Market Overview - The total revenue from in-app purchases (IAP) in the Japanese mobile gaming market is projected to be $11 billion (approximately 78.2 billion RMB) from August 2024 to July 2025, reflecting a year-on-year decline of 2.2% [1] - Despite a slight market contraction and a 2.5% decrease in downloads, the market remains stable due to a high average revenue per user (ARPU) and effective monetization strategies, maintaining annual revenue above 1.6 trillion yen (approximately 77.2 billion RMB) since 2021 [1] Category Performance - RPG games continue to dominate the Japanese mobile gaming market, contributing 37.4% of total revenue, with titles like "Uma Musume," "Monster Strike," and "FGO" leading the revenue charts [3] - Strategy games rank second with a 21.8% revenue contribution, driven by 4X strategy games like "Last War: Survival" and "Whiteout Survival," which saw a 35% revenue increase, and the card battle game "Pokémon TCG Pocket," which achieved a 305% revenue surge [5] - Casual puzzle games are the primary drivers of download volume, accounting for 33.2% of total downloads, with games like "Car Jam" and "Screw Sort 3D" experiencing over 70% year-on-year growth in downloads [5] IP Importance - Local IPs play a crucial role in the Japanese gaming market, with the "Pokémon" IP achieving a 32% year-on-year revenue increase due to the success of "Pokémon TCG Pocket" [10] - The "Gundam" IP, through the new release "SD Gundam GGENERATION ETERNAL," saw over 800% year-on-year growth, highlighting the effective operational strategies that enhance IP value [10][12] Publisher Landscape - Japanese publishers dominate the market, contributing over 52% of total IAP revenue while accounting for only 31% of downloads [14] - Major Japanese companies like Bandai Namco, Sega, and Capcom rank among the top ten global publishers on Steam, indicating strong influence in the PC and console gaming markets [14] - Overseas publishers adopt differentiated strategies to penetrate the Japanese market, focusing on core paying users and launching casual games that appeal to a broader audience [16][18] Advertising Strategies - The gaming sector is a leading category for digital advertising in Japan, with significant ad spending and display volume [19] - LINE is the most prominent channel for game advertising, with successful campaigns often aligning with major in-game events [19][20] - Targeted advertising strategies are employed, such as "Whiteout Survival," which focuses on male users aged 25-34, utilizing platforms like TikTok and Instagram to resonate with younger audiences [22]

Core Insights - The evaluation of a game's success has shifted from initial launch performance to long-term player retention, highlighting the increasing importance of Live Ops [1] - A recent report by Sensor Tower indicates that 78% of the top 1000 revenue-generating games in 2024 will experience a year-on-year revenue decline in the first half of 2025, with 6 games seeing revenue drops exceeding $100 million [1][4] - Despite challenges, there are standout games like "Whiteout Survival," "Last War: Survival," and "Gossip Harbor," which have achieved significant in-app purchase revenue growth, attributed to effective operational activities [4] Group 1: Successful Game Strategies - "Whiteout Survival" hosted 50 monetization events in July, while "Gossip Harbor" launched 39 major events this year, showcasing the importance of high-frequency, high-quality operational activities [7][11] - Both games have developed structured and well-paced activity strategies that enhance user retention and positively impact revenue [7][24] - The monthly activities in "Whiteout Survival" focus on team competition, fostering both individual and group competitive spirit among players [14] Group 2: Activity Design and Player Engagement - "Whiteout Survival" employs a core PvP activity called "Power Peak," which encourages player engagement through a competitive framework that minimizes individual impact on overall outcomes [16][18] - The game integrates various activities into a cyclical consumption ecosystem, enhancing player participation and spending [18][23] - "Gossip Harbor" maintains a high frequency of events, with up to 73 activities planned by April 2025, ensuring continuous player engagement [27] Group 3: Monetization Techniques - "Gossip Harbor" effectively creates urgency and scarcity through targeted offers, such as a limited-time package for rare cards, which stimulates impulse purchases [35][39] - The game’s weekly tasks are designed to reward players for daily logins, enhancing retention rates [41] - Both "Whiteout Survival" and "Gossip Harbor" demonstrate that successful games utilize a systematic approach to operational activities, categorizing them into monetization, progress, and social activities [49][70] Group 4: Market Trends and Future Outlook - The report indicates that core strategy games are expected to see a 25% increase in IAP revenue share in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 [46] - The combined revenue from these game categories is projected to reach $7.7 billion, indicating a new growth path in the global market [46] - The competition in the gaming market has evolved from content development to comprehensive operational strategy, making effective operational strategies essential for sustained growth [73]

Group 1 - The China Securities Media Index (399971) has seen a strong increase of 2.34%, with notable gains from stocks such as Kyeing Network (002517) up 10.03%, Giant Network (002558) up 9.39%, and G-bits (603444) up 6.19% [1] - The Media ETF (159805) rose by 2.48%, with the latest price reported at 1.2 yuan [1] - In May, the total revenue of the Chinese gaming market reached 28.051 billion yuan, indicating a clear positive trend in the industry fundamentals [1] Group 2 - The China Securities Media Index tracks 50 large-cap listed companies from sectors including marketing and advertising, cultural entertainment, and digital media [2] - As of May 30, 2025, the top ten weighted stocks in the index accounted for 48.11% of the total index, with companies like Focus Media (002027) and Giant Network (002558) among the leaders [2]