Tag Archives: android developers

Notes from Google Play: Keeping our platform safe

Posted by Jacqueline Hart, Director, Trusted Experiences, Developer Enablement

Hi there,

With millions of Android apps to choose from, users are increasingly focused on the privacy and security of the titles they download. That’s why it’s so important to build user trust with delightful, high-quality app experiences built on a secure foundation.

I’m Jacqueline Hart and I lead the team that helps developers navigate our policies. We’re also responsible for reviewing apps on Google Play to make sure they are safe for users.

In this edition of Notes from Google Play, I’d like to share how we’re working to improve your policy experience and how we’re helping strengthen user trust by highlighting your app’s approach to privacy and security.

Over the past few months, we’ve shared updates on our key privacy and security initiatives to help you prepare for changes and use new tools and resources, including enhanced account data transparency and controls in your app’s Data safety section and new Android 14 functionality. Now, I’m pleased to share the next phase of features, tools, and updates that we’ve been working on to help keep our platform safe and trustworthy.

Giving you a better policy experience

A few months ago, we announced that we’re redesigning the App content page in Google Play Console to make your outstanding tasks clearer, and now we’re adding more information to help you:

  • Spot deadlines with a new timeline view for new and updated declarations
  • Understand why your app is in-scope for a particular declaration
  • Find relevant policy issues alongside each declaration, helping you identify and fix issues more quickly

Later this year, we plan to show not just existing declarations, but also upcoming declaration requirements and deadlines to give you more time to plan.

Clearly see outstanding declaration-related tasks in our redesigned App content page. 
Example is illustrative and subject to change

We’re also getting you critical information about third-party SDKs, including a new notice on Google Play SDK Index to help you make more informed decisions about which version of an SDK may cause your app to violate Google Play policies.

And now we’re bringing more critical information right into Play Console. Previously, you could only learn about SDK-related policy issues affecting your apps through an Inbox message or email. Later this year, we’ll bring this information to you right on the Policy status page so you can see any issues in one place and stay on top of your app’s policy status.

Soon, you can learn about SDK-related policy issues on the Policy status page in Play Console.
Example is illustrative and subject to change

We’re also making it easier to find out if your app is impacted by our Target API requirements, which requires you to build for the latest versions of Android so you can make use of our latest security updates and platform enhancements. Since early August, you may have seen information outlining any potential impact on your app on the Policy status page, including resources to help you learn what to do to stay compliant.

To give you further support, we’re launching more ways to improve the experience. These include the new Developer Help Community, where you can ask your peers about everything from Play Console to the latest policy changes, and the Google Play Strike Removal program, which helps eligible developers get certain enforcement strikes removed after passing a related Play Academy training course. We launched the program as a pilot last year and have seen a successful reduction in repeat violations, so now we’re making it available to all developers.

Building user trust with the Data safety section
Security plays an important role in helping users decide whether an app is right for them. Recently, we announced account data transparency and controls in the Data safety section to help build user trust. If you haven’t completed your updated Data safety form yet, watch our two-minute video to learn how before the December 7, 2023 deadline. Users will begin to see your new information in your store listing in early 2024.
Provide data deltion options in Play Console by Dec 7, 2023
Soon, you can learn about SDK-related policy issues on the Policy status page in Play Console. 
Example is illustrative and subject to change.

To help users feel confident about their downloads in sensitive app categories, we’re soon adding a new Play Store banner for the VPN app category to emphasize the importance of reviewing an app’s Data safety section before installing.

When users search for “VPN” apps in Google Play, they’ll see a banner that encourages them to look for a shield icon in the app’s Data safety section, which indicates that the app has completed an independent security review. VPN developers such as NordVPN, Google One and ExpressVPN are early adopters of this program. We encourage and anticipate additional VPN app developers to undergo independent security testing, bringing even more transparency to users. Users can learn more about the independent security validation process and see VPN apps that have been independently validated by tapping “Learn more” to go to the App Validation Directory.
Independent Security Review - VPN apps with this badge in the Data safety section have been independently validated against a global security standard.
We're rolling out a Play Store new banner to build user confidence in the VPN app category. 
Example is illustrative and subject to change.

If you are a VPN developer and interested in learning more about this feature, please submit this form.

Looking ahead

Our team at Google is prioritizing new ways to give users even more confidence in the quality and security of the apps and games they download, establishing Google Play as the most trusted app marketplace. This includes efforts like our new developer verification process for new Play Console accounts.

We’ve got a lot more to come, but I’m excited to share these updates with you now, and I hope they help you continue to thrive on our platform. As always, thanks for partnering with us to make Google Play a safe, trustworthy platform.

Jacqueline Hart

#WeArePlay | Meet Ingrid from Sweden. More stories from around the world.

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Marketing

Another month, another reason to celebrate trailblazing creators behind some of the most innovative apps and games. From an equestrian training platform in Sweden to a chilled out fishing game in the Republic of Korea, let’s take a look at some of the exciting #WeArePlay stories of founders and their creations.


Ingrid is a big fan of horseback riding and has always loved the social aspect of the sport. But when she wanted to take her passion online, she was surprised to be unable to find sports platforms specifically tailored to equestrians. So, Ingrid and her co-founders, Totta and Erika, took matters into their own hands, pooling their collective experiences in marketing, programming and economics to create Ridely: a platform that aims to democratize the access to trainers and content about riding. Since then, they’ve partnered up with the US Equestrian Federation and are “constantly innovating and looking at ways to develop the app further and improve our members’ horse riding experience” – in fact, they’re currently working on creating expert programs, monthly riding challenges and adding a social feed to spark discussion and create community.


#WeArePlay Joahnes & Meiky Gaco Games Solo, Indonesia g.co/play/weareplay Google Play
Now to the other side of the world, Indonesia. Johanes always had a wild imagination and a head brimming with ideas, which is why he originally aspired to be an author. However, when he found himself captivated by role playing games, he decided to channel his storytelling into the gaming genre instead. Collaborating with graphic artist Meiky, the pair brainstormed their anime-inspired fantasy adventure RPG Epic Conquest. Even without conscious marketing efforts, the game proved to be a big hit, spawning the follow-up Epic Conquest 2 – with more sequels currently in the works.


#WeArePlay Young-Gon Nexelon Soengnam, Republic of Korea g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Next up, Young-Gon from the Republic of Korea. An old hand in the industry, Young-Gon has been involved in gaming for over two decades. However, it was in 2017 that he decided to launch his own studio, Nexelon, with the goal of reaching audiences abroad. In his popular title, Fishing Life, he “wanted to create a fishing game that was soothing, uncomplicated to play and that really showcased the underwater world”, depicting the calming nature of angling as a hobby with gently whooshing waves and scenes of tranquil lakes and mountains. And he’s continuing this theme of serenity with his upcoming release – an eco-sci fi game where players explore other planets for resources to restore a polluted Earth.


#WeArePlay Sergej, Victoria & Michall Nordcurrent Vilnius, Lithuania g.co/play/weareplay Google Play
Last up, dream team Victoria, her husband Michail, and his brother Sergej from Lithuania. They had their sights set on making games since childhood. They were still at university when they released their very first title, swiftly using the revenue to form their own studio, Nordcurrent. In their popular game Cooking Fever, players are put to the test to rapidly prepare different dishes – inspired by cuisines from around the world. They recently added a pancake flipping restaurant option and also plan live culinary events around themed celebrations, such as Valentine’s Day.

Discover more of the amazing #WeArePlay stories around the world and share your favorites.



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#WeArePlay | Meet Ingrid from Sweden. More stories from around the world.

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Marketing

Another month, another reason to celebrate trailblazing creators behind some of the most innovative apps and games. From an equestrian training platform in Sweden to a chilled out fishing game in the Republic of Korea, let’s take a look at some of the exciting #WeArePlay stories of founders and their creations.


Ingrid is a big fan of horseback riding and has always loved the social aspect of the sport. But when she wanted to take her passion online, she was surprised to be unable to find sports platforms specifically tailored to equestrians. So, Ingrid and her co-founders, Totta and Erika, took matters into their own hands, pooling their collective experiences in marketing, programming and economics to create Ridely: a platform that aims to democratize the access to trainers and content about riding. Since then, they’ve partnered up with the US Equestrian Federation and are “constantly innovating and looking at ways to develop the app further and improve our members’ horse riding experience” – in fact, they’re currently working on creating expert programs, monthly riding challenges and adding a social feed to spark discussion and create community.


#WeArePlay Joahnes & Meiky Gaco Games Solo, Indonesia g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Now to the other side of the world, Indonesia. Johanes always had a wild imagination and a head brimming with ideas, which is why he originally aspired to be an author. However, when he found himself captivated by role playing games, he decided to channel his storytelling into the gaming genre instead. Collaborating with graphic artist Meiky, the pair brainstormed their anime-inspired fantasy adventure RPG Epic Conquest. Even without conscious marketing efforts, the game proved to be a big hit, spawning the follow-up Epic Conquest 2 – with more sequels currently in the works.


#WeArePlay Young-Gon Nexelon Soengnam, Republic of Korea g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Next up, Young-Gon from the Republic of Korea. An old hand in the industry, Young-Gon has been involved in gaming for over two decades. However, it was in 2017 that he decided to launch his own studio, Nexelon, with the goal of reaching audiences abroad. In his popular title, Fishing Life, he “wanted to create a fishing game that was soothing, uncomplicated to play and that really showcased the underwater world”, depicting the calming nature of angling as a hobby with gently whooshing waves and scenes of tranquil lakes and mountains. And he’s continuing this theme of serenity with his upcoming release – an eco-sci fi game where players explore other planets for resources to restore a polluted Earth.



#WeArePlay Sergej, Victoria & Michall Nordcurrent Vilnius, Lithuania g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Last up, dream team Victoria, her husband Michail, and his brother Sergej from Lithuania. They had their sights set on making games since childhood. They were still at university when they released their very first title, swiftly using the revenue to form their own studio, Nordcurrent. In their popular game Cooking Fever, players are put to the test to rapidly prepare different dishes – inspired by cuisines from around the world. They recently added a pancake flipping restaurant option and also plan live culinary events around themed celebrations, such as Valentine’s Day.


Discover more of the amazing #WeArePlay stories around the world and share your favorites.



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#WeArePlay | Meet Ayushi & Nikhil from India. More stories from around the world.

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Marketing

This month, we’re sharing new #WeArePlay stories from inspiring founders creating apps which help people improve their quality of life. From a diabetes management tracker to an upskilling platform for women, hear the stories behind some groundbreaking apps on Google Play.



Firstly, meet Nikhil and Ayushi from Bengaluru, India. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, Nikhil watched as his mother picked up new hobbies and tried making different dishes in the kitchen. Seeing his mom researching new recipes and cooking resources, it struck him that there was a lack of educational platforms in India specifically targeted at women. This gave him and his wife, Ayushi, the idea to create Alippo: an upskilling app for women that provides classes and training materials. It also has resources to help women launch and manage their own businesses using their newly acquired expertise. In the future, they want to add more learning materials, business guides and even financing options.


Image of Ed, Ken, and Erin of Health2Sync, located in Taipei City, Taiwan g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Next up we have Ed, Ken and Erin from Taiwan. Ed comes from a family with a history of diabetes. But his grandma always stayed on top of her condition thanks to her habit of regularly noting down her blood sugar levels and sharing them with her doctor. Partnering with product manager Ken, whose mother also has diabetes, and former colleague Erin, he launched Health2Sync: a digital blood sugar tracker with a range of other features for tracking and managing diets, exercise and medication. Thanks to the app’s new AI-based food recognition feature, people can now track the contents and nutrients of their meals just by uploading a picture of their food.


Image of César and Lorenzo of WeCancer, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Now, Lorenzo and César from Brazil. Growing up, they both had personal experiences with cancer having lost their mothers to the disease. When they met some time later, via a mutual friend, they discussed their experiences, both agreeing that the hospital visits were tiring for their moms, and often unnecessary when measures could be taken to provide care at home. This inspired them to partner up and create WeCancer, a cancer treatment support platform where patients can receive support and medical care from the comfort of their own home, with monitoring and advice from doctors. In Lorenzo's own words, the app provides "qualified care outside of hospital walls to make life easier for patients”.


Image of John, Laura and Erich of Curable, located in Denver (CO), USA g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Last but not least, Laura, Erich and John from the US. When they were colleagues, it was sharing their experiences around chronic pain that bonded them and brought them together as friends. When John began to teach the others some alternative methods he’d learnt for managing his pain, all three began to see huge improvements in their various conditions. Elated by how much these techniques and practices had helped them, they wanted to share the practices with others, inspiring them to team up to create Curable. On the app, chronic pain sufferers can follow a guided recovery program with a range of science-backed methods, including cognitive behavioral therapy and soothing meditation.


Discover more #WeArePlay stories from across the globe and stay tuned for more.



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#WeArePlay | Meet Ayushi & Nikhil from India. More stories from around the world.

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Marketing

This month, we’re sharing new #WeArePlay stories from inspiring founders creating apps which help people improve their quality of life. From a diabetes management tracker to an upskilling platform for women, hear the stories behind some groundbreaking apps on Google Play.



Firstly, meet Nikhil and Ayushi from Bengaluru, India. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, Nikhil watched as his mother picked up new hobbies and tried making different dishes in the kitchen. Seeing his mom researching new recipes and cooking resources, it struck him that there was a lack of educational platforms in India specifically targeted at women. This gave him and his wife, Ayushi, the idea to create Alippo: an upskilling app for women that provides classes and training materials. It also has resources to help women launch and manage their own businesses using their newly acquired expertise. In the future, they want to add more learning materials, business guides and even financing options.


Image of Ed, Ken, and Erin of Health2Sync, located in Taipei City, Taiwan g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Next up we have Ed, Ken and Erin from Taiwan. Ed comes from a family with a history of diabetes. But his grandma always stayed on top of her condition thanks to her habit of regularly noting down her blood sugar levels and sharing them with her doctor. Partnering with product manager Ken, whose mother also has diabetes, and former colleague Erin, he launched Health2Sync: a digital blood sugar tracker with a range of other features for tracking and managing diets, exercise and medication. Thanks to the app’s new AI-based food recognition feature, people can now track the contents and nutrients of their meals just by uploading a picture of their food.


Image of César and Lorenzo of WeCancer, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Now, Lorenzo and César from Brazil. Growing up, they both had personal experiences with cancer having lost their mothers to the disease. When they met some time later, via a mutual friend, they discussed their experiences, both agreeing that the hospital visits were tiring for their moms, and often unnecessary when measures could be taken to provide care at home. This inspired them to partner up and create WeCancer, a cancer treatment support platform where patients can receive support and medical care from the comfort of their own home, with monitoring and advice from doctors. In Lorenzo's own words, the app provides "qualified care outside of hospital walls to make life easier for patients”.


Image of John, Laura and Erich of Curable, located in Denver (CO), USA g.co/play/weareplay Google Play

Last but not least, Laura, Erich and John from the US. When they were colleagues, it was sharing their experiences around chronic pain that bonded them and brought them together as friends. When John began to teach the others some alternative methods he’d learnt for managing his pain, all three began to see huge improvements in their various conditions. Elated by how much these techniques and practices had helped them, they wanted to share the practices with others, inspiring them to team up to create Curable. On the app, chronic pain sufferers can follow a guided recovery program with a range of science-backed methods, including cognitive behavioral therapy and soothing meditation.


Discover more #WeArePlay stories from across the globe and stay tuned for more.



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Indie Games Fund: Apply for support from Google Play’s $2M fund in Latin America

Posted by Daniel Trócoli Head of Play Partnerships for Games - LATAM

In 2022, we first launched the Indie Games Fund in Latin America as part of our commitment to helping developers of all sizes grow on Google Play. Check out the 10 selected studios who received a share of the fund last year.

Today, we’re bringing back the Indie Games Fund for 2023. We will award $2 million dollars in non-dilutive cash awards in addition to hands-on support, to selected small games studios based in Latin America, helping them build and grow their businesses on our platform.

The program is open to indie game developers who have already launched a game - whether it’s on Google Play or another mobile platform, PC or console. Each selected recipient will get between $150,000 and $200,000 dollars to help them take their game to the next level, and build successful businesses.

Check out all eligibility criteria and apply now. Applications close at 12:00pm BRT September 1, 2023. Priority will be given to applications received by 12:00pm BRT August 16, 2023.

For more updates about all our programs, resources and tools for indie game developers visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GooglePlayBiz and Google Play business community on LinkedIn.



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Indie Games Fund: Apply for support from Google Play’s $2M fund in Latin America

Posted by Daniel Trócoli Head of Play Partnerships for Games - LATAM

In 2022, we first launched the Indie Games Fund in Latin America as part of our commitment to helping developers of all sizes grow on Google Play. Check out the 10 selected studios who received a share of the fund last year.

Today, we’re bringing back the Indie Games Fund for 2023. We will award $2 million dollars in non-dilutive cash awards in addition to hands-on support, to selected small games studios based in Latin America, helping them build and grow their businesses on our platform.

The program is open to indie game developers who have already launched a game - whether it’s on Google Play or another mobile platform, PC or console. Each selected recipient will get between $150,000 and $200,000 dollars to help them take their game to the next level, and build successful businesses.

Check out all eligibility criteria and apply now. Applications close at 12:00pm BRT September 1, 2023. Priority will be given to applications received by 12:00pm BRT August 16, 2023.

For more updates about all our programs, resources and tools for indie game developers visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GooglePlayBiz and Google Play business community on LinkedIn.



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Introducing a new Play Store for large screens

Posted by Allison Chang, Product Manager, Google Play

Last year at Google I/O, we shared some big changes coming to the Play Store for large screen devices. Since then, we’ve seen even more people using large screens for work and play, across millions of active Android devices. Apps and games play a critical role in shaping the on-device experience, so we’ve redesigned the Play Store to help users get the most from their tablets, Chromebooks, and foldables.

Today, we’re introducing four major updates to help users find high-quality large screen apps on Play: refreshed app listing pages, ranking and quality improvements, streamlined store navigation, and a split-screen search experience.

1. Refreshed app listing pages for high-quality apps

Your store listing page is the best way to demonstrate the functionality and value of your app, so we’ve revamped the experience to put your content front and center. Games with high-quality videos will show a video banner at the top of their app listing page, allowing users to get a sense of gameplay in an immersive way. We've also reorganized apps and games details pages in a multi-column layout, bringing more of your content higher up the page.

Side by side images of large screen devices

2. Ranking and quality improvements

To promote high-quality apps that shine on large screens, we’ve made several ranking changes to boost quality across Play. Apps and games that adhere to our large screen app quality guidelines will now be ranked higher in search and Apps and Games Home. This helps users find apps that resize well, aren't letterboxed, and support both portrait and landscape orientations. Editors’ Choice and other curated collections and articles will also consider these criteria going forward, creating new featuring opportunities for optimized apps.

Last year, we also announced app listing warnings and reduced visibility for apps and games that do not meet Play’s per-device technical quality bar. This extends our phone technical quality requirements for phones to large screens, and affects apps and games with an 8% user-perceived crash rate or 8% user-perceived ANR rate on the user’s device.

Image of large screen device showing app listing warning visible in Play Store

These warnings will appear on your app details page, with the goal of setting user expectations for how apps will look and function on their devices. We’ll begin rolling out these changes in late August, so there’s still time to use Android vitals in Play Console or the reporting API to monitor and improve your app’s stability metrics.

Finally, to help users better understand the in-app experience up front, we are increasingly featuring your store listing assets directly on Apps and Games Home.

Image of a large screen device showing content forward format in Play Store

New content forward formats will use form factor specific screenshots, videos, and descriptions to display a preview of the app experience and help users make install decisions. As part of this change, apps with large screen assets that follow our content quality guidelines can take advantage of these richer formats, and will occupy more screen real estate on Play homepages. As you audit your large screen assets, here are some best practices to help your app stand out:

  1. Upload separate screenshots for each form factor. Demonstrate the actual in-app or in-game experience, focusing on the core features and content so users can anticipate what the app or game experience will be like.
  2. Use high-quality images with the proper aspect ratio.
  3. Avoid overloading screenshots with text or time-sensitive copy that requires frequent updates.
  4. We don’t recommend including device imagery, as this can become obsolete quickly or alienate some user groups.

For more tips and guidelines to building high quality apps, visit our quality hub.

3. Streamlined store navigation

For more seamless browsing, we’ve simplified our store navigation and moved to a left-side navigation rail on larger screens. This puts menu items closer to users’ thumbs and makes them more accessible, especially when holding a device in landscape mode.

Image of a pair of hands holding a large screen device with Play Store on display

We’ve also made certain aspects of the store easier to find to help users discover useful and popular apps. For example, we’ve moved the Top Charts and Categories sections to Apps and Games Home. On tablets and Chromebooks, we’ve made the Kids experience a primary tab, since these devices are often shared with children.

4. Split-screen search

Lastly, we’re excited to announce a new search experience that makes it easy to discover and compare apps from within the search results page.

Image of a large screen device with split screen display

We’re launching a split-screen search experience on large screens, displaying search results and app details pages side by side. This prevents users from switching back and forth when exploring new apps and streamlines the discovery process.

These changes will begin rolling out over the coming weeks, and are just the beginning of our journey in creating a tailored Play Store experience for large screens. For more inspiration and examples of high-quality large screen apps, visit our app design gallery or check out our recent session on app quality from Google I/O.


#WeArePlay | Meet the people creating apps and games in Japan

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Marketing

#WeArePlay is on a virtual world tour: starting first with the U.S. last summer by spotlighting the stories of app and game founders from every state, then visiting India sharing stories from across the country, and more recently visiting Europe by sharing stories from countries across the region.

Today, we’re continuing our tour with one more stop: Japan. From a snowboarding app made by a paralympian, to a game inspired by the enchanting landmarks of Gifu. Discover the people growing apps and games businesses on Google Play.

We’re starting with stories from Chubu, Chugoku & Shikoku and Kinki, with more following throughout the year. Let’s explore some of the stories from across these 3 regions.


Image of Takao Hayashi, founder of Ateam Entertainment
Takao Hayashi, founder of Ateam Entertainment

First, Takao Hayashi from Nagoya, Aichi. When Takao’s father sadly passed away when he was only 9 years old, he decided to double down on his hobby of coding and help his family become financially secure. He eventually launched Ateam, and after releasing various apps and games in Japan, his company began to focus on expansion into new markets. Their efforts are paying off, as real-time battle RPG Unison League has become a global hit. The Japanese art in the game has become so popular that some fans have even adopted the style of their favorite characters into their fashion. Next, Takao wants to release new games and reach players in more parts of the world, including India and Latin America.


Image of Keiji Okamoto, founder of yukiyama
Keiji Okamoto, founder of yukiyama

Next, Keiji Okamoto from Kobe, Hyogo. Keiji worked hard to pursue his passion for snowboarding all the way to a professional level. However, an accident on the slopes left him with a spinal injury and the news that he might never snowboard again. With his future plans uncertain and hoping to contribute to the sport despite no longer being able to snowboard, Keiji founded yukiyama: a platform where snowsports enthusiasts can access ski resort maps and track their distances down the slopes. Today the app is used all over Japan. The team plans to make it accessible to tourists too by localizing it to other languages. As the app grows, so does Keiji's sports career, who now competes in the Paralympics.


Image of Hitomi Wada, founder of blazeworks
Hitomi Wada, founder of blazeworks

Now, Hitomi Wada from Kakamigahara, Gifu. Hitomi has been a fan of fantasy role-playing games since a friend first introduced her to them as a child. Years later she got inspired to create her own game, Gifu Quest, while exploring the enchanting sights and landmarks of the Gifu prefecture. Players must save all 42 municipalities from ruin and can even play a role in the game’s creation - with some of their photos of Gifu featuring in the game, and many sharing their travels to the places that appear in the game under the hashtag #realgifuquest. Next, Hitomi wants to create new games and eventually feature the whole of Japan.


Image of Masaomi Kurokawa, Managing Director of KEMCO
Masaomi Kurokawa, Managing Director of KEMCO

And last but not least, Masaomi Kurokawa from Kure, Hiroshima. Masaomi’s love of computers and gaming began back in middle school, when his dad bought him his first computer to program. Later, during the mid-2000s, he decided he wanted to revive classic retro games from his childhood. His RPG title Dragon Lapis has a characteristic old-school aesthetic - with dragons, legends and battles, and is hugely popular with fans of the RPG-genre. His nostalgic games have a loyal fanbase both in Japan and overseas. Masaomi has more games in the works and, in the future, wants to take on new challenges like moving into the app space.

Discover more #WeArePlay stories from Japan, and stories from across the globe.


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#WeArePlay | Meet the people creating apps and games in Japan

Posted by Leticia Lago, Developer Marketing

#WeArePlay is on a virtual world tour: starting first with the U.S. last summer by spotlighting the stories of app and game founders from every state, then visiting India sharing stories from across the country, and more recently visiting Europe by sharing stories from countries across the region.

Today, we’re continuing our tour with one more stop: Japan. From a snowboarding app made by a paralympian, to a game inspired by the enchanting landmarks of Gifu. Discover the people growing apps and games businesses on Google Play.

We’re starting with stories from Chubu, Chugoku & Shikoku and Kinki, with more following throughout the year. Let’s explore some of the stories from across these 3 regions.

Image of Takao Hayashi, founder of Ateam Entertainment
Takao Hayashi, founder of Ateam Entertainment

First, Takao Hayashi from Nagoya, Aichi. When Takao’s father sadly passed away when he was only 9 years old, he decided to double down on his hobby of coding and help his family become financially secure. He eventually launched Ateam, and after releasing various apps and games in Japan, his company began to focus on expansion into new markets. Their efforts are paying off, as real-time battle RPG Unison League has become a global hit. The Japanese art in the game has become so popular that some fans have even adopted the style of their favorite characters into their fashion. Next, Takao wants to release new games and reach players in more parts of the world, including India and Latin America.

Image of Keiji Okamoto, founder of yukiyama
Keiji Okamoto, founder of yukiyama

Next, Keiji Okamoto from Kobe, Hyogo. Keiji worked hard to pursue his passion for snowboarding all the way to a professional level. However, an accident on the slopes left him with a spinal injury and the news that he might never snowboard again. With his future plans uncertain and hoping to contribute to the sport despite no longer being able to snowboard, Keiji founded yukiyama: a platform where snowsports enthusiasts can access ski resort maps and track their distances down the slopes. Today the app is used all over Japan. The team plans to make it accessible to tourists too by localizing it to other languages. As the app grows, so does Keiji's sports career, who now competes in the Paralympics.

Image of Hitomi Wada, founder of blazeworks
Hitomi Wada, founder of blazeworks

Now, Hitomi Wada from Kakamigahara, Gifu. Hitomi has been a fan of fantasy role-playing games since a friend first introduced her to them as a child. Years later she got inspired to create her own game, Gifu Quest, while exploring the enchanting sights and landmarks of the Gifu prefecture. Players must save all 42 municipalities from ruin and can even play a role in the game’s creation - with some of their photos of Gifu featuring in the game, and many sharing their travels to the places that appear in the game under the hashtag #realgifuquest. Next, Hitomi wants to create new games and eventually feature the whole of Japan.

Image of Masaomi Kurokawa, Managing Director of KEMCO
Masaomi Kurokawa, Managing Director of KEMCO

And last but not least, Masaomi Kurokawa from Kure, Hiroshima. Masaomi’s love of computers and gaming began back in middle school, when his dad bought him his first computer to program. Later, during the mid-2000s, he decided he wanted to revive classic retro games from his childhood. His RPG title Dragon Lapis has a characteristic old-school aesthetic - with dragons, legends and battles, and is hugely popular with fans of the RPG-genre. His nostalgic games have a loyal fanbase both in Japan and overseas. Masaomi has more games in the works and, in the future, wants to take on new challenges like moving into the app space.

Discover more #WeArePlay stories from Japan, and stories from across the globe.


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