While world affairs are clouded with uncertainty—including the Sino-U.S. trade dispute and risks cropping up in the middle east—Japan is looking forward to a string of events expected to boost economic activity; namely, the Olympic Games in Tokyo and the world Expo in Osaka.

Garnering attention in our industry is the upcoming Intel World Open esports tournament. We expect this major event to function as a tipping point in building positive public opinion of esports. Compared to markets such as North America, the esports ecosystem in Japan lags a few steps behind; however, over the next decade it is expected to move forward by leaps and bounds through proactively incorporating esports in communities, educational institutions and corporations. Capcom is also working at all levels to establish a business model for esports.

Meanwhile, this year a number of industries will likely begin to see an acceleration in the practical application of the next generation communication standard, known as 5G, with the game industry facing a new 5G-based competitive landscape around 2025. At Capcom we are moving forward with research and development, keeping a watchful eye on both market trends and technological advances from a long-term perspective; it is essential that we are not beholden to convention as we endeavor to discover new methods across all aspects of our work, including our processes for creating and presenting products. Further, operating in this age of digital distribution, we will continue to focus on consistently launching major titles while strengthening our digital sales.

Digital technology has significantly changed our world over the past ten years; however, we will likely see five and even ten times that change in the coming decade. Beyond that, 30 or 50 years from now, we can expect an era in which everything has changed due to the digital revolution: from how we live our lives to our very perception of the world. In heading toward that future, Capcom must be ever more adaptable to change, delving into just how flexible of a company we can be, unconstrained by traditional value judgements.

We are committed to driving forward to the next stage as a leading company in the digital era and will continue to invest in both future growth areas such as esports as well as in the expansion of our original content that is loved the world over.

We humbly ask our stakeholders for their continued support as we pursue the creation of new value.