Only men play Blue Archive in Japan

"Blue Archive", the mobile role-playing game developed by Nexon Games, continues to establish itself as a phenomenon in Japan, more than three years after its release in February 2021. According to a report by Sensor Tower published this month, Japan is not only the game's largest market in terms of active users, but also in revenue, accounting for 72% of the title's total earnings globally. In addition, the report highlights an interesting fact: 90% of players in Japan are men, mostly between the ages of 25 and 34.

This gacha game, which combines visual novel elements with tactical battles, has captured the attention of Japanese male audiences, likely due to the moe art style of its characters and the depth of its story. Despite the characters being depicted as students with adorable designs, fans have praised the complexity of the game's lore, which seems to have contributed greatly to its high user retention rate. Many players have also pointed out the appeal of the characters' different personalities, which adds a layer of immersion to the game.

Some users commented:

"Now I understand why there are so many bold illustrations from Blue Archive."
"Blue Archive understands Japanese preferences well."
"Really? Japan is crazy."
"It's not uncommon for there to be so many players who are masters and commanders at the same time."
"Still, revenue from all mobile games in Japan is only one-twentieth of that from South Korean PC games."
"Please bring to Japan the product campaigns you are doing in China and South Korea."

Sensor Tower's study also revealed that Japanese gamers spend on average more than $45 USD on the game, a figure that stands out considering that while Japan is not the country with the highest players investing in gacha (being surpassed by South Korea and the United States), the volume of users in Japan makes the country the most lucrative market for Blue Archive. One user expressed surprise at this figure:

"More than the number of Japanese players, I'm surprised by how much they spend. Isn't it impressive how much they spend relative to the number of downloads?"

As for player preferences, the report also notes that Blue Archive fans typically enjoy other titles with prominent female characters and rich narratives, such as "Goddess of Victory: Nikke," "Gakuen Idolmaster," and "Arknights." This relationship between games does not surprise the community, where one user commented:

"It's not uncommon for many gamers to be fans of similar games as well."

In addition, "Blue Archive" has maintained a growing interest due to a project canceled by former developers of the game, which has generated curiosity among fans, who are now closely following the development of a completely different title that parodies the name of this project. Although the community has had mixed reactions, expectations remain high about the future of the game and its developers.

With such a loyal player base, "Blue Archive" shows no signs of slowing down, and with the recent boom in games with a strong focus on characters and narrative, it is likely to continue to be one of the mainstays of the Japanese mobile gaming market.

Source: Otakomu