Can “Let’s Have Fun!” be sparked through games!? Celebrating our launch: Introducing the newly established Gaming Club | Club Activity Spotlight

Hello, I’m Takada from the Public Relations Division Headquarters, Bureau 3 (Sports). I joined the company as a new graduate this fiscal year and immediately launched the “Gaming Club,” making me the youngest club president in SUNNY SIDE UP’s history (laughs).

The “SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP Club Activity Spotlight” has taken the baton from the Futsal Club!

This time, in a complete change from the Futsal Club, we will introduce the only cultural club that can stay active regardless of COVID-19—the newly founded “Gaming Club”!!

▼Read the Futsal Club article here!
SSU Group Futsal Club, season in! We joined a private tournament & held a social meetup

How it began

Although we call it “new,” in fact, about five years ago there was a “Board Game Club” that existed as SUNNY SIDE UP’s only cultural club. Unfortunately, it was disbanded after key members graduated, among other reasons…

Recently, however, with the rise of e-sports and increased demand for at-home entertainment, we at SUNNY SIDE UP have also begun to be involved in game-related projects.

That is why we felt now was the time to revive the “Board Game Club” and develop it into an even more meaningful club activity than before—so we moved forward with establishing it!

We gathered members in charge of game-related projects, along with some of SUNNY SIDE UP’s most avid game lovers, and challenged ourselves to present the idea to our president!

This headquarters-level club was founded by such a handpicked group of heroes (laughs), but it turns out there are many hidden gamers in our group companies as well.

At first, it was a party small enough to fit in a “wagon,” but now members are flocking in from all over—so many that we need a “tavern” to hold them!

As an aside…

I’m a rookie who joined this fiscal year, but I was relieved that the president listened warmly even to my clumsy presentation (laughs).

With the slogan “Let’s Have Fun!” and all, people may assume everyone is cheerful and energetic…

That may be the image of SUNNY SIDE UP, but in fact there may be quite a few geeks here too (laughs).

Main activities

Since the club was established, we have been gathering once a week in a meeting room equipped with a PS5 and more (nicknamed the “PlayStation room”).

We decide what to play on the day with the members and enjoy playing together.

As an officially recognized company club, we also buy games while managing the budget provided by the company! (Every time I click “buy,” I feel incredibly guilty…)

Any member has the right to request a game, and if it is approved within the club, we can start playing it from the following week—this is one of the club’s appeals!

On days we meet, sometimes we play new releases, and other days we teach each other games!

In the week “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles” was released, a member who bought it privately brought it to the office and we even held an in-house tournament—so we enjoy games in many different ways.

In the Gaming Club, we do more than just sit in chairs and play—sometimes we do extracurricular activities! We also get together on holidays to go and enjoy “escape rooms” and “board games.”

(Our idea is: if it has “game” in the name, it’s all good, right?)

The Gaming Club also uses Discord as a permanent tool, sharing game-industry news and connections with game media on a regular basis—building relationships that can also lead to work.

The work each member is involved in differs, but taking in this kind of information is helpful in many situations.

SUNNY SIDE UP members, we are not just playing around!!

If you are interested in working on PR for games or subculture but are worried, “Will I fit in at SUNNY SIDE UP…?”, I would be happy if this blog helps you feel reassured—“Oh, so there are people like that here, too.”

And if you join our company, please do play games with us!

We will continue to share updates on our other clubs as well. Please look forward to the next one!