DoCoMo and Kadokawa to Form Alliance
Kadokawa Holdings, comprising group companies engaged mainly in publishing or movie content, and DoCoMo have announced that they will form a comprehensive alliance through a capital tie-up. The parties will develop mobile content related with Kadokawa movies and animation, including original video content developed initially for the mobile environment, prior to release via other media. Also, Kadokawa will increase the range of content it distributes through some 40 sites it has on the i-mode portal.
DoCoMo will acquire 1,031,000 shares in the holding company, or 3.78% of total issued shares, for about four billion yen through a third-party share allocation on December 12, 2006. Under the agreement, DoCoMo will also tie up with the group companies Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd., Kadokawa Herald Pictures, Inc., Kadokawa Mobile, Inc., Herald Enterprise, Inc. and Kadokawa Media House Inc.
The parties will also consider possibilities for DoCoMo to join the film producing project which Kadokawa manages.
Customers will be able to use the iD mobile credit service, which can be used on Osaifu-Keitai e-wallet phones, for payments at 11 Cineplex theaters (92 screens) of Herald Enterprise by the end of June 2007. In addition, DoCoMo’s ToruCa information-capture service is planned to be introduced at the theaters. Full press release Here.