Celebrating 30 Years of PTW: Our Story
Sep 23, 2024
2024 marks 30 years of our teams at PTW providing leading development services to the global video game industry—30 years of bringing your story to the world!
The journey has come with new services, studios, and partners as well as unique challenges. To commemorate, we invite you to join us in looking back on how far we’ve come, as we highlight some of our long-standing team members who’ve helped make this dream a reality.
A Brief History
Our story begins in 1993 in Nagoya, Japan, with the small business owner of a video game resale shop and racing video game enthusiast, Kozo Matsumoto.
While listening to a customer rant about all the bugs in a newly released game—an all-too-common occurrence—Mitsutaka Motoshige, a business partner, came up with an idea that would leave a lasting impact on the industry.
Japan's First Video Game Quality Assurance Company
In 1994, Kozo, Mitsutaka, and Tamiyoshi Tachibana formed Japan’s first video game Quality Assurance company: Pole To Win, now known as PTW. It didn’t take long for business to start rolling in.
As word of our services spread and the industry grew, we began hiring talented testers from different regions and expanding our services. PTW quickly spread across Japan, eventually becoming the largest game development support business in the country.
Global Expansion and Diversification
In 2009, the company would soar to even greater heights under the guidance of Teppei Tachibana, establishing a presence in the U.S. and expanding later around the globe.
Teppei also strengthened PTW’s infrastructure by acquiring studios like the Interactive Entertainment division of e4e in 2012 and SIDE in 2015. Partnerships like these enabled PTW to cement itself in the industry by offering a full stack of external development services, including localization, player support, co-development, art and audio production, linguistic quality assurance (LQA), and more.
A New Era of Game Support & Development
Under the leadership of our current CEO Deborah Kirkham, PTW has grown to include new service offerings, thousands of employees, and a footprint that spans across 40+ studios in 16 countries.
Thanks to Deborah’s approach to leading positive and transformative change across the company, PTW has fostered a strong culture of gender equality and diversity and has empowered regional sites to be more commercially and operationally autonomous.
As a company with teams and studios spread across four continents and a culture that brings out everyone’s best, our greatest strength is and always will be our people.
The Driving Force Behind PTW
At the heart of our success over the last three decades is a commitment to our teams and the values we uphold. Our culture, diversity, and passion for video games are what empower PTW to continue maintaining and elevating industry standards.
In some cases, it’s giving our staff the freedom and flexibility they need to perform at their best: “Being able to adjust my work hours to fit my schedule and availability is one of the things I love most about working at PTW. The company also provides a comfortable working environment for me to do so,” our Senior Audio Director Shigeru Inoue tells us, who is celebrating 15 years with PTW this year.
In others, it’s about the environment and growth opportunities that make coming to work exciting. Amith Kumar, our Technology Manager who has also been with PTW for half its lifetime, highlights: “Collaboration and support among the team are what I like most about working at PTW. Over the years, I’ve had opportunities to grow in my role, taking on new challenges that helped me develop both professionally and personally. This combination of a positive work environment and growth opportunities is what has kept me here for years.”
We sat down with several of our most long-standing team members—celebrating 10, 15, 20, and even 25-year milestones with PTW this year—to find out about some of their most memorable moments with us over the past few decades, and how they’ve seen the company and wider gaming industry evolve over time.
What have you enjoyed most about working at PTW throughout the years?
“PTW always offered great career opportunities to its employees, and a good example is that I started my career as a Player Support Team Lead and ended up working in IT. Also, the industry we work in is very diverse, so there are always plenty of exciting projects going on—there’s never a dull day.”
“I'm happy to work with video games, which is one of my favorite hobbies. In the Player Support team, we can listen to the voices of players in an intimate way and truly collaborate towards making games better together. That's been the motivation which has kept me here at PTW for the past 10 years.”
Jongik Park
Team Manager, Player Support | Naju, South Korea
Celebrating 10 years with PTW
“A good working atmosphere, colleagues with shared interests, and the opportunity to contribute to a career I love have made me enjoy this job and stay for the past 10 years.”
Yu Cai
QA/LQA Project Manager | Shanghai, China
Celebrating 10 years with PTW
“The first thing I like is that PTW is part of the gaming industry, an ever-evolving field connected to youth culture and the future. This connection provides ample scope for innovation and optimal use of new technology. Another reason why I enjoy working at PTW is my peers and the leadership team, who’ve made my 15-year journey a wonderful experience.”
Sujesh Mithran
Senior QA Manager | Bangalore, India
Celebrating 15 years with PTW
“I like the friendly atmosphere and flexibility when working remotely. Our opinions and private lives are always respected. My love for video games has kept me here!”
Shuhei Kawatani
LQA Lead | Tokyo, Japan
Celebrating 10 years with PTW
Memorable Experiences
Whether it’s been opening a new studio in a different region or acquiring new partners, all of PTW’s achievements have come with their fair share of challenges.
Amith shares one example: “One of the most memorable experiences was when we had to relocate to a new office with very little downtime. It was hectic at times, but it was also fun implementing and learning new technologies, coordinating between teams, and all the excitement and stress that came with shuttling between the two locations. Of the three relocations I’ve participated in, this was the most challenging yet memorable.”
But like any tight-knit team, the people at PTW are there for each other through thick and thin. One of the memories that stick out the most for one of our Senior QA Managers, Sujesh Mithran, are times of celebration: “One of my memorable moments at PTW occurred when my colleagues arranged a flashmob and townhall and shared wonderful video recordings to commemorate my 15-year milestone. It was an overwhelmingly emotional moment!”
Can you share one of your most memorable moments or projects from your time at PTW?
“When I worked for a AAA partner as Project Manager, I was invited to one of their game shows, which I will always remember. The Player Support team received recognition and gifts saying they were grateful for our support. The team felt so happy knowing we were improving the gaming experience for players, together.”
Jongik Park
Team Manager, Player Support | Naju, South Korea
Celebrating 10 years with PTW
“The work that has left the biggest impression on me is the localization and voice recording we have done for the Call of Duty series. I have been in charge of this for over 10 years now, and it is a very stimulating project that is always evolving, so I never get bored.”
Shigeru Inoue
Senior Audio Director | Tokyo, Japan
Celebrating 15 years with PTW
“I joined the company as a Game Artist in April 2004. Later, the company transitioned, and I worked in the Localization department for several years proofreading game texts. As PTW Shanghai continued to grow, I became an HR Executive at PTW Shanghai.
The most touching moment was our 20th anniversary celebration in Shanghai. We had just emerged from the impact of COVID-19 and started to resume work. We gathered again at the celebration to review the company’s journey. Each challenge made us more united and stronger.”
Lan Chen
HR Executive | Shanghai, China
Celebrating 20 years with PTW
“One particular RTS got me into English games during my childhood, and I was lucky enough to work on the remastered version of it 20 years later. Such a moment is a privilege that comes with working at the leading localization company for games.”
Shuhei Kawatani
LQA Lead | Tokyo, Japan
Celebrating 10 years with PTW
“It’s got to be the backup tape project we did for one of our largest game partners. PTW was the first line of contact for all the partner’s backup tape driver users, and this project was so different from everything else we were doing at the time. There are so many of these moments—too many to mention!”
Roland Lansbergen
Senior Director of Global Technology & InfoSec | Glasgow, UK
Celebrating 25 years with PTW
“I was very excited to get to work on an action RPG series that I love. Due to the tight schedule, we scaled up the team size, and I was the team manager at that time. Everyone showed great enthusiasm and enjoyed the project.”
Yu Cai
QA/LQA Project Manager | Shanghai, China
Celebrating 10 years with PTW
The Future of Gaming
It’s evident that we’ve come a long way since opening our first office in 1994—and so has the games industry.
Few lay it out as well as one of our team managers in Player Support, Jongik Park: “30 years ago, when PTW was established, the global gaming market was only worth $20 billion. We got to work on a lot of great games with many developers on some very well-known franchises, leading to a great experience for us and millions of players around the world. And now, the gaming market has grown tenfold to $240 billion. PTW will always continue to make games better for users with our great partner developers, just like we’ve done for the past 30 years.”
Ultimately, new games, technologies, and services will continue to emerge as video games increase in popularity. Regardless of what changes may come, PTW is committed to adapting and continuing to set the standard for excellence in video game development.
What are your hopes for PTW’s future?
“Over the years, the company has rapidly developed along with the gaming industry. I look forward to PTW continuing to innovate, serving more games, and bringing more joy to players. I am full of confidence and anticipation for the company’s future.
On this special day, I would like to leave my blessings for our PTW 30th anniversary celebration! I would like to pay my highest respects to all PTW colleagues and wish our company even better and better in the future!”
Lan Chen
HR Executive | Shanghai, China
Celebrating 20 years with PTW
“I envision PTW to continue to innovate. To progress into a company where we can single-handedly and comprehensively support clients through the full software development process from inception to the game's release—something the company is already achieving with the recent expansion of their co-development service.”
Sujesh Mithran
Senior QA Manager | Bangalore, India
Celebrating 15 years with PTW
“I hope to see a stronger presence of PTW in all types of media.”
Shuhei Kawatani
LQA Lead | Tokyo, Japan
Celebrating 10 years with PTW
“I hope that PTW never stops being innovators, and the signs are looking good with our software development team releasing great tools and apps with the big automation drive that is currently going on. I think the future is looking bright.”
Roland Lansbergen
Senior Director of Global Technology & InfoSec | Glasgow, UK
Celebrating 25 years with PTW
“I’m incredibly optimistic about the future of PTW. We’ve built a strong foundation based on innovation, creativity, and a deep understanding of our audience, which puts us in a great position to continue growing and leading the industry. Personally, I’m excited to contribute to this future by continuing to innovate and bring fresh ideas to the table.”
Amith Kumar
Manager – Technology | Bangalore, India
Celebrating 15 years with PTW
Here’s to the Next 30 Years!
Today PTW has over 40 studios across four continents and offers a range of services, supporting the entire game development lifecycle, working on titles of every genre and every platform.
Looking ahead, we are committed to raising the bar and continuing to adapt to new technologies and market trends. Our focus remains on delivering the highest quality experiences to players worldwide while fostering a culture that values creativity, inclusivity, and collaboration.
Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of our journey so far, especially to our long-service team members whose contributions can be seen in this article.
Here’s to the next 30 years of bringing your story to the world!
Roland Lansbergen
Senior Director of Global Technology & InfoSec | Glasgow, UK
Celebrating 25 years with PTW