A Westerner's guide to the Japanese games market
summary
Arcane Circus is a two-person studio building Kaijack: Card Attack, a kaiju-themed doodle card game targeting iOS, Android and Switch with release planned next year; the team visits Japan multiple times, learns iOS dominates market share, Line is essential for social discovery, and many Japanese studios are under ten years old. Practical lessons: hire a reputable localizer, embed someone with Japan experience into the project, avoid superficial anime pastiche, and prioritize translate properly and visit Japan.
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chapters (10)
- 0:00Introduction to Japanese market
- 1:48Japanese mobile game landscape
- 5:40Avoiding gaijin assumptions
- 7:03Authentic cultural influences
- 8:28Building long-term business ties
- 9:12Proper game localization
- 9:53Importance of visiting Japan
- 11:25Summary of key tips
- 12:50Cultural lesson for game devs
- 13:11Q&A session
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