Game data provider KADOKAWA Game Linkage just published the top 10 grossing mobile games for Japan during CY2019.
Here is the overview (gross sales, Japan domestic only, iOS and Android combined) – based on the company’s estimates:
1) Fate/Grand Order from Sony (6758) subsidiary Aniplex: US$647mn
2) Monster Strike from Mixi (2121): US$645mn
3) Puzzle & Dragons from GungHo Online (3765): US$475mn
4) Knives Out from Netease (NTES): US$386mn
5) Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle from Bandai Namco (7832): US$274mn
6) Pokemon Go from Niantic: US$252mn
7) Powerful Pro Baseball from Konami (9766): US$238mn
8) Granblue Fantasy from CyberAgent (4751): US$220mn
9) Dragon Quest Walk from Square Enix (9684) / Colopl (3668): US$217mn
10) Disney Tsum Tsum from LINE (3938): US$170mn
*Currency conversion for all sums mentioned above: 100 yen = US$0.91 at time of writing.
A quick analysis shows:
- just like in 2018 (see below), all games are published by publicly traded companies – except for Pokemon Go
- the top 2 traded places, and both made less money this year
- the gap between the top 2 and following games is still significant
- number 3 and 4, Puzzle & Dragons and Knives Out, increased revenue however
- Pokemon Go is not only not dead, it also made more money in 2019
- Dragon Quest Walk was live only 110 days in 2019 (published on Sept. 12) but made it into the top 10 anyway
- that game is also the only one published in 2019 in the ranking
- Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage from Bandai Namco is the only game dropping out, showing how “cemented” the list is
- revenue from the top 10 accounts for roughly a third of Japan’s entire mobile gaming market
By way of comparison, here are the top 10 for 2018:
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
*Currency conversion for the 2018 numbers based on 100 yen = US$0.90.
