The game application which is the most popular in Japan is a "nameko mushroom"

Do you know the most popular game application in Japan? It's "Nameko Saibai Kit(nameko mushroom cultivation Kit)".

This is a simple game which cultivates nameko mushrooms and gathers a harvest. There are not a level system, charging system and social function at all. However, the cute nameko mushroom characters are collecting many fans(especially women).

How to play are only combining trees and equipment, and cultivates nameko mushrooms.

Then, we can harvest various kinds of funny nameko mushrooms.

If we release it for a long time, mold grow in a tree.

The winter limited version was released at the end of last year, too.

Most of how to play does not change, but designs are different. Moreover, we can harvest the nameko mushroom in connection with Christmas and Japanese New Year.

Furthermore, we can get cute wall paper for iPhone.

Developer of application Bee works released an Android version of this  recently. It broke through 200,000 downloading from release in one week. It has broken through 3,3M downloads in those whole series(Nameko Saibai Kit:2,1M DL, winter limited version:1M DL).

They began character-goods sale recently.

This business model resembles Angry Birds of Rovio.

Social game of AmebaPigg enforced a tie-up quest with Disney

There is an farming social game "Pigg Life" in Japanese popular virtual world AmebaPigg.

See also:
Farming Social Game in Ameba Pigg "Pigg Life"

Pigg Life enforced a tie-up quest with Disney. The subject was "Alice in Wonderland".

The quests were cultivated tea leafs, made tea and cooked "Eat me cookie" and more.

The cooking that users made eats by oneself and can feed other avatars.

Users were able to get virtual goods of Alice in Wonderland when they completed a quests.

CyberAgent cooperates with Disney for a long term until now in AmebaPigg. However, it was only sale of virtual goods.

This is the first time that CyberAgent and Disney carried out tie-up quest. In addition, it is the first time that Disney carries out a tie-up with Japanese virtual world service such positively.

Social Game Magazine War In Japan

Now, social game magazine war has broken out in Japan. There are 5 social game magazines in present Japan.

アプリSTYLE vol.6 (Koiunreki2012年1月号増刊)


週刊ファミ通2012年1月12日号増刊 ファミ通Mobage Vol.3【雑誌】


週刊ファミ通2011年10月20日号増刊 ファミ通GREE Vol.1[雑誌]


Appli Fan (アプリファン) 2012年 01月号 [雑誌]


電撃ゲームアプリ Vol.1


These are all physical magazines. The price is 600 yen - 680 yen.
These contents are the introduction of the new social game, review, and columns. It is almost social games released in GREE and Mobage to be placed(Besides, most of they are offered for mobile).

And the most important existence is "supplement." The serial code which can get social games' virtual goods from every magazines is attached. There are many users who wants this serial code.

The history of the social game of Japan began in mixi for PC. However, mixi is a loser now. In Japan, a social games are "playing with mobile at GREE or Mobage".

AR application "KAMIWAZA" increase money

A Happy New Year!  In Japan, there are customs called "Otoshidama" where a child gets money from an adult for New Year holidays. Japanese TV company TV Asahi released funny iPhone AR application "KAMIWAZA" for it.

This is promotion apps of New Year comedy program, But we can enjoy regardless of it.

If we look at a thousand-yen bill with iPhone camera, the number of sheets will increase!

If we look at the 5thousand-yen bill with iPhone camera, it will change to a 10thousand yen bill.

If we look at 10thousand yen bill with iPhone camera, it will increase!

You can feel rich if you use this! :)

Angry Birds Landing in Tokyo

Rovio held two events of official Angry Birds birthday in Tokyo on December 11.

The first is in Harajuku SoLaDo.

It seemed to be the event which advertizes it towards people who do not know Angry Birds yet. Harajuku is one of the hottest towns that send Japanese culture. Harajuku SoLaDo is a new shopping spot of Harajuku, and many young girls gather. It is the place where it is most suitable for promotion and marketing. Most of girls who were present here on this day would not know Angry Birds. However, the character of a round form tends to be liked in Japan. Good luck!

The second event was held in Ginza Apple Store.

Rovio Entertainment CMO Peter Vesterbacka gave a speech about the history of Angry Birds and business in the future. The participant of this event had many men. In the last of the event, a man asked a question "After a black bird explodes, what happens to him?" Probably he would want to say in this way "Does the black bird die?". Vesterbacka answered "Angry Birds are magic bird, so revive immediately".

I remembered that it was interesting about Angry Birds. When I recommended my friends Angry Birds, they said. "It seems to be painful" "A bird and a pig are pitiful" "Do birds dash themselves and die? Cruel!" etc...
Of course the negative impression fades away because the game system of Angry Birds is very fun while they play. However, the Japanese tends to be sensitive to "attack". Especially they may be sensitive to a bodily crush attack. In addition, probably, the Japanese do empathy to a character superfluously. It may be better for Angry Birds to advertize prettiness rather than aggressiveness in Japan.