DeNA and Alconost partner to localise international games for Japanese market

Pokémon TCG Pocket co-developer DeNA has partnered with localisation company Alconost to help international developers break into the Japanese market.

By leveraging Alconost’s services as a US-based localiser, the partnership will grant overseas developers a new means of entering the Japanese games market through AndApp - DeNA’s Japanese platform designed to run mobile games on PC with cross-save functionality.

Speaking devs’ language

International developers can now launch on the AndApp platform with a higher revenue share, built-in promotional support and no upfront cost; developers only begin to pay once their game starts to generate sales on AndApp.

The partnership is further encouraging game developers onto the platform by offering an increased revenue share over their first six months after launch on the platform. Complimentary localisations of up to 5,000 English characters of promotional material are also available, translating from English or Simplified Chinese into Japanese.

"DeNA is honoured to partner with Alconost in line with our mission of 'bringing delight beyond imagination to everyone’," said DeNA global alliance manager Shaohui Lee.

"By making it easier for titles from around the world to be released in Japan, we hope to bring joy to even more developers and users."

Alconost strategic planning director Yoshiyuki Suginome commented: "Until now, the industry has lacked comprehensive services capable of addressing these crucial needs, especially for game developers of varying sizes.

"Our partnership with DeNA creates a solution that eliminates traditional barriers to entry, enabling developers worldwide to successfully enter the Japanese market."

Japanese mobile audiences are especially well known for their penchant for RPGs - among the top spenders in Genshin Impact, Goddess of Victory: Nikke, Wuthering Waves and more - but last year also saw puzzle games conquer Japan.

DeNA itself has also found significant success with Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, a 2024 mobile launch that has outperformed even Pokémon Go in player spending over its first six months, approaching $1 billion already.