Originally from the Middle of Nowhere, Australia - for some strange reason I've now found myself to be the creative lead at YAOYA, an independent multimedia and marketing company in Japan.
I've had over 15 years of largely varied industry experiences. I have a background in interactive media, bran...
なにをやっているのか
"Yaoya" is Japanese for a traditional greengrocer, known for offering diverse, affordable produce year-round. At YAOYA, we're the digital market's greengrocers! We deliver a wide array of high-quality, affordable digital services, from B2B and B2C offerings like web marketing and AI workflow development to AI education and even game development!
・Game Development
There is a traditionally strong culture of gaming in Japan. We believe at YAOYA that games are more than just a medium of entertainment, but a way of life. So much so that we try to incorporate games into the very essence of our workflows. Our desire to make everything we do into more than just a process but a *fun challenge*, it's even led us to form our own team to focus primarily on developing our in-house game called 'HakoBon'
・Web Marketing Support
We provide everything from building digital marketing strategies to execution support. The biggest difference from other companies is that we make full use of AI in our workflows. To create high-quality, fast and efficient services we accumulate and work with data to create AI that acts as avatar for client
・AI Workflow Development and Implementation Support
We offer a service to replace your workflows with AI. Clients can submit challenges freely, and YAOYA will build solutions in Notion. By leveraging accumulated data, we propose new workflows and onboard Notion usage. Our mission is to replace entire workflows with AI, integrating various AI services, not just automating specific tasks.
・AI Education Support
Unsure what AI can do for you? We help map out AI capabilities, making it easier to take action. As a first step in leveraging AI for increased sales and profits, we offer training for new hires and reskilling for employees. Rest assured, all our employees have completed this training.
なぜやるのか
We view life as a game and we try to incorporate it into everything we do, including making games!
With the looming problem of the so-called 2025 cliff, the employment landscape will change dramatically, entering a period of a super-aging society. Increasingly many of the systems that have been in place for many companies will become increasingly redundant as they’re unable to keep up with the current trends, further compounding the black-box effect of established systems, as companies struggle to compete due to their disparate requirements.
At YAOYA, we believe that one way of overcoming this hurdle is a different frame of mind: life is a game, and knowing how to compete means know how to play the game - capitalizing on an eclectic range of tools, strategies, and ideas to find the best, unique solution for a problem. We love games and we believe this idea so much so that we actually make games, too!
The core of our current game development is HakoBon, our uniquely crafted concept to bring many of our core values into a truly game-like experience. Games help people to connect, grow and challenge ourselves and one another. Through HakoBon, we want to bring many of these ideas to life.
But we don’t just stop there. We also aim to create other smaller-scope games to diversify and expand our approach to ask the questions and understand, "What is a game?" and "How is 'this' like a game?"
どうやっているのか
At YAOYA, our game development strategy is all about having fun while learning and creating. Profitability is great, but our true goal is to craft experiences that make the world more 'game-like.'
We prioritize fun and creativity over strict deadlines and rigid workflows. Our main project, HakoBon, embodies this mindset. We push forward as a team, yet we each take charge of our individual contributions.
We embrace the phrase ‘broad and deep,’ encouraging our team to excel in multiple areas. This approach fosters personal growth and strengthens the team, making our game development process as enriching as it is enjoyable.
こんなことやります
We're looking for passionate, creative individuals to join our small team and help create groundbreaking games. Ready to turn your passion and skills into the next big hit?
Position & Responsibilities:
As a Unity Game Developer, you'll be involved in every stage of game development, from conceptualizing ideas to release. Your role is to leverage your flexible thinking and broad skillset to create captivating gaming experiences.
Key Responsibilities:
・Design and implement game systems
・Optimize performance
・Fix bugs and balance gameplay
・Propose and implement new features
Ideal Candidate:
・3-5 years of experience in game development
・Advanced knowledge of Unity and C#
・Deep understanding of game architecture and design principles
・Experience with rendering pipelines (preferred)
・Understanding of multiplayer and networking (a plus)
・Adaptability to various tasks
・Ability to collaborate and generate ideas in a small team
・Strong passion for game development
・Broad knowledge of games
Work Environment at YAOYA:
We provide an environment that keeps our team refreshed and motivated.
Working Hours: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM (8-hour workday with a 1-hour break)
Work Conditions:
・Two days off per week (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), with 125 annual holidays
・Year-end bonus
・New Year's and summer vacations
・Company trips
・Access to welfare facilities
Career Growth at YAOYA:
At our company, you'll find an environment where your creativity and game development skills can thrive. Join us in innovative game projects and make a significant impact in the industry.
You'll have the chance to shape game experiences with your ideas, working closely on all stages of development in a small team. Your contributions will be directly reflected in our products.
Alongside technical challenges, you'll also build compelling worlds that captivate gamers. Help us create groundbreaking games and shape the future of entertainment. Your creativity and skills could be the key to our next big hit.