image from gamebiz.jp
The folks over at Gamebiz.jp pointed out yesterday evening that GREE’s (TYO:3632) new title Monster Quest, which was released just last Friday, has already reached the rank of number one free game in the US app store for iPhone and iPad. It’s also ranked sixth in Singapore and Italy, and in the top ten in many other regions including the UK and Germany.
And while this is certainly a good start for GREE’s North American studio, Monster Quest hasn’t satisfied everyone, as Pete Davison over on Inside Mobile Apps writes the following in a less-than-enthusiastic review:
GREE’s considerable skills at user acquisition, retention and monetization will doubtless ensure that Monster Quest enjoys a healthy audience at least in the short term — its various engagement and monetization strategies are tried, tested and proven. […] Ultimately, though, Monster Quest is a drab, uninteresting and eminently forgettable experience. It’s yet another title to add to the pile of mobile games attempting to put a “freemium” spin on successful, established franchises and missing the point entirely in the process.
I have yet to play Monster Quest, since it’s not available via the Japanese app store. But it will be interesting to see if the initial success of this Pokemon-style game can be sustained in markets abroad. Let’s wait and see how this plays out.
[h/t Serkan Toto for pointing out the review]
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