FuRyu Corporation (フリュー株式会社) is a Japanese entertainment company based in Shibuya, Tokyo. Their businesses include publishing and development of video games, mobile games, photo-booths, figures and multimedia content.
History
In April 1997, Omron launched a new business in the entertainment industry titled "Columbus Project" at their New Business Development Center. The first product is a portrait seal printing machine titled "Ni-Terangelo". (a combination of "Niteru", meaning "to resemble" in Japanese, and Michelangelo) The company continue expanding into the print seal field in the following years.
In December 2001, the company entered the mobile content business by starting a media service titled "Poketsu".
In January 2002, the company entered the arcade prizes industry. In April of the same year, the business is officially established and named Omron Entertainment Division. The company is then split off in July 2007, with Omron holding 100% ownership.
In 2006, the company is renamed to FuRyu Corporation. The company also entered the mobile advertising business.
In April 2007, the company implemented a management buyout and succeeded all businesses and all employees to FuRyu Corporation.
In November 2008, FuRyu announced that they are entering the console game development and publishing business. Their first releases are Last Bullet, Chou Meisaku Suiri Adventure DS: Raymond Chandler and Sekai Fushigi Hakken! DS: Densetsu no Hitoshi-kun Ningyou o Sagase! releasing on the Nintendo DS in April, May and August 2009 respectively.
In April 2012, FuRyu acquired all shares of We’ve, which specializes in animation planning. FuRyu also entering the print seal machine specialty store management business and opened a store in Niigata.
FuRyu entered full-scale animation production business in 2013 following their involvement in the production of the movie "Dogsha" released on June 1, 2013.[2]
In 2015, FuRyu changed the company logo also while introducing the company slogan "Precious days, always". In December of the same year, the company is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.[3][4][5]
As of 2016, OMRON holds a 70% share of the domestic market for photo sticker production machines[6] and is the industry leader. Although OMRON entered the industry in 1997, it was the last company in the industry to enter the market. From the beginning, OMRON's service, which utilizes sensor technology, one of its strengths, to download URLs of images taken by entering the e-mail address of a cell phone into the machine, which can then be downloaded and saved, has been well received by customers. After the bankruptcy of a competitor, Make Software, in 2018, the amusement industry has been dominated by FLEW.[7][8]
^"フリュー株式会社、「アニメ事業」に本格参入。マンガ『どーにゃつ』をアニメ化！" [Furyu Co., Ltd. makes a full-scale entry into the "anime business". Anime version of the manga “Donyatsu”!]. PR TIMES. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^"コーポレートブランドシンボル変更のお知らせ" [Notice of corporate brand symbol change]. www.furyu.jp (in Japanese). April 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^"フリュー株式会社 新規上場承認に関するお知らせ" [Announcement regarding initial listing approval of Furyu Co., Ltd.]. www.furyu.jp (in Japanese). 13 November 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^"フリュー株式会社 東京証券取引所市場第一部上場のお知らせ" [Announcement of listing of FURU Co., Ltd. on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange]. www.furyu.jp (in Japanese). 18 December 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^"女性ユーザー層拡大、事業強化へ フリュー・田坂吉朗社長 (1/2ページ)" [Expanding the female user base and strengthening the business FuRyu President Yoshiro Tasaka (1/2 page)]. 2016-12-29. Archived from the original on 2016-12-29. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
^"スマホ時代で「プリクラ」の落日、シール機大手が倒産、残る1社の生き残り戦略" [The decline of "purikura" in the smartphone era, major sticker machine goes bankrupt, survival strategy of one remaining company]. Daily Shincho (in Japanese). 4 November 2018. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
^"プリントシール機大手が破産申請 プリ帳→スマホ時代で：朝日新聞デジタル" [Major print sticker machine files for bankruptcy in the pre-book → smartphone era: Asahi Shimbun Digital]. Asahi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
^"ラストバレット" [Last Bullet]. www.famitsu.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^"チャンドラーの名作『さらば愛しき女よ』がDSでよみがえる！" [Chandler's masterpiece "Farewell, My Lovely" is back on DS!]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^"「世界ふしぎ発見！DS 伝説のヒトシ君人形を探せ！」が8月6日に発売" [“World Mystery Discovery! DS Find the Legendary Hitoshi-kun Doll!” will be released on August 6th]. www.4gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^"『堕天使の甘い誘惑×快感フレーズ』のショップ別特典が判明" [Shop-specific benefits for “Fallen Angel’s Sweet Temptation x Pleasure Phrase” revealed]. www.famitsu.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-01-25.
