Sanrio, Toei, and PARCO Explain Their Game Publishing Plans at Tokyo Game Show
Three companies with no game publishing background are entering an industry increasingly dependent on global platform reach and IP ownership, and the panel shows how they intend to convert their existing fanbases and physical venues into software businesses.
Reporting from 1 source: Inside.
At Tokyo Game Show 2026 in Chiba on September 17, representatives from Sanrio, Toei, and PARCO discussed why they entered game publishing. Sanrio announced Sanrio Games on April 21, 2026; Toei announced Toei Games the same day; PARCO announced PARCO GAMES on August 19, 2025. Each cited global expansion, fan growth, and owning their own IP as aims.
The panel ran on September 17, the opening day of Tokyo Game Show 2026 at Makuhari Messe. Sanrio's Kosuke Hamazaki, Toei's Hiroshi Yoshimoto, and PARCO's Yuichi Nishizawa took the stage, with Nikkei Gaming editor-in-chief Aya Hirano moderating.
Sanrio frames its push around the Sanrio Lighthouse Concept, building digital games, video, and sports on a licensing, merchandise, and location-based entertainment base. Toei says it can create IP from scratch and deploy it across the group, and that games suit its global ambitions. PARCO cites its culture businesses and its Shibuya PARCO venue, where Nintendo TOKYO has drawn crowds since its 2019 opening.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.