Our Target Is the Whole World: KLab Launches New Game, with Neymar as Brand Ambassador

Japanese game company KLab announced today (March 20) that it has launched "Fantasy Eleven," a professional soccer team management online game, on the App Store and Google Play in Japan. The game is free to play, with in-app purchases available for certain items.

Neymar da Silva Vassantos (Neymar), Brazil’s highly anticipated rising star, has signed an advertising contract with KLab and will serve as the game’s brand ambassador. In line with the company’s goals, the game will be available on the App Store and Google Play in countries around the world.

The game’s tagline is “We’ve had enough of soccer games that refuse to move forward,”and it is reported that the game has received official endorsement from the JFA and FIFPro. Led by the Japan national team, more than 2,000 world-class players from around the globe—including those from Barcelona, Madrid, Manchester, and Milan—will appear in the game using their real names and likenesses.In addition to using 3D graphics to depict spectacular match scenes, features such as the “Dynamic Command System”—which allows players to make autonomous decisions based on the flow of the game—and free kicks that land exactly where aimed are hallmarks of this highly player-driven title.

The company plans to begin by offering downloads in Europe and South America, with the goal of eventually expanding to the rest of the world. As for other regions in Asia, the company will partner with Kunlun Games to provide services in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and other countries and regions through Kunlun Games.

In addition, since the company has signed a global contract with Neymar, he will continue to appear as a brand ambassador in TV commercials, magazines, online platforms, and video games around the world. By featuring this world-class soccer star, we are confident that awareness of this title will rapidly increase in countries worldwide.

The mobile gaming market, long dominated by the two giants of the “Three Kingdoms” and “Wuxia” genres, is now experiencing a surge in soccer fever. With the World Cup taking place every four years, 2014 is bound to be a standout year for soccer games.Recently, while hosting the China International Game Conference, Huang Jianxiang revealed that he had personally invested in a soccer-themed mobile game. Huang Jianxiang’s move gives us reason to believe that in 2014, soccer mobile games will carve out their own niche.

Looking at the mobile game charts, it’s hard to find a soccer-themed game. The soccer genre has long been in a state of stagnation in the gaming market.Not long ago, a Japanese soccer mobile game took the gaming world by storm: *BFB*, a Japanese soccer card-collecting and character-development game, once climbed into the top 20 on Japan’s best-seller charts. After Hong Kong acquired the licensing rights, it dominated the top spot on the best-seller charts for two months straight.It has also achieved impressive results in Chinese-speaking regions such as Taiwan and South Korea. Rumor has it that BFB’s monthly revenue in Hong Kong alone has exceeded 30 million.

This game, in particular, has made a huge splash—from celebrity player endorsements to innovative game mechanics and joint operations. The sheer scale of the project clearly demonstrates the company’s confidence. But as for how the market will actually respond, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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