Study: The Cost of Developing Mobile Games in Japan Has Increased Nearly Fivefold Over the Past Ten Years
In recent years, production budgets for mobile games in Japan have significantly increased, according to a study by the Japan Online Game Association (JOGA). In 2024, the average cost of creating such a title in the country reached 492 million yen ($3.3 million).
Pokémon Sleep
For comparison, ten years earlier, the figures were much lower. In 2014, the development of mobile games cost Japanese studios an average of 104.7 million yen ($707,000), which was 4.7 times cheaper.
The cost of advertising games has increased slightly less, rising exactly four times over the same period. As a result, JOGA reports that in 2024, the average annual marketing budget for mobile games in Japan amounted to 1.35 billion yen ($9.16 million).
No specific examples are provided in JOGA's study.