By Dr. Serkan Toto – On Japan's Game Industry

Japan’s Top 10 Mobile Games In 2018 (By Revenue)

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Japanese data provider Gzbrain released an overview of Japan’s top 10 mobile games in terms of revenue for 2018 a few days ago.

The list is based on the estimated gross revenue on iOS and Android combined (and in Japan only):

1) Monster Strike from Mixi (2121): US$842 million
2) Fate/Grand Order from Sony (6758) subsidiary Aniplex: US$800 million
3) Puzzle & Dragons from GungHo Online (3765): US$440 million
4) Knives Out from Netease (NTES): US$365 million
5) Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle from Bandai Namco (7832): US$307 million
6) Disney Tsum Tsum from LINE (3938): US$244 million
7) Granblue Fantasy from CyberAgent (4751) subsidiary Cygames: US$238 million
8) Pokemon Go from Niantic: US$226 million
9) Powerful Pro Baseball from Konami (9766): US$198 million
10) Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage from Bandai Namco (7832): US$182 million

There are several conclusions and observations that can be derived from the top 10, including:

  • all games come from listed companies (with the exception of Niantic, which obviously has the advantage of using mega IP Pokemon)
  • battle royale title Knives Out is the first mobile app from a foreign developer ever to chart in a yearly top 10 in Japan (Netease is listed in the US and headquartered in Hangzhou, China)
  • published in late 2017, Knives Out is also the newest game in the list (the oldest is Puzzle & Dragons, which launched in February 2012)
  • the top 10 above account for roughly 40% of revenue generated in Japan’s entire mobile gaming market
  • inside the top 10, Monster Strike and Fate/Grand Order keep a wide distance to the rest of the list

*Currency conversion for all sums mentioned above: 100 yen = US$0.90 at time of writing.

About the author

Dr. Serkan Toto

I am the CEO & Founder of Kantan Games Inc., an independent consultancy focused on Japan’s game industry.

Please feel free to connect via Email (Serkan at kantangames.com), LinkedIn or Twitter.

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By Dr. Serkan Toto – On Japan's Game Industry