May 20, 2010
Livedoor not dead
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010 Anyone still using antiquated Japanese portal website Livedoor probably won’t give a hoot that it’s just been bought by a Korean upstart keen to add the site’s 30 million monthly users to an already huge customer base. At least we noticed. Anyway, the $68 million deal will see […]
By Metropolis
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010
Anyone still using antiquated Japanese portal website Livedoor probably won’t give a hoot that it’s just been bought by a Korean upstart keen to add the site’s 30 million monthly users to an already huge customer base. At least we noticed.
Anyway, the $68 million deal will see the service once headed by Takafumi Horie, before he found himself far up that creek where you really need a paddle, become part of Korea’s NHN network, which includes gaming and search sites.
Ultimately, NHN says it wants to become a player in Japan alongside Google and Yahoo, but whether keeping the Livedoor name, as it intends, will help or hinder is anyone’s guess. Bonus fact: Horiemon now says he’s set on becoming a porno video producer.
