Japanese Video Game Publishers: Console and PC

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japanese video game publishers were dominant not only in Japan but also in North America and Europe. Over the past 20 years, Japanese game publishers have struggled in Western markets.

This report looks at the performance of several of the largest independent Japanese video game publishers in recent years through the first half of 2020.

Companies covered include:

• Bandai Namco
• Capcom
• Koei Tecmo
• Konami
• Sega Sammy/Atlus
• Square Enix

The focus is on how these companies have performed in recent years, along with an evaluation of their game IP. A special focus is given to how well specific products are likely to perform in North America and Europe and on new console systems.

In 2020, there has already been significant global success of older franchises like Final Fantasy (Square Enix) and Persona/Shin Megami Tensei (Sega Sammy/Atlus). The report examines the undervalued gems that can be found within the long history of Japanese video games. The report assesses the potential for future market growth.

Analysis for each company looks at:

• Revenue Trends
• Market Value
• Key Products
• Recent Performance
• Platform Diversity
• Geographic Diversity
• Business Model Diversity with a focus on movement to digital games as a service revenue

This brief is part of a series of reports looking at company performance in various video game industry segments. This includes console manufacturers and game publishers, PC game publishers, Asian game companies, North American game companies, hardware and accessories manufacturers. There is also a comparison of how companies are performing in specific regions.