Cyber Agent's new romance sim became the topic because of the bug

On December 13, Cyber Agent released new romance sim "Boyfriend(Provisional)" in their mobile game platform Ameba. This is a simulation game to meet various boys in high school life, and to find an ideal boyfriend. Characters gain voices and popular famous voice actors more than 30 play them. It became the topic very well, and 150,000 users registered at a prior registration stage.

It should have originally become the screen such as these.

However, after release, it was such screens that users saw.

:D :D :D

Layers are out of order!

This became the topic of an unfavorable kind for Cyber Agent, but much Web media wrote an article about this. As a result, this became the effective promotion! :)

Why Angry Birds can't get popularity in Japan?

Unfortunately, Angry Birds is not popular in Japan. There are very few kinds of sold goods, and it is difficult to find them in downtown and shops. When I tell this to foreign people, they are surprised. However, this is a fact. Angry Birds is one of the contents to realize the difference between Japan and overseas market. Why? The main problem is that there are a lot of rivals of Angry Birds. Too many mobile games and too many characters…

Now, their biggest rival of the character of  mobile game is Nameko. In addition, LINE characters are tough like this, too.

In fact, Japan resembles Finland. At first, the area of the country is the almost same. 80% of the country are the forest, don’t have underground resources and nations love mobile. However, Japan has a big difference. It’s population. Population of 125 million produces mobile games and characters and to consume. Well, Japan has a closed specific market.
I think that the reason is not only it.

I live in farm village in Yokote city, Akita now. Most of the inhabitants are old people of poor farmers, and they don't have the knowledge of the mobile game at all, and don't have the preconception for Finland, too(In the first place, they don't know where Finland exists either). I showed them Angry Birds. Unexpectedly their impression for characters were very good. They said "Funny face!". However, their reaction changed completely when I let them play a game. They said in this way, “What a cruel game!”, “I feel sorry for the birds and piggies!”.

Needless to say, Japan is Hentai big country. There are a lot of more cruel, weird and bizarre games. However, many Japanese adults have a feeling of repulsion to “Aerial ramming”. This was the same in Tokyo. When Rovio Japan started, they held an event in Apple Store Ginza and a businessman asked them a question in Q and A time, "After having attacked pigs, what happens to them? Do they die?". I did not see such a question until now in overseas sites. I told this to the American friend who lived in Tokyo. Then he answered, "It's natural! Aerial ramming is Kamikaze(Kamikaze Suicide Attack) for the Japanese!".

via Wikipedia "Kamikaze"

This was an unexpected viewpoint. Surely, Japanese may have a bad impression toward Aerial ramming because of Kamikaze Suicide Attack. Most of generations who experienced WW II already died, but the subsequent generation learns WW II and how was Japan of those days foolish in books, TV programs, movies, etc... In those processes, a Japanese may dislike Aerial ramming under unconsciousness. It's right "imprinting".

Then what kind of measures should Rovio Japan take in future to let Angry Birds be popular in Japan?

1. Focusing for small kids 

Fortunately, Angry Birds is already popular among Japanese kids. Most of participants of the sketch event that they held in Tokyo in last month were children of kindergarteners. Furthermore, they do not have the preconception because they do not yet know WW II.

See Also:

Rovio held a drawing event of Angry Birds in Tokyo and it was popular among kids

2. Don't be angry, let's laugh

They cooperated with popular mobile game Puzzle & Dragons of GungHo last month, and birds laughed there. It was very popular with Japanese Puzzle & Dragons fans.

See Also:
Collaboration of Angry Birds and Puzzle & Dragons began today

3. Leave "Aerial ramming"

Fortunately too, racing game Angry Birds Go! was just released and many Japanese game and  apps media wrote articles about this. Japanese gamers are used to a comical race game because of the Mario cart series(Besides, Nintendo does not yet have an intention to go into a smartphone market). Angry Birds Go! may give Japanese people a new impression of Angry Birds.

DeNA CEO Moriyasu talked about a hard fight of DeNA in TV program

DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu appeared in Japanese business TV program Nikkei Plus 10 only a few minutes ago. The theme of the program was "the social game has a hard fight". Very biting :)

MCs commented, "The social games of Mobage of DeNA were very popular before. However, all current Japanese youths have a smartphone, and they play game apps of LINE GAME or Puzzle & Dragons." MC asked comment to Moriyasu about this.(Very biting :D)

Moriyasu said, "The cause that we have a hard fight is difference between futurephone and smartphone." "We were behind with smartphone measures. Smartphone shift advanced faster than our expectation in Japan." "Puzzle & Dragons, Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga are good games. We wanted to develop these earlier :)" "We develop 60 new games in Japan and 20 new games in foreign countries from now on. There may be too many them. However, all games do not make a hit. These are numbers including them." "Our e-comic apps "Manga Box" is popular. We have already broken through 100,000 downloading."

Probably DeNA makes efforts in new game for smartphones development  and starts service except the game. Provides various services centering on a game … It resembles a strategy of the messaging apps. Messaging apps provides various services centering on a message. That reminds me DeNA releases a lot of  casual game apps and action game apps recently. They are genres of popularity on a game platform of the messaging apps. DeNA may consider LINE to be a rival.

Big in Japan: LINE sticker of Moomin broke through 6 million downloading in one week

LINE provides many free stickers as well as paid stickers. A lot of stickers which cooperated with companies are included in them. Last week, Japanese cosmetics brand Orbis carried out the promotion using the free sticker of Finnish character Moomin. They offered free Moomin sticker to LINE users who added their official LINE  account as friends. It made a big success. The free sticker of Moomin broke through 6 million downloading in only one week.

Moomin is very popular in Japan. Because Anime of Moomin were produced originally in Japan, many goods are still sold in fancy goods shops, and Moomin cafes are always full. Speaking of a Finnish character in Japan, it is Moomin than Angry Birds.

According to the press release of Orbis, the free Moomin stickers were used more than 30 million times. All these are numbers only in Japan. The most popular design was Hattifnatt. LINE users liked that they were expressionless and had a wineglass.

I think the stickers of the messaging apps can become the new platform to introduce a character to abroad. The LINE sticker has already played role.

Cygames starts a radio show of Rage of Bahamut

Japanese social game developer and publisher Cygames stimulates cross media development of their mobile game "Rage of Bahamut". They published art books, sold goods and sexy figures, and they start the Internet radio program.

This is broadcasted in Internet radio HiBiKi Radio Station on 12:00 every week from December 11. MC are popular voice actor Shota Aoi and Ayumi Tsuji. This is an important element, because voice actors are very popular in Japan. Cygames added voices to characters of Rage of Bahamut Jp ver. Because voices of voice actors have value in Japan, they contribute to the acquisition of the active users.