This document provides an introduction to doing business in Japan from the perspective of Marvelous AQL Europe. It discusses Marvelous AQL as a Japanese mobile, console and web game publisher. It notes that the mobile business is extremely strong in Japan with high ARPU. While Japanese and Western mobile games evolved differently, they are now converging. The document offers advice on Japanese business culture, which values consensus, politeness, and long-term relationships over contracts. It also notes opportunities for Western developers in the Japanese mobile games market.

1. Marvelous AQL Europe
www.maqleurope.com
www.marvelousgames.com
IntroductiontoDoing
BusinessinJapan
Harry Holmwood
CEO, Marvelous AQL Europe

2. AboutMarvelousAQL
• 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

3. WhyJapan?
• Mobile business extremely strong
• F2P long established
• Highest ARPU in the world

4. WesternGamesBreakingThrough
• 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
4

5. JapanesevsWesternMobileGames
• 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

6. Don’tPanic
• 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’

7. BasicEtiquette
• Be polite
• Have a business card with your name and job
title in Japanese
• Treat business cards with respect

8. CompanyCulture
• 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
8

9. JapaneseBusinessApproach
• Consensus is key
• Meetings are for information gathering, not
decision making
• Less direct/confrontational - keen to nurture
harmony
• Long term thinking / partnerships
• Oral agreements

10. LanguageAdvice
• 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

11. RelationshipBuilding
• 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

12. GameStyleDifferences
• 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

13. 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

14. 14
ut Japan, F2P, funding, publishing or
e now or… harry@maqleurope.com
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