Image source: Gaudiy Medium post
Web3 company Gaudiy, the new owner of MyAnimeList after the transfer of previous shareholders’ shares, has declared a “strategic partnership in the fields of entertainment and technology” with Sony Group Corporation and Bandai Namco Holdings.
Sony and Bandai Namco also jointly invested 10 billion yen (~US$69.49 million) into Gaudiy.
“Each company in this partnership is committed to the global development of Japanese IP and the creation of new experiences and ecosystems which leverage their technologies and strengths,” stated Gaudiy.
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It also mentioned that “Through this strategic partnership, these three companies seek to establish a new ecosystem in the entertainment industry by merging their strengths and resources to provide newer and more enjoyable next-generation entertainment experiences to IP fans globally.”
This emphasis on IP and fans is one reason for acquiring MyAnimeList, with Gaudiy highlighting its “19.5 million registered users, 99% of whom are non-Japanese,” viewing it as a way to “fortify Gaudiy’s connection to global fans.”
MyAnimeList is also appealing to Bandai Namco, which perceives an opportunity to “link MyAnimeList, a highly influential community of non-Japanese fans of Japanese anime and manga, with Bandai Namco’s IP axis strategy and foster broader, deeper connections with IP fans worldwide” through the collaboration.
The announcement also identified five themes associated with the partnership. One of these is “Global,” with Gaudiy stating that “collaborating initiatives by Crunchyroll, a subsidiary of Sony, MyAnimeList, a subsidiary of Gaudiy, and IP-related products and services provided internationally by” Bandai Namco will “speed up the global reach of Japanese IPs.”
“Blockchain” and “Generative AI” represent two additional themes. Regarding the former, Gaudiy aspires to utilize Sony’s Soneium public blockchain and its own “empirical research on tokenomics design and expertise in auction design” to create a system “where creators can receive fair compensation.”
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For the latter, Gaudiy asserts that it and Bandai Namco “aim to devise new entertainment experiences by advancing the research development and application of Generative AI,” citing Bandai Namco’s use of Generative AI for the Gunpla Digirama Maker.
The remaining themes are “IP Creation and Nurturing Next-Generation Creators” and “Data Usage and Applications.” For the latter, Gaudiy expressed that by “integrating the data assets each company possesses, they can enhance practical applications of the data within the entertainment sector.”
It continued, “Fan data is often fragmented, so by cooperating and consolidating the data, its analyses and applications will be strengthened to deliver even more impactful and personalized entertainment experiences.”
Source: Gaudiy Medium post (via @myanimelist)
