News Flash: Apple started e-book sale in Japan

Apple just released iBooks 3.1ver. and it was important update in Japan. Because...

Japanese e-books were sold in iBookStore. Japanese iBooks had only overseas e-books and public domain e-books until now. However, there is full of bestseller books now. Popular comics ONE PIECE and popular light novel Haruhi Suzumiya are included in them, too! The main publishing companies participating in iBooks are Kadokawa group, Kodansha, Shueisha, Gentousha, PHP Institute, Kobunsha...etc. They are major publishing companies all.
This will become the big menace for Japanese e-book platforms.

"Nameko" is popular all over the world

Japan's Beeworks announced the number of the downloading of their popular smartphone game series "Nameko Saibai Kit(Mushroom Garden　a.k.a. Funghi Gardening Kit)". They release 3 Nameko game for smartphones now.

Mushroom Garden　a.k.a. Funghi Gardening Kit
Mushroom Garden Seasons
Mushroom Garden Deluxe
(All these links are iOS, but there are these Android versions, too.)

The total downloading number of Nameko series exceeds 28 million now.

Surprisingly all these are free apps. Besides, even as for the ads in apps, most are the ads of their games. Probably the most of the profit of Nameko are goods selling. They do not announce the details of the amount. However, it should be a vast. It just resembles business of Angry Birds.

By the way, Nameko Saibai Kit Seasons(Mushroom Garden Seasons) updated today. This theme is "North American spring". This is very cute!

Nameko wears a ten-gallon hat! :)

"Information gathering listening E.I.A." - which studies English listening by wiretapping

Many Japanese are weak in English. In particular, we are weak in listening and speaking. However, the study is boring. Therefore this attractive iOS apps "Information gathering listening E.I.A." helps us.

This is study apps to train listening of the English conversation in a game form. We become a spy, listen in on various English conversation and make a report.

At first, we reply the questions of the boss and measure an English level.

Oh! I am a beginner!

And we receive a passport from a boss and listen in on the conversation of people in various towns.

This is the screenshot of the wiretapping scene. A nostalgic atmosphere is cool!

After having listened in, we make the report about the contents. In other words it is a test, and answer time is set a limit.

Yeah! I was a perfect score!

We can play 5 stages in free of charge. We can purchase the passports except them for 170 - 250yen(1.8 - 2.6USD).

This is gamification of the English conversation listening. We can study although being a fun because it is a game.

Combine a Centaur and Instagram --- Kenstagram

Now, funny Instagram parody apps is a topic in Japan. This is Kenstagram.

It is similar at a glance to other camera apps. 10 kinds of filters are cool and And it has the functions that Instagram does not have.

However, when we applied a filter, Centaur gets into photo.

This has various Centaur and is completely random what kind of Centaur gets into photo. And we can post a photo not only Twitter and Facebook but also Instagram and LINE.

Why Centaur? I don't know. However, it is fun and interesting. We usually use the camera apps to take cool photo. However, we come to take a photo while we use Kenstagram to watch Centaur.
In addition, the explanation of App Store is cool, too!

Social game of Ameba Pigg starts a tie-up quest with Sanrio

Social game "Pigg Island" of Japanese popular virtual world Ameba Pigg started a tie-up quest with the Sanrio character "Little twin Stars"

Pigg Island is a social game for PCs which we can play with own avatar of Ameba Pigg. We can search for various islands, collect material, make furnitures, exterior items, musical instruments and decorate own island by them.

In this tie-up quest, we collect various material in Little twin Stars island.

And we make various items of Little twin Stars using them.

We can bet more cute items when we clear all the quests.

I think that this is effective in fixing brand image to people than selling tie-up items. The people do not forget the thing which they got by own action.