70% of Japan's Mobile Games Skip In-App Payments to Dodge Tech Giants
Rise of External Payment Systems in Japanese Smartphone Games A growing number of Japanese smartphone games are adopting external payment systems to bypass high commission fees imposed by major U.S. tech companies, Google and Apple. According to a recent survey, nearly 70% of popular Japanese mobile games have introduced these alternative methods to avoid the steep 30% commissions charged by the tech giants. This shift comes as Japan prepares to implement a new law that will impose stricter regulations on Google and Apple. The legislation, set to take full effect in December, mandates that both companies open their payment systems to third-party providers. This change is expected to significantly impact how game developers monetize their products. Currently, the majority of users access games through Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. When players make in-game purchases, developers are required to pay a substantial fee—up to 30%—to the platform owners. These fees have become...