Pole To Win Inc. (Head Office: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture; Representative Director and CEO: Tachibana Teppei; hereinafter referred to as PTW), a subsidiary of Pole To Win Holdings Inc. (Head Office: Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo; CEO: Tachibana Teppei; Stock Code: 3657) that helps resolve issues throughout the service lifecycle, is pleased to announce that it will be collaborating with Sarugaku-cho, the game tuning and verification division of group company HIKE Inc. (Head Office: Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo; CEO: Mikami Masataka; hereinafter referred to as HIKE), to strengthen its service offering for game development companies that are expanding their user testing service "Fun Test" globally.

"Fun Test" was launched as a service for Japan in May 2023, and the number of companies using the service has increased as the need to optimize gaming experiences has grown.

In recent years, with the spread of smartphones and cloud gaming, it has become common for games to be distributed across borders. However, there are differences in the gaming experience expected by users in each market, and optimizing the gaming experience for each target market is the key to success. In particular, the importance of testing that takes into account the cultural backgrounds and play styles of each country is increasing, and user testing services that can meet this need are attracting attention.

PTW's "Fun Test" has strengthened its system so that Japanese testers are in charge of testing foreign games entering the Japanese market, and foreign testers are in charge of testing Japanese games being released overseas. By providing "Fun Test," we will contribute to game development companies that aims to smoothly enter foreign markets.

About the user test service "Fun Test"
"Fun Test" is a user testing service jointly provided by PTW and Sarugaku-cho. When a game is released or renewed, testers from PTW actually play the game to identify stress points and areas for improvement. Based on the results, Sarugaku-cho will provide the client with a detailed report that analyzes the results using the content tuning know-how it has cultivated over the years.

"Fun Test" supports quality improvement from three perspectives

1. Visualizing the different points of "fun" in each country

By quantifying the "fun" felt by the target demographic and clarifying the game's strengths and areas for improvement, we can draw out its appeal in each market.

② Stress-free and comfortable operation

We evaluate the UI and usability, identify points of confusion or stress for users, and improve usability.

3. Game balance that makes you want to keep playing

We aim to create a design that will make players want to continue playing, so we measure the completion rate for each phase and optimize the game balance.

All testers undergo rigorous security training at PTW center to protect client companies' game information with a thorough system that complies with ISO 27001. We assign the most suitable testers from approximately 3,000 testers nationwide, and work with Sarugaku-cho, a tuning specialist agency, to provide high-quality reports.

PTW incorporates debugging and user testing into the project cycle and also supports continuous monitor testing. With highly convincing test results from experienced experts and comprehensive services utilizing a wide range of test devices, we improve the appeal and quality of the games.

Contact Us
▼For more information or to implement the "Fun Test" service, please contact as below.

PTW Sales Planning Division
Mail：marketing@ptw.inc

■ About HIKE Inc. and Sarugakucho
HIKE Inc.

As an entertainment company that handles all kinds of IP-based content, including anime, manga, games, and stage productions, HIKE will continue to rapidly take on new challenges and provide IP value both domestically and globally.

【 Company Profile 】
Company name: HIKE Inc.
Address: 3F and 4F JRE Nishi-Shinjuku Terrace, 3-2-4 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023
Representative: Masataka Mikami, Representative Director
Official website: https://hike.inc/

Sarugaku Cho

We are a group of craftsmen who handle tuning (※) of entertainment content belonging to HIKE Inc. Tuning covers a wide range of content, from home video games and smartphone apps to card games and toys, and our experienced craftsmen work patiently and carefully.
*Tuning mainly involves playing and testing content currently in development, proposing ideas and adjusting the balance in order to make it "more interesting," "more user-friendly," and "more fun."

■ About Pole To Win Inc.
Pole To Win Inc.'s main business is IT services such as game debugging, software quality verification, and online support. The company launched its game debugging business in 1994 and achieved an 800% growth rate in the five years since its founding. Since then, the company has continued to play a pioneering role in the game debugging business.
In February 2022, PTW absorbed two group companies. "Pitcrew," which has supported various web services through e-commerce fraud countermeasures and customer support, and "QaaS," which has contributed to solving problems through software testing and quality consulting. With the statement "As expected, beyond expectations," we will work to improve the quality and value of our clients' services and products and contribute to the further development of the software testing industry.

【Company Profile】
Company name: Pole To Win, Inc.
Address: 1-5-9 Imaike, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
Representative: Teppei Tachibana, CEO
Kazuaki Shimura, COO
Business: Debugging, network support, software testing
Established: January 20, 1994
Official website: https://www.ptw.inc/

＜For inquiries from the media, please contact below＞
Pole To Win, Inc.　Public Relations：Ms.Kamihara / Ms.Onishi　e-mail:pr@ptw.inc

[Notice of Pole To Win]

PoleToWin strengthens services for game development companies expanding globally