{"rewrite":{"id":"r_3a73cdfec0723ebddb2192b1","clusterId":"c_370aca2ed09846865ae213b1","slug":"ivs-panel-japan-s-game-industry-struggles-to-co-create-with-new-markets","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"IVS Panel: Japan's Game Industry Struggles to Co-Create With New Markets","summary":"At IVS 2026 KYOTO, a panel of executives from Square Enix, Outliers Venture Capital, GGWP, and TRADOM discussed why Japan struggles to build global businesses with new growth markets. Square Enix's Hideaki Uehara said Japan's game market growth lags behind LATAM, MENA, and India, and that many Japanese developers lack Steam accounts. The panel emphasized the need for on-the-ground presence, local adaptation, and cognitive diversity in teams.","whyItMatters":"The panel highlights a structural gap in Japan's game industry: a lack of firsthand market knowledge and local adaptation that limits its ability to compete in fast-growing regions like the Middle East and Southeast Asia.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eSquare Enix\u0026#39;s Hideaki Uehara told the IVS 2026 KYOTO panel that Japan\u0026#39;s game market growth is not keeping pace with regions like Latin America, the Middle East, and India. He pointed to a specific gap: many Japanese developers and sales staff do not have Steam accounts, even though over half of overseas PC/console players use gaming PCs and Steam. The panel, which also included venture capital, AI content moderation, and fintech perspectives, argued that Japan needs to send people to see local markets firsthand, adapt games to lower-spec devices and local payment methods, and build teams with cognitive diversity. Mohammed Almeshekah of Outliers Venture Capital compared the current transformation in the Middle East to Japan\u0026#39;s Meiji Restoration, driven by ambition, regulatory acceleration, and capital. TRADOM\u0026#39;s Shinichi Sakane noted that Japan\u0026#39;s legal framework for stablecoin payments is ahead but implementation lags, and that game and digital IP companies are showing strong interest in cross-border stablecoin payments.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"At IVS 2026, Square Enix's Uehara said Japan's game market growth lags behind LATAM, MENA, India. Many Japanese devs don't have Steam accounts. Panel: Japan needs to send people to see new markets, adapt locally, and build diverse teams. #IVS2026 #gamedev","twitterPost":"At IVS 2026, Square Enix's Uehara: Japan's game market growth lags behind LATAM, MENA, India. Many Japanese devs lack Steam accounts. Panel: Japan must go see new markets, adapt locally, build diverse teams. #IVS2026","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"A panel at IVS 2026 KYOTO examined why Japan struggles to build global businesses with new growth markets. Square Enix's Hideaki Uehara noted that Japan's game market growth is slow compared to Latin America, the Middle East, and India, and that many Japanese developers lack Steam accounts. The panel called for more on-the-ground market knowledge, local adaptation, and cognitive diversity in teams.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/991/G999110/20260703002/\",\"title\":\"日本のIPもゲームも強いが，なぜ\\\"世界と一緒に作る\\\"のが難しいのか。ゲームの現地化から越境ステーブルコイン決済まで語り合ったパネルをレポート［IVS2026］\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":5913,"outputTokens":2474,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783295072,"createdAt":"2026-07-05T23:39:20.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-05T23:43:32.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-05T23:39:20.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_370aca2ed09846865ae213b1","canonicalTitle":"日本のIPもゲームも強いが，なぜ“世界と一緒に作る”のが難しいのか。ゲームの現地化から越境ステーブルコイン決済まで語り合ったパネルをレポート［IVS2026］","representativeArticleId":"a_1cedeafdc4a24d99cc114975","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":2,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"event\",\"domain\":\"industry\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-05T22:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-05T22:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-05T23:43:32.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/991/G999110/20260703002/","title":"日本のIPもゲームも強いが，なぜ“世界と一緒に作る”のが難しいのか。ゲームの現地化から越境ステーブルコイン決済まで語り合ったパネルをレポート［IVS2026］"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"event","domain":"industry","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}