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.
