MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia has opened a new business group specifically to focus on its Chinese console strategy. Polygon reckons that a Japanese language press release from SCEJ confirms the news. The China Strategy Department will be headed up by SCEJ’s existing China strategy boss Takehito Soeda. Yesterday it …
Read More »Mobile now account for half of Japanese games market as sector nearly doubles
A new report claims that smartphone gaming now account for around 50 per cent of Japan’s total video games market. Serkantoto says that data from CyberZ says that of the total $10.8bn annual Japanese games spend in 2013, around $5.4bn of this was spent on mobile games. Furthermore, that’s up …
Read More »PS4 sales up but Vita wins weekly hardware race in Japan
Sales of the PS4 were up 15 per cent but it’s the Vita that has claimed the weekly Japanese hardware sales crown, Famitsu sales data has revealed. PS4 sales climbed from 28,864 to 33,341, thanks in no small part to Konami’s Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Interestingly, the stealth …
Read More »Microsoft’s Spencer teases Xbox One exclusive from Japanese studio
A new Xbox One exclusive from a notable Japanese developer will soon be unveiled, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has revealed. IGN translates Spencer’s interview with Famitsu during GDC 2014, which provided some insight into Microsoft’s plans for Xbox One in Japan. Spencer states that the company is putting together special announcements …
Read More »Dark Souls II debuts at No.1 in Japan as PS4 retains hardware lead
Cult RPG game Dark Souls II has debuted at the top of the Japanese charts, the latest Famitsu sales data has revealed. Namco Bandai’s game sold 256,701 units on PS3 in its first week – that’s seven times more than its closest rival Youkai Watch on 3DS. PS4 remains the …
Read More »Xbox One hitting other EU countries and Japan in September
There is finally a release date for Xbox One in a number of key territories, including Japan. The machine will arrive in the following regions in September: ArgentinaBelgiumChileColombiaCzech RepublicDenmarkFinlandGreeceHungaryIndiaIsraelJapanKoreaNetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRussiaSaudi ArabiaSingaporeSlovakiaSouth AfricaSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUAE The machine had originally been pencilled in for a global launch last November but in August Microsoft confirmed that …
Read More »Wooga to open experimental mobile studio
GDC 2014: CEO Jens Begemann also wants to expand to Asia, starting with Japan
Read More »Pikachu is Japan’s World Cup mascot
The Pokemon Company has secured am amazing branding coup by placing Pikachu as Japan’s official World Cup 2014 mascot. The deal was announced in conjunction with Japan’s national kit sponsor Adidas. While Pikachu is the official sponsor he’ll also be joined by ten other Pokemon including G1 favourites Squirtle, Charmander …
Read More »PS4 passes 400k sales in Japan, pips Vita in charts
PlayStation 4 is still the best-selling games console in Japan. Information supplied to MCV from Famitsu shows that the hardware’s install base now stands at 405,546 units strong three weeks since it launched. The hardware is so popular that most stores are now starting to run out of stock and …
Read More »Japanese hardware market up 179.1% as PS4 arrives
The games console hardware market enjoyed a sharp year-on-year increase in Japan thanks to the launch of PS4, Famitsu has revealed. Data supplied to MCV shows that for February hardware sales were up 179.1 per cent year-on-year at 189.5m (1.11m). The software market climbed 113.8 per cent to 192.5m (1.12m). …
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