SEGA XD Joins As Planning and Development Partner for Asahi Shimbun’s Game Platform “Asahi GAMES”

SEGA XD Co., Ltd., a company engaged in gamification business, announced that it has participated as a planning and development partner for “Asahi GAMES,” a casual brain-training puzzle game platform launched by The Asahi Shimbun Company on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Asahi GAMES special page: https://digital.asahi.com/pr/games/ “Asahi GAMES” is a game platform within the digital edition of The Asahi Shimbun that offers multiple casual brain-training games, including “Numbers Link,” which helps train calculation skills, and “Memory Shuffle,” which tests memory. The platform was developed to enrich spare moments between reading news articles and encourage habitual enjoyment among users of The Asahi Shimbun digital edition. In its design, the platform uses gamification, one of SEGA XD’s strengths, incorporating features such as missions that provide a sense of achievement and collections that let users feel their daily progress. These mechanisms are intended to make users want to visit every day. The platform also optimizes play time and frequency so that games blend naturally into the news-reading experience, achieving a balance that provides pleasant stimulation. Through these features, it offers new experiential value that adds color to users’ daily routines. Gamification refers to applying game mechanisms to non-game fields in order to increase user motivation and influence behavior. “Asahi GAMES” is a game platform featuring casual brain-training puzzles that anyone can basically play for free. On PCs and smartphones, users can easily enjoy games that require thinking and take about one minute per play. By becoming a member of The Asahi Shimbun digital edition, depending on whether they are paid members or Asahi ID members, users can access expanded features such as rankings, relaxed play limits, and exclusive games. Included games include “Numbers Link,” where players connect numbered pieces on the field to create the target number. It is simple, yet highly engaging. Players first check the target number displayed at the top of the screen, then trace and connect numbers in the field. When the total of the connected numbers matches the target number, the pieces disappear and the next target appears. Clearing many targets within the time limit raises the score, and longer connected chains earn higher points. Another game, “Memory Shuffle,” is a brain-training game in which players memorize randomly arranged panels and then return them to their original positions after they are shuffled. Players check the panel arrangement in the displayed field, rearrange the panels after shuffling, and clear the stage by answering correctly. As players progress, the types and number of panels increase, raising the difficulty. “Asahi GAMES” is available via web browsers and the Asahi Shimbun app. It supports smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Basic play is free, while some games and features are available only to paid members. Supported environments include iOS 26 or later, iPadOS 26 or later, Android 14.0 or later, Windows 11 or later, MacOS 12 or later, the latest versions of Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge, and the latest version of the Asahi Shimbun app. The platform was released on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, and its genre is puzzle games. On the browser version, users can select “GAMES” from the upper-right menu or tap the upper-right ellipsis and choose “GAMES” from the menu. In the Asahi Shimbun app, users can select “GAMES” from the menu at the bottom right of the screen. The Asahi Shimbun Company was founded in January 1879 and is headquartered at 5-3-2 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. Its businesses include content services through newspapers and digital media, events such as exhibitions, and real estate. SEGA XD is a gamification company that solves corporate and social issues through gamification. Combining gamification methods that captivate people, technology and design capabilities, world-building expertise, and advanced technologies such as AR/VR developed through ongoing R&D, the company provides end-to-end solutions from business strategy to large-scale development and promotion, using its know-how in moving people’s emotions. SEGA XD was established on August 1, 2016, and is headquartered on the 20th floor of Sumitomo Fudosan Shinjuku Central Park Tower, 6-18-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. Its business domain is gamification, and its businesses include experience design and marketing platform services. Company and product names mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners. The information in this document is current as of the announcement date.