China’s NetEase is strengthening its position abroad. Four of its mobile titles made it to the top 100 highest-grossing titles in Japan last month.
This information comes from Priori Data. The company analyzed top games by revenue for the last 30 days across iOS and Android.
74 spots out of 100 belong to the titles from local publishers. No surprises there: the mobile market in Japan traditionally gravitates towards domestic studios. As noted by Gamasutra, foreign publishers typically struggle to compete with the Japanese companies.
NetEase has succeeded, however. It is now the foreign company with the most titles in the ranking. The Chinese giant, which specifically targets the Japanese market, managed to gain a foothold in the country with titles like Identity V, Knives Out, LifeAfter and Great Kingdoms.
The company ensured its success by catering to the local tastes. Identity V became a hit in Japan, which accounts for 80% of the title’s revenue. Over the past 30 days, it grossed $32.1 million in Japan. This was possible due to the Japanese player’s penchant for horror. Plus, the crossover event with Persona 5 expanded the game’s player base.
NetEase is followed by Russia’s Playrix in the list of top-performers in Japan. Tencent, meanwhile, is targeting emerging markets.