JFT Slaps DeNA on Antitrust Law
The Japanese Fair Trade regulator has ordered DeNA to take corrective measures regarding exclusive developer deals: http://bit.ly/kSDk9G
Japan’s trade watchdog determined Thursday that mobile phone gaming site operator DeNA Co. illegally requested more than 40 software developers not to provide their game software to its rival GREE Inc. in violation of the antitrust law, it said.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission ordered DeNA, known for its “Mobage” website, to stop such actions and take corrective measures. DeNA allegedly threatened to remove links to the providers of mobile phone game titles on the gaming website in an attempt to block their business with GREE, its smaller rival, according to the FTC.
As a result, more than half of the developers gave up offering their products to GREE, the commission said. DeNA said in a statement that it takes the order “sincerely” and will ensure its compliance with the law.
Competition has heated up between DeNA and GREE in their social game services which allow subscribers to play games interactively on their mobile phones. As of March this year, DeNA had 27.1 million domestic subscribers and GREE 25.1 million members. Via Mainichi Shimbun