New name for animé distributor

By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, September 30, 2003

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Pioneer Entertainment (USA) Inc., the company who first brought Japanese animé series Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z to America's VCRs and DVD players, is changing its name following its acquisition by Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu Inc.

As of Oct. 1, Pioneer will be known as Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc. "Geneon" is a new word combining "generate" and "eon," that was created to embody Pioneer's efforts to produce "new entertainment with eternal value," according to the company.

Geneon boasts a 36 percent market share of the animé DVD market in the U.S. The company has also begun licensing titles for theatrical release. New parent Dentsu controls an entertainment portfolio that includes rights to animated TV properties such as Astro Boy and Kirby.

"We have built a solid and respected reputation as a licensee among publishers, rights holders and animé producers in Japan," said Yosuke Kobayashi, Geneon's president. "With Dentsu as our new parent, we anticipate tapping into its global resources as well as our own to expand our animé offerings to the growing North American audience."

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