Piccoma
{{Short description|Japanese webtoon subscription service}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox software
| logo =
| screenshot =
| caption =
| developer = Kakao Piccoma Corp.
| released = April 2016
| operating system = iOS, Android
| language = Japanese, French
| license =
| website = {{URL|https://piccoma.com}}
}}
{{nihongo|Piccoma|ピッコマ|Pikkoma|lead=yes}} is a Japanese digital comic app that is available on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. It was developed and released by Kakao Piccoma Corp., the Japanese subsidiary of Kakao.
Service
When the service was first launched, it offered a regular model of buying each individual manga and volume similar to other online shops but it has since moved to adopt the webtoon model where a user can purchase individual chapters and wait 24 hours to read some for free.{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-03/kakao-counts-on-japan-s-love-of-manga-to-break-through-overseas|title=Kakao Counts on Japan's Manga Love to Break Through Overseas|newspaper=Bloomberg.com |date=September 3, 2017 |publisher=Bloomberg|access-date=February 20, 2018}} Korean webtoons that are offered on Kakao's services (Daum Webtoon and KakaoPage) are offered through Piccoma in Japanese.{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/02/business/manga-goes-digital-via-smartphone-apps-paper-comics-still-place/#.Wozb0KjwY2x|title=As manga goes digital via smartphone apps, do paper comics still have a place?|date=August 2, 2017 |publisher=The Japan Times|access-date=February 20, 2018}} Kakao Japan announced that it would start offering original Japanese, Korean, and Chinese webtoons for Piccoma in Q3 2018.{{cite web|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Kakao-Japan-ramps-up-manga-content-via-smartphone-app|title=Kakao Japan ramps up manga content via smartphone app|website=Nikkei Asian Review}} Kakao Japan changed its name to Kakao Piccoma Corporation in November 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.kakaocorp.com/page/detail/9588|title=On the 11th of this month, Kakao Japan changed the name to "Kakao Pickcoma"|publisher=Kakao Corp.}}
In 2018, they founded the manga award "Piccoma AWARD".{{Cite web|script-title=ja:【イベントレポート】新サービス「ピッコマTV」など発表、マンガ原作のドラマやアニメを中心に配信|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/278498|website=Comic Natalie|publisher=Natasha, Inc|date=April 17, 2018|access-date=February 26, 2022|language=ja}}
In November 2021, Piccoma announced its expansion in Europe and North America; in September of the same year, it established a local subsidiary in France.{{cite web | url=https://japan.mk.co.kr/view.php?category=30600007&year=2021&idx=13348 | title=カカオ「欧州と北米攻略を強化」...仏市場でピッコマを展開 }} On March 17, 2021, Kakao launched its French language service of Piccoma, which includes translated webtoons as well as translated manga.{{cite web | url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/03/18/business/tech/Kakao-Piccoma-France/20220318155138581.html | title=Kakao's Piccoma goes live in France | date=March 18, 2022 }}
On 27 May, 2024, Piccoma Europe announces that it will be forced to cease all its operations, which will result in the definitive closure of the platform and the definitive termination of the Piccoma service on September 30, 2024 at 11:59 pm. This was the result of a desire to downsize or shut down unprofitable overseas units.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-02 |title=Kakao to close European webtoon platform after failing to read the market |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-06-02/business/industry/Kakao-to-close-European-webtoon-platform-after-failing-to-read-the-market/2059589 |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=koreajoongangdaily.joins.com |language=en}} Since September 30, the app and website are no longer accessible in France.
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://piccoma.com/web/}} {{in lang|ja}}
{{Kakao}}