Japanese consumers have shifted rapidly from feature phones to smartphones over the past year, according to game data research firm Newzoo, with smartphone penetration rising from 28 per cent last year to 42 per cent in 2013.
“The adoption of smartphones is much faster than what we expected,” said Newzoo CEO Peter Warman. “It’s fuelling further growth.”
Data from Mobile Content Forum also reveals that Japanese consumers spent 851 billion JPY on mobile digital content last year, up from 553 billion JPY in 2009. According to app tracker App Annie, Japan now leads the world in app revenue, with game apps from publishers like GungHo and Sega driving sales.
Google Play sales in Japan have also grown to put Android app revenues on par with Apple App Store earnings in the country, according to the app tracking firm. Newzoo predicts that Japanese mobile game sales will comprise 26 per cent of the estimated US$12.2 billion worldwide mobile game revenues this year.
App Annie also estimates that Japanese smartphone sales will rise to over 60 per cent in 2014, and Newzoo forecasts that Japan will remain the world’s largest mobile game market next year.
