enable low-latency game distribution to China and provide an environment in which games can be developed easily without the need for server operation and management
"Global Accelerator" is a service that provides fast and stable access to applications from overseas users by utilizing Alibaba Cloud's global backbone, which has regions (data centers) around the world
By utilizing Global Accelerator, an endpoint node will be set up in Alibaba Cloud's Hong Kong region and connected to the endpoint node in the Tokyo region via a dedicated line, enabling stable communication between Japan and China while keeping the server located within Japan
Also, since we do not set up servers within China, there is no need to obtain certification such as an "ICP license."
"GS2" is a Backend as a Service (BaaS) specialized for game development. It provides functions commonly used in game development, such as user account management, billing currency management, and event schedule management, as APIs. Server operation and management is handled by "GS2," so game developers can use "GS2" to easily develop games even if they are not familiar with server operation and management, allowing them to focus on their original purpose: making games more fun
For more information about this service, please contact us https://beyondjapan.com/contact/
The role of each company in this service
Provision of SB Cloud
Game Server Services
Provision of "Game Server Services"
Support for the implementation of
Beyond's Cloud/server environment construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring
About Beyond
Beyond Co., Ltd. was established in April 2007 and is a company that handles cloud/server design, construction, operation and maintenance, web system development, and web services
[Cloud/Server Business]
Our engineers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to handle cloud/server design, construction, security proposals, load testing, server migration, operation, maintenance, and monitoring.
We will provide you with the best performance for your cloud/server.
[System Development Business]
We develop web systems for social games, e-commerce sites, advertising services, etc., as well as server-side API development.
[Web Services Business]
We plan, develop, and operate a variety of cloud services, including our own services, the reservation system EDISONE and the website monitoring service Appmill.
About SB Cloud
SB Cloud Corporation is a joint venture established in January 2016 by SoftBank Corp. and Alibaba Group. Since December 2016, the company has been providing localization and Japanese language support for Alibaba Cloud services for Japan, as well as system development services utilizing AI (artificial intelligence), big data, IoT technology, and more
[About Alibaba Cloud]
"Alibaba Cloud" is a cloud service provided by Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing division of the Alibaba Group. Alibaba Cloud is the world's third largest IaaS provider and boasts the largest market share in the Asia-Pacific region*2, with 63 availability zones in 21 regions around the world, providing stable services to over millions of customers worldwide. Alibaba Cloud also complies with applicable laws and regulations in the countries and regions in which it operates, and currently holds more than 70 security and compliance certifications worldwide.
*2 Source: Gartner Market Share: IT Services, Worldwide 2019
About Game Server Services
Game Server Services, Inc., under the slogan "Good-bye Dedicated Servers," offers a cloud service called "Game Server Services" that improves development efficiency by replacing the game servers that are repeatedly developed for each game development with general-purpose game servers. The service is offered on a pay-per-use basis based on the number of accesses, which not only reduces development costs by eliminating the server development costs that were previously incurred as initial development costs, but also eliminates operational monitoring costs that were incurred after the start of operations. Pay-per-use pricing based on the number of accesses allows developers to operate their games without worrying about scalability or capacity
