Are you Japanese, American, Korean or Chinese when it comes to smartphone game transactions?
If there’s one thing the internet loves to do, it’s compare countries to each other via online lists and videos. Whether it’s objective facts being compared, showing how different countries pronounce the word “transformer,” or simply summing up different countries in one phrase, nothing gets the patriotic blood boiling like a good country comparison.
And one of the latest comparisons gaining popularity online is a comic that shows off four different reasons that people from Japan, the U.S., Korea and China spend money on smartphone games.
How accurate is it? Take a look here and decide for yourself: (translation below)
https://twitter.com/croud_minato/status/792858279231705088Japan
I want to collect
Spends money to complete a personal collection by accumulating characters and new records.
“Yes! I finally got the character I wanted. It’s super rare.”U.S.A.
I want to enjoy the game more
Spends money to expand the game via new levels and stages.
“Since I’ve enjoyed the game, I’ll spend money on it. That makes sense, right?”Korea
I want to beat the game
Spends money on items and other things to help complete the game’s goals faster
“I don’t want to go slow through this game. It’s fun!”China
Wants to win in competition with others
Spends money to beat other players, become stronger, and stand out.
“I love battling! My heart is pumping!”
For reference, the comic is based on the 2015 EEDAR report titled Deconstructing Mobile and Tablet Gaming. So there is some data-backed basis for the trends portrayed in the comic.
Personally, I find it to be fairly accurate for myself. As an American, the only reason I’ve ever spent money on a smartphone game was to get more levels and enjoy the game more. I couldn’t imagine spending money to complete a collection, get through it faster, or to beat friends. But I’m sure there are people who spend money for those reasons and think I’m crazy too.
Here’s how Japanese netizens reacted online:
“Yup. Seems accurate.”
“Right on the nose for Japan.”
“I feel like the U.S. one kind of applies for everyone.”
“The China character is so cute….”
“No way! The U.S. character is where it’s at.”
Putting aside who you think is the cutest of the comic’s characters, which of the four do you most identify with? Does it match with your home country? Let us know in the comments so we can find out how many of us have our hearts in one country and our smartphone-spending-habits in another.
Source: Twitter/@croud_minato via Otakomu
Featured image: Twitter/@croud_minato

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