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Social Gaming Summit 2012: Western devs, look to Japan for your next social gaming stars, argues Marvelous AQL

#sgsconf We're more alike than you think

Social Gaming Summit 2012: Western devs, look to Japan for your next social gaming stars, argues Marvelous AQL
What Japanese gamers play now, gamers in the west will be playing in five to ten year's time.

That was the core argument made by the European CEO of Japanese gaming specialist Marvelous AQL - Harry Holmwood - with his talk at the Social Gaming Summit 2012 revolving around the idea that the east and west aren't as different as the media makes oiut.

Karaoke, Peggle-like pachinko machines, even extreme I'm a Celebrity-esque endurance game shows – all of these started life in Japan, but now have a valid place in western culture, he claimed.

But, unless a a western developer is looking to target Japan, why should they care?

Follow the leader

To put it simply, it matters because Holmwood claimed that Japanese games have "always monetised well" - often better than their western counterparts.

So, what lessons can social studios in the US and Europe learn from the Japanese model?

"Let people pay for what they want to pay for," offered Holmwood.

The key, Holmwood said, is charging for a range of different elements in-play.

Let the player decide

Not only should studios resist putting a limit on how much users can spend, but they should also let them pick and choose how they spend their money as much as is possible.

"Some people might want to subscribe to the whole game, but some people might want to subscribe to a specific element," he added. "Let them decide. Let them do it."

The developer shouldn't look to define the things players do or not enjoy in their games, he suggested, and as such should open up the gates to in-app purchases in all forms.

Let players upgrade, let them collect rare items, let them buy add-ons both big and small – let them define what they love about a game, and spend accordingly.

Racing ahead

There are, of course, western developers who have already jumped on board the Japanese train.

Citing NaturalMotion's CSR Racing – which amassed revenues of $12 million in its first month, it was noted – Holmwood pitched the game as a "typical Japanese trading card game."

"We don't really like collecting cards in the west, so CSR Racing dresses itself up as this beautifully presented racing game. But it's not – it's a game where you collect cars, because over here we like collecting cars."

It's a simple shift, Holmwood concluded, but sometimes westernising a Japanese model in even the most slight of ways can pay dividends.

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.