Why are one-time purchase mobile games getting rarer? Japanese dev explains 

While “buy once and play” is common for PC and console games, the same cannot be said about mobile games. This is especially true of Japan’s mobile game market in recent times, as free-to-play games accompanied by microtransactions seem to have become the dominant revenue model. Japanese developer Yusuke Kurokawa recently shared some insight into what has caused this tendency.  

On January 15, a Japanese creator took to X (formerly Twitter) to comment on the recent state of the mobile game market. They observed that, for some reason, mobile gamers nowadays have little choice besides playing gacha games with in-app purchases or fully free hyper-casual games. They expressed surprise at the apparent lack of demand for different genres of mobile games. Many users agreed with the post, recalling their excitement over mobile releases such as Resident Evil 4 and Dead Rising. 

In response, Yusuke Kurokawa of Unity Technologies Japan chimed in, explaining that app stores frequently require developers to update their apps. This happens whenever there is an update on the app store’s side, such as a change in terms and conditions or the OS. This need for constant maintenance conflicts with the one-time purchase model, making it a far less attractive option for mobile game developers. 

Kurokawa adds that, in the case of Android games, there is also the danger that someone might crack your app and then distribute it illegally. 

The issues Kurokawa pointed out also affect the consumer. Many users testified to this, sharing screenshots of mobile games they once purchased but can no longer update or play due to incompatibility issues.