HARRY_HOLMWOOD_Marvelous_Introduction to doing business in Japan
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Transcript of HARRY_HOLMWOOD_Marvelous_Introduction to doing business in Japan
Marvelous AQL Europewww.maqleurope.comwww.marvelousgames.com
Introduction to Doing Business in Japan
Harry HolmwoodCEO, Marvelous AQL Europe
About MarvelousAQL
• Japanese, publicly listed mobile, console and web game publisher
• Console titles like Harvest Moon, No More Heroes, Senran Kagura, Half Minute Hero, Valhalla Knights, Soul Sacrifice
• PC/Mobile titles including Logres(MMO), 3 Kingdoms,
• MAQL Europe oversees western digital business• Publishing titles in western and Asian markets• Investing in titles and studios
Why Japan?
• Mobile business extremely strong• F2P long established• Highest ARPU in the world
4Western Games Breaking Through
• Apple, Google, LINE etc receptive to western content
• Japanese customers opening up to western games• Clash of Clans• Candy Crush
• Runbot – Feature support in Japan
Japanese vs Western Mobile Games
• Evolved from different places• Japanese mobile games derived from featurephone
games• Western mobile games derived from console games
• Converging to similar places• Smartphone games are neither console nor
featurephone games• Apple are dominating phone sales• 75%+ of phone sales are now iPhone
Don’t Panic
• Japanese society has a lot of rules about hierarchy and politeness
• …but a non-Japanese person would not be expected to adhere to them
• More important to understand how Japanese company culture works than to worry about some of the ‘rituals’
Basic Etiquette
• Be polite• Have a business card with your name and job
title in Japanese• Treat business cards with respect
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Company Culture
• Try to understand how Japanese companies operate
• Don’t expect them to be ‘westernised’
• Don’t be pushy, loud or abrasive• Contracts are less important than
trust
Japanese Business Approach
• Consensus is key• Meetings are for information gathering, not
decision making• Less direct/confrontational - keen to nurture
harmony• Long term thinking / partnerships• Oral agreements
Language Advice
• If dealing in English, slow down and be clear• Typically people will not tell you if they don’t
understand• It is your job to make sure you are
• Much discussion will take place in Japanese• Ideally, take an interpreter with you to
important meetings
Relationship Building
• Smart small and build – long term relationships are key
• Make it easy for Japanese company to say ‘yes’ to something
• Social as well as business relationships are important
• Introduction by friend/colleague is best
Game Style Differences
• Different assumptions about what audience already knows
• Bigger focus on gacha, collection, fusion
• One-handed operation, portrait mode
• Quick bursts of gameplay• Guilds and social features
Opportunities
• Casual/mid core titles with simple core gameplay but depth
• Western mobile developers excelling at 3D, tactile experiences
• Apple/Google/LINE and others all keen to engage with western developers
• Want to help with culturalization, marketing, partnerships, operations
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Ask me about Japan, F2P, funding, publishing or anything else now or… [email protected]@hholmwood