GREE [J] has announced that they will expand their "GREE Platform for smartphone" into "GREE Platform" for Android tablets and iPad. Developing partners' smartphone applications will be automatically optimized for tablet.

Some titles which GREE currently offers for smartphone have already been set up to be compatible with tablets, and other titles are planned to be made available in turn. From now, all publicly available smartphone web applications will automatically be optimized for tablet, and developing partners (below-mentioned GREE partners), without needing any additional development, will now be able to develop for two types of devices. Also, it has been decided that GREE for Android tablet will be pre-installed in both Fujitsu and Acer Android tablets being sold from the Fall of 2011.

Furthermore, from this Fall, Gree will begin to offer a native application development environment compatible with Android tablet and iPad. In this first phase, "Destroy Gunners Z" by Shade, "Real Skijump HD for GREE" by Prope, and "Ragdoll" by Matrix are all panned to be released. Also PSOFT’s "AR Missile" has been announced to be released for iPad.

Translation authorized by VSMedia

Tags: Japan by Chiho Komoriya
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DeNA [J] has begun development of Mobage for tablet devices.

From the middle of September, their currently running game engine "Mobage ngCore SDK" is compatible with tablet devices. Now it is possible for developers who have been creating games for feature phone and smart phone with "Mobage ngCore SED" to offer social games for all tablet, iOS, and Android devices.

Simultaneously, in order to grant easier access for tablet users, smartphone Mobage applications will be made available for Fujitsu's Docomo device "ARROWS Tab LTE F-01D." Also, Mobage will be pre-installed as "Game Hub" on Samsung Electronics' Docomo device "GALAXY Tab 10.1 LTE SC-01D." This is the first instance of a Mobage pre-install for a tablet.

Translation authorized by VSMedia

Tags: Japan, Social game by Chiho Komoriya
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Mapion [J] under sponsoring by NTT Docomo [J] has announced the release of the location based game "Sekai Magical Daiboken" [J] (World Magical Adventure), which allows Docomo users to play overseas, for a one year fixed term starting September 8th (Thursday).

Currently Mapion offers the cell phone stamp library game "Keitai Kuni Tori Kassen" (Cell Phone Country Taking Battle) which uses location information service, and since its release users have requested that they want to enjoy "Cell Phone Country Taking Battle" not only within the country but also on overseas vacations and business trips. As a result, Docomo began to offer the overseas packet fixed price service "Kaigai Pake Ho-dai" (Unlimited Overseas Packet), an overseas version of a location based game such as "Cell Phone Country Talking Battle" was planned, and thus it was decided that "World Magical Adventure" would be offered.

During the service period from September 8th at 12:00 P.M. to Septerber 7th 2012 at 12:00 P.M. (scheduled), usage will be free (communication packet fees are the user's responsibility).  It is not necessary to already be registered with "Cell Phone Country Taking Battle."

The target service area will be 29 countries / regions including Japan (21 countries / regions from service launch time, and from October, 8 more countries will be added), and smartphone support is planned from around the beginning of December.

The main point of "World Magical Adventure" is to expand your world view and become the "World Adventure King" while clearing adventure quests in the foreign travel destination’s country / region.

Searching for 60 established spots in the world’s 29 countries / regions, users can get limited overseas avatars and rare items, Coban (the currency in the game), and so on, by registering location information with a cell phone which handles GPS in actual places visited overseas.

In addition, the game also allows "Cell Phone Country Taking Battle" users who complete the reference book adventure quests as well as capture each country’s spot to be bestowed with a castle town background or a "Cell Phone World Taking Battle" avatar which can only be obtained in that particular target country.

”Cell Phone Country Taking Battle” Super Walkthrough Guide Book [J]

Translation Licensed by VSmedia

Tags: Japan by Chiho Komoriya
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The long standing club in Shibuya "HARLEM" [J] has produced the hip hop themed social game "Battle HIPHOP!!! HARLEM." [J]  Service began on Mobage for Japan.

"Battle HIPHOP!!! HARLEM," developed by Alchemia, [J] is the first hip hop social game in the country, based on the creative production of the established soul music club "HARLEM."

The basic structure is an avatar battle game in which the user selects their favorite of three occupations: DJ, dancer, and rapper, and levels up by changing their avatar’s look with various fashion items. In addition to social game users, the game also appeals to young people who like hip hop music and fashion, and the company estimates that over 500,000 users will join.

Translation licensed by VSMedia

Tags: Japan, Social game by Chiho Komoriya
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Japan's second biggest telco and mobile carrier KDDI is planning to bring a set of made-in-Japan apps to Android users in China, in cooperation with China Mobile, the country's biggest telco (over 600 mobile subscribers).

Under the deal, KDDI will start offering an initial 22 apps, for example manga or games, in China Mobile's Android market as early as from the end of this month. KDDI uses apps made by a total of five Japan-based companies, i.e. Cybird, Acrodea or G-Mode.

The company says services like billing or fee collection for these app developers will be handled by Hong Kong-based DMX Technologies, a firm KDDI acquired a 51% stake in back in 2009.

The Nikkei is reporting that KDDI is only the 10th company to be given the right to sell apps in China Mobile's Android market (which has 90 million customers).

Tags: Cellular Phone, China, Japan, News by Serkan Toto
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