Tokyo, June 8, 2023, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) and newtrace Inc. (newtrace), which creates virtual spaces and avatars for national and local governments, as well as for B2B manufacturers, are pleased to announce a business alliance designed to promote DNP’s metaverse business¹ on June 6, 2023. Under the new business alliance, the partners will provide services using Roblox². 

Roblox is a global platform with a Metaverse, or virtual space aspect, where users using avatars are free to interact with each other. Roblex boasts 200 million players spread over approximately 180 countries and regions, with 66.2 million active users on a daily basis.  

In the future, the two partners will develop World Digital Items allowing for Japanese Intellectual Property (IP) content to be enjoyed in a Roblox virtual world, connecting fans around the world. The partners will also provide services to utilize such virtual worlds as well as plan and operate original worlds targeting the branding and marketing-related activities of IP-related companies and other companies in a variety of industries.

Nippon Ukiyo-e Street - created with Roblex as an example of a virtual world (at left)

a character mask as an example of goods for sale (at right)

Business Alliance

newtrace is the partner of Roblox in Japan, and has strengths that include CG production technology and spatial production capabilities cultivated in the field of architectural design. 

DNP maintains deep-standing relationships with IP holders in the fields of anime, manga, and games, and strengths that combine the real and virtual worlds, along with manufacturing and services. The partners will combine such strengths to plan and operate various entertainment projects, as well as providing and marketing digital items, on the gaming platforms that are becoming mainstream internationally. We aim to connect content to fans globally by providing unique virtual worlds and related items for companies that utilize their IP. 

By leveraging Roblox the following three approaches become possible:

• Provision of original virtual worlds, along with the marketing of various items, jointly planned and operated by the partners 
• Development of corporate marketing within the virtual world, such as tie-up advertising and promotions
• Development and operation of unique virtual worlds, and related items allowing users to experience the unique world view of various IPs

Going Forward

Following the formation of this business alliance, we will commence the sale of digital items jointly planned by the partners. Character items produced by DNP are scheduled to be on sale from June 8, 2023 at Japan Ukiyo-e Kaido produced and published by newtrace.

Looking ahead, the partners will be collaborating with IP holders to spread the fun and enjoyment of IP content in both real and virtual world, and working to create new communication models that connect content with fans and companies.

Company Profile

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

The strengths of our proprietary Printing & Information (P&I) business include various expression technologies and know-how enabling the safe and secure processing of massive amounts of information in a high-security environment, and cooperation with various partners. At the same time, we are developing the metaverse business creating new experience value through the fusion of the real and virtual worlds. 

Head office: 1-1-1 Ichigaya Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

President: Yoshinari Kitajima

URL: https://www.global.dnp/

newtrace Inc.

Our mission is to use CG to redefine the information customers have and help with branding. We will digitally expand all types of scenes, such as exhibitions, events, commercial facilities, offices, and in-house study sessions by combining our strengths in CG production, spatial production capabilities cultivated in the field of architectural design, and other various technologies. And together with our national and regional clients we will promote reforms and innovations in communication methods and business models. In recent years, as a partner company of the gaming platform Roblox, we have been actively working to overcome social challenges, such as regional revitalization and inbound tourism to Japan, as well as branding and promotion support for companies and organizations.

Head office: Ichigo Shibuya Dogenzaka Building 8F, 28-3 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 

Representative Director: Mr. Takayuki Shibahara

URL: https://newtrace.net/ (in Japanese only)

1: For more information about the metaverse business, please visit https://www.dnp.co.jp/biz/solution/products/detail/10159318_1567.html (in Japanese only)

2: For more information about Roblox, please visit https://corp.roblox.com/ 

*Company names and product names mentioned in this news release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of those companies.

*Product specifications and service details mentioned in this news release are current as of the release date. They may be changed without notice.