Asiajin

The largest mobile social network Gree announced [J] that their new GREE Connect (tentative name) platform starting this April 2010.

Mixi Appli, an OpenSocial specification based API was officially introduced [J] on the biggest social network Mixi in August 2009 after a half year closed beta.

Mobage Town by DeNA, the second mobile social network also started [J] their OpenSocial API and game API opened to third party developers in September 2009. As Mobage Town (Gree as well) is the mobile centric service, they implemented Open Social API on the limited Japanese cellphone browsers well.

After the phrase “Mixi Tsukare”(tiresome on Mixi) was said by some long term users and growth slowed, Mixi’s traffic was reported to ride on upstream trend again by their Mixi Appli.

Now, all three competing social network services (none of them has been getting the dominating position if you imagine No.1 is like Facebook in many countries) can tell their developer users that they can make and possibly earn on their platform, instead of learning Facebook platform, which is not predictable to worth supporting in Japanese market at this point. The level of openness and seriousness are different among those big three, but they need to show their fighting pose against Facebook invasion.

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
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Today, J-Magic[J] CEO Takuya Miyata[J] (@takmiyata[J]) unveiled that he had joined Japan’s largest social network service company Mixi[J] as an employee working with the Mixi business department.

As reported here on Asiajin, J-Magic handed over their breed-winning business of the face recognition mobile app to Mobile Factory last month, and they have been said to shut down all business very soon.   CNET Japan asked them how they would be running themselves[J], but no comment was given on that.

Here’s an English translation of what he has posted on his blog:

Besides having announced in our press release that we handed over our mobile app business to our partners, we decided to cut down or close the other all business.   We all thank our shareholders, our partners, our clients and all whom may be involved for their support.

And please excuse me my impoliteness that I tell you suddenly that, I joined Mixi.   Needless to say, Mixi is no longer just a social network service operator, but now leading this country’s entire Internet economy.   By making the most of my experience that I’ve been working in Japan and abroad, I will do my best for the company’s further success.   I appreciate your support.

Tags: Japan, News, Person by Masaru IKEDA
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Japan’s largest social networking service Mixi is showing KDDI au(No. 2 cellphone carrier)’s new cellphone mail flat-rate plan commercial on its log-in page to 17 million users.

Although Mixi is a membership service, as it is pre-login page, everyone can see it.

KDDI au recently started its fixed rate internet mail plan “Gangan Mail”(gangan is an onomatope expresses going vigorously), which makes users can send and receive unlimited mail, including photo and movie with 1,095 yen (12 USD). Other big players, NTT Docomo and Softbank Mobile quickly responded with similar plans.

KDDI au’s TV commercial film,

Tags: Cellular Phone, Japan by Akky Akimoto
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Facebook, which I think I do not need any explanation what it is to English web users, announced that they would open their Japanese arm in Tokyo early in 2010, ITMedia reports [J].

The branch, which is planned to be formed with developers from US and locally hired Japanese engineers and managers, will make a special version for Japanese cellphone, such like Twitter recently did for Japan market, and Japanese original features both for PC and cellphone.

Javier Oliván, International Manager at Facebook, told that Facebook overtaking the local No.1 like as they did in US, UK, Germany, Spain and Turkey, can be reproduced in Japan market against Mixi, Gree and Mobage-Town.

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
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Japan’s largest social networking website Mixi[J] launched a social app service for cellphone users called “Mixi Appli Mobile” on Tuesday.

The app service’s PC edition called “Mixi Appli” was introduced last August, which allows any Mixi users to choose their favorites from a showcase of the apps and to enjoy playing with their social friends online.

Mixi App Mobile presented as much as 104 titles as of its service release, including Bokujo Monogatari (A Story of Ranch) developed by Liveware[J] and Machitsuku (Developing a town) by Unoh.

Mixi App developers need to get their works examined by Mixi prior to presenting them to the users.   Once the examination is passed, the state given for the app will turn from “under development” to “in service”.

According to Mr. Akinori Harada, the head of Mixi service operations and the company’s managing director, mobile access to Mixi’s web-based services share almost 70% of all usages.   Social apps are more compatible with cellphone handsets in terms of the user’s convenience, Harada says.

In order to motivate potential developers to introduce their apps, the company supports them to monetize apps by distributing in-app ads.    The app developer can earn JPY0.01 (USD0.0001) per one impression when presenting in-app ads to the users.   In-app transaction API is to be introduced in early November, and it will allow users to pay money in the app by using Mixi’s user point system.   Corresponding to the amount of the point paid to the app, its developer will be able to get cash after deducting Mixi’s 20% handling charge.

via CNET Japan[J]

See Also:

• Mixi’s Press Release:  App Mobile Launched[J]

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Oct. 29th Update:

Due to the system’s heavy load that the rush of many new users has caused, users have been in technical difficulties to log in to Mixi App Mobile service during the last two days.   Machitsuku, one of the game apps mentioned above, is now ranked the 1st in the number of the app users, and has earned more than 600,000 users in just two days since its release.

Tags: Cellular Phone, Company, New Service by Masaru IKEDA
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