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Big in Japan: Good news for Colopl and GREE, while Capcom's got rhythm

Weekly digest from Tokyo

Big in Japan: Good news for Colopl and GREE, while Capcom's got rhythm

As well as being one of the largest mobile game markets by revenue, Japan is currently also one of the most dynamic. 

It's a good opportunity, then, for PocketGamer.biz to hook up with Indie Navi, a site which is dedicated to the coverage of Japanese mobile and indie development.

Set up by two enthusiastic and experienced translators, you can find out more about the services they offer here or email info (at] indienavi.com.

Otherwise, let's get on with the show - the five most interesting stories from the Japanese mobile games industry. 

Colopl's smartphone titles top 70 million downloads

Colopl's name may not carry the same clout as GungHo or GREE, but that could change soon the way the company's titles have been performing.

With colopl's flagship title Quiz RPG: the World of Mystic Wiz having surpassed 17 million downloads in Japan alone, colopl's smartphone titles have now been downloaded a combined 70 million times.

With high expectations for colopl's recently-revealed "tactile action" title Slingshot Braves, it could be just a matter of time before the Big Gs have to make room for a new consonant on the block.

Hands-On with Capcom's CROSSxBEATS

We take an in-depth, hands-on look at Capcom's first full foray into the world of rhythm titles. In short: great game, ill-suited monetization system.

For those interested in giving the game a try for themselves, we've also put together a handy guide for downloading and installing CROSSxBEATS, complete with menu translations and play tips.

Mixi and Crooze sailing smoothly in a turbulent stock exchange

The Tokyo Stock Exchange has fluctuated the past week, but publishers Mixi and Crooze continue to post reassuring numbers.

In particular, Mixi's Dragon Strike remains an investor darling, climbing steadily in sales rankings, while investors are looking to Crooze's ACR Drift to attract huge downloads.

Even a little good news for GREE

There's even a bit more positive news for mobile services giant GREE.

Although the decline in sales of traditional cellular phones have continued to take their toll on GREE's bottom line, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports: "In contrast to the period from July through September, GREE did not experience losses due to reigning in or cutting poorly performing titles. As a result, bottom-line profits increased slightly in the period from October through December".

Level 5's WonderFlick still not up and running

We're putting this one at the top of the list just because we want to play the game so bad already!

After pumping tons of money into television advertisements and a huge awareness campaign, Level 5 has struggled to get WonderFlick up and running, eliciting fan ire and at least one pretty funny video.

As of the time of this writing, Level 5 is aiming for the 18th to complete the ongoing server repairs that have plagued the title since its first "release".

We'll keep our fingers crossed, but not too tightly. We don't want them to cramp up when it's time to flick.

PocketGamer.biz regularly posts content from a variety of guest writers across the games industry. These encompass a wide range of topics and people from different backgrounds and diversities, sharing their opinion on the hottest trending topics, undiscovered gems and what the future of the business holds.