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Game Maker Voltage Shuts Down U.S. Division
posted on by Alex Mateo
The Japanese romance app game company Voltage Inc. announced on Thursday that it is shutting down its San Francisco-based Voltage Entertainment USA division. The company plans to dissolve and liquidate its U.S. division in 2022 to allocate its resources more efficiently, According to the company, growth of the women's game market in the U.S. has been stagnant, studio production has declined since the middle of 2020, and labor costs in the Silicon Valley region have continued to rise.
From now on, Voltage will only develop translated versions of its titles locally in Japan.
The company reported a deficit for three years in a row between 2018 and 2020. Although it was financially in the black for the term ending in June 2021, it has recently fallen into the red again.
Yuzi Tsutani founded Voltage, Inc. in 1999. The company released its first English localization of one of its romance mobile apps in July 2011. The company then established its Voltage Entertainment USA subsidiary in May 2012.
Aside from localizing romance apps from Japanese into English, Voltage also creates romance apps specifically for the Western market, as well as "suspense apps" that are intended for a male audience. The company is also creating works using AR and VR technology.
Voltage, Inc. established a "Anime and IP Division" in May 2017. The company established the division to capitalize and expand on the company's existing properties in terms of selling merchandise, creating stage play and anime adaptations, releasing publications (such as manga or novels), and hosting events.
Voltage established a wholly-owned subsidiary named Vol Pictures in October 2017. Vol Pictures works on planning, development, and sales of film, anime, and television series adaptations of its parent company's properties. Voltage, Inc. founder, CEO, and Chairperson Tsutani is serving as Vol Pictures' president.
Sources: Voltage, Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)
