Japanese Archives

AppWizard

August 13, 2025

Party action game LAPPY GAMES launches August 20 for Switch, August 27 for PC

Publisher TBS Games and developer WILL Co. Ltd. will release LAPPY GAMES, a party action game inspired by the TV series LOVE it!, on August 20 for Nintendo Switch and August 27 for PC via Steam, priced at 800 yen. The game supports multiple languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. It features up to four players in an online multiplayer setting, where the goal is to collect hearts alongside the character Lappy. Players can exchange collected hearts for items in a gacha system and expand their in-game encyclopedia. The game is designed to be accessible for players of all ages.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

Sega’s games business reports 13% dip in sales

Sega reported a 13 percent decrease in sales for the first quarter of its fiscal year, with the Consumer segment generating ¥44.6 billion, down from ¥51.3 billion the previous year. The operating income for the gaming division dropped 66 percent from ¥8.9 billion to ¥5.2 billion. Sales of new games declined by 33 percent from ¥3.9 billion to ¥2.6 billion, while catalogue sales decreased by 21.4 percent from ¥11.2 billion to ¥8.8 billion. Sega Sammy, the parent company, experienced a 22.7 percent decline in net sales, totaling ¥81 billion for the quarter.

AppWizard

August 8, 2025

Two revolutionary 90s shooters shadow dropped on Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and PC — Complete with enhanced performances, online multiplayer crossplay, and more

Bethesda Softworks has released Heretic+Hexen, a compilation of remastered editions of Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders and Hexen: Beyond Heretic, during QuakeCon 2025. The compilation is available on Xbox platforms, Xbox Game Pass, and PC via Windows and Steam. It includes the original titles, Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel, and two new episodes: Heretic: Faith Renewed and Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur, totaling 117 campaign maps and 120 deathmatch maps. The remastered versions feature online cross-platform deathmatch and co-op for up to 16 players, local split-screen for up to 8 players, an enhanced soundtrack, community mod support, improved performance with multithreaded rendering, accessibility options, modern controller support, and translations into 12 languages. Heretic+Hexen is available for purchase on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, and is included in Xbox Game Pass. A limited-time offer at CDKeys provides one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for .04.

AppWizard

August 7, 2025

Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME Roars Onto Mobile & PC Aug. 31 After 850K Pre-Regs

Akatsuki Games, TOHO, and Production I.G announced Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME, set to launch on August 31 (JST) for mobile and PC platforms, including the App Store, Google Play, and Steam. Pre-registration opened on April 25 and has surpassed 850,000 sign-ups. The game features 3D battles against kaiju, with players taking on the roles of Japan Defense Force units and new characters from the CLOZER squad, led by Sagan Shinomiya. A new trailer showcases combat sequences and visuals, with voice actor Masaya Fukunishi demonstrating game controls. New characters include strategist Chester Lochburn and weapons specialist Suited. Pre-registration rewards include two four-star characters, and players can select a five-star character if sign-ups reach one million. The game will support multiple languages: Japanese, English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, and French.

AppWizard

August 1, 2025

Capcom reports net sales up 53.7% in Q1

Capcom reported net sales of ¥45.5 billion for the quarter ending June 30th, a 53.7 percent increase from the previous year. Key titles contributing to this growth include Devil May Cry 5, which sold 10.5 million units (1.7 million in the last quarter), Resident Evil Village with 12.2 million units, Resident Evil 4 Remake with 10.6 million units, and Street Fighter 6 with five million copies sold. Overall, Capcom sold 14.16 million units during the quarter, a 48 percent increase from 9.53 million units last year. Operating profit increased by 90.8 percent to ¥24.6 billion.

AppWizard

July 31, 2025

AQUAPAZZA: AQUAPLUS Dream Match for PC launches September 25

AQUAPAZZA: AQUAPLUS Dream Match will be released on PC via Steam on September 25, priced at .99. The game will be available in English, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese. Originally launched in arcades on June 22, 2011, in Japan, it was later released on PlayStation 3 on August 30, 2012, in Japan, and November 19, 2013, in North America. The game features 26 characters from AQUAPLUS franchises, including Utawarerumono, ToHeart 2, and White Album. It includes an Active Emotion System and visually stunning Splash Arts for finishing moves. A Simple control scheme is available for newcomers, and players can select partner characters for assists during battles.

AppWizard

July 31, 2025

PC’s sky-high growth has carried Japan’s games market on its back for 7 years, but the forecast is it’s set to slow down

In 2024, the PC gaming sector in Japan achieved ¥240 billion, a 16.2% increase from the previous year, while the console market was valued at ¥525 billion, experiencing a decline of 3.1%. The mobile gaming sector was valued at ¥1,742 billion, with a 5.2% increase year-on-year. Despite the overall gaming market contracting in US dollars, the PC sector grew by 7.8%. Newzoo forecasts a slowdown in PC gaming growth to 5.1% from 2024 to 2027, while console gaming is projected to grow by 6.3%. From 2018 to 2021, PC revenue grew by 12% from ¥95 billion to ¥135 billion, and from 2021 to 2024, it surged by 21.4% to ¥240 billion.

AppWizard

July 20, 2025

Baskin Robbins Japan Will Offer Minecraft Ice Cream Cake

Baskin Robbins launched a Minecraft-themed ice cream cake in Japan on July 17, 2025, priced at 4,000 JPY. The cake measures 11 cm by 16.5 cm and features six flavors: Caramel Ribbon (Skeleton), Chocolate x Chocolate Chip (Zombie), Chopped Chocolate (Enderman), Melon au Lait (Creeper), Popping Shower (TNT), and Very Berry Strawberry (Pig), each with chocolate toppings representing Minecraft characters. Additionally, Baskin Robbins offers a Super Mario Bros. ice cream cake as part of its themed desserts. The popularity of Minecraft has been boosted by the release of A Minecraft Movie in April 2025, which became the second highest-grossing video game adaptation and the third highest-grossing film of the year. Minecraft is available on multiple platforms, including PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

AppWizard

July 18, 2025

Persona 4 Revival game page opens for PC via Steam and PS5 via PlayStation Store

Atlus has launched dedicated game pages for Persona 4 Revival, now available on PC via Steam and PlayStation 5 through the PlayStation Store. The game was originally announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 and is also listed on the Microsoft Store for PC and Xbox Series X|S. The PC version will feature Denuvo Anti-tamper DRM upon launch, though specific PC specifications are not disclosed. To celebrate the release, Atlus is hosting a Persona Franchise Sale on Steam until July 24, offering discounts on various games. Persona 4 Revival is set in the rural Japanese town of Inaba, where players investigate a series of murders while experiencing a journey of self-discovery and encounters with the occult. Key gameplay elements include attending classes, engaging in club activities, and battling "Shadows" in turn-based combat. The game features revamped graphics and allows players to form Social Links with town locals to enhance their journey.

AppWizard

July 16, 2025

Sega and Netflix partner with Roblox’s new licensing platform

Roblox has launched a new licensing initiative to facilitate the integration of external intellectual properties (IPs) into its platform. Companies such as Sega, Netflix, Lionsgate, and Kodansha are participating, with Sega allowing Roblox to develop games based on its Like a Dragon franchise and Netflix providing titles like Squid Game and Stranger Things. The licensing platform includes the Roblox License Manager, which enables companies to register their IPs and define usage terms. For example, Sega requires that creators attract at least 1,000 daily active users to use the Like a Dragon IP, after which they can retain 50% of the revenue. Roblox plans to expand the platform by onboarding more IP holders and exploring additional licensing options.