Japanime Games announced today, that they would be partnering with Crunchyroll to produce ZU Tiles: Fruits Basket.
Japanime Games has partnered with ZU Studios and has licensed Fruits Basket from Crunchyroll for an upcoming project to produce ZU Tiles: Fruits Basket as an expansion to the popular collectible tile-placing strategy game.
According to the Press Release, Fruits Basket was chosen as an ideal anime IP to license for this project, and Japanime Game with Crunchyroll to bring it to life through ZU Studios. Fruits Basket is a popular anime in which thirteen members of a family are
possessed by the animals of the Japanese zodiac and are cursed to turn into their animal forms when they are weak, stressed, or when they are embraced by anyone of the opposite sex. Wacky adventures involving the family and the protagonist – an orphaned girl adopted into the group – ensue! It was adapted from the Manga Series by Natsuki Takaya.
Through this partnership, ZU Studios will reach a wider audience for their game, using Japanime Games’ extensive distribution and retail network and convention presence to
expand the ZU Tiles game and accessories to a wider audience than was possible
before. Japanime Games, in turn, seeks to expand their anime-inspired offerings
through producing additional expansions, especially ZU Tiles: Fruits Basket, through
their licensing deal with Crunchyroll – it’s truly a perfect partnership!
Japanime Games President Eric Price and Joshua Bakken, Founder and Lead Designer of ZU Tiles shared their excitement and thoughts on the new partnership and of course, the project.
“This partnership is about our core philosophy at Japanime Games- We Bring Japan to You, by partnering with an existing company that fits with our company values, themes, and design practices, we can both make each other stronger to produce this great game!”
Eric Price, President of Japanime Games
“As ZU Tiles and the entire collectible gaming marketplace continues to explode in popularity, it became clear that we could accomplish more and scale the brand faster with a trusted and experienced partner. Probably the easiest thing I’ve done since launching ZU Studios was recognizing Japanime should be that partner. Even before the studio was officially formed, Eric and I had talked about ways to work together. So it’s only fitting that now, when we’re ready to take that next step, that we’ve chosen to take it with Japanime. The inclusion of an anime license that can increase our game’s appeal to fans is just icing on the cake!”
Joshua Bakken, Founder and Lead Designer of ZU Tiles
ZU Tiles: Hime Starter Set One is available now, with ZU Tiles Starter Set 2, ZU Tiles:
Hime Booster Packs and ZU Tiles: Fruits Basket launching on Kickstarter in 2022.
Look for both games online at Japanime’s Official Website, and conventions such as GenCon, Origins, Anime Central, and others throughout the year. You can also watch Fruit Baskets on Crunchyroll!
Also, be sure to check out my exclusive interview with Joshua in my Creator Spotlight Feature for more on ZU Tiles!
Source: Japanime Games Press Release, and a Special Thanks to Joshua Bakken for the news tip.
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