Cross Marketing Survey Finds Nintendo Leads Japanese Consumer Game Play and Physical Packages Rise

Cross Marketing surveyed 1,200 Japanese adults aged 15‑69 who play console games at least once a month. Fifty‑one percent play frequently (30% daily, 21% every 2‑3 days). Compared with a year ago, 49% say their play time is unchanged, 28% increased and a record 23% decreased. Spending is stable for 60% of respondents, while 22% report higher expenditures.

Top titles vary by gender and age. Male teens and 20‑s favor Minecraft, while males 20‑60 cite Mario Kart World and males 40‑60 rank Dragon Quest remakes. Across all ages, Animal Crossing (Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori) is the leading game. Women’s favorites include Tomodachi Collection for teens and 20‑s and the newly released Poko a Pokémon for those in their 30s. Preferred genres are Action (34%), Sports/Racing and Sandbox (each 27%), Action‑RPG (23%) and Simulation (18%).

Purchasing behavior shows 52% buying full‑price software, 31% spending on in‑game items, and 25% on DLC. Download and physical (packaged) purchases are now evenly split, with a notable increase in respondents who buy only the packaged version, indicating a resurgence of physical media.