How Apple and Google’s upcoming compliance with Japan’s new digital market rules will reshape mobile game monetization Japan’s Landmark Move Toward Open App Markets In June 2024, Japan’s parliament empowered the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) to draft new competition rules for mobile applications. The resulting Guideline for Competition in Mobile Software, published in July 2025 and taking effect on December 18, 2025, marks a major milestone in Japan’s digital regulation. Apple and Google have been named the first “Specified Providers” and are explicitly prohibited from favoring their own products. Article 7 requires operating systems to allow third-party app stores, while Article 8 forbids app store operators from restricting developers’ use of alternative payment systems. The guidelines also demand that both companies establish data firewalls to prevent misuse of developer information, submit annual compliance reports, and face severe penalties—up to 20% of domestic revenue for first offenses, and 30% for repeated violations. These measures usher Japan’s mobile ecosystem into a new era of open competition, similar to the ongoing U.S. reforms. For developers, this shift means freedom from platform-exclusive in-app purchases and the ability to integrate third-party payment solutions that align with local user preferences and business strategies. The question now is how game publishers can best prepare for this transformation—and position themselves for success in Japan’s open-payment future. What “mandatory openness” means for developers Under the new framework, developers will gain three strategic freedoms: 1. Freedom of Choice – Developers can choose payment partners that align with their business models, settlement preferences, and local market needs. 2. Profit Margin Flexibility – Third-party payments generally incur lower transaction fees than platform-native systems, allowing developers to reinvest savings into acquisition or content. 3. Operational Responsibility – With new freedom comes accountability: ensuring compliance with PCI DSS, data protection, and refund management becomes the developer’s direct duty. In short, the reform shifts payment control from platforms to developers—expanding opportunity while demanding greater operational rigor. Three Key Opportunities Behind Japan’s New Policy Japan’s new digital market rules mark more than regulatory reform—they redefine how developers operate and monetize. 1. Cost Optimization By integrating third-party payments, developers can cut platform commissions from around 30% to below 10%, directly boosting profit margins. These savings can be reinvested into user growth or product improvement while allowing flexible pricing strategies. 2. Localized User Experience Japan’s diverse payment habits—credit cards, PayPay, Konbini, and bank transfers—demand tailored integration. Third-party payment partners help developers create seamless, trusted checkout experiences that match user preferences and significantly improve conversion. 3. Data Ownership and Loyalty With independent payment channels, developers gain direct access to first-party data on spending behavior and preferences. This enables personalized marketing, loyalty programs, and long-term user retention—transforming developers from platform “tenants” into true “owners” of their audience relationships. Japan’s open-payment era empowers developers to lower costs, enhance localization, and build sustainable user ecosystems. Navigating Challenges: Choosing the Right Payment Partner Japan’s upcoming open-payment environment offers opportunity—but also complexity. Technical, regulatory, and operational challenges will emerge as developers shift toward third-party payment integration. The key lies in transforming these challenges into advantages through the right partnerships. 1. Technical and Compliance Barriers Building and maintaining an in-house payment system demands significant technical resources and regulatory expertise. Partnering with a provider that offers pre-certified, compliance-ready infrastructure helps minimize integration time and cost. A “compliance-by-design” framework ensures adherence to PCI DSS and Japan’s data protection standards while allowing developers to focus on content and growth. 2. User Habit Transition Japanese players are accustomed to familiar payment methods. Smoothly guiding users toward new systems requires a seamless, intuitive experience. A strong payment partner can localize checkout flows, recommend preferred payment methods, and maintain transparency—preserving trust while improving conversion rates. 3. Fraud and Chargeback Management Payment risk is inevitable, but it can be controlled. Advanced AI-driven monitoring systems can detect anomalies in real time, preventing fraudulent transactions and minimizing financial loss. Ultimately, selecting the right third-party payment partner provides dual assurance—growth through cost and conversion optimization, and security through compliance and risk control. Developers entering Japan’s open-payment era should seek partners with proven technical capability, localized insight, and operational resilience to ensure long-term success. Preparing for launch: a practical roadmap Success in adapting to Japan's new payment environment belongs to those who act swiftly and precisely. There's no need for trial and error. As your expert payment partner, EnJoyPay has mapped out an efficient path. This three-step plan will help you maximize policy benefits while ensuring growth and security. Step 1: Evaluate and Choose Your Optimal Payment Strategy Different strategies suit different goals. EnJoyPay can help you select the right path based on your development stage: Step 2: Select a Strategic Third-Party Payment Partner with Deep Japanese Market Expertise This is your most critical decision. The right partner is a bridge to success, not just a processor. Evaluate candidates based on: Comprehensive Coverage: Do they support all major Japanese methods (Credit Cards, Konbini, PayPay, Bank Transfer)? Technical Excellence & Support: Are APIs stable, efficient, and easy to integrate? Is technical support responsive? Operational Expertise: Can they offer strategies to boost third-party payment adoption and optimize operations within your game? Step 3: Optimize the Payment Process for Maximum Conversion Your payment page is your "virtual checkout"; its experience dictates revenue. The EnJoyPay hosted checkout is market-proven, incorporating optimizations like: Intelligent Design: We help deploy payment pages aligned with Japanese user habits, prioritizing preferred methods like credit cards and e-wallets to boost conversion. Data-Driven Promotions: Leveraging our insights, we can help create targeted promotions (e.g., "Get 5% extra gems with PayPay") to stimulate spending. This plan is more than a guide，it's EnJoyPay's commitment as your long-term partner. We offer a complete solution—from strategy and integration to optimization. Act now. Let EnJoyPay manage the complexities of payment, so you can focus on growing your business in Japan with confidence. 【Contact Us】 Email： dima@enjoyglobal.net BD@enjoypayment.com LinkedIn： https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/108154307

In March of this year, Roblox's ranking on the US iOS Top Grossing chart suddenly plummeted significantly. As of September 3rd, this product—boasting over 100 million monthly active users (MAU) and blending a creation platform with virtual social community features—has fallen to #145 on the US iOS Game Top Grossing chart, #21 in the Action game category, and #16 in the Adventure game category. A further analysis of Roblox's grossing ranking changes this year clearly shows a cliff-like drop curve. On February 9th, the game's daily revenue remained around $1.2 million, but upon entering March, daily revenue quickly dropped to $50,000. By August 30th, revenue had fallen further to $23,000, a plunge of nearly 98% from the peak. Source: DianDian Data So, has Roblox truly "gone cold"? Clearly not. As a publicly listed company that successfully went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, Roblox has maintained stable financial performance over the past three quarters: • Revenue continued to grow, reaching $1.081 billion in Q2 2025, breaking the $1 billion mark. • Bookings also hit a new high, reaching $1.438 billion in Q2. • However, net losses widened, primarily attributed to Roblox's high revenue share model to attract creators and maintain content diversity, coupled with large-scale marketing expenses. Judging from this data, Roblox's financial condition remains stable and shows growth potential. Why is this phenomenon occurring? The Reason Behind Bookings Growth and the Sharp Drop in US iOS Revenue Before analyzing why US iOS revenue dropped sharply, we need to understand "Bookings" as mentioned in the financial reports. Bookings refer to the total amount players actually spend on purchasing Robux (virtual currency) in a given quarter or year, including subscriptions, one-time top-ups, and using Robux to purchase virtual items, avatar accessories, and experience (game) passes. Roblox's financial reports indicate that the vast majority of Bookings and revenue come from the sale of Robux. It is important to note that because purchased Robux are not immediately recognized as revenue (they are recognized only as players spend them), Bookings are considered a core indicator of Robux sales. In fact, the revenue disclosed by Roblox is the portion recognized deferrally from Bookings. Therefore, growth in Bookings means players are putting more Robux into the ecosystem. The sharp drop in US iOS revenue likely does not mean players have stopped spending. Instead, it is more likely that players are topping up through other payment channels (such as the web version, PC client, or by purchasing Robux via gift cards), bypassing Apple's commission. Roblox's New Policy: Abandoning Top Grossing Charts and Successfully Transforming Payment Strategy In late 2024, Roblox announced a policy adjustment that drew widespread industry attention: users purchasing in-game currency through the official website, gift cards, or the PC/web version could receive up to 25% extra Robux as a bonus. This move was widely interpreted as a key strategy by Roblox to counter the 30% commission charged by Apple and Google app stores, providing tangible benefits to both players and creators. Typically, iOS users are accustomed to paying within the Apple ecosystem. What factors prompted these users to abandon the official payment channel? Besides the "better value" mentioned earlier, the design of Roblox's web top-up, PC client, and gift card guidance also plays a key role. On the "Robux" page of the Roblox official website, the first thing users see is a prominent line: "Get more Robux on PC, Web, and Gift Cards. Get up to 25% more." Following this, the pricing table clearly contrasts the differences between "Mobile & Console" and "PC, Web, & Gift Cards" for each top-up tier, making it immediately clear to users and further stimulating their desire to pay, alongside the feeling that topping up on mobile is somewhat "a worse deal." For example, a user buying a $9.99 gift card, which originally provided 800 Robux, now gets an additional 200 Robux, totaling 1000 Robux. A $10 gift card purchase yields 1000 Robux, 200 more than before. It's worth noting that the bonus ratio is not fixed; smaller top-ups (e.g., under $10) offer a higher incentive, while larger top-ups have a relatively lower bonus ratio. For instance, a $200 top-up only gets an extra 1500 Robux (6.7%). This design not only reduces the cost for users making small top-ups but also effectively mitigates excessive impact on platform revenue from large expenditures. Furthermore, the Roblox Premium subscription membership offers even greater benefits. Players paying a monthly fee of $4.99 (example currency converted from NT$330 approx.) receive a monthly Robux stipend (e.g., 1000 Robux for the Premium 1000 tier), and by redeeming through PC, web, or gift cards, can receive up to an additional 35% bonus Robux, along with access to an exclusive rewards marketplace. Overall, by implementing this legal and effective channel optimization method, Roblox not only retains user spending intent but also successfully reduces platform commission costs. The platform has clearly stated that this policy is not a short-term promotion but a permanent adjustment applicable to users worldwide and to previously purchased gift cards. Users can top up directly through the official website or use gift cards purchased from third-party platforms to redeem Robux and complete the payment process. The platform also emphasizes that the revenue share percentage for developers remains unchanged, but because users are effectively getting more Robux for their money, the actual earnings for creators will also increase proportionally. The background of this policy is closely related to the long-standing controversy over the "channel tax" in the gaming industry. Apple and Google charge a 30% commission on in-app purchases, and Roblox, as a platform heavily reliant on mobile traffic (2023 data showed 80% of users played via mobile phones), paid approximately $3 billion in annual commission fees. By guiding users towards official website and gift card payments, Roblox can not only avoid these commissions but also convert the saved costs into user benefits and creator incentives. This move received public support from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who called it "an important step in the fight against the Apple tax." How Third-Party Payments Can Boost In-Game Purchase Growth From the Roblox case, we can see that flexible pricing and promotion models can significantly improve user conversion rates. Whether a pack sells as well on PC/web as it does on mobile depends on whether players perceive it as a good deal. EnJoyPay once worked with a developer responsible for operating in the Korean market. They merely displayed the payment method or third-party payment company brand but failed to effectively add a clear Call to Action (CTA). This led to users not understanding that using this payment method could enjoy discounts like满减 (spend-based discounts) or deductions. Therefore, adding clear CTAs within the payment channel is very important. Furthermore, EnJoyPay recommends using local currency pricing on third-party payment pages to avoid price perception differences. For example, US players are more likely to feel the urge to buy when they see a price of $0.99 rather than a RMB price. Simultaneously, combining activities like local holidays, wallet subsidies, and VIP tiering can further enhance user engagement and top-up amounts. Selling goods directly to players via PC/web has the core value of saving the 30% platform tax and increasing the game company's profit, which is an industry consensus. At the same time, the following values are also important: (1) Private Traffic Pool Building & Creating a Closed Loop
 Collecting payments directly through the official website not only avoids high app store commissions but also helps the platform build a pool of private user traffic during the payment process. The official website payment flow allows the platform to precisely track user behavior and consumption data, enabling subsequent targeted marketing (like VIP reminders, exclusive pack pushes) to improve user stickiness and repurchase rates. Through this closed loop, the platform can serve users accurately and enhance long-term user value. In this process, EnJoyPay also provides payment channel support to help game developers better manage and utilize private traffic on their official websites, improving user retention and repurchase rates. (2) Enhancing Repurchase and Operational Capabilities
 On the official website, the platform can more flexibly combine various marketing activities to stimulate user repurchase. For example, through spend-based discounts, points systems, lucky spins, etc., the website can design rich promotional campaigns, often unrestricted by app store payment rules. The platform can launch limited-time packs, exclusive discounts, and other activities to encourage users to purchase Robux directly on the official website, thereby boosting sales and user engagement. In this regard, EnJoyPay possesses a rich set of operational solutions that can effectively support game developers in running flexible marketing activities through various payment methods and optimizing the user payment process to improve conversion rates. (3) Increasing Third-Party Payment Share & Improving Conversion Rates
 Using third-party payment channels like EnJoyPay allows the platform to customize the checkout page and offer more payment methods. This not only improves payment convenience for users but also further enhances payment conversion rates. Users can choose the payment method most suitable for their habits, and this flexibility typically leads to higher conversion rates and lower payment abandonment rates. Currently, EnJoyPay offers over 500 global payment solutions, covering more than 200 major countries and regions, and supports over 20 local languages, helping game developers integrate more payment channels worldwide and further improve cross-border payment conversion rates. (4) Brand Trust & International Presentation
 Through the official website and third-party payment channels, the platform can better showcase its brand image and enhance trust among overseas users. During international expansion, the platform can support multiple languages, currencies, and regional switches, which not only helps improve the experience for global users but also strengthens the brand's international influence. Adding localized elements to the payment interface allows the platform to better meet the needs of users in various countries, enhancing local brand recognition. In this process, EnJoyPay can help game developers expand regional influence and maximize the global value of their game products. 【Contact Us】 Email： dima@enjoyglobal.net BD@enjoypayment.com LinkedIn： https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/108154307