[RGames (Rakuten Games)] I think browser games will be popular in the future

This is Nakauchi from the Technical Sales Department

Personally, I think browser games will make a comeback in the near future

Console specs improve
↓
More things can be done
↓
Rising development costs
↓
Shift to mobile games (browser games) which don't require development costs
↓
Smartphones appear
↓
More things can be done
↓
Rising development costs
↓
Shift to browser games which don't require development costs

So I think browser games will make a comeback

Recent native app games (roughly speaking, the ones you see on the iPhone and Android stores)
cost hundreds of millions to develop and hundreds of millions to promote, and there
's a high gambling element to them, as it's unclear whether they'll be a hit even after spending that much.

In this situation, it would be impossible for small and medium-sized game companies to break into the market

From the user's perspective, native apps have some disadvantages, such as requiring a lot of update downloads, the updates being a hassle, and the initial loading time being long

Browser games are not device-dependent and can be played on PCs or smartphones without installation (although they are browser-dependent)

With HTML5+WebGL (a standard specification for displaying 3D in a browser), you can play 3D browser games on both PCs and smartphones

So I'm keeping my eye on RGames (Rakuten Games), a browser game platform that launched on April 4th of this year

I've done some research and will summarize it here

What is RGames?

This is an HTML5-based gaming platform launched in collaboration with Blackstorm Labs (USA)

For Blackstorm, it's a stepping stone to expand into Asia, while for Rakuten, it's an opportunity to absorb their technological capabilities

Features of RGames

• HTML5 browser game (no installation required)
• In-game currency can be purchased with Rakuten Super Points
• Safari is recommended for smartphone browsers

HTML5 browser game

Recently, there is a strong impression that "smartphone games = native apps."

These days, there are many games that are large in size, and it can be annoying that they can only be installed in a Wi-Fi environment

If it's a browser game, I think the fact that you can play it right away without installing anything is a big plus

You can purchase in-game currency with Rakuten Super Points

This is big

I'm hesitant to pay with a credit card, but I can easily buy coins by using Rakuten Super Points

The structure of shopping on Rakuten Market and using accumulated points to buy in-game currency seems likely to be popular in girls' games that target housewives and deal with infidelity

Safari is recommended for smartphone browsers

Why?

In the future

For now, RGames only produces in-house games and does not have any third-party games

They say that third-party developers will only enter the market if they are successful on their own, but there is the precedent of Rakuten App Market shutting down its service after a year and a half, so what will happen to RGames?

I'd like to keep an eye on the results, including the financial results

 

Related Sites

RGames (Rakuten Games)

Blackstorm Labs