Challenges of Blockchain-based Services

Cocone aims to create a “metaverse of sensitivity.”

In the CCP(*) services we have worked on, we have created more than 600,000 digital assets (digital items) and formed a community.

Leveraging this strength, we are independently creating the foundation for building a digital world with an economic sphere, such as the development of blockchain technology and the operation of NFT marketplaces in our group companies.

To two people who are struggling to provide the new services that Cocone is currently challenging.
Interviews were conducted.

We interview two people who joined Cocone this year about the challenges of creating services from scratch in a new environment and how they work.
CCP is defined as a genre of services in which “Character” exists, “Coordinating” elements exist, and “Play” is possible.

self-introduction

■First of all, please introduce yourselves.

Rokushima: My name is Rokushima, and I belong to the planning section in the Meta Division.
I am currently a project leader responsible for the production of a new title.
Prior to joining Cocone, I was primarily responsible for the management of social games.

Naoi: I am Naoi, a planner.
I have been working in the game industry as a planner and director for 18 years.
I am in charge of the planning and specification part of Rokushima-san’s project.

Why I joined Cocone

You both joined Cocone this year after the Meta Division was created.

Rokushima: I had worked at my previous job for 10 years, and having only had experience at that one company, I wanted a new challenge.
I thought it would be possible for a company aiming for “web3” or “Metaverse” to experience creating services through trial and error, as was the case in the early days of social games, and when I was looking for a company that would take on these challenges, I was introduced to Cocone.
I had a lot of experience in operations, but I really wanted to take on the challenge of developing new services while I still could. The main reason I decided to join Cocone was that I could take on that challenge.
Another reason is that I have loved the genre that Cocone has called CCP since I was a child, and I wanted to give it a serious try.

Naoi: When I turned 40 and seriously considered what kind of work I wanted to do in the next 10 years, I realized that I had a strong desire to create something new or do something with new technology, not just an extension of the past.
I learned about Cocone through my job search, and the idea of “vocation(*)” resonated with me.
It is not something that will eventually change, like a vision or mission, but rather a statement of how we want people to live their lives, which we then verbalize and deliver to our employees.
I felt that you value your words.
Vocation: “Empowering everyone to invent themselves in our boundless world.”

As you say, we at Cocone tell our employees to “value words” on a daily basis.

Naoi: A company that says, “Let’s value words,” was willing to take on the challenge of the Metaverse.
It is a very big decision for a company to make such a statement, and I thought that a place that could do such a thing would be able to create something new.

About Our Business

Please tell us about your daily work flow.

Rokushima: Since this is a new project, many things change on a daily basis.
The first step is to review progress at the team’s morning meeting to determine if there are any deviations from the schedule and, if so, what the problems are.

As we work together with the art director, the designers who create the products, and Mr. Naoi to finalize the worldview, we sometimes talk about how it will be reflected in the products, and sometimes we talk about the business model.
We will proceed with what has a high priority and must be discussed with the members according to the phase at that time.
Then there are times when we adjust the schedule according to the progress of the project and consult with them about staffing plans.

Naoi: After arriving at the office, I take a moment to organize everything that needs to be done that day.
In the morning, I check the progress of the project with Rokushima-san and clear tasks one by one according to the scheduled sprints.
We develop digital services simply by creating specifications, explaining them to members, and responding to any feedback.

What is unique about the way you work?

Rokushima: web3 is in a state of trial and error around the world.
Due to the time difference, there are also evening briefings held in the Twitter space, Discord, etc., and I sometimes attend Freemint NFT events.
It is a unique feature of this business that we need to obtain a wide range of information from outside the company.

Naoi: My child is still small and I am working while raising her, so I leave the office at 5:00 p.m. to take care of housework and childcare. After that, my team understands that I start working remotely.

The company’s system and the understanding of those around me make it possible for me to work in this way, but I believe that I must not rely on that, and must bring value to the company.
It’s been a great way to work.

So you can work in a way that is flexible to each individual’s situation.

Rokushima: Yes, that’s right.
Since this is a new project, some may think it would be difficult to work shorter hours, but I think we have an environment where personal circumstances are acceptable.

What’s important to us in our work

What do you both value in your work?

Rokushima: It comes down to being interested in your fellow man and in people.
As we expand our services globally, we will have more members with many different backgrounds, so I think it is important to talk with them and capture what they are thinking, rather than just guessing.
I believe that taking an interest in each individual and moving forward together in a thoughtful manner will lead to an increase in the quality of what we create.

Naoi: It is very important for each person to think and for the individuality of each member to come out.
When planning a project, I explain to the members the core of what we absolutely must do for the customer, and leave the details to each member to think about on their own.
I believe it is good to utilize each idea as long as the core remains unwavering.

You both value relationships with people, don’t you?

Rokushima: We have many reliable members and we work to maximize everyone’s capacity value.
The reason I do the progress management myself is that I want the members to be creative.

Naoi: We cannot make a proper product unless we make it in a way that makes sense.
From my past experiences, I have learned that communicating and making sure to communicate properly is the final part of delivering services to customers.

Job satisfaction

What do you find most rewarding and interesting about your job?

Rokushima: I am happy when something I have imagined takes shape, and I am even happier when something beyond my imagination comes out. Since there are as many different imaginations as there are people, we can both realize many things by telling each other what we think should be done this way.
It is rewarding and interesting to feel that the more people there are, the more potential there is for product evolution.

Naoi: We are going for a metaverse, a web3 business. So I find it interesting that we are taking on many new challenges that have never been taken on before.

In previous game productions, we have explored new things within a certain pattern. However, in my current project, it is exciting to be able to learn something new every day while working on something that I have no idea how it will turn out.

Rokushima: Indeed, it is different from ordinary projects.
The web3 business is in its infancy, so there is no right answer.
Frequently, what we thought was closest to the correct answer was not good enough.
I find it interesting that there are so many discoveries, both within and outside the company, that I had never thought of that idea.

There are so many new things happening every day, aren’t there?

NAOI: New definitions are created, new words are created, and new technologies are created.
I joined Cocone for the excitement of discussing which of these options to choose and what kind of service to create, thinking about it and giving it shape, and I feel a sense of fulfillment in actually being able to do so.

So, did you feel any gap after you joined the company?

Naoi: There is no gap at all.
It is rather more stimulating than one might imagine.

Rokushima: I don’t see a gap at all either.
Rather, in a positive sense, I was surprised that designers and engineers could come up with a plan as a gap.

Future Work and Services

What do you hope to become in the future, both as a division and as a person?

Rokushima: I can’t wait to release new services and see the faces of our customers.
We don’t even know yet how much of a gap there is between imagination and reality, so I think we will release the service and see what we can get out of it, and many other things.

A title I was involved in at my previous job was a big hit, and I saw people playing it on the train and it came up in everyday conversation. As a person who makes things, I am glad I was able to experience this even just once.

I can see the potential for the service to evolve by many people, and it also inspires me, so I would like to develop the current project into something like that.

Naoi: Instead of a service like existing games, where the creator creates and provides a way to play, the Metaverse will be able to provide a world where customers create their own ways to play.

A different world is emerging from the game world that I have been involved in for more than 30 years since my childhood, and I would be happy to deliver it, and I also want to be at the forefront of seeing how that world turns out.
I was raised on digital entertainment, and if we can create the entertainment of the future with our own hands, I think we can say that we have made a contribution to that world.

Who we want to work with

Last question.

What kind of person would you like to work with in the future?

Rokushima: At the very least, you are someone who has no rejection of foreign countries or new things.

Every day new words and situations come up, and you have to understand them, and you have to read English sentences.
The project may involve various route changes, so we prefer someone who has vitality and is not afraid of change.

Naoi: He is someone who enjoys the great adventure of heading into the Metaverse.
I would like someone who really enjoys not knowing how things will turn out and the intense daily changes.
Also, speaking from my experience of making games for a long time, I would like to encourage people who are tired of making ordinary games to come to Cocone.

I believe that a service such as Cocone’s CCP, where there are no parameters and customers are delighted only by the power of planning and the attractiveness of the product, is a service that touches on the origin of fun, something that can only be realized by those who know the power of games.

I would like to see people who are not afraid of change and who enjoy taking on new challenges.

Thank you!

Both of them had over 10 years of experience in the game industry and joined Cocone with the desire to “take on the challenge of developing new services. I was impressed by their smiles as they said, “This is more exciting than I had imagined.

※This article is machine translated.