The co-authors of Pokémon TCG Pocket received substantial subsidies from the Japanese authorities, and players are unhappy about it
The Japanese company DeNA, one of the developers of the hit mobile game Pokémon TCG Pocket, recently secured governmental support. It received 1.5 billion yen ($9.25 million) in subsidies under the IP360 program.
Pokémon TCG Pocket
The program is overseen by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, which aims to strengthen the local content industry's position in the global market. To achieve this, the ministry provides funds for the creation of new intellectual property—video games, anime, music, movies, and so on.
It is expected that DeNA will spend the subsidies on the development and promotion of new mobile games, primarily targeting the North American market.
While receiving governmental support is a positive event for DeNA, it has sparked a wave of criticism toward both the authorities and the co-creators of Pokémon TCG Pocket. Many Japanese gamers have questioned the need for subsidies for a company whose market value exceeds 239 billion yen ($1.48 billion). They are particularly displeased that the government previously reduced funding for museums while freely investing in already profitable developers with extremely successful games in their portfolios. According to dissatisfied gamers, it would be more logical to subsidize indie studios in such a case.
It's worth noting that DeNA is not the only large gaming company to receive subsidies. For instance, SEGA, Square Enix, Konami, and Koei Tecmo are also included in the list. The exact amount of money allocated to them is unknown.