Google is a vital source of revenue for some Japanese game makers — here’s why
Japan’s mobile game market doesn’t see a huge split between the amount of revenue made from Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store
By Jillian D’Onfro
When Casey, a security officer in his early 30s from San Jose, California, first started playing the Japanese mobile game Puzzles & Dragons, he was obsessed.
“I would play constantly, everyday,” he says. “Even on my breaks at work, I would play non-stop.”
During his first month, he estimates that he spent about US$600 in the game, mainly to obtain special characters (many Japanese games use a “Gacha” mechanism where users can spin to win prizes). He says he has friends who he knows have spent thousands of dollars on Puzzles & Dragons.
Although Casey lives in California, not Japan, his playing habits resembled those of a typical Japanese gamer: super high engagement and a willingness to shell out real money.