JAPANESE VIDEO GAME PLATFORMS AND CELLPHONES: WHY DID ONE PRODUCT CATEGORY SUCCEED AND NOT THE OTHER?

摘要

The year 2015 finds Japanese cellphone manufacturers with less than 2% of the global market. Many factors have been put forward in explanation for the failure of Japanese companies to enjoy sustained success in this market and translate Japanese local innovation to the global arena. Such factors often cited include the isolation and uniqueness of the Japanese market, fragmented cellphone standards, and the difficulty of Japanese companies in collaborating with Western companies in R&D and software development. In contrast, the global videogame platform market is dominated by Japanese manufacturers in spite of a growing demand for ever more complex game software and supporting software. The contrast between these two apparently similar product categories raises the question regarding the factors that led to the success of one and the failure of the other. This study examines the literature associated with both fields and develops an explanatory conceptual framework.