MCF Releases 2011 Japan Mobile Report
MCF releases their Japan Mobile report for calendar 2011 – $20Bn revenues – significant YoY gains across all segments: http://bit.ly/MVrmh8
Especially interesting to see several details noted there: The feature-phone market still returning several multiples compared to smartphone, Android gained 5x install base, to 25M, from 2010, and Social Gaming is totally rocking! The Full .PDF in Japanese [Eds]
Machine Translation:
Mobile Content Forum (MCF) has announced the findings of the mobile-related market from January to December 2011.
In MCF, systems and services (mail order) (various box office, ticket sales transportation system), the Securities and Exchange transaction system (, auction, such as gambling market “mobile content” market merchandise to pay for digital content delivery such as ring tones and games and “mobile commerce market” of) commission of, is called the “relevant market mobile content” market of these two.
Mobile-related market of 1.9 trillion yen market in 2011
Relevant market mobile content has become a trillion 906.1 billion yen in 2011, 115% year-on-year. Of this total, 734.5 billion yen the mobile content market is 114% year-on-year, mobile commerce market was 171.6 billion yen a trillion of 116% over the previous year.
Trends in the mobile content market
Expanding the smartphone Android 5.3 times year-on-year, the number of 100 million mobile phone subscribers is 25.77 million contract, the model can access the net has become a 100 million contract 3,450,000 at the end of June 2012. In the data another smartphone platform, but was user 2170000 user 3780000, and Android for the iPhone in December 2010, to December 2011 the following year, Android user 11460000, iPhone has become user 6740000 was.
90% of the market feature phones, Licensing, Permissions, Privacy Policy rapid growth
As mentioned previously, the market will pay for digital content delivery market “mobile content” is the year 2011 was 734.5 billion yen in size. Of these, the market for feature phones to ¥ 653 900 000 000 101% year-on-year, and became market on par with last year, the market for smartphones has been exposed as a reference value was ¥ 80.6 billion of 655% year-on-year but fall short of what the feature phone market, and significant growth was result.
Of the market for feature phones, ring tones and mobile gaming market, such as Kisekae / decoration became the market falls below the previous year either. On the other hand, avatars and items charged social gaming market was 207.8 billion yen market and 150% year-over-year. In addition, 14.0 billion yen of 110% / news weather, video market has become a 17.6 billion yen of 109%.
Trends in the mobile content market for feature phones
Deepening dependence on social gaming content market for smartphones, in addition, in method of accounting for the smartphone content market, the composition ratio of additional charging system of social games and the highest 58.3% of the market accounted for 47 billion yen 80.6 billion yen. Monthly billing ¥ 20.6 billion of 25.6%, and the download is charged 16.1% followed by 13 billion yen.
Have been analyzed by another content, ¥ 48.1 billion, 59.7 percent of the content really is by social games for smartphones, with the move to smartphones, and growing reliance on social games in the MCF.
It should be noted that social gaming market in the mobile content market was ¥ 255.9 billion, growing 184 percent year-over-year.
Changes in social games in the mobile content market
Store activates the large-screen mobile smartphones, product sales and services system, “mobile commerce market” of a transaction system in 2011 was 171.6 billion and 1 trillion yen. Breakdown of each market, ¥ 583.9 billion of 133% year-over-year systems are shops, 424.9 billion yen the previous year is 103% service system, transaction system was 162.8 billion yen and 103% year-on-year.
Merchandise system, depending on the transition to smartphones and tablets, and the result was a large-screen display prompting the activation of the mail order market. Service system, but growth has slowed, by smartphone equipped with NFC contactless IC such as an increase in the future, market expansion is expected.
Trends in mobile commerce market
Stem the decline of the market feature phones, MCF explains that for monthly billing model for feature phones is not carried over in the move to smartphones, the factors tend to reduce the market for feature phones in the mobile content market, that is automatic termination. However, if viewed from the second half of 2011, take over the content measures are taken to be an Android phone, take a halt to the shrinking of the market.
In addition, the smartphone user environment and to become like the PC, there are many free content has to have the sense to use free content for some users. That the so-called freemium business model is well compatible smartphones as free assumption, and lead to increased sales.
Factor inhibition of smartphones, social services
In addition, in the feature phones, but there was a wire leading to the content from the portal of the carrier, the smartphone has a large number of players present, have become more complex on the other hand often leads to the content. In MCF, for users who have low literacy, and that obstacle to use content.
We have also used in Android devices difference is greater between the terminal, and has become a burden, Development, distribution business app support for each terminal, it will increase the claims of the user, in turn, and become obstacles to market expansion. In addition, there is a part that is underdeveloped in terms of copyright protection, and can not provide enough character content.
Under these circumstances, social games for smartphone market is growing by Freemium model, in MCF “has also been observed friction of a new model specific to Japanese society is facing, in an environment that advances social , that you are “game delivery technology and growth factors to achieve efficiency and diversity, such as data mining techniques and marketing. via Keitai Watch