Expert Interview: Japan Business Trilogy 2/3: Deep Dive On Japan's Gaming Industry, Ken Charles
Guest: Ken Charles, Tech Recruiting Manager, Apex KK, Japan HR Society
Host: James Santagata, Publisher, FirstPoint Japan and Principal Consultant, SiliconEdge.
Host: James Santagata, Publisher, FirstPoint Japan and Principal Consultant, SiliconEdge.
Running Time: 26 minutes, 02 seconds (26:02)
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High Quality Version (192 kbps @ 44 khz, stereo)
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Mobile Device Version (128 kbps @ 44 khz, mono)
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Ken Charles: Deep Dive On Japan's Gaming Industry
Ken Charles' Profile:
Ken is a seasoned recruiter having recruited for tech positions for startups, gaming and technical positions in the financial industry in both in the US (10 years) and in Japan (3 years) and in just the first few years of entering the recruiting profession he had made over 100 placements.
Equally impressive, Ken has also founded/co-founded two startups (based in San Francisco) and helped lead them to successful exits.
Currently, Ken runs the technology recruiting practice at Apex K.K., an executive search firm located in Tokyo, Japan.
With an intimate knowledge of both technology as well as the types of candidates companies need to succeed, these are just a few of the successful placements Ken has made on behalf of his technology clients in the Japan market.
Ken is a seasoned recruiter having recruited for tech positions for startups, gaming and technical positions in the financial industry in both in the US (10 years) and in Japan (3 years) and in just the first few years of entering the recruiting profession he had made over 100 placements.
Equally impressive, Ken has also founded/co-founded two startups (based in San Francisco) and helped lead them to successful exits.
Currently, Ken runs the technology recruiting practice at Apex K.K., an executive search firm located in Tokyo, Japan.
With an intimate knowledge of both technology as well as the types of candidates companies need to succeed, these are just a few of the successful placements Ken has made on behalf of his technology clients in the Japan market.
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Ken Charles' Contact Information:
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The Japan Business Trilogy With Ken Charles: Interview 2 of 3
Today Ken Charles joins us again from Apex KK which is a Tokyo-based Executive Search and Recruiting firm where he runs the Technology Practice.
Ken's specialty is recruiting not only core technology, but also the specialities of startups and gaming (video games).
Previous Episodes:
For today's episode, we've asked Ken take us on a deep dive of the Japanese Gaming industry, today we'll look at:
Today Ken Charles joins us again from Apex KK which is a Tokyo-based Executive Search and Recruiting firm where he runs the Technology Practice.
Ken's specialty is recruiting not only core technology, but also the specialities of startups and gaming (video games).
Previous Episodes:
- Challenges & Opportunities In Japan's Tech, Startup & Gaming Industries (Episode 1/3)
- Deep Dive On Japan's Startups (Episode 3/3)
For today's episode, we've asked Ken take us on a deep dive of the Japanese Gaming industry, today we'll look at:
- The Dynamics, challenges and opportunities within the Japan Gaming market.
- The Japanese domestic game market's history from 10 years ago to today (which is light years ago in gaming years).
- Foreign Game companies and their market entry options and strategies.
- Sustaining operations in Japan.
- Finding Talent / The Talent Wars in Japan.
- Japanese Gaming Firms: The current landscape, launching internationally & going global.
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Topics Covered Include:
I. The Japanese domestic game market: traditional consoles through mobile:
Market forces are now dictating that you'll be a mobile player at some time or perish
II. Foreign Game companies (i.e., non-Japanese; EA, Zynga, Supercell, etc.) entering the Japan market
(or maintaining a presence in Japan):
III. Sustaining operations in Japan:
IV. Domestics (Japanese firms) going international:
- Console, PC, Mobile
- Legacy Players (Sony, Sega, Nintendo vs "Newer" Players Dena, Gree, Gungho, Square Enix , Mixi
Market forces are now dictating that you'll be a mobile player at some time or perish
- The Mixi Story...was Japan's dominant social network (with a strong mobile presence).
- Faced the Facebook Invasion and was caught by Facebook's growth vortex.
- Reinventing itself as mobile gaming.
- Hitting success with Monster Strike.
- Reinvented itself by adding a mobile gaming component.
- Mixi's Monster Strike, hugely successful.
- Monster Strike perhaps best described as an RPG meets Pinball.
- Puzzles & Dragons (GungHo Online Entertainment)
- Mobile trends....
II. Foreign Game companies (i.e., non-Japanese; EA, Zynga, Supercell, etc.) entering the Japan market
(or maintaining a presence in Japan):
- What are their philosophies?
- What are some of the strategies they are pursuing?
- Market Entry Strategies.
- Slightly localize a product, then juice up the marketing, build some revenues, run it out.
- Build a study and go big.
III. Sustaining operations in Japan:
- Finding Talent, dealing with the "Talent Wars".
- LinkedIn as an option for talent.
- Why don't these job ads pull well in Japan?
- Game designers, producers, directors, engineers -- already heavily pursued, happy - no reason for them to look for a job on LinkedIn, etc.
- You can't throw up a job listing and expect it to pull like the US.
- Utilizing and leveraging referrals.
- Currently a Seller's Market (quality candidates literally hold all the cards).
IV. Domestics (Japanese firms) going international:
- Post Gree model (after the iPhone Shock / iTunes / Google Play).
- Hit the Asian markets first by making small product tweaks, build out those markets, and then go global.
- Start small utilizing a small investment fund to grow through seeding firms and accretion.
