Hidekatsu Morita, President and CEO, KLab Inc.

Connecting users around the world through entertainment content

■ Profile

After graduating from Hosei University's Faculty of Sociology, he worked as a web planner and mobile content producer before joining KLab (formerly K Laboratory) in 2002. In 2007, he became the head of the Content Business Division. In 2008, he became the head of the Content Media Division. In 2010, he became the executive officer and head of KLabGames. In 2012, he became a Senior Managing Director. In March 2019, he became the company's Representative Director and President.

President Morita says that the driving force behind the operation of the game is the voices of the players. With a vision of "connecting users around the world with entertainment content," he says he wants many people to connect through games, even in the current situation where people cannot travel abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We spoke to him about his passionate thoughts.

　I hadn't studied at all until my third year of high school, but I knew I couldn't continue like this, so I studied hard in my final year. With the exam date approaching, I realized I didn't have much time, so instead of just studying blindly, I started by researching the questions and thoroughly covered past exam questions from the universities I was applying to. As a result, I was accepted into Hosei University, and I learned that instead of being intimidated by a high standard score, you can definitely pass if you think about how to do it and come up with a strategy, and this experience gave me confidence.
　After entering university, I focused on playing in an indie band and became fascinated with the creativity of it. Influenced by this, I focused my job search on fashion and music-related companies. I continued playing in a band until I was 20, but my life revolved around music rather than work. Cooperation is necessary to create something with people who have different personalities. I also planned events with my friends, so I think I gained a sense of independence. On the other hand, I also regret not giving serious thought to my career plan in my early twenties.

■ The potential of services that connect through games

　After graduating from university, I worked for a retail company, but I quit after two years as I didn't think it was a good fit for me. After that, I started working on web design and creating mobile sites, and I became interested in site management. On sites where customers pay, I could see firsthand that if we created a good service, the number of subscribers would increase and our income would also increase, and I thought the pay-per-view business model was interesting. I felt excited about the new future that mobile devices were opening up, and I realized that the market was actually growing at an incredible pace, and I began to believe that even at a young age, I could achieve results in this field.
　As KLab worked on system development, we began to feel that there was a lot of potential in services that allowed customers to connect with each other through mobile devices and enjoy games together, so we entered the gaming industry at the same time that social games were introduced to Japan.
　The business model for this business is to create a service ourselves, provide it online, and have customers pay for it. In the course of our work, we collaborate with various people to find interesting ideas, refine them, and release them to the world. When we receive a great response as a result, we can see the real results in rankings and comments on social media, and the sense of accomplishment when it goes well is exceptional.
　On the other hand, we spend our days asking ourselves whether the work we are creating is really interesting. As a result, we often question what we have in order to improve the quality, and sometimes we even muster up the courage to remake a work, which is what makes this job so difficult.
　Furthermore, our company is expanding globally. When we release a game overseas, we have to research each country's laws and cultures one by one, and once we start operations, it's extremely difficult to prepare support for all languages ​​every time a new event starts.
　It's good to work with honest people. Honest people have room for growth, and can accept criticism from others and their own experiences honestly and use them to grow in the future. Even if you currently lack skills, you can quickly grow, so I think it's important to be honest. It's fun to work with people who don't follow precedent, think for themselves about what they need to do now and what they need to do to win, and aren't afraid of challenges or failure.

■ Broad perspective and bring the world closer

　I hope that the name KLabGames will be recognized as a game maker not only in Japan but also overseas, and that we will be able to create games that people all over the world can enjoy. Our vision is to connect users around the world through entertainment content. When we thought about what we could do during the COVID-19 pandemic, we realized that people all over the world now have mobile devices, making it easy to connect with the world through games. While we can't travel physically, we believe our purpose in existence is to provide a place where people from all over the world can compete and communicate through games online. We hope to work hard to expand our business on an even larger scale than we are now.

■Message

　Don't be influenced by the opinions of those around you, and stick to what you want to do. With society becoming more diverse, I believe there is nothing you can't do. If you pursue what you want to do to the fullest, I believe you can turn it into a business. Diversity means accepting and respecting the individuality of others.
　Finally, I would like you to be aware of the world. Nowadays, your competition is overseas. I think it is essential to become a businessperson who can succeed overseas. I would like you to have a broad perspective and approach things on a global scale.

Student Newspaper April 2021 Issue by Taichi Nyoi, 4th year student at Komazawa University