Android Builders Weblog: #WeArePlay | Meet the individuals creating apps and video games in Japan

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Advertising and marketing

#WeArePlay is on a digital world tour: beginning first with the U.S. final summer time by spotlighting the tales of app and recreation founders from each state, then visiting India sharing tales from throughout the nation, and extra just lately visiting Europe by sharing tales from international locations throughout the area.

At present, we’re persevering with our tour with another cease: Japan. From a snowboarding app made by a paralympian, to a recreation impressed by the enchanting landmarks of Gifu. Uncover the individuals rising apps and video games companies on Google Play.

We’re beginning with tales from Chubu, Chugoku & Shikoku and Kinki, with extra following all year long. Let’s discover a number of the tales from throughout these 3 areas.

First, Takao Hayashi from Nagoya, Aichi. When Takao’s father sadly handed away when he was solely 9 years outdated, he determined to double down on his passion of coding and assist his household change into financially safe. He ultimately launched Ateam, and after releasing varied apps and video games in Japan, his firm started to concentrate on enlargement into new markets. Their efforts are paying off, as real-time battle RPG Unison League has change into a world hit. The Japanese artwork within the recreation has change into so standard that some followers have even adopted the model of their favourite characters into their trend. Subsequent, Takao desires to launch new video games and attain gamers in additional elements of the world, together with India and Latin America.

Subsequent, Keiji Okamoto from Kobe, Hyogo. Keiji labored laborious to pursue his ardour for snowboarding all the best way to knowledgeable degree. Nonetheless, an accident on the slopes left him with a spinal harm and the information that he would possibly by no means snowboard once more. Together with his future plans unsure and hoping to contribute to the game regardless of not having the ability to snowboard, Keiji based yukiyama: a platform the place snowsports fanatics can entry ski resort maps and monitor their distances down the slopes. At present the app is used throughout Japan. The group plans to make it accessible to vacationers too by localizing it to different languages. Because the app grows, so does Keiji’s sports activities profession, who now competes within the Paralympics.

Now, Hitomi Wada from Kakamigahara, Gifu. Hitomi has been a fan of fantasy role-playing video games since a pal first launched her to them as a baby. Years later she received impressed to create her personal recreation, Gifu Quest, whereas exploring the enchanting sights and landmarks of the Gifu prefecture. Gamers should save all 42 municipalities from destroy and may even play a job within the recreation’s creation – with a few of their pictures of Gifu that includes within the recreation, and lots of sharing their travels to the locations that seem within the recreation underneath the hashtag #realgifuquest. Subsequent, Hitomi desires to create new video games and ultimately function the entire of Japan.

And final however not least, Masaomi Kurokawa from Kure, Hiroshima. Masaomi’s love of computer systems and gaming started again in center faculty, when his dad purchased him his first pc to program. Later, through the mid-2000s, he determined he needed to revive basic retro video games from his childhood. His RPG title Dragon Lapis has a attribute old-school aesthetic – with dragons, legends and battles, and is vastly standard with followers of the RPG-genre. His nostalgic video games have a loyal fanbase each in Japan and abroad. Masaomi has extra video games within the works and, sooner or later, desires to tackle new challenges like shifting into the app house.

Uncover extra #WeArePlay stories from Japan, and tales from across the globe.