Japanese mobile geolocation social game helps local economy

Japanese Mapion did cool announcement this week. They held a event with mall of Sumida-ku and Minato-ku using their mobile geolocation social game "Keitai Kunitori Gassen（ケータイ国盗り合戦）" in January 17 - February 18. And they mobilized 130,000 or more and achieved sales more than 40 million yen(about 420000USD) during the period.

The theme of Keitai Kunitori Gassen is Japanese Warring States Period (Keitai=Mobile, Kunitori=Territory cquisition, Gassen=Battle). Users becomes a warrior and acquires the territory by "check-in" at various places and aims at the Japan control. Furthermore, it has a cute avatar function, town sim function and time-limited events.

This event was held for the purpose of the pulling in customers to the local mall. Users scanned QR cords at 57 spots in the town and join in digital stamp rally(It promotes sightseeing). In addition, when they did shopping more than 500 yen in shops of the town, they were able to get cards called "Kunifuda（くにふだ）". The serial cord which could obtain the virtual item that users could push forward an event in Kunifuda profitably was placed. In other words, users were able to push forward an event profitably so as to get it if they got many Kunifuda.

They anticipated 10,000 event participants at first. However, this was a big misplacement. Participants broke through 100,000 people four weeks after since an event started. And the products of shops of the mall were selling like hot cakes. Furthermore, the unexpected effect appeared, too. Users flocked from the distant place(example; Hokkaido and Osaka) to participate in an event. They took advantage of the rental cycle of the local government to participate in an event efficiently. The shops made products of 500 yen and came to open on a regular holiday voluntarily. As a result, malls regained vigor.

The sales of 40 million yen are the numbers that are wonderful for a local mall. Now, the regional economy in Japan is the worst. Local mom and pop shops are critical condition because of the recession and advance of large stores. However, mobile geolocation social game has power to help them. By the way, different mobile geolocation social game Colopl always performs this measure and have many examples and know-how.

Noboru Yamada, Sumida-ku mall alliance society's chairperson said, "Our conventional event had the demerit that sales were concentrated only in the good place of the convenience to transportation. However, the sales of all areas improved in this event. It is difficult to understand the structure of the mobile game for old people like us. However, we have only to present a card to visitors at every shopping more than 500 yen. It is very simple. So event administration was possible smoothly. The lifestyle of consumers changes with the change of the times, and the size of the market reduces for declining birthrate more. We thought that it was necessary to do a new challenge in response to the change of the times through this event. "