{
  "id": 1397514,
  "title": "Idol game app firm collapses as data shows bankruptcies up 7% on year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/idol-game-app-firm-collapses-as-data-shows-bankruptcies-up-7-on-year",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-17T02:08:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/08/17/companies/japan-game-app-operator-bankruptcy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Japanese game app company called ODD No. has filed for bankruptcy protection, marking the latest corporate failure in a wave that has reached a 12-year high. The Tokyo-based company, known for its interactive animation game app Link! Like! Lovelive!, had liabilities totaling ¥10.7 billion ($67.2 million), making it one of the largest bankruptcies in Japan so far this year, according to data from market research firm Tokyo Shoko. Despite attracting a significant user base, heavy development costs prevented the company from becoming profitable. Corporate bankruptcies in the first half of 2023 rose 7% compared to the previous year, totaling 5,346 cases, the highest since 2013, according to Tokyo Shoko's data. The majority of these failures involved firms with liabilities under ¥100 million, accounting for about 77% of the total. Information service firms like ODD No. saw an 18.5% increase in bankruptcies, primarily due to their small size and fierce competition in the rapidly evolving tech industry driven by artificial intelligence. The collapse of Zentoshin, an Osaka-based credit card payment processor, last month further highlighted the challenges faced by smaller companies in the face of inflation and labor shortages.",
  "summary": "Even as share indexes reach record highs on the back of corporate profits, bankruptcies have also been on the rise amid higher material costs and labor shortages.",
  "key_points": [
    "Japanese game app company ODD No. files for bankruptcy protection.",
    "Corporate bankruptcies in Japan's first half rose 7% year-over-year.",
    "Information service firms saw 18.5% increase in bankruptcies."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The surge in corporate bankruptcies, particularly among small information service firms, signals growing challenges for vulnerable companies in Japan amid rising costs, intense competition, and shifting tech landscapes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}