Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2010

Name:
Gree

Say what?
It’s inspired by the concept of “six degrees of separation.” Degree, geddit?

Yeah, whatever. So what is it?
According to recently released figures, it’s now Japan’s biggest social networking service. The company, founded by ex-Rakuten man Yoshikazu Tanaka in 2004, reported 21.13 million users at the end of July, overtaking previous top dog Mixi.

SNS, eh? Can I use it to find out which of my school friends got fat?
Sadly not. Though it started life as a conventional PC-based service, Gree only came into its own when it began to focus on mobile platforms and gaming. Though users can make friend requests and send messages to each other, it’s more about having a bit of escapist fun. Each user has their own avatar, which they can kit out with virtual clothing and accessories—all paid for, of course. Reuters reported that around 80 percent of the company’s revenue comes from such virtual purchases.

And how much money are we talking about?
Sales of around ¥10.9 billion in April-June, more than double what it raked in last year. Tanaka is second only to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire.