Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 775: Games That Expand the Player Base

Takayuki's first thought was still buy-to-play games.

A bunch of hit mobile titles instantly flashed through his mind.

However, most of those games had already been ported to his handheld consoles, and the earlier porting efforts had already led to a decent sales boost.

Now, there weren't many hit mobile games left that were still viable.

So his thoughts shifted to another type of mobile game series.

Specifically, the kind that represented industrialized game production.

In his original world, there had been a company quite well-known in the mobile gaming scene: Gameloft, once under Ubisoft.

Gameloft had specialized in bringing major console-style game IPs to mobile devices through licensed spinoffs.

...

...

Their most famous games included Asphalt, Modern Combat, and Dungeon Hunter.

They also made mobile spinoffs of Assassin's Creed, The Settlers, and Rainbow Six.

The way they operated was just like their parent company—purely industrialized development.

They took the traditional console development model and applied it to mobile, which allowed them to dominate the mobile market for a time.

Maybe... he could establish a Gameloft equivalent in this world.

"Mr. Takayuki, you look like you've had a good idea," Bob said, watching his expression brighten.

Bob was thrilled to see Takayuki seriously considering new mobile game development. That alone made his detour to Japan worth it.

Takayuki nodded. "Yeah, I have a few ideas. I'm not sure how feasible they are yet, but it's worth testing."

Industrialized mobile game development.

Rapidly expanding the game catalog, boosting revenue—that could work.

But... that would only reinforce the existing base. If he wanted to expand into new markets, the Gameloft model wouldn't be enough.

Most mobile gamers didn't start with games like those.

More often, they began with Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, and then... and then—

Suddenly, Takayuki remembered a mobile game that had become a household name in his original world. A game that played a crucial role in the rise of the entire mobile gaming industry.

It drew in countless non-gamers, converting them into casual or even core players over time.

That game was Candy Crush Saga—or as he liked to call it, Candy Fun Match.

A true legend of the match-3 genre, and a miracle of mobile game monetization.

Over a billion downloads globally. Even Tetris couldn't compete.

Almost every smartphone user had at least tried playing it.

And despite being a match-3 game, it remained a top earner on mobile charts for years, especially in North America.

And contrary to what many people assumed, it wasn't successful because of aggressive microtransactions.

In fact, its monetization was quite light compared to most gacha games.

Most players never spent more than $100. The secret to its success was sheer volume.

It had tens of thousands of levels, and could be played virtually endlessly.

Eventually, every player hit a wall—where a pop-up would offer a way out: "For just a few cents, skip this level," or "Buy a power-up to make it easier."

People with completionist tendencies couldn't help but pay that tiny amount. It didn't feel like a big expense.

But if one person paid... then a hundred... then a thousand... then a million... then a hundred million...

It added up. Slowly but surely. That was how Candy Crush made more money than many triple-A blockbusters.

And development-wise? The whole game probably cost less than a million dollars to make.

A true miracle in game sales.

Many hardcore gamers dismissed such titles, saying they weren't "real" games and that their success was shameful.

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But Takayuki saw them differently.

Candy Crush was a gateway—a stepping stone that introduced non-gamers to gaming.

From there, those players would slowly develop more refined tastes, and eventually explore more complex titles.

Not everyone could start with a masterpiece. Some people needed a simple game to draw them in.

"I've got an idea for a game. It might be ready in a few days," Takayuki said.

"A few days?" Bob was stunned.

He understood the timelines involved in game development. These days, a game typically took 1–3 years to make. How could Takayuki launch one in just a few days?

Did he already have it prepared?

"This one isn't too complicated to make," Takayuki said. "But it's perfect for expanding into new markets."

Studies in the original world had shown that out of 4 billion gamers, half had started with match-3 games.

Their contribution to the industry was not to be underestimated.

"Really?" Bob was visibly excited.

He'd clearly made the right trip.

Takayuki nodded. "Yeah, it should be a decent little game. I'll have someone start work on it soon. Just make sure your team handles the marketing."

"No problem!" Bob promised eagerly.

Having already tasted success with games, he wasn't going to miss this chance.

He planned to contact his team in the U.S. as soon as he got back to the hotel and coordinate with Gamestar to begin the promotional campaign.

"By the way, Mr. Takayuki, what's the name of the game?"

Takayuki replied, "Candy Fun Match."