Rise in Popularity of Mobile Gaming in Japan
When it comes to gadgets and games, you just can’t beat Asians, especially the Japanese. Whether Android, iPhone or Windows phone, Japanese always welcome them with open arms. Whereas the gaming market used to be a battleground for PSPs and Nintendos, it is now dominated by smartphone-based gaming apps.
Here are the stats. When Japanese mobile gaming network GREE launched the Sci-Fi game on September first, the response was overwhelming. Within eight days the game had reached a user base of more than one million, with over 1200 new players signing up every hour! And what about GREE’s rival? When Mobage launched the highly-acclaimed Robo-War game Gundam Royal, the number of users reached an unprecedented six digit number within six days.
The success of these two games as well as the hosting gaming networks is testament to the growing affinity with mobile gaming in a place where even some five-year-olds have Smartphones. The technology mindset and increasing affordability of phones has increased consumers even more. The Japanese economy may have lost its supremacy, but the people definitely have not lost their appetite for innovative technology products.
Domestic success has motivated Japanese mobile gaming giants to go international, fueling a massive acquisition drive by major gaming giants, such as GREE’s purchase of US-based Open Feint. Mobage has also ventured into China, the US and other markets. There is an inward trend also, with major global players making their way into the lucrative smartphone gaming sector of Japan, with its user base of 15 million and projected revenues of 255 Billion Yen by 2015.
With the rise in the popularity of Smartphones and tablets, home consoles and software consumption in Japan has declined. According to a Jiji Press report, gaming console sales dropped eight percent in 2011 as compared to 2010 ($454.3 billion). Strong sales have been reported for games with local content despite many international games continuing to dominate downloads. Android is the top gaming platform with iOS on its tail. Microsoft and other proprietary smartphone operating systems need to knuckle down to catch up but with the new Windows 8 platform launched for smartphones and Apple winning a crucial lawsuit against Samsung, things are going to get interesting.
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About the Guest Author:
Mandira Srivastava is a fulltime freelance writer who specializes in technology, health and fitness, politics, and financial writing. Equipped with degree of mass communication and having worked for both private and corporate clients, I have experience meeting a wide range of writing requirements and styles.
