Shocking news: mixi may be sold to other companies

Shocking news ran through Japan just some time ago. According to Nikkei Business online, mixi CEO kasahara examines the sale of the stock of the company. And he begin the negotiations to sell mixi to the other companies. The bid to decide sale is going to be carried out in a few days, and GREE and DeNA participate in it.

It is still unknown whether this is a fact. mixi announced the press release which denied this news immediately.

mixi is still Social Networking Service of the biggest in Japan. However, both the number of the active users and the sales decline. Besides, they failed to keep up with the wave of the social game. Most of my friends say "mixi is a haunt of stupid and Information illiterate".

If DeNA or GREE purchases mixi, big crustal movement occurs in the social media industry of Japan.

What is “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha)?

I wrote a lot of news of the “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha) regulation in Japan this month. Then emails of some questions came from the foreign countries. "What is “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha)?"

Probably this is the virtual goods sale system which there is only in Japan.

Example: Doraemon Gacha in Ameba Pigg

Gacha in social games virtual worlds imitate the real vending machine of capsule toys(real vending machine is called Gacha, too). Various items come out of Gacha at random.

Six kinds of items come out of this Doraemon Gacha. However, users can't know what kind of item can buy every time. Because it is random. Gacha one time is 200 Ameba Gold. Ameba Gold is virtual currency of Ameba Pigg(1 Ameba Gold = 1 yen).

And users can get a limited item as a reward, if six kinds of all items are got.

In Doraemon Gacha, users can get Doraemon parka. I yet get only three kinds :) If we can get Doraemon Gacha most cheaply, it is 1200 Ameba Gold(1200 yen). However, it is almost impossible. Users must play Gacha many times to get a limited item.

This is “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha)". Ameba Pigg is a normal virtual world. So, the game system is not incorporated in a virtual goods. However, the social games are different. The system which can play a game advantageously is built into the virtual goods of a social game. Especially in a social game with a battle, this is an important element. Users play Gacha many times to get a limited item and use a lot of real money.

Why does the Japanese use much real money to a virtual goods? Probably it is because there is Gacha.

Complete Gacha cancellation rush

I write about the "Complete Gacha" disturbance of Japanese social game industry this week.

Japanese Government regulates the virtual goods system of Japanese social game
Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates denies news
GREE and KLab announced the comment for the news of the "Complete Gacha" regulation
Seven Japanese major social game companies abolish Complete Gacha

There was new movement today, too. Today, Main social game developers announced the Complete Gacha cancellation all at once. Crooz, Bandai Namco, gloops, Cave, A team, KONAMI, gumi, Voltage, etc, etc......

The contents of their release are about the same all.

• All the Complete Gacha will be stopped by May 31 
• New Complete Gacha will not be offered from now on
• Complete Gacha stop does not affect achievements 

However, the people of the social game industry say in Twitter. "Although voluntary rule decision was discussed all together, the mass media broke the flow". The mass media, such as television and a newspaper, have reported Complete Gacha all at once. However, the most of the news contents are wrong. They do not understand what Complete Gacha is. On the contrary, they do not seem to understand a social game, RMT, the virtual economy either. By the way, Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency does not yet announce the official release.

Seven Japanese major social game companies abolish Complete Gacha

The situation suddenly unfolds.

 Today, NHN Japan, GREE, CyberAgent, DeNA, dwango and mixi announced the press release to abolish Complete Gacha jointly. On the other hand, social game developer KLab announced the press release same as it, too. They cancel Complete Gacha of the social games which they offer now by May 31. In addition, they do not provide new Complete Gacha from now on either.
via http://www.nhncorp.jp/press/files/PRESS_20120509181104.pdf(PDF)

They chose self-imposed control rather than regulated by the government. However, Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency does not yet announce a dictum about Complete Gacha. Only medias raise a clamor.

See Also:
Japanese Government regulates the virtual goods system of Japanese social game
Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates denies news
GREE and KLab announced the comment for the news of the "Complete Gacha" regulation

GREE and KLab announced the comment for the news of the "Complete Gacha" regulation

I wrote it about the news that Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency might regulate "Complete Gacha".
Japanese Government regulates the virtual goods system of Japanese social game

However, Consumer Affairs Agency denied the news. And they do not yet announce the official release.
Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates denies news

Meanwhile, GREE and KLab, one of the Japanese popular social game developers announced the comment for this news.

GREE CEO Yoshikazu Tanaka said, "We understand this matter. if Consumer Affairs Agency points it out about Complete Gacha, we listen to it earnestly and strive for improvement in use environment." "In the growth of the future social game, Complete Gacha is not absolutely necessary. There is not the influence to the basic of the business even if we abolished this. We provide another service and increase sales."
via http://www.4gamer.net/games/136/G013654/20120508068/

KLab announced the press release immediately on the next day of the news. They said, "We make efforts in the social element such as the team battle and develop a game. The social game regarded as a social problem makes efforts in the collection of cards. Therefore it different from our game. However, we do not depend on Complete Gacha, but introduce this into 12 games. If Consumer Affairs Agency regulates Complete Gacha, we will repair some game systems rather than will call off a game. We think that Complete Gacha regulation has good influence and bad influence. Bad influence is a decrease in temporary sales. However, we can prevent it if we introduce substituted system. We calculate the fall influence of sales is 5% or less. Good influence is that new users move to our game. The money which users can spend to virtual goods has a limit. If users play plural social games, there is a limit to usable money by each game. Some of social games of other companies strongly depend on Complete Gacha. If they disappear, users may move to our social game."
via http://v4.eir-parts.net/v4Contents/View.aspx?cat=tdnet&sid=969625(PDF)

KLab is very bullish.