Japan's two social-game-networking giants, Gree and Mobage, have been spending enormous amounts on producing TV advertising recently, and as a result they have each attracted approximately 20 percent of the population to their services, selling vast number of virtual items. In the West it is unusual to promote Web services on traditional media such as TV, as good Web services are thought to be self-promotional and gain publicity virally, so the move by Gree and Mobage is an interesting business tactic.
Compared to the West, the traditional media in Japan has also tended to look down on Internet businesses and pushes the idea that the Web is a dirty and dangerous place. However, with the kind of business strategies that social-game companies are now implementing, cross promotions between the traditional media and the Web are increasing.
There have long been video games made based on movies and dramas, such as "The Terminator" and "Star Wars" and many, many others. However, the framework of social games, in which players are assigned tasks to collect virtual items, gain status and see more achievement- based events, has a strong potential to be drama based.