AFP - Japanese social-networking media firm DeNA said Wednesday it was the subject of an antitrust investigation, sending its shares plummeting in Tokyo trade.
The operator of Japan's popular Mobage-town mobile game service faces allegations that it pressured software developers not to provide game titles to its rivals such as GREE Inc.
"We are prepared to fully cooperate with the investigation by the Japan Fair Trade Commission," the company said in a brief statement.
The company allegedly warned software developers that their games wouldn't be displayed on DeNA's mobile game site if they dealt with rival firms, according to the Nikkei business daily and broadcaster NHK.
News of the investigation prompted selling of DeNA shares at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Despite gains in morning trade, DeNA ended down 6.0 percent at 2,538 yen.
The company was launched in 1999 and has enjoyed a stream of business successes under charismatic Chief Operating Officer Tomoko Tamba, a former partner with global consultancy McKinsey and Company.
DeNA offers some 500 game titles through the Mobage-town service, which combines social games, chatrooms and virtual characters and has attracted some 20 million users.
In a bid to expand in the growing US game market, DeNA in October said it had bought US iPhone apps developer "ngmoco" for some 400 million dollars.
0 Comments