The Global Impact of "Hosabawa" with 200 Million Downloads Is Overwhelmingly Powerful. We Asked the Japan Localization Producer: What Was the Secret to Its Success? [TGS 2025]
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/810/G081037/20250930033/
Editorial Department: Instruments, Photographer: Nagayama Wataru | 2025/10/01 03:43 (UTC)
At Tokyo Game Show 2025 (TGS 2025), we spoke with K, the Japan localization producer for Century Games’ flagship title, “Whiteout Survival” (iOS / Android—hereafter referred to as “Whowasaba”).
Thumbnail image for Gallery No. 002: The impact of Whowasaba’s 200 million downloads is overwhelming. Hear from the Japan localization producer about what made it a success? [TGS 2025]
Thumbnail image for Gallery No. 001: The impact of Whowasaba’s 200 million downloads is overwhelming. Hear from the Japan localization producer about what made it a success? [TGS 2025]
“Whiteout Survival” is a mobile strategy game set in an apocalyptic world covered in snow and ice, where the remaining humanity must manage colonies to survive.
Whowasaba recently reached approximately 200 million global downloads—just over one and a half years after its launch at last year’s TGS 2024. But within this past year alone, it has taken an even greater leap forward, hitting “200 million downloads worldwide.”
What caused this game to grow into such a powerful IP? And what was the strategy behind launching it in the market? We asked for insight.
Thumbnail image for Gallery No. 009: The impact of Whowasaba’s 200 million downloads is overwhelming. Hear from the Japan localization producer about what made it a success? [TGS 2025]
Thumbnail image for Gallery No. 010: The impact of Whowasaba’s 200 million downloads is overwhelming. Hear from the Japan localization producer about what made it a success? [TGS 2025]
Download Page for “Whiteout Survival”
Download Page for “Whiteout Survival”
Century Games’ Top-Ranked Title
4Gamer:
Thank you very much for your time.
Could you please introduce yourself briefly?
K, Japan Branch (hereafter K):
I serve as the localization producer at Century Games’ Japan branch. My main responsibilities include cultural adaptation—such as adjusting content—for games developed by overseas studios to make them suitable for the Japanese market. In particular, our Japan office handles full support across all titles.
4Gamer:
Could you share your background as well?
K:
I’ve been involved in mobile game production for a long time. My career began with managing Flash game websites, then moved into mobile social games, and later evolved to smartphone games—so my entire experience is centered around mobile platforms.
4Gamer:
So you’re quite an old hand indeed.
When did you join Whowasaba?
K:
I joined the company in 2020, and have been involved with Whowasaba since its development phase.
4Gamer:
To reiterate, what exactly is Whowasaba?
K:
It’s a strategy game set in an icy world covered in snow, where the last remnants of humanity develop colonies into cities. The core gameplay involves forming alliances with multiple players and competing for territory expansion—enjoying interaction and communication with others being its biggest feature.
4Gamer:
When discussing Whowasaba, one cannot skip mentioning that it surpassed 200 million global downloads just over two and a half years after release.
Was the team internally expecting such massive success?
K:
We were genuinely surprised by how well it performed. Initially, when we launched in other regions back in 2023, the game’s quality was already recognized, so gradual growth seemed likely. But the massive global response that followed completely exceeded our expectations.
4Gamer:
In terms of Century Games’ titles, where does Whowasaba rank historically?
K:
It’s absolutely number one. The upcoming February 2025 release, “King Shot,” is also receiving strong support thanks to the momentum from this success.
At the TGS booth, interactive experience zones featuring curling and archery were set up. Thumbnail image for Gallery No. 004: The impact of Whowasaba’s 200 million downloads is overwhelming. Hear from the Japan localization producer about what made it a success? [TGS 2025]
Thumbnail image for Gallery No. 005: The impact of Whowasaba’s 200 million downloads is overwhelming. Hear from the Japan localization producer about what made it a success? [TGS 2025]
4Gamer:
In Japan, who are the typical players of Whowasaba?
K:
The core user base spans from 20s to 40s, both male and female. There isn’t any one age group that stands out—players are quite broad in range. However, a notable feature is that women make up about 40% of the total user base. This is unusual for strategy games, which traditionally attract more male players—but Whowasaba seems to be different.
4Gamer:
Are similar trends observed elsewhere?
K:
Yes, female player ratios are high across other countries and regions as well.
4Gamer:
Was this gender balance something you aimed for from the start?
K:
Yes. The visual style was intentionally kept light and approachable—avoiding a scary or intense tone—to appeal to a broad audience. This was a deliberate design goal by the game’s producer from early on.
4Gamer:
Indeed, strategy games typically have a “hardcore” or rugged vibe—but Whowasaba leans heavily into cuteness instead. Even this booth is mostly decorated with soft and adorable displays.
K:
I believe the development team intentionally emphasized that gentle, soft aesthetic.
4Gamer:
What kind of work does the Japan localization team handle?
K:
The game content is globally unified with a single build, so we don’t alter gameplay balance. Instead, our main tasks include localizing in-game text such as dialogue, cultural adaptation (like suggesting Japanese-specific characters), and creating promotional creative materials.
4Gamer:
You also handle PR creatives?
K:
While the studio produces trailers and PVs, events held specifically for Japan—such as real-world activations—are primarily managed by our team here.
4Gamer:
Like your past collaboration with Sapporo Snow Festival?
K:
Exactly.
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Survive the Frozen Future: “Whiteout Survival” Joins 2025 Sapporo Snow Festival. See and Play Amazing Exhibition Content in Photos [PR]
The mobile title “Whiteout Survival,” celebrating its second anniversary in February 2025, is currently exhibiting at the ongoing 2025 Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido. This article presents photos from the festival venue and revisits the game’s appeal.
[February 6, 2025, 7:00 PM]
- Keywords:
- iPhone/iPad: Whiteout Survival
- iPad
- iPhone
- Simulation
- Century Games
- Century Games
- Survival
- City Building
- Free
- Android: Whiteout Survival
- Android
- Advertising Campaign
- Writer: Aoi Sugihara
4Gamer:
The game’s recognition in Japan has clearly been boosted by internet advertising and TV commercials. Was this kind of marketing strategy planned from the beginning?
K:
We began our full-scale campaign around four months after launch. Prior to that, we closely monitored KPIs like retention rates, evaluated data thoroughly, and only then decided on a large-scale rollout.
4Gamer:
So you were able to seize the right moment and mobilize the entire company effectively.
What’s Japan’s current market share?
K:
Approximately speaking, in terms of regional market shares, Western countries like the U.S. lead, followed by China, then Japan and South Korea.
4Gamer:
Given that Whowasaba continues to rank high on store sales charts in Japan, it’s clearly a major success across all regions. Although this title leans toward mid-core or even hardcore gameplay, it’s not quite an AAA-level production. Still, it’s common for such games to outperform AAA titles—especially here, where the results are overwhelming. Is this due to Century Games’ long-standing ambition of succeeding with precisely these types of games?
K:
Exactly. We’ve undertaken various challenges throughout our history and developed diverse game genres. Over time, we’ve accumulated the expertise that allowed Whowasaba and other strategy titles to succeed.
4Gamer:
This massive success story will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact in the future.
K:
Yes, absolutely.
4Gamer:
In China, “winning through advertising” is a common strategy for game success. A recent example in Japan might be “Mushroom Legend.” This approach was once popular—especially in the hyper-casual genre—but seems to have faded recently among Japanese-made games. Yet Whowasaba still achieves such great results. It feels like many developers have just given up on this strategy entirely.
In contrast, China and successful Western markets still seem very active in advertising-driven launches. What’s your personal take?
K:
I do believe overseas markets lean more toward such strategies. As commonly noted, the Japanese market differs significantly from others globally—so we only began large-scale advertising after concluding that it could work effectively here.
4Gamer:
Can you analyze why Whowasaba succeeded in Japan?
K:
Based on my own reasoning: traditionally, strategy games have focused on themes like war, fantasy, or zombies—all targeting specific audiences. But Whowasaba uses a snowy world as its setting while maintaining a visually accessible and casual aesthetic that doesn’t alienate players. This approach likely helped it reach broad demographics—including women.
4Gamer:
King Shot also has a softer visual style. While not unprecedented, there must be some key differences.
K:
Yes—though King Shot is set in a medieval war-themed world, the characters are intentionally designed with a lighter tone.
4Gamer:
By the way, what kind of company is Century Games? I often see them at international events but rarely have direct contact.
K:
Our mission is to “connect people around the world through smiles.” We aim to create the best games possible—without limiting ourselves to specific countries or target demographics from the outset. Instead, we design for global enjoyment.
4Gamer:
What about your Japan branch?
K:
We’re a small team here. Since development is handled by headquarters, our role is focused on making sure the game resonates with Japanese players through dedicated efforts.
4Gamer:
Whowasaba has clearly achieved worldwide success—performing like a veteran title already. Looking ahead, are you thinking about how to further boost its presence in Japan?
K:
Yes. We believe building strong brand recognition—making the game and company name well-known and trusted—is crucial for future growth in Japan. To achieve this, we plan more real-world events where users can interact directly with us, like our participation in Sapporo Snow Festival, as well as active involvement in major events such as TGS.
4Gamer:
So what about your own company-hosted events?
K:
Exactly. We previously held an offline event for the game’s first anniversary and would like to expand on this approach further.
4Gamer:
Looks like Whowasaba has even more great things ahead. Thank you very much today—we look forward to seeing how far it will go in the future.