DG Mail
DG Mail is an online magazine that provides you with the latest news from the Digital Garage Group.
If you would like to subscribe to DG Mail, please fill out the form.
Digital Garage and GameWith Partner to Drive Innovation in Mobile App Payments
Teaming Up to Bring “AppPay” to the Third-Party Payment Market
– Digital Garage, Inc. (DG) has reached a basic agreement with GameWith, Inc. (GameWith) on a strategic partnership to jointly promote third-party payment services, aiming to contribute to both users and game companies through the expansion of third-party payment adoption.
– By leveraging the synergy between “AppPay,” the third-party payment service provided by DG, and GameWith’s extensive gaming media platform, the partnership aims to create new revenue models in the gaming industry while also contributing to a wide range of users.
■Background and purpose of the basic agreement
In recent years, efforts to promote fair competition in the smartphone market have been gaining momentum worldwide, with the EU, UK, and other regions advancing legislative developments. In Japan, the “Bill for the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software” was enacted in June 2024. This marks a major turning point for the mobile game and app market, fostering innovation.
As a company engaged in the payment and marketing sectors, DG quickly recognized these societal changes. In response, using one of the largest comprehensive payment platforms in Japan, provided by DG Financial Technology, Inc., DG launched the full-scale operation of “AppPay” in June 2024, coinciding with the enactment of the “Bill for the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software.”
Meanwhile, the growth of the app game market has slowed compared to previous years, leading to a key moment of change for game strategy media. These platforms are now expected to go beyond just providing game guides, taking on roles like building communities, showcasing the appeal of games, and helping to revitalize the industry. By overcoming these challenges and delivering new value, game strategy media will continue to be key players in the gaming industry. GameWith, one of Japan’s largest game strategy platforms, aims to fulfill its corporate mission of “creating a world where games can be enjoyed even more” by offering new commerce experiences to game strategy users, thereby continuing to play a pivotal role in the gaming industry.
DG and GameWith have reached this basic agreement on a strategic partnership with the aim of addressing these industry challenges, contributing to increased revenue for the entire gaming industry, and enhancing benefits for users.
■Future roadmap
Through this partnership with GameWith, DG will leverage the expertise and assets of both companies to create new business models for the gaming industry, contributing to increased revenue across the sector. Additionally, as global efforts to promote smartphone innovation through legislative measures continue to gain momentum, DG aims to collaborate in providing users with more convenient and attractive services.
Moreover, DG Group has established the group strategy “DG FinTech Shift,” which integrates payments, data, and technology to contribute to the business growth of a wide range of companies amidst significant changes in social and industrial structures. This initiative is part of that broader strategy.
■About “AppPay” service
“AppPay” is the first online marketplace service that provides a payment system, CMS generation, customer support, and marketing, enabling users to purchase digital content from numerous apps outside the apps.
This service enables app providers to introduce a third-party payment system without the time and costs of system development and web page creation. Moreover, the low payment fees also lead to a significant reduction in app store payment fees that must be paid by the business owners.
Users can use multiple payment methods, including credit cards, simply by registering with “AppPay,” enabling them to pay for a variety of applications easily.
▽For inquiries from game companies and application businesses
app-pay@garage.co.jp
▽“AppPay” website(only in Japanese)
https://app-pay.jp/
■About Digital Garage, Inc
Name: Digital Garage, Inc. ( https://www.garage.co.jp/en/ )
Representative: Kaoru Hayashi, Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO
Head office address: DG Bldg., 3-5-7 Ebisu Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Shibuya PARCO DG Bldg., 15-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Date founded: August 1995
Business: Digital Garage’s corporate purpose is “Designing ‘New Context’ for a sustainable society with technology.” Digital Garage operates a payment business that provides one of the largest comprehensive payment platforms in Japan. In addition, DG has a marketing business that provides one-stop solutions in the digital and real world, and a startup investment and development business that reaches out to promising startups and technologies in Japan and overseas.
■About GameWith, Inc.
Name: GameWith, Inc. (https://gamewith.co.jp/ )
Representative: Takuya Imaizumi, President & CEO
Head office address: 4th Floor, Sumitomo Realty & Development Azabu Juban Building, 1-4-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Date founded: June 2013
Business: Under the mission of “Creating a world where games can be enjoyed even more,” GameWith operates media services that provide game strategy and introduction information. It also manages e-sports and entertainment businesses, offering e-sports-related services and exclusive creator management. Additionally, the company is expanding into new areas, including NFT games and fiber-optic internet services. GameWith continues to develop various game-related businesses with the goal of becoming a global gaming infrastructure leader.
* The name and logo of GameWith are registered trademarks or trademarks of GameWith, Inc. in Japan and other countries.