Japan's game market hits record high as consoles decline and mobile grows

New data from Japanese game mag Famitsu, which closely tracks the country's game market, reveals that the country's game biz has hit an all-time high: $9.6 billion dollars in 2014.

Japan's thriving mobile game business is responsible for a huge chunk of that: $5.8 billion, an 18 percent year-on-year increase.

But the data isn't all rosy: It shows the console game segment shrinking -- both in terms of hardware and software sales, which in 2014 reached their lowest point since 2005, the earliest year in the period tracked in the report.

[Revolt13]

Oh dear, put the phones down, Japan!

[JasonKCK]

Why should they if that's what they enjoy? Would you prefer they play on a device of your choosing?

[Revolt13]

Yes

[JasonKCK]

So for selfish reasons then. At least you're honest.

[Nerdmaster]

@JasonKCK
That's the same reason why we like when the console we choose sells more than the competition: higher sales attracts game companies and this means more and better games for that console. Now that japanese gamers stopped buying console games, japanese game companies are shifting production in a way that doesn't please the majority of us. So of course we want them to play more on consoles for selfish reasons, we want more games for the platforms we like. It's not as bad as you're trying to make it sound.

I also hate when I see japan's video game sales lately, and the current trend of game companies releasing sequels to games I loved (like Fantasy Life) on smartphones.

[ravens52]

This is bad because the market believes were moving towards phone "games" and this is just making them believe they're right. They had an article stating how in 2020-something all of us gamersll be playing phone "games". Idk about everyone else but I hate phone games,only play them to waste time. I play real video games to enjoy my free time.

[Jubez187]

They work and go to school liek 100 hours a week. That's why they give a rat's about mobile gaming.

[MasterCornholio]

Game on public transportation.

I bet that's what many of them do on the way to work.

[ameliabaz]

And aren't their houses really small and narrow due to Japan's lack of space? I imagine it's not very practical to have a big HD TV with some consoles hooked up to it in a living room that's only big enough to hold a small coffee table.

[3-4-5]

* When you factor in 2,000,000 buys of a gem tap game, the stats are kind of altered a bit unfairly.

* Most people playing obsessively over phone games aren't the types buying Consoles & Pc & dedicated handheld games.

* The console,pc,& dedicatd handheld market in the US is very healthy.

* Just because somebody hit 700 Home Runs, doesn't mean the guy that hit 659 Home Runs now sucks....He's still really really good....really healthy, just not as much as the one doing the best.

You get it ?

* Mobile Phones = Girl Groups & Boy Bands.

There is no substance...all show, and it sells, and people know it, but lets not mistake sales numbers for quality of games.

[Viper7]

Seems you havent played many mobages,. They are kinda hardcore compared to western casual games. For example puzzle and dragons has more depth than average console game.

Hell they even made 3DS game based on it and made it easier for console audience...

[Hoffmann]

Trends...they change

[Elda]

Thank God consoles still rule in the good ole USA!

[paradigmfellow]

Today is a sad day.

[TheOneWhoIsTornApart]

Hopefully Final Fantasy VII remake and Final Fantasy XV cause a huge surge of PS4 purchases in Japan. I think that will help a lot honestly.

[curtis92]

So uh... what are they playing exactly? Japan, you crazy.

[paradigmfellow]

Probably Brave Frontier.

[Sashamaz]

I've spent too much money on that game. Mobile games are too addictive.

[Viper7]

Puzzle & dragons and Monster strike are kinda big there on Mobile. Kantai collection (a.k.a Kancolle) and few others are pretty big on PC.

Generally games where you collect cards/characters from virtual gatcha machine to use in the actual game. These characters are mostly cute anime girls and some people are willing to pay thousands of dollars to obtain the rarest ones.

[gangsta_red]

And people are still wondering why Konami and other Japanese companies are focusing on mobile?

[dcj0524]

I wonder what games they're playing.

[Lionsguard]

waifu simulators.

[Viper7]

Not quite, but close.

[Ocsta]

This is baaaaaaaad juju. Hopefully this trend stays in the land of the rising sun.

[nidhogg]

who's juju?

[Hoffmann]

Thanks to the awesome bubby system he can't answer you, at least not directly. *sigh*

I want to know more about Juju too.

[Nerdmaster]

http://www.segagagadomain.c...

He's probably saying that the same way monkeys evolved to humans and we're destroying the planet, Juju, created in Japan, is a metaphor to how japanese gamers evolved but are destroying the game universe they were supposed to protect!

/s, before someone points out the absurdness of my comment and the obvious error of the "monkey/human" evolution...

[TXIDarkAvenger]

In case anyone is still wondering and too lazy to google, juju is the Gypsie word for luck.

[OldDude]

Welcome to the future. If Apple ever comes out with an official Bluetooth game pad for phones and tablets things will really get ugly. I already have one for my android phone and what little that plays on it works well. Let's hope it doesn't catch on.

[KakashiHotake]

Mobile games have a great advantage in that their not only convenient to carry around but also addictive as well. Also mobile doesn't have the problem of backwards compatibility because you can crack you phone and have to buy a new one and instantly recover all your mobile games. That's one of the reasons consoles are falling behind.But consoles cant compete with the mobile market because mobile actually serves an important purpose or even a need for some people in being a telephone. That's just the way it is. A phone is almost as important as a car but a video game console is just leisure.

[WizzroSupreme]

Don't know – lately, I've sure been sinking a ton of time into Fallout Shelter and Hearthstone on my phone. Final Fantasy Record Keeper is sure fun and Hitman Go. Mobiles games are still more crappy than not most of the time, but I am beginning to think there's something to it. Maybe more people playing mobile will finally create a market with a higher standard that demands better handheld games.

[Rookie_Monster]

So why are people still celebrating when Dualshockers keep posting xb1 sold 10 consoles in a month and no games made the chart in Japan? Japan haven't been relevant in console gaming since the end of the PS2 days. You know they are irrelevant when the WII U on most weeks are the top selling console.

[MasterCornholio]

Did it really fall to 10?

I find that hard to believe. It should be around the hundreds.

[ZeekQuattro]

This started long before the PS4 came out. When you look at how the PS2 sold for instance compared to its future brethren you can tell something went horribly wrong in the console market there. Its even worse now.

[blackblades]

JP love there mobile games, Americans love texting on there mobile. Phones are on the top of the world. Phones are good but also the worst inventions.

[recto85]

*clap clap clap* with tears in my eyes.
Welcome back Japan. Put those mobiles down, grab a gamepad or handheld and enjoy QUALITY.

[Tapani]

If I'm lucky, I'm going to score a job in that Japanese mobile game market in the coming weeks!

It's amazing how fast it grows. It's a good time to get in start-ups that are still searching for their hit game. Huge prospects.

I think Japanese mobile game market's customers have around 10-times the purchasing power compared to USA. Imagine that!

[Sly-Lupin]

So many racist comments here... good show, N4G.

[AgentSmithPS4]

This is what will happen in your country if you allow yourself to be worked an insane amount of hours per week...

[FlexLuger]

My opinion of consoles in japan.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

PS4 will be the last games console to sell over a million in japan. MS is just there as part of their ongoing 'thing' to show faith in the region to japanese devs and publishers. Its practically a goodwill token at this point. I doubt they aver really thought they would beat sony or nintendo. especially after the initial X1 reveal.

Nintendo? well 3DS is the king, isnt it?They will be embracing a more mobile freindly future with whatever NX is. I think they will be just fine in all this. The PS4 and vita get a boost every time an exclusive JRPG comes out but the vita is dead in the rest of the world. and JRPGs are not coming to the PS4 often enough. im sure star ocean and a few others will sell a few more consoles in the months they release but, what until then. and the vita...will it even have a successor? it got some attention last E3 but after that push failed it was evident at E3 2015, that vita doesnt have much of a future beyond indies and PSN crossplay freebies.

[sashimi]

makes me sad
:(

[Chronoman2]

Nintendo still rules japan

[REDDURT]

Once they get their rpgs they will be fine