Eed, a gaming news media company, announced that it has won the “Game PC Awards 2023” for customer satisfaction with gaming PCs and peripherals.GALLERIA“Galleria” was selected.
GALLERIA is a gaming PC brand of Third Wave, which operates the PC shop Dospara nationwide.This marks the third consecutive year that the company has won this award, following 2021 and 2022.
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What is this brand that boasts unwavering support looking towards now, and what kind of future does it envision? We spoke to Ryota Muto, Product Manager of the Third Wave Product and Marketing Headquarters.
2023 will be a year in which we can once again have strong contact with our users
–Congratulations on winning the Grand Prize in the Desktop PC category of the “Gaming PC Awards 2023”. How do you feel about winning first place after 2021 and 2022?
Ryota Muto (hereinafter, Muto)It's a great honor, and I'm especially pleased to have been chosen by PC gamers.
-What kind of year will 2023 be for GALLERIA?
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MutoThe year was a time in which we were able to make great strides in new initiatives with everyone involved in PC gaming, including sponsoring the large-scale offline gaming event “DreamHack Japan 2023 Supported by GALLERIA” held in May and exhibiting a booth for the second year at Tokyo Game Show 2023 in September.
Thanks to you, we've had a lot of different people and companies reach out to us asking if we could do something together, and we've been able to help gamers become more aware of GALLERIA, giving us a real sense of connection.
Another big factor is that the COVID-19 pandemic has passed its peak and people are now able to go out more freely. People who used to come to our events before the pandemic have been able to come again, so we've been able to have more contact with them.
–On the other hand, even though the coronavirus pandemic shows signs of coming to an end, the social situation shows no signs of settling down, with the yen continuing to weaken with no end in sight and prices soaring.
MutoThat's right. Looking at the PC industry as a whole, it's been a tough year. I mentioned earlier that the number of visitors to offline events has returned to pre-COVID levels, but on the other hand, this also means that people who have outdoor hobbies other than gaming have started going outside and resuming their activities.
We want to be constantly sensitive to the disposable time and disposable income of our target users. With that in mind, we are thinking about how to draw their attention to GALLERIA.
Gaming PCs can also be used for expression and creation
— Last September, Third Wave announced the rebranding of its PC brands “GALLERIA,” “raytrek,” and “THIRDWAVE.” Eight months have passed since the announcement. How do you feel about the rebranding?
MutoIn last year's rebranding, GALLERIA, which had previously been promoted as a gaming PC, was redefined as a brand that “satisfies every individual.”
Even among people whose main use is for PC gaming or game streaming, it is not uncommon to see people using their PCs for other purposes besides content creation, so we believe that the service has generally been received favorably.
In the future, we are considering how we can deliver this to not only gamers, but also creative people.
–Could you tell us how you plan to focus on this demographic?
MutoWe recognize that today's entertainment is a complex of multiple creative elements. For example, if you are a singer who releases songs, you will need to handle videos if you want to release a music video, and if you are holding a music event, you may also need event visuals. Whatever the focus of your activities, there are many uses for PCs when it comes to expression and creative activities.
And, in other words, a gaming PC is “A PC with high specs that can play PC games comfortably” and from now on, GALLERIA will be “A high-performance PC that can do anything you want or needWe are thinking of promoting it as “
–That is the message that GALLERIA is sending out.
MutoThird Wave's corporate philosophy is “to develop people, create value, and conduct business that contributes to society,” and its mission is “to maximize the potential of people's creative activities.”
I want it to be the first PC that people who are about to start creating touch, and I want it to be a PC that individual creators consider as an option.That is what GALLERIA aims to be. We want to be a brand that supports your dreams and creative endeavors and helps you realize them.
A brand that is close to users and can be enjoyed together
–In recent years, we have seen many big developments in expression and creation that require PCs, such as generative AI and the metaverse. In what areas will GALLERIA be looking to support gamers and creators in the future?
MutoWe are currently keeping a close eye on the movement surrounding AI and generative AI. What will they produce and be elevated to entertainment, or will they enter the academic field? As GALLERIA, we want to focus on the aspects that consumers can enjoy.
The Metaverse not only functions as a place for interaction, but is also increasingly becoming a place where people can express and realize what they want to do, so I would like to help people who want to be creative there. I aim to become a brand that can support people who are trying to create something or produce something, or who are trying to express themselves in a unique way.
GALLERIA is also cooperating with Dospara's program “Dospara Creative Production” is also one of the support activities. For those who have registered as free members of Dospara, we support people who aspire to creative activities by holding seminars to improve their PC skills, tournaments, contests, etc.
–While continuing to strengthen its position as a gaming PC brand, you also intend to strongly promote the diversity that only high-spec machines can offer by backing up creative activities. So, please give us a final message.
MutoThe third wave will start in 2022.” ” & GALLERIAWe are working on an initiative called “Collaborating with game streamers, commentators, professional gaming teams, singers, and other people who create and express themselves in a variety of ways.
In entertainment today, someone who is inspired by a challenge from someone else becomes the next artist, and by connecting with that feeling, a new world is opened up.GALLERIA wants to enjoy this together and continue to be a part of it.
We have a variety of initiatives and developments planned for the summer of 2024. We will continue to create a brand that is more accepted by all PC users, including those who love PC games and those who want to create and express themselves on their PCs, and that can support our new steps, so please look forward to it.
