Manila, Philippines – Tier One Entertainment, the Philippine-based gaming and esports entertainment company, has announced its newest market foray, this time in Japan, where at the same time the company aims to debut its first-ever idol group to cater to the Japanese market, as well as to global fans.
Said market expansion is part of Tier One Entertainment’s strategic move when it signed an investment deal with its investors, KAYAC, a Japan-based internet firm, and Warner Music Group, a global media company that has a strong market presence in Japan.
Regarding the planned idol group launch, Tier One has stated that four multi-talented individuals are set to redefine what it means to be an influencer and content creator who challenges the status quo. The idol group will be a new breed of Tier One talents who will elevate the level of content creation to new heights, delighting fans across the globe.
Tryke Gutierrez, chief executive officer at Tier One, had already shared details of its first idol group member, multi-talented model, and cosplayer Harry ‘har_fie’ Field, during the company’s livestream event last 8 October.
The idol group, unofficially called ‘Project 4’, will have the rest of the members be revealed in a series of promotions that Tier One Entertainment will launch in the next couple of months.
For Gutierrez, said market expansion has been an exciting time for them and they can’t wait to see what they can do in Japan, citing Tokyo, the country’s capital, as the ‘mecca of geek culture’. He also shared that Japan has always been his second home and is a country that’s really close to his heart, from the perspective of having gaming, esports, anime and toys become more and more part of a gamer’s day-to-day life.
“Japan is a country with a long history both in gaming and innovation in multimedia. With over 57% of its population being gamers, there’s a big opportunity for us to grow our brand. Tier One is bringing our brand of entertainment to the Japanese gaming industry. Our goal is to gather a core team and build an initial roster of content creators that will elevate esports and video games in Japan in ways the country has never experienced before,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Tier One’s co-founder and popular cosplayer and gaming personality, commented, “Through Tier One I was able to further share my passion for video games. Now with our Japan expansion, I get to work closely with another one of my great loves: Japanese culture. Not only are we signing new talents for the Japanese market, but we’re also going to debut our idol group, which will be Tier One’s greatest expression of cutting-edge style to date. That makes me very excited.”
Moreover, the company also looks to find those who are willing to join its mission in bringing esports and gaming to the mainstream as it opens its office in Japan this year.
“We are thrilled that Tier One Entertainment is bringing the enormous momentum of the SEA gaming scene to Japan as its first foray outside its territory. Our collaboration will allow us to forge unique kinds of gaming entertainment to audiences in Japan and other key markets in Asia,” Daisuke Yanasawa, chief executive officer at KAYAC said.