With 'Dragon Collection,' Konami Hopes To Learn What U.S. Mobile Gamers Want by Jason Evangelho



Photo: Jason Evangelho

Jason Evangelho writes, "Later this fall, Konami’s Dracolle Studio will bring a localized version of their Japanese hit Dragon Collection for Apple‘s iOS to the United States."

 

Photo: Forbes


The collectible card battling game was a resounding success for both Konami (NYSE: KNM) and mobile social platform GREE, snagging 6.5 million players in Japan. But in a conversation full of transparency, producer Kenichi Kataoka revealed to me that Dragon Collection‘s American release is more about testing the waters.

My chat with Mr. Kataoka began as standard interview fare, but turned refreshing with this rare brush of honesty.

When asked what kind of reception the studio was hoping for in the states, however, I was met with this response:

"Although we are trying to achieve a similar or larger fanbase than we achieved in Japan… We’d also like to learn — because we are new in the U.S. market — what people are thinking and playing, and what kind of devices they are using. By learning the difference between U.S. and Japanese markets, then [we] will be able to develop another game tailored to U.S. market."

The moral of this short story? It’s nice to see mobile game developers eager to learn what separate demographics want, rather than pushing content out and simply expecting it to resonate.
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Source: Forbes