Not satisfied with Monster Strike, Mixi acquires Japanese fashion startup

Up to 90 percent off. Wistful model not included.

Mixi is showing interest in the world outside Monster Strike, the game that saved the firm and turned it into a billion dollar company. Today, Mixi announced it acquired Muse & Co., an ecommerce site targeting high-end shoppers. The Bridge is reporting an acquisition price of JPY 1.76 billion (US$14.8 million).

Using a flash-sales business model, Muse & Co. mostly sells expensive fashion brands to women at deep discounts. After its start in February 2012, we reported it took in US$3.4 million in May 2013. At that time it had 200,000 users and US$500,000 in monthly sales. It currently has 600,000 users.

Mixi’s purchase of Muse & Co. might be a sign that the social network turned gaming giant understands that Monster Strike’s money train will not last forever. In its most recent quarterly financial report from earlier this month, the imprint of Monster Strike on the company is inescapable. Not counting title pages and basic company biographical data, an explanation of Monster Strike’s significance for the company accounts for 14 out of 19 pages

Strategies concerning alternative revenue streams took up just three pages. As we have seen with DeNA, Gree, and even GungHo, hit games don’t print money forever. GungHo is still riding high, but both DeNA and Gree have invested in other verticals following their gaming heydays. DeNA in manga and healthcare and Gree in hotel reservations, childcare, and news curation, just to name a few.

See: 11 options for Japanese online shopping that aren’t Rakuten or Yahoo