Japanese Social Game Platform War

Japan has a lot of social game platforms. Japan has much social game platforms. Therefore I made a Japanese main social game platform list.

mixi(PC/Mobile)
History of Japanese open platform began in mixi(from 2009 summer). However, mixi loses in Mobage and GREE now.

Mobage(PC/Mobile)
They are the second open platforms in Japan. They were only mobile, but they cooperated with Yahoo!Japan later and opened Yahoo! Mobage(for PC).

GREE(Mobile)
They are late departure, but are a platform making money most now. They offer a social game only in mobile.

Ameba(Mobile)
Ameba is a CyberAgent's social community. Ameblo(Blog) and AmebaPigg(Virtual World) are famous, but they provide a lot of games for mobile in conjunction with them.

Colopl(Mobile)
Colopl is known as operator of mobile geolocation social game. However, they are platforms specialized in geolocation game with it.

NicoNico Douga(PC)
NicoNico Douga is Japanese popular video sharing site. They open platform "NicoNico application " which can play a social game while watching video.

Hangame(PC/Mobile)
Hangame was well-established online game portal site. However, they make efforts in a social game now.

entag!(Mobile)
They are the mobile social game platform which just opened on January 11. They assume mobile SNS "logtomo" which started in 2007 and renewed it on starting a social game site with a smartphone.

DMM.com(Mobile)
They are japanese PPV sites, but are known as porn video site mainly. They started a social game platform for mobile experimentally. Their characteristic is providing a porno social game. Hentai eroge and social game, this is the strongest combination! :)

Japan has many platforms besides these. Those big characteristics is almost of "for future phone". And everybody globalization and cross platform are behind.

LINE sticker finding new talent. Even 7-year-old kids

Japanese tech media ITmedia shows a cool episode.

LINE Creators Market is the market place that users of message application LINE can sell with own illustrations as a LINE sticker. Many housewives, students and office workers draw LINE stickers as a hobby and a side business in Japan. Most of them do not receive education about the art.

Hanaka of a 7 years old girl living in Tokyo is one in them. She draws illustrations of the cuttlefish, and it was used by celebrities and became the unexpected topic.

It will be difficult to devise the design of one set/40 kinds of LINE sticker even in adults. However, Hanaka says "it was easy". Hanaka draws illustrations well in home and a school and they are popular among her classmates and neighboring adults. Her father thinks that the illustrations of his daughter are interesting and he wanted to send them to relatives with a messenger. However, LINE Creators Market opened in this February. He knows it and thought to make illustrations of his daughter LINE sticker. He says "I only wanted to show off my daughter's illustrations. It's doting parents".

Hanaka's cuttlefish sticker was sold in LINE Creators Market on April 17. Her relatives and friends purchased it at first, but popular model Yura talked in Twitter about using Hanaka's stickers in the beginning of June. In August, popular pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu used these. too.

良すぎてプロデューサー本人にLINEしてしまった、、、 pic.twitter.com/cdMVw8EWkK
— きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ (@pamyurin) August 17, 2014

Furthermore, the uncle of Hanaka Taisuke Fukuno(He is CEO of Japanese tech startup jig.jp) wrote an article about her sticker on his blog, and the reaction spread more.

As a result of these, she earns 10,000 yen(about 9.5USD), and bought a cool bicycle. She is full of creative enthusiasm, and she makes the octopus sticker now.

via http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1409/05/news057.html

Japanese little-known heavy metal band Ningen-Isu became the topic in Twitter triggered by Ozzfest Japan

On May 11 and 12, Ozzy Osbourne's heavy metal festival OzzFest Japan was held in Chiba, Makuhari messe. This is the first time that Ozzfest is held in Japan, and drew crowds of 20,000 fans on each day. Press release of Ozzfest is here.

Japanese bands appeared with many international bands on both days. Among them, there was the band which became the topic in the Japanese Internet conspicuously. The name is Ningen-Isu(人間椅子).

Most of overseas metalers seems to not know them. On the contrary, Japanese metalers did not know much them, too. However, they are expert bands reaching the activity 25th anniversary in this year.

They did major debut in 1989. In those days, Japan was an enthusiastic band boom, and they became in great demand for TV programs and events(besides, Japan was a panic because of prosperity in those days).



Later, however, the dark 90s came. The economy suddenly worsened, and the band boom ended with it. Record label threw them out because of the recession, they transferred to indies label and continued being active, but entered the long slump period. Overseas metalers will know that the 90s was the winter times for hard rock and heavy metal. The mass media completely ignored them, and they were not placed in even the music magazine. They became extremely poor, and the drummer withdrawal occurred successively.

However, they continued being active steadily while working part-time, released albums constantly and continued gigs. And the people who reevaluated them from the mid-2000s increased. What happened at this time? Well..., Web 2.0 movements. Their fans shared their information on various social media. Youtube in particular contributed. Their cool numbers and superior performance spread all over the world by Youtube and attracted young metalers and overseas metalers. This cover of King Crimson is really AWESOME!



They are influenced by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Budgie and other great hard rock band of 70s basically, incorporate Japanese folk music with doom/stoner sound, and write intellectual lyrics about classical literature, philosophy, Buddhism, Lovecraft Mythos, Japanese folk tale and Japanese horror tale. Their style may resemble Pagan Metal, but most people who listened to their numbers say "They are Japanese Black Sabath".  It was important that they appeared in Ozzfest in not only the career of their own but also the Japanese metal industry.

Thus, the stage in Ozzfest Japan of Ningen-Isu began. Their show was only 30 minutes, but it was really splendid! And the Twitter erupted just after that. The timeline of #OzzfestJapan(or #オズフェス) overflowed in Tweets which praised their show and it did not stop all the time. There were English Tweets of foreign audiences in them, too. Then, Ningen-Isu(人間椅子) became the trendy word of Twitter at last. It was the moment when many metalers rediscovered Ningen-Isu.

This is just after the show end that the staff of Ningen-Isu photographed.

After Ozzfest Japan was over, the praise to them continues. More than 30 news sites show their article, Tweets mentioning them still increasing, and their CDs ran low in Amazon.co.jp.
I think that this is current music industry. The fashion of the former music industry was influenced by TV, radio, magazine and newspaper. The artist ignored in them become nameless. However, social media make the fashion of the music industry now. It is democratization of the music industry. They showed the power of social media with themselves.

However, unfortunately the usage of social media of their and their label TOKUMA Japan is VERY POOR. The official site is only Japanese and does not support a smartphone. They have neither the Facebook page nor the Twitter account. There is barely the official blog, but is only Japanese. In the first place even iTunes is only Japan. They do not have social media literacy and global expansion ability. It is a serious opportunity loss. If you want to get their information and works by a language except the Japanese from the foreign countries, let's petition TOKUMA Japan by e-mail(mail form is only Japanese, too! F**K! Please use the translation tool).

By the way, They releases new album "Mandoro(萬燈籠)" on August 7. The price is 3000yen. "Mandoro" is a dialect of Tohoku , Japan, and meaning "Very bright"(Its original meaning is "10,000 lanterns") . The reservation of this began in Amazon.co.jp. Afterwards, the tour in Japan is held until from September 12 ~ 30. The tickets are not yet sold.

-Tour schedule-
September 12 Sapporo Bessie Hall
September 15 Aomori quarter
September 16 Sendai enn2nd
September 20 Hakata DRUM Be-1
September 21 Kumamoto DRUM Be-9 V-1
September 23 Osaka ROCK TOWN
September 24 Kobe Chicken George
September 26 Nagoya Electric Lady Land
September 29 Shibuya O-WEST
September 30 Shibuya O-WEST

These are the Youtube videos which TOKUMA Japan showed in a hurry. These numbers were played in Ozzfest Japan(Videos are before Ozzfest Japan).






If you like them, search "Ningen-Isu" or "人間椅子" in Youtube. Other photos of Ozzfest Japan are here.

Japanese Twitter users are doing the wordplay with Japanese Hashtag

Official Twitter blog announced [J] that Twitter is capable of Japanese character hashtags.

See Also:
Twitter Finally Supports Japanese Hashtag

Then, a lot of Japanese Twitter users started a strange wordplay. This is a trend hashtags　of 　yesterday's Tokyo.

What is this long hashtag? This is specification of the theme of the wordplay.
For example, this hashtag is such a meaning.



#Mix the Ghibli's movie titles. The most funny works is champion

Users who wants to join in this wordplay attaches this hashtag and Tweet a works. They are really funny! However, It's impossible to translate them into English...

These are my Tweets(Works)

#If "Younger sister" is put on the Japanese version title of the progressive rock number, they become like the title of the light novel 



I used King Crimson as materials :)

There are various themes elsewhere. This wordplay does not have a purpose, a prize and sponsor. In addition, we do not know who thought about what kind of hashtag. They appear all too soon and disappear all too soon.

It's a very interesting and funny phenomenon. However, I can't explain it in English. It's exactly only in Japan.

A Japanese Twitter user wrote such a hashtag.


#If the hushtag is given to the Japanese, it becomes Ogiri

Atami & virtual love game "LOVE PLUS+" tie-up event was great successes.

Japanese famous sightseeing spot "Atami" and virtual love game "LOVE PLUS+" held a tie-up event at July 10 - Aug 31.

ラブプラス＋ | 熱海 ラブプラス現象 キャンペーン via kwout

LOVE PLUS+ is a Nintendo DS game that enjoying love with the virtual girlfriend. There are three virtual girlfriends and the player chooses the girlfriend of the favorite type and associates.






In addition, the iPhone apps ver. released for 600yen, too.


ラブプラスiM（愛花）
http://www.konami.jp/products/touch_loveplus_im/index.html

ラブプラスiR（凜子）
http://www.konami.jp/products/touch_loveplus_ir/index.html

ラブプラスiN（寧々）
http://www.konami.jp/products/touch_loveplus_in/index.html


Atami set up the AR markers which could take a ceremonial photos with a girlfriend in 29 places of the city. In addition, they held a stamp rally event and sold commemorative goods.

This Atami's trial became the topic very much, and more than 3,000 LOVE PLUS+ player visited Atami "with a girlfriend". They did even that they stayed at the twin room of the hotel with a girlfriend.

Atami was the sightseeing spot which was famous in a hot spring for several hundred years. But, by the present age, Atami is deserted because Japanese traveling abroad.

This trial brought vigor and a sightseeing income in Atami and The Wall Street Journal carried an article, too.

The otaku are easy to be misunderstood. Actually, Nippon Television of the TV station mediamorphosis and looked down on them.

But, game news site "Kotaku Japan" and the player's blog report the actual situation of the event.

Atami people said... (via Kotaku)

It was fun because a lot of young boys came. The number of grandchildren seemed to have increased.


We were surprised to be better-mannered than the common tourist! 


The whole Atami city was excited.


Sales of shops increased.

In addition, Atami people say like this.

Even if an event is over, please don't forget Atami. 

However, their worry seems to be imaginary fears. Because LOVE PLUS+ players plan an event voluntarily in autumn of Atami.


Atami could get a sightseeing income, and LOVE PLUS+ players made a memory with a girlfriend and knew charm of Atami.


I think this event to be a wonderful example of the win-win business model.

Supercell's new mobile game Clash Royale holds a fan meeting event in Tokyo

Supercell does promotion activity well in Japan. They got the popularity in cooperation with Japanese advertising agencies, media and partners. As a result, they gathered many fans in Tokyo Game Show 2015.

See Also:
Supercell exhibits the decent booth and It was supported by fans in Tokyo Game Show 2015

Next, they hold a fan meeting event of their new mobile game Clash Royale in Akihabara, Tokyo on April 16 in cooperation with game community Lobi.

Lobi is the game community and chat service that Japanese Web service / contents production company Kayac runs. They started the offer of the fan meeting event held service for game developers in Lobi. Developers can announce the fan meeting event of their games in community of Lobi. Kayac supports developers, in charge of the administration of the event, live streaming, the writing of the event report article in Lobi.

Supercell's Clash Royale is the first example of this service. They invite only 80 participants by lot in Lobi. The entrance fee is free, but it is a fierce battle! The event is carried out in e- sports form and shown in Youtube Lobi channel.

event info
https://web.lobi.co/blog/news/42ff7c090327b1da67f7c9fbad6d2635c27ae6cc

I made Angry Birds figure

I made figure of Red Bird from Angry Birds.

Now, a lot of Angry Birds goods are sold at Japan. However, I think active UGC by users is necessary truly so that a social game and application are accepted in the world. In Japan, there is culture that make a figure of comic, anime, and game characters than before. By the way, I have a carrier of the making of figure model for 15 years.

master model is made by epoxy pate, mold is made by silicon rubber, and I reproduced it with urethane resin. I used acrylic paints for paint. and Furthermore, I reorganized these to garden pick. For me, it is expression of the respect to make figures.

The articles of all making are placed in my blog media "vsmedia".

No.1
http://vsmedia.info/2012/08/18/angry-birds_figure/
No.2
http://vsmedia.info/2012/08/26/angry-birds_figure2/
No.3
http://vsmedia.info/2012/09/03/angry-birds_figure3/

All of they are written in Japanese, but you may understand a process if you watch photos.

Here is the photos of all processes. Here is the photos of all processes(The thing which I did not use for articles are included).
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.480292152000140.120477.195197613842930&type=3

Japanese writer carried out super cool projection mapping for ass

Japanese comedy site Omocoro always shows interesting articles. In them, the article shown today is the coolest. It is Ass-Projection Mapping "Ketsu-jection Mapping". (Ketsu means ass in Japanese slang)

Japanese writer ARuFa thought that the projection mapping had further possibility and arrived at an answer called "ass". His novel idea produced a cool work.

ARuFa writes various interesting articles in his blog and Omocoro. You might have watched the fart cannon and the beautiful girl shower head which he made.

via http://omocoro.jp/kiji/30703/

Idol event in AmebaPigg gathers 1,5000 users

Idol unit "TeamPigg MINT" held a gig in Japanese virtual world "Ameba Pigg [J]" on November 3.









TeamPigg MINT is a unit selected from a member of popular idol group "AKB48 [J]". They carry out long-term promotion in AmebaPigg than before.




These are virtual goods that reproduced their stage costumes.




















These are parts of gig appearance.
Of course, "real" TeamPigg MINT's members operated the TeamPigg MINT's avatars.


"Real" TeamPigg MINT

Ameba Pigg's events are very popular, and 15,000 users gathered in this event.Ameba Pigg's Dev. Cyber Agent sold the tickets of this event on a limited sales for 150 yen. And they were sold out!

As for the event of Ameba Pigg, a lot of halls(server) are installed usually. (Even if the users log in to which hall, they can watch a guest avatar at the same time) But, this is the first time that more than 10,000 users gathered for the same event at the same time. Perhaps, it might be the first time in the Japanese virtual world business history, too.

For your information, please read these articles.(Sorry! written in Japanese only.)

【レポート】アメーバピグにて「AKB48チームピグMINT」のライブを開催 約1万5000人が参加
http://www.secondtimes.net/news/japan/20101105_mint.html (I wrote this!)

アメーバピグ限定ライブ大盛況！
http://ameblo.jp/cair/entry-10696823299.html (Cyber Agent's press blog)


TV commercial of this event