If you ever need proof that mobile gaming is huge in Asia, and particularly Japan, take a look at the example of the Gundam Masters game.
The Sci-Fi game, available on Japanese mobile gaming networkGREE, has just picked up more that 1 million registered users since launch on 1 September – that’s an incredible 1,262 new player sign-ups per hour!
If you thought that was impressive, the number of gamers playing Gundam Royal, on GREE-competitorMobage, reached six figures in just six days,as Serkan Toto explains on his blog.
Gundam, for those outside of Japan, is a hugely popular anime series featuring giant fighting robots. Its trademark was worthreportedly worth 50 billion yen(around $652.25 million) back in 2008. Given the growth of mobile gaming and content, that figure is likely to be even greater today.
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These two examples are testament to the appetite for mobile gaming that has flourished in Japan in recent times. The increase in smartphone ownership, and the likely growth of the iPhone now thatSoftbank’s exclusive hold of the device is over, is creating an ever-increasing audience of potential mobile gamers.
Equally significant is the international focus that Japan’s mobile social gaming networks are adopting.
While Japan is undoubtedly the world leader in mobile social gaming, as the success of these two Gundam titles demonstrates, the rest of the world will follow if its leading companies have its way. The growth of smartphone ownership in the western world, coupled with the popularity of gaming, in particular social games, has laid the foundations to popularise mobile social gaming.
Image viagunjap.net
Story byJon Russell
Jon Russell was Asia Editor for The Next Web from 2011 to 2014. Originally from the UK, he lives in Bangkok, Thailand. You can find him on T(show all)Jon Russell was Asia Editor for The Next Web from 2011 to 2014. Originally from the UK, he lives in Bangkok, Thailand. You can find him onTwitter,Angel List,LinkedIn.
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