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  • Japan game market disruption: GungHo + DeNA + GREE overtake Japan’s game icons

    Japan game market disruption: GungHo + DeNA + GREE overtake Japan’s game icons

    Japan game market disruption: new smartphone game companies overtake Japan’s game icons like Nintendo in income

    [日本語版はこちらへ]

    Since last financial year (ended March 31, 2013), three newcomers (GungHo, DeNA, and GREE) combined achieved higher operating income and higher net income than all 9 iconic Japanese game companies (Nintendo + SONY-Games + SegaSammy + BandaiNamco + Konami + TakaraTomy + SquareEnix + Capcom + TecmoKoei) combined.

    While the newcomer’s revenues are increasing (except for GREE), the traditional 9 game companies’ revenues peaked in 2008, and have been falling rapidly ever since.

    Clearly Japan’s the 2003-2005 mergers in Japan’s game sector did not make the sector “future proof” – more dramatic changes will be either initiated by the iconic incumbents, or imposed on them from newcomers such as GungHo.

    Note that the position of foreign entrants remain weak in Japan’s game market overall.

    Read more in the article below or in our report on “Japan’s game makers and markets”, and in the following post “Brutal disruption of Japan’s Game Markets”.

    Three new game companies (GungHo, DeNA, GREE) overtake Japan's 9 iconic game companies in operating profits (note that the last data point for 2013 for GungHo is only for the first 6 months, i.e. full year results will show that the "new" game companies are doing even better compared to the "old" game companies than visible in this figure) Source: https://www.eurotechnology.com/store/jgames/
    Three new game companies (GungHo, DeNA, GREE) overtake Japan’s 9 iconic game companies in operating profits (note that the last data point for 2013 for GungHo is only for the first 6 months, i.e. full year results will show that the “new” game companies are doing even better compared to the “old” game companies than visible in this figure) Source: https://www.eurotechnology.com/store/jgames/
    Three newcomers (GungHo, DeNA, GREE) achieve higher net profits than all 9 Japanese game icons combined (note that the last data point for 2013 for GungHo is only for the first 6 months, i.e. full year results will show that the "new" game companies are doing even better compared to the "old" game companies than visible in this figure) source: https://www.eurotechnology.com/store/jgames/
    Three newcomers (GungHo, DeNA, GREE) achieve higher net profits than all 9 Japanese game icons combined (note that the last data point for 2013 for GungHo is only for the first 6 months, i.e. full year results will show that the “new” game companies are doing even better compared to the “old” game companies than visible in this figure) source: https://www.eurotechnology.com/store/jgames/

    Japan game market disruption: online and smartphone came company GungHo with Puzzle and Dragons

    GungHo started as OnSale KK, a joint-venture between SoftBank and the US company OnSale Inc., the purpose of this JV was Japan market entry for this US company, an ecommerce company.
    OnSale KK pivoted from ecommerce to games and started to distribute the Korean game Ragnarok and others, and changed its name to GungHo.
    GungHo’s breakthrough came with “Puzzle and Dragons” – Jan-June 2013 operating profits increased 4050.1% (four thousand fifty percent) compared to the same period one year ago. GungHo is part of the SoftBank group.
    More in our report on “Japan’s game makers and markets”

    Japan game market disruption: GREE

    GREE on the other hand – although a successful new venture in Japan’s game sector – is not doing so well currently: reported revenues and income have both been falling. Essentially, GREE has difficulties to implement the plan to build a global business based on their Japanese methods and business models. The factors are both “hard” and “soft”, i.e. business models, and human factors.
    Details on GREE’s performance, and reasons for GREE’s current issues in our report:

    Japan’s game makers and markets (32nd edition) – disruption by smartphone games

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  • Tokyo Game Show TGS2004 (Sept 24-26, 2004): breakthrough for native mobile games

    Tokyo Game Show TGS2004 (Sept 24-26, 2004): breakthrough for native mobile games

    Mobile phone games at the center of TGS2004

    by Gerhard Fasol

    Docomo at the center of attention with JAVA native mobile games for i-Mode

    The annual “Tokyo Game Show” sets trends and is a must for game professionals and fans. More than 100 companies exhibit.

    This years highlight is the SONY “PlayStation Portable” – PSP – to be introduced towards the end of 2004. SONY prepared a huge arena with an gigantic models of a PSP hanging overhead where visitors to the show could try out advance models of the PSP.

    SONY also displayed the new “Gran Turismo 4” game, the release is scheduled for Dec 3, 2004. “Gran Turismo 4” was not the only car racing game at the show, we counted at least three more in this hugely popular category.

    Japan game market report (398 pages, pdf-file):

    Japan’s game makers and markets (32nd edition) – disruption by smartphone games

    Docomo dominates Tokyo Game Show TGS2004 with JAVA native mobile games for i-Mode

    The DoCoMo pavillion highlighted 15 of the most important i-Mode game partners. These 15 were selected from over 4000 i-mode content partners. Games are one of the most important sectors on the i-mode menu – many customers are driven by games to buy the next handset upgrade. Therefore DoCoMo has a great interest in mobile games. DoCoMos focus at the game show were games for the 900i FOMA/3G series.

    SONY previews PSP – Playstation Portable:

    SONY PSP mock up for Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    SONY PSP mock up for Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

    In a stunning arena around a gigantic hyper-real model of the PSP PlayStation Portable (PSP), visitors try out the PSP. PSP is announced to be released towards the end of 2004.

    SONY PSP arena previewing the PSP at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    SONY PSP arena previewing the PSP at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

    SONY offered a preview of “Gran Turismo 4” representing the enormously popular segmet of car racing games with realistic landscapes and surroundings.

    SONY's Gran Tourismo at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    SONY’s Gran Tourismo at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

    DoCoMo presented an intense show of 15 key i-mode partners focusing on games. The map immediately below shows the lay-out of DoCoMos exhibition area, together with small pictures of the main display of each of the 15 DoCoMo partners

    NTT DoCoMo exhibit at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    NTT DoCoMo exhibit at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

    One of the most important DoCoMo game partners is Square Enix with the best selling Final Fantasy series. Final Fantasy is a “role playing game” where the player joins a group of fighters. This photograph shows the Square Enix presentation in the DoCoMo display. Square Enix also had its own presentation area – complete with models, preview area, shows etc.

    SquareEnix at DoCoMo's exhibit at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    SquareEnix at DoCoMo’s exhibit at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

    “Rumble rose” is the most spectacular representative game of sexy games – Rumble Rose is about women wrestling…

    Rumble Rose at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    Rumble Rose at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

    ATLUS shows stunning color and illumination effects.

    ATLUS at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    ATLUS at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    ATARI at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    ATARI at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    ATI at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004
    ATI at Tokyo Game Show TGS2004

    Japan game market report (398 pages, pdf-file):

    Japan’s game makers and markets (32nd edition) – disruption by smartphone games

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