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GameRefinery
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This decline was driven by revenue dips in major RPG titles. The analysis compared in-app purchase revenues from the top 500 iOS games.
This analysis examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Japanese mobile gaming market by comparing in-app purchase (IAP) revenues from the top 500 iOS games between the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2020. The study utilizes proprietary market share data to identify shifts in genre performance, publisher dominance, and overall revenue trends during this period of global disruption.
Key findings indicate that the Japanese mid-core market experienced a contraction of 4.5%, largely driven by a decline in the performance of prominent role-playing games (RPGs) such as Puzzles & Dragons and Granblue Fantasy. Despite this dip, the RPG genre remains the dominant force in Japan, with turn-based and puzzle RPGs alone accounting for 40% of the market. Conversely, the realistic sports subgenre saw significant growth, with a 2.4% increase in market share and a $24 million revenue boost, bolstered by titles like Professional Baseball Stars and eFootball PES 2020. Other notable gains were observed in the 4X strategy and music/band subgenres.
Publisher rankings also shifted during this timeframe. Konami emerged as the market leader, securing a 1.65% increase in market share and $16.5 million in additional revenue, while Bandai Namco faced declines. While no Western publishers held a top-ten market share position, Activision achieved notable success with Call of Duty, entering the market with a 0.65% share and $6.38 million in revenue. These results highlight a complex landscape where traditional Japanese RPG dominance faced headwinds, while sports and strategy titles successfully captured increased player engagement and spending during the pandemic.
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GameRefinery · 2026
Mobilegamer.biz · 2026
