PinCool is the new studio of former Dragon Quest producer and NetEase

NetEase Games declared a pincoolled by longtime Dragon Quest franchise producer Ryutaro Ichimura.

Announced today, May 29, the new Tokyo-based studio will primarily focus on developing video games, but will also plan to produce a range of genres of interactive entertainment. The studio is led by Ichimura, who has worked on games such as Dragon Quest 8 and Dragon Quest 9, and has more than 20 years in the gaming industry. Ichimura is also involved in Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Dai, the anime adaptation of the long-running video game series.

On PinCool’s website, Ichimura explains the origin of the name, writing: “The company name comes from the Japanese phrase ‘pin to kuru’ which means when an idea is clicked. The English name ‘PinCool’ sounds similar and is stylized The same goes for including the English word ‘cool’.”

Ichimura also expanded on what the studio plans to do: “As an entertainment production company, our core business is the design and production of console games, but we won’t stop there. We will use our vast experience to work in the entertainment industry.” Design and production work, including mobile games, arcade games, manga, anime, movies, toys, theater and events.” He also wrote that the studio plans to release smaller titles alongside its larger ones.

So far, there’s been no mention of what genre we can expect from the studio, so we’ll have to wait and see. NetEase Games has been steadily expanding its studio portfolio, announcing Anchorpoint Studio last month, led by Remedy Entertainment’s Control’s former chief designer. NetEase could also be embroiled in a lawsuit against Blizzard for allegedly failing to honor refunds it promised Chinese gamers.