Contents
Introduction
Source: Apptica
Japan, being the third biggest revenue share worldwide in 2023, has been a prime target for many game developers. The Japanese market’s dynamic and competitive nature makes it essential for developers to continually optimize their games to stay ahead. Updates play a crucial role in driving user engagement and boosting downloads. By examining the top updates based on Apptica’s data for July 2024, we can gain valuable insights into the types of updates that have successfully gathered downloads in Japan. Here, we analyze the updates of the top-performing games in the Games category to understand the key factors behind their success.
Top Performing Games and Their Updates
Observing on downloads metrics, we found out that these apps significantly gained great number of downloads by updating something on their apps. The table below shows what kind of updates impacted their download rates, as well as in what category these apps fall into.
Key Insights
Comprehensive Updates (Release Notes & New Versions)
Games such as Screw Pin – Jam Puzzle, Screw Puzzle: Wood Nut & Bolt®, and My Perfect Hotel saw significant improvements in downloads following comprehensive updates that included detailed release notes and new versions. These updates provided bug fixes, new features and levels, which are critical for retaining existing users and attracting new ones. My Perfect Hotel even mentioned that they updated from hearing the feedback of the users.
Effective Use of Ad Creatives
Engaging ad creatives are essential for capturing the attention of potential users and driving downloads. Several top-performing games (6 out of 9 top updates), including 異世界のんびりライフ, Whiteout Survival, タマモンワールド, Roblox, and Pizza Ready!, effectively utilized ad creatives.
These games invested in various ad formats and compelling advertisements that showcased the unique features and gameplay. It is difficult to see a pattern on what kind of ad format goes well in the country, but we can observe that these top updates games tend to push new ad creatives almost everyday, and in various formats as well.
Whiteout Survival is a good example of mobile game that pushes various kinds of ad format – including interstitial ads, playable ads, banner ads, and video ads that’s featuring an actual Japanese person playing and reacting to the game.
Strategic Featuring
ドラゴンクエストタクト ドラクエのタクティクスRPG benefited from being featured. Featuring can significantly increase visibility in app stores, leading to a surge in downloads. This strategy is particularly effective for well-known franchises or games with high-quality content that can quickly capture user interest when highlighted.
Category-Specific Trends
- Puzzle and Casual Games: The inclusion of new versions and detailed release notes were particularly effective for puzzle and casual games like Screw Pin – Jam Puzzle and Screw Puzzle: Wood Nut & Bolt®. Players in these categories tend to look for continuous content updates and improvements.
- Simulation and RPG Games: Games like 異世界のんびりライフ and Whiteout Survival saw success with ad creatives. These genres benefit from visual storytelling and immersive experiences that can be effectively conveyed through advertisements.
Conclusion
The analysis of the top updates for games in Japan during July 2024 highlights several key strategies for driving downloads. Comprehensive updates that include new versions and detailed release notes are crucial for retaining and attracting users. The effective use of ad creatives can significantly enhance visibility and user acquisition. Additionally, being featured in app stores can provide a substantial boost in downloads. By understanding and implementing these strategies, game developers can optimize their updates to achieve better performance and higher download rates.
Data source: Apptica
