Gungho transplants Puzzle & Dragons to Nintendo 3DS

Smartphone game Puzzle & Dragons of Japan's Gungho went into Canada, and the number of the users broke through 13 million. Furthermore, they make Puzzle & Dragons a game for Nintendo 3DS. These are the screenshot and PV.

The title of Puzzle & Dragons for Nintendo 3DS is "PAZUDORA Z", and it is released in the winter of this year. Interestingly, PAZUDORA Z is the original game that different from Puzzle & Dragons. Gungho produces a system, a story, artwork of PAZUDORA Z newly. Furthermore, it hasn't in-game-purchases. They show the latest information of PAZUDORA Z monopolistically now in comic magazine for kids "Corocoro Comic". Probably a target of PAZUDORA Z is the kids who do not have a smartphone8Kindergartener - primary schoolchild).

LINE goes into a toy for children

Users of Japanese messaging apps LINE exceeded 150 million at last.

According to their press release, LINE users suddenly increase now in Spain and South America. In particular, Spanish LINE users exceeded in 10 million. They conclude strategic partnership with Nokia in February and preinstall LINE in low-priced smartphone Asha of Nokia. LINE is eager in the users acquisition in countries except Japan and intends to do advance to Southeast Asia, South America, Middle East, Africa with Asha.

On the other hand, they do not forget the business in Japan. Their Japanese target is......kids. They sell toys for kids from this month.

This is a sticker maker. We can make 180 pieces of stickers with characters of the sticker of LINE. The LINE stickers become the real stickers! The price is 3,360yen(about 34.2USD).

These are robot cleaners for smartphone and tablets. The price is 1,785yen(about 18.17USD).

This is a stamp set of the LINE character. In Japan, we call LINE sticker "LINE stamp". This is LINE stamp of the rial definitely:) The price is 1,260yen(about 12.8USD).

This is a message card maker. We combine messages with LINE characters and can make original cards. The price is 2,100yen(about 21.3USD).

These are capsule toys. The toy of LINE characters protrudes from a capsule and moves. The price is 1,260yen(about 12.8USD).

These are stamp figure. The price is for each 525yen(about5.3USD).

This is a balance toy. We pile up faces of LINE characters and can play. The price is 1,890yen(about 19.2USD).

These are many functions electron toy in imitation of a smartphone. This has a color LCD screen, touch operationand NFC function. Kids can play sim city like game with LINE characters and message switching. The price is 6,825yen(about 69.4USD).

Now, main Japanese users of LINE are adults who are higher than a high school student, and the parents worry about kids using Social Networking Service. Therefore LINE sells toys. LINE characters are cute and are popular with adult users. Then naturally it will be popular with kids, It is the same as a merchandising strategy.

Facebook stickers have very bad reputation in Japan

Facebook released latest version 6.0 of the iOS apps and added a sticker function to chat & message. However, unfortunately Facebook lost an evaluation in Japan more. Facebook stickers looks VERY NERDY for a Japanese. Now, they become the topic by a reason not cute in Japan.

Japanese Facebook users said, "Terrible quality", "Very ugly", "Not cute at all. Is this the difference of the cultural sphere?", "These may not be popular in the Asian area".

When I say honestly, I am opinions same as them. I felt they are very poor when watched these. And I did not feel character characteristics. It is necessary for them to dig into each character more.

I realized the splendor of the character design of Disney. Characters of Disney fly over sex, age, a race, nationality and are loved all over the world. It is the universal design from U.S. Facebook cooperates with Disney right now and should release tie-up stickers. However, LINE has already done it.

Source:
http://matome.naver.jp/odai/2136616603091590201

GREE and DeNA fought about a mobile fishing social game, and GREE lost

DeNA fought against GREE at a trial about intellectual property until today. And DeNA won.

In September, 2009, GREE charged DeNA in an intellectual property theft. GREE ran fishing social game for mobile "Tsuri ★ Sta(釣り★スタ)" from May, 2007 , and DeNA ran fishing social game for mobile "Tsuri ge town2(釣りゲータウン2)" from February, 2009. GREE said that it was copied the design of the scene that caught a fish by DeNA and charged them. Actually, they were similar.

Source: http://jibun.atmarkit.co.jp/lskill01/rensai/law/03/01.html

This created a great debate in Japan. In the first place what is the copy? What is the difference between universal design and copy?

In February, 2012, the Tokyo District Court accepted a suit of GREE in first trial judgment and ordered DeNA to shut down a Tsuri ge town2 and pay 234,600,000 yen for GREE . Of course, DeNA appealed on the same day.

In August, 2012, the intellect fortune High Court canceled first trial judgment and dismissed request of GREE. the presiding judge judged that the design of Tsuri ge town2 was "common expression", and this did not correspond to an intellectual property theft. Naturally GREE appealed on the same day, too.

However, the Supreme Court gave decision to reject a final appeal of GREE today. A lost case of GREE was settled in this.

By the way, there is the problem that is more important than a trial in GREE and DeNA. Because their growth slows down. LINE's Game apps, Puzzle & Dragons, Nameko Saibai Kit series, Dark Summoner, etc... Many rivals appear now. In the first place,  "Tsuri ★ Sta" and "Tsuri ge town2" are popular games in a futurephone. In other words they are the old-gen social games. Next-gen social games appear in sequence now. It is useless to use time and a resource for a trial this situation.

Ateam's "Dark Summoner" was ranked No. 1 in free apps ranking of Korean App Store

Dark Summoner is popular game apps for smartphones which Japan's Ateam develops. It is JP-style card battle game, but the art are slightly different from JP-style. Because its motif is the dark fantasy. The art were received favorably by users of North American and European. Now, Dark Summoner has users more than 6M all over the world.

On the other hand, how about the East Asia? Ateam released a Korean version of Dark Summoner "다크서머너" at the beginning of this month. Then two weeks later, It was ranked No. 1 in free apps ranking of Korean App Store!

In addition, the Android ver. is brisk, too. It records 100,000-500,000 downloading, and users review is 4.5.

It is unusual for Japanese game apps to be accepted immediately by Korean users. However, a similar example includes Cygames's Rage of Bahamut. Possibly the Dark Fantasy may be advantageous in global expansion.