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Japan
MCV looks at how, with other nations struggling, the Japanese games market registered year-on-year growth
KEY RETAILERS
Animate, Big Camera, Enterking, Futaba, GEO, Gamers, Ikyyusan, Jusco, Nojima, Rakuten, Sofmap, Tosho, Tsutaya, TV Panic, Wanpaku, Yodobashi Camera
MAIN DISTRIBUTORS Ajioka, Happinet, Jesnet
TOP DEVELOPERS 8ing, Acquire, Aki, Alfa System, Arc System Works, Banpresto, Camelot, Cavia, DeNA, Dimps, From Software, Game Freak, Genki, Grasshopper Manufacture, HAL Laboratory, Hudson, Idea Factory, Intelligent Systems, Kemco, Kojima Productions, Level-5, Marvelous Interactive, Mistwalker, Namco Tales Studio, Nex Entertainment, NIntendo, Platinum Games, Q Entertainment, Red Entertainment, Taito, Team Ninja, Treasure, Tri-Ace, Yuke’s
ABOUT THE MARKET
THE JAPANESE market has been a vital one for the games business as long as the medium has existed. The market itself is doing better than you might think. Japan’s games sector grew by 1.2 per cent year-on- year for the last 12 months ending March 31st. It was the first annual growth the Japanese market has experienced in five years, drawing in $4.6bn in revenue for the period. Whilst software sales were still down, hardware grew five per cent to $1.8bn, with Nintendo’s 3DS leading the charge. In its first two years on sale in Japan, the device has already trumped the lifetime sales of the six-year-old PS3. As of January this year and boosted by the release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the 3DS has sold over 10m units in the region. And the 3DS isn’t the only handheld to experience success in
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Japan is doing better than you might think. 2012 saw the first annual growth for the market in five years.
“
of all games revenue on Google Play comes from the US, Japan and Korea. The latter two’s combined revenue is higher than the rest of the world’s game revenue on Play.
Japan recently. Sony revealed in March that Vita had overcome a slow start after a price cut boosted sales by 400 per cent. And during the week prior, Vita sales beat Wii U sales for the first time in the region. Social and mobile gaming also
keeps growing in Japan; 80 per cent
Japan also has a well-established development and publishing community. The nation is home to two of the three format holders, as well as acclaimed publishers like Square Enix, Capcom and Layton creators Level-5. The Professor Laytonand Ni No
Kunideveloper Level-5 recently revealed it is working on three role- playing games for mobile platforms in Japan set to be released before the end of the year.
Social games giant GREE is also growing. The firm was even recently named as co-sponsor of Japan’s bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Even Microsoft is optimistic about the sector here, despite the failure of the Xbox and Xbox 360 to sell in the region, Microsoft has stated it will release the Xbox One in the territory eventually.
Around the World 31
PUBLISHERS WITH A LOCAL OFFICE: Disney, Capcom, Konami, Namco Bandai, Nintendo, Sega, Sony Computer
Entertainment Japan, Square Enix, Tecmo Koei
INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE
THE FACTS Population: 126,659,683 Currency: Yen GDP (Per Capita): $46,736 Capital City: Tokyo Language: Japanese
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