【Flyhigh Works】Born in Japan! A Rising Star Game Publisher! What Kind of Game Company is Flyhigh Works, Active Since the 2010s?

The gaming industry has a wide variety of players, but perhaps some of you are familiar with the name “Flyhigh Works.” Today, we’ll take a unique look into the appeal of this game publisher, which was founded in 2011.

Flyhigh Works was established in 2011 by Taiwanese-Japanese entrepreneur Jason Huang in Komagata, Taito-ku, Tokyo. The company began as a one-man operation, with Huang starting out by handling translation work such as localizing the Chinese version of “STEINS;GATE.” He then started porting smartphone apps to the 3DS, steadily taking small but sure steps forward.The company's name comes from the song “Burning Hearts Honoo no Angel,” the theme song from SEGA's game Burning Rangers, which includes the phrase “Fly High.” This, combined with Huang’s previous experience at the game company Arc System Works, symbolizes his passion and ambition to soar higher.

One of Flyhigh Works' distinguishing features is its focus on localizing and distributing indie games from overseas. They are passionate about bringing indie titles, which are often overshadowed by major releases, to Japanese players. In 2013, they launched their first self-published game, Fairune, which achieved 140,000 downloads—a hit that marked their entry into the niche market with a strong position.

In 2017, they ported the mobile game VOEZ by Rayark as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch, showing their agility in adapting to Nintendo’s new hardware early on. By the end of that year, they had achieved over 1 million total downloads for their games on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, further spreading Flyhigh Works' name among gamers. Their presence on Nintendo platforms grew stronger, and more users began to enjoy their games.

However, Flyhigh Works' challenges didn't end there. In September 2020, they co-invested with INSIDE SYSTEM, creators of the The Legend of Dark Witch series, to establish the management company “Shenga Co., Ltd.” for the virtual YouTuber production Beatus Creation. Huang serves as the company's CEO, marking their foray into new entertainment fields. This move reflects their passion and innovative spirit not only toward the gaming industry but also toward digital culture as a whole.

Flyhigh Works has carved out a unique position in the gaming industry. Through localization and publishing, they have fulfilled the important mission of bringing the appeal of overseas indie games to Japanese players. Behind this effort lies Jason Huang's spirit of challenge embodied in the phrase “Fly High.” Flyhigh Works will continue to offer us new discoveries and surprises. We can't take our eyes off their next steps!