Core Viewpoint - The Japanese gaming industry, once a dominant force, is now facing significant challenges as Chinese companies increasingly capture market share and innovate in game development [5][8][26]. Group 1: Current State of the Japanese Gaming Industry - The Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2025 showcased a significant presence of Chinese companies, with nearly half of the 299 exhibitors being from China, indicating a shift in the gaming landscape [5][6]. - Since the resumption of TGS in 2022, the growth in exhibition scale has largely been driven by Chinese firms, highlighting their successful expansion into the Japanese market [6][8]. - Sensor Tower's report indicates that as of July 2025, six out of the top ten mobile games in Japan by revenue are from Chinese developers, showcasing their dominance [6][21]. Group 2: Historical Context and Decline - The Japanese gaming industry thrived in the 1980s and 1990s, capturing 70% of the global market share by the end of the century, but has since seen a decline to 30% by 2015 [10][19]. - The industry's reliance on console gaming has hindered its ability to adapt to the rise of PC and mobile gaming, leading to a gradual decline in competitiveness [19][20]. - The aging population in Japan, with 29.4% of the population over 65, has contributed to a shrinking user base and a lack of innovation in game development [24][25]. Group 3: Chinese Companies' Success - Chinese games like "Genshin Impact" have achieved significant success in Japan, marking a turning point for Chinese developers in the Japanese market [27][28]. - The revenue projections for 2024 indicate that several Chinese games are expected to generate over 10 billion RMB, reflecting their growing influence [29]. - Chinese developers are leveraging advanced technology and innovative gameplay strategies, such as high welfare and low-pressure models, to attract Japanese gamers [30][31]. Group 4: Market Dynamics and Future Outlook - The Japanese gaming market is experiencing a shift as traditional gaming habits evolve, with younger audiences gravitating towards mobile and service-based games [21][24]. - The success of casual games like "Mushroom Hero" demonstrates the potential for Chinese developers to penetrate non-traditional gaming segments in Japan [32][33]. - The demand for mobile games in Japan remains high, with a significant gap between download numbers and in-app purchase revenues, indicating a lucrative opportunity for Chinese firms [33].

Core Viewpoint - The Japanese gaming industry, once a global leader, is now facing significant challenges as Chinese companies gain a strong foothold in the market, particularly highlighted by the recent Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2025 where Chinese firms dominated participation and popularity [3][4][5]. Group 1: Japanese Gaming Industry Decline - The Japanese gaming market, historically seen as a closed fortress, is experiencing a decline due to its insular nature and inability to adapt to global trends [7][19]. - The market share of Japanese games in the global gaming industry has decreased from 70% in 1995 to 30% in 2009, indicating a significant loss of influence [19]. - The aging population in Japan, with 29.4% of the population over 65 years old, is contributing to a shrinking user base and a lack of innovation in the gaming sector [25][26]. Group 2: Rise of Chinese Gaming Companies - Chinese games, such as "Genshin Impact," have successfully penetrated the Japanese market, with significant revenue generation, marking a turning point for Chinese firms in global gaming [28][30]. - The success of Chinese games is attributed to superior technology and innovative gameplay, contrasting with the traditional approaches of Japanese developers [30][31]. - Chinese companies are effectively leveraging high-quality graphics and engaging gameplay to attract Japanese gamers, who are increasingly open to new gaming experiences [31][36]. Group 3: Market Dynamics and Consumer Behavior - The shift in consumer behavior in Japan, with a growing preference for mobile and service-oriented games, is reshaping the gaming landscape [22][24]. - The traditional gaming audience in Japan is evolving, with younger players gravitating towards free-to-play models and mobile gaming, further challenging local developers [22][25]. - The high loyalty and retention rates of Japanese gamers present an opportunity for Chinese companies to capitalize on, as they introduce innovative gaming experiences [36][37].

Core Insights - The Japanese gaming industry, once dominant, is now facing significant challenges as Chinese companies gain a strong foothold in the market, particularly highlighted during TGS 2025 where nearly half of the exhibitors were from China [1][2] - The growth of Chinese gaming companies in Japan is evidenced by their presence in the top ten mobile game revenue rankings, where six out of ten are Chinese titles [2][4] Group 1: Historical Context - The rise of Japanese gaming began in the 1980s, particularly after the "Atari Shock," which allowed companies like Nintendo to dominate the market, capturing 70% of the global gaming market by the end of the 20th century [5][6] - Japan's gaming industry thrived due to a unique cultural environment that fostered a "lonely economy," where societal changes led to increased individualism and a focus on gaming as a form of escapism [6][7][11] Group 2: Current Market Dynamics - Since the 2010s, Japan's gaming industry has been in decline, with its global market share dropping from 70% in 1995 to 30% in 2009, as the industry struggled to adapt to new technologies and market trends [16][19] - The aging population in Japan, with 29.4% of the population over 65 years old, has contributed to a stagnation in the gaming industry, as older developers may resist innovation and younger demographics shrink [21][22] Group 3: Chinese Market Penetration - Chinese games like "Genshin Impact" have successfully penetrated the Japanese market, showcasing advancements in technology and gameplay that appeal to both traditional and new audiences [24][26] - The success of Chinese games is attributed to their ability to offer high-quality graphics and gameplay experiences that resonate with Japanese players, alongside effective marketing strategies [26][29] Group 4: Future Outlook - The demand for mobile games in Japan remains high, with a significant opportunity for Chinese developers to capitalize on this market, as evidenced by the increasing revenue from Chinese titles [29] - The contrast between Japan's low mobile game downloads and high in-app purchase revenue indicates a strong market potential that Chinese companies are well-positioned to exploit [29]

Core Points - The tenth "Goddess Contest" concluded with the character Fu Ninna from Genshin Impact winning with 87,817 votes, marking the first time a two-dimensional character has won the title [2] - This year's contest was notable for its large scale and the involvement of multiple platforms, including Bilibili, Douyu, and TapTap, which contributed to a more diverse voting pool [12][16] - The contest faced significant controversy regarding voting integrity, with discussions about "fake votes" emerging across various social media platforms [10][45] Group 1: Contest Overview - The "Goddess Contest" began in 2016 as a user-organized event on the Hupu platform, aimed at providing an alternative to mainstream voting that did not align with the aesthetic preferences of its users [13] - This year's contest featured a "two-dimensional vs. three-dimensional" theme, with characters from games competing against real-life celebrities, a first for such events [24][63] - The contest's format included a Swiss round where characters and celebrities competed in various categories, leading to a final four comprised mainly of characters from miHoYo [17][49] Group 2: Voting Dynamics - The voting process was heavily scrutinized, with many users questioning the fairness of the results due to organized voting efforts and suspicious voting patterns [42][70] - The final rounds saw a significant disparity in votes, with Fu Ninna receiving 390,000 votes in her decisive match, indicating a lack of competitive balance [70] - The contest's popularity waned as the outcome became predictable, leading to decreased engagement from the audience as the final stages approached [69][71]

Core Insights - The summer gaming season is a critical period for game developers to capture traffic and increase revenue, with a notable rise in player engagement and game duration [1] - Compared to the upcoming summer releases in 2024, this year's summer lineup appears relatively subdued, with new titles failing to disrupt the dominance of established games [1][2] - The "Evergreen Games List" and "Potential Evergreen Games List" have been compiled to highlight games that have shown sustained revenue performance [1] Evergreen Games - In July, 29 games made it to the "Evergreen Games List," a decrease of 4 from the first half of the year [2] - The top three games on the list are "Honor of Kings," "Peacekeeper Elite," and "Fantasy Westward Journey," with estimated revenues of approximately $147 million, $76.83 million, and $34.27 million respectively [8][9] - Tencent and NetEase dominate the list, with 12 and 5 games respectively, accounting for nearly 60% of the total entries [8] Potential Evergreen Games - The "Potential Evergreen Games List" expanded to 11 titles, with a cumulative estimated revenue of $152 million in July [13] - The top three games on this list are "Endless Winter," "Dungeon & Fighter Mobile," and "Honkai: Star Rail," with revenues of approximately $32.25 million, $29.30 million, and $24.13 million respectively [13][14] - Notable updates and events in July for these games contributed to their performance, such as new content and gameplay enhancements [14][15] Market Trends - The summer gaming market has seen a variety of new game types, but few have emerged as blockbuster hits, indicating a market still led by established titles [15] - The potential for new games to gain traction may increase in the upcoming fall and winter seasons as developers refine their offerings [15]

Core Insights - Chinese game developers are intensifying their global market competition, with notable performances from companies like 点点互动 and 腾讯, as their games dominate the revenue rankings [2][9] - The success of games like 《崩坏：星穹铁道》 and 《Kingshot》 highlights the importance of version updates and innovative gameplay in driving revenue growth [2][9] Revenue Rankings - 点点互动's 《Whiteout Survival》 remains at the top of the revenue chart, followed by 腾讯's 《PUBG MOBILE》 in second place [2] - 《崩坏：星穹铁道》 has climbed to third place, boosted by a new version update and character releases, improving its ranking by 6 spots compared to the previous month [2] - 《Kingshot》 saw a remarkable revenue increase of 209% in April, landing at the 14th position on the revenue chart [2][9] Growth and Download Rankings - The growth rankings for April show that 益世界's new game 《Lands of Jail》 experienced a revenue surge of 342%, making it the 7th highest in growth [24] - 网易's 《巅峰极速》 has become the highest-grossing racing game globally in April, surpassing 《QQ飞车》 [25] - 腾讯's 《三角洲行动》 achieved over 10 million downloads within 10 days of its overseas launch, marking it as the game with the highest download growth [29] Market Trends - The success of SLG games like 《Kingshot》 and 《Dark War Survival》 indicates a growing interest in strategy and survival genres among players [9][17] - The performance of older titles like 《蔚蓝档案》 and 《雀魂》 demonstrates the effectiveness of continuous content updates and understanding local markets in maintaining player engagement [36][41] Conclusion - The competitive landscape for mobile games is intensifying, with companies needing to leverage their strengths and continuously improve product quality to capture market opportunities [47]