Casual Connect Kiev 2013: interview with DeNA

On the last day of Kiev Casual Connect, we caught Mo Yang and Yamamoto Aki from DeNA and asked them about the Japanese market. 

How much has the Japanese market changed over the past year?Let’s just say it’s noticeable.

Largely because of Puzzle & Dragons, the size of the Japanese market has become much larger. Moreover, the audience has also become different. Previously, it could be called midcore, but not now. People who were previously far from such entertainment started playing mobile games.

Now many Japanese publishers are vying to announce hardcore three-dimensional games for mobile devices. Is this a new trend? Yes, now we can talk about a similar trend.

This is due to the arrival of console companies with the appropriate background on the mobile market. But, in my personal opinion, not all companies are going in this direction, not all are aimed at creating content-rich midcore titles. It’s just that for those who work in this direction – it’s natural, they start from their previous experience.

How do you feel about the consolidation of gaming companies started by Sega?The only thing I can say is:

this is good for Sega. 

How do you see the Japanese market in a year or two?There will be significantly more smartphones on the market.

Now their level of penetration is still small, but it is growing.