Chapter 364 No one knows online games better than me
Xiong Xiaoge sat on the sofa, quietly watching the picture projected on the screen by the projector.
On the exquisite login interface, Liu Kun randomly entered a string of symbols and passwords to directly enter the character creation interface.
Six exquisite characters display graceful and smooth movements, gorgeous costumes and weapons with special effects, all displayed one by one.
Liu Kun selected a warrior and entered the game, and then started a cutscene with text description and PPT, introducing the world view and background.
After the character enters the game, he runs around in the Novice Village and starts doing tasks. After completing a few upgrade tasks, he opens the GM authority to upgrade the character to the full level.
The next step is to show the combat system of various gameplays and characters.
Liu Kun seemed particularly excited and focused on demonstrating the complex skill designs of the six major professions.
“The six major professions are warrior, mage, warlock, archer, beast master, and assassin.”
“Each profession has three different branches, and players can choose freely by adding points. Talent in which direction.”
"The entire game is equivalent to eighteen small professions, so the gameplay is diverse, allowing players to explore as much as they want."
Liu Kun danced with joy as he said it, and even asked another planner to open an account, and the two of them showed How to PK.
Qin Shaoyan frowned when he saw this combat system, but then he was relieved.
In Qin Shaoyan’s view, the complex combat system makes it more difficult for players to get started and increases the cost of players’ understanding.
At the same time, the complex combat system also sharply increases the development cost and increases the probability of BUG occurrence.
The most difficult thing is that combat value planning requires a lot of time and energy to balance professional values, which is a thankless job.
However, Qin Shaoyan did not directly criticize the design of this combat system. Times are different, and even elites and geniuses have their limitations.
What's more, what is suitable for future generations must not be suitable for the present.
Today's players have not been exposed to many online games and are full of curiosity about everything. A little new creative gameplay can keep them playing for a long time.
In the past, when Legend almost dominated the world, online game players’ careers and PK in online games basically came from this stick pickle game.
In their perception, it's just chop, chop, chop, just keep using skills.
This year, Blizzard’s “World of Warcraft” national server opened, opening a new door for online game players.
The complex and changeable combat system and the highly strategic skill system design have opened everyone’s eyes. It turns out that combat in online games can still be played like this.
Multiple professions, skills, and cool and gorgeous special effects are important means to attract players. Just putting a combat demonstration in an advertisement can trick tens of thousands of players into joining.
Before they enter the period of aesthetic fatigue, how to acquire skills, how to study skill effects and combinations is a great pleasure for them to play games.
In ignorance and confusion, I am full of curiosity about all new things.
Qin Shaoyan was thinking about how to improve the combat system while listening to Liu Kun and others introducing the gameplay.
Xiong Xiaoge watched it with great interest, and then started to ask questions with great interest: "How far have you completed this online game?"
"The basic things are all there, and we are sorting out and integrating the PVE gameplay. , and then develop more PVP modes." Liu Kun introduced enthusiastically, "Next, we will test it on the original economic system to see if the existing numerical system is suitable for players."
Xiong Xiaoge couldn't understand the various terms Liu Kun said, so he asked directly: "Easy, just tell me have you finished this online game?"
"Uh, not yet." Liu Kun replied awkwardly.
"Then how much have you completed?" Xiong Xiaoge asked, "Is it 80%? Or 90%"
"We estimate that it is almost 60% to 70%." Liu Kun He glanced at Qin Shaoyan with some guilt.
"Then when do you estimate it will be online?" Xiong Xiaoge asked again, "Next year?"
Qin Shaoyan suddenly said, "The test can be started at the end of this year, and it can be officially launched in the first quarter of next year. Public beta, it will be available for payment one month after the public beta.”
Xiong Xiaoge frowned and looked at Qin Shaoyan suspiciously, "You're not drawing cakes again, are you? How many months are left for you to complete the remaining 40%?"
Qin Shaoyan laughed, " Mr. Xiong, you don’t understand online game development. In fact, you can go online directly after 30% is completed.”
“...” Xiong Xiaoge was shocked and stared at Qin Shaoyan.
He was a little unbelievable. Is Qin Shaoyan kidding himself?
Not to mention Xiong Xiaoge, even Liu Kun next to him was dumbfounded, thinking that Mr. Qin must be joking. How can this game be launched online until it is finished?
"Qin Shaoyan, do you think your game users are as easy to fool as our VCs?" Xiong Xiaoge laughed angrily, "You dare to give out 30% of the stuff?"
"Do you think you can rely on shoddy manufacturing to create an online game? , can you make money?”
“30% refers to the game content, not the game quality,” Qin Shaoyan explained patiently, “Exquisite game graphics, gorgeous combat effects, basically stable. A server with a similar early stage plot, plus a few maps and monsters, is enough for players to play for several months."
"Do you think the gameplay of Legend is just hacking and slashing? Well, just by grinding monsters and dropping weapons, you can play it for a year.”
“Our game also adds a lot of rich PVE gameplay and PK gameplay, which is infinitely higher than the gameplay of Legend. Where to go.”
"So don't think that this online game cannot be launched until it is finished. The current things are enough to be launched online. I also think there are too many things."
Qin Shaoyan looked at Liu Kun, "Turn back and put PVE and PVP It’s a bit too much to block out part of the gameplay. Don’t release it to players all at once.”
Then he turned to Xiong Xiaoge, “Then the development team can wait for the game to be operational and then update the game content. ”
“In fact, developing online games is very simple. As long as you think about what you want to do, you can complete it in half a year to a year. After a few years of operation, you will make a lot of money.”
Xiong Xiaoge was shocked. He looked Qin Shaoyan up and down, wondering if this guy was used to talking about trains and started to fool him again.
"Qin Shaoyan, although I don't understand games, I have learned about it. Other people's online game development is calculated in years. How come you calculate it in months?"
Qin Shaoyan Suddenly he laughed, pointed at himself, and said lightly: "Because the person sitting in front of you is the winner of the Golden Keyboard Best Game Design Award, and is known as the number one game designer in China."
"No. People know how to design online games better than me!"
Xiong Xiaoge was shocked by Qin Shaoyan's shameless confidence and couldn't help but said: "Qin Shaoyan, please be serious!"
"Campus Network! Whether you can successfully list on Nasdaq is not your business alone! ”
"We venture capital invested real money in you, not to let you brag."
"Give me a word of truth, are you sure about this thing?"
>Qin Shaoyan replied extremely seriously: "Mr. Xiong, you should believe in my professionalism, just like I believe in your venture capital professionalism."
"There is no one in the country who knows more about free online games than me right now. How did you make it? This is not bragging."
"If you insist on saying that I painted a cake for you, it's because you don't understand online games. I haven't told you what arpu value and LTV are, so how can you call it painting? Where’s the cake?”
"I will tell you from the perspective of a professional designer in as simple a way as possible. Online games may seem mysterious, but in fact they are not complicated."
"Whether a game can make money, is it fun or not? These three things may have nothing to do with the development cost. "In terms of the current domestic online game market, what is lacking in the market is products. As long as the game has no bugs and is operated reliably, it will be a success. It can make money.”
“Not to mention the quality of our game, it’s hard to say in the world, in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Our online games are all SS-level. "The engine it uses is the same as "Counter Terrorism: Modern Warfare", and the graphics alone are overwhelming."
"Such a high-quality online game, tell me, how can it lose money?!"
Xiong Xiaoge was speechless by Qin Shaoyan, because there was nothing wrong with these points Qin Shaoyan said.
Although Xiong Xiaoge doesn't understand online games, he has actually consulted several people in the so-called industry before.
He didn't know what the level of these people in the industry was, but he still agreed with a few points they said.
The first thing to look at in online games is the graphics, the level of art modeling and the game engine.
As long as the graphics are exquisite and exceed the standards of peers on the market, then you win half the battle.
The other is to look at the level of technical research and development, which depends on the ability of programmers.
There are countless examples of games dying suddenly due to insufficient technical capabilities. As long as online games can be maintained without major bugs, developers can already open champagne to celebrate.
Of course, another important thing to look at in online games is the design level of the producer.
There is no way to talk about this thing. Judging from the development level of the domestic industry, imitation is still the main thing.
Even around the world, online games have only been developing for a few years, and producers with strong design capabilities are still concentrated in several major European, American and Japanese manufacturers, and these major manufacturers still focus on single-player games.
Since everyone’s skills are not very good, there is no need to expect too much about any shocking works. As long as players can continue to play, it is considered a good game.
From these three points, Qin Shaoyan Game Company can be regarded as the top game R&D manufacturer in China.
Qin Shaoyan previously released "Terrorism: Modern Warfare" at a US exhibition. Its engine effects and graphics shocked even major foreign companies.
With the engine foundation and the design of Hong Fei, the art director of "Counter Terrorism: Modern Warfare", there is no domestic rival in terms of graphics.
It’s hard to tell what the level of program development is, but Qin Shaoyan’s game design ability is recognized as the strongest in the industry.
With this kind of R&D lineup, you can’t say that what they are doing is not good until it has been tested by the market.
Xiong Xiaoge thought of this and asked, "But you'd better give me a time point."
Qin Shaoyan counted the dates and raised three fingers. "Three months!"
"Three months later, that is, in late November, our game will conduct the first round of technical testing to the outside world, an invitation-only closed testing in January, and an internal testing of the activation code after the Chinese New Year. .”
"Public testing will take place in mid-April, and we will start preparing to collect money after one month of testing."
"Okay!" Xiong Xiaoge said in a deep voice, "Then I'm looking forward to the performance of your secret weapon. "
"In two months, when we conduct pre-heating promotions online, you can see everyone's expectations," Qin Shaoyan said confidently, "It will definitely become the most anticipated online game in 2006. The top three."
Xiong Xiaoge was noncommittal and suddenly asked: "What do you mean by bad value and LTV?"
"Qin. Shaoyan laughed, "Apo value is ARPU, which is the average user income. The total income is divided by the number of users. This is a statistical method."
"Today's paid online games charge for time, and the value created by all users increases based on the online time."
"Free online games use a time-free prop charging method, and only some players pay, so we have to calculate Let’s take a look at the ARPU value to calculate how much value each user creates for the game.”
Xiong Xiaoge was a little confused, “Why should those players who don’t pay be included? Aren’t they not creating any value? "
"No, Mr. Xiong, you got it wrong," Qin Shaoyan said with a smile, "The existence of free players is value in itself, and they are part of the game ecosystem."
“Free players don’t have to pay to watch, but they are part of the services we provide to paying players.”
"Without the free players, who are paying players to show off to? They also need living targets to kill people. Killing monsters is not as fun as killing people."
"Paid players find that spending money is a waste of money. You will continue to spend money only when it is worth it. Otherwise, if you still can’t beat others after spending money, then what’s the point of spending money?”
“Everyone is spending money to be a father, not to be a grandchild.”< br>
“A company that charges money while treating players like monkeys will be doomed sooner or later.”
Xiong Xiaoge gave a thumbs up, “Mr. Qin, I take back what I just said. I’ve thought it all through.”
"It's just a small skill, not worth mentioning." Qin Shaoyan smiled.
Xiong Xiaoge looked back at the game development members who were busy in the lobby and sighed, "I hope I can make a lot of money this time."
"I definitely will." Qin Shaoyan solemnly said said.
Qin Shaoyan asked Zhang Pingyi to drive Xiong Xiaoge back first, while he stayed in the secret R&D base to prepare for a meeting with several senior executives.
Fan Xiaoqian, who was in charge of the procedure, hurried over. He was sleepy and had just finished washing. He had not even wiped off the toothpaste foam from the corners of his mouth. He said somewhat confusedly: "The sponsor is here. Where is he?"
"Already gone." Qin Shaoyan said with a smile.
"Why did you leave?" Fan Xiaoqian felt a little regretful, "I haven't had time to visit it yet."
"What's there to see here?!" Qin Shaoyan was a little stunned, "Besides, He is the sponsor of the campus network, and he is not from a game company. Why are you so excited?"
"Hey, he is a venture capitalist. I have never met a venture capital investor." He joked, "Besides, our online game is operated by the campus network, and he is also our boss after all."
Fan Xiaoqian winked and said: "How about it, talk to the boss, the operation is divided into three How about seven points?”
"Why don't you go back and take a nap?!" Qin Shaoyan mocked, "What good things are you thinking about? There is no such rule in the entire industry, and opening on 28 is already good."
"Game companies and operating companies are both It's yours, don't be so stingy." Fan Xiaoqian felt a little pity, "How about 25 or 75?"
"No!" Qin Shaoyan firmly refused, "If the campus network is to be listed, it must be. I have to read the report carefully. This 28% opening is the most favorable condition I can get.”
“Although I am the boss of both parties, one code belongs to the other, and the brothers still settle the accounts clearly. , it’s pretty good that the development company can get 20%.”
Fan Xiaoqian sighed, “I want to try to get more for my brothers. I have to compensate for locking people up in such a useless place. ”
"Tell the brothers that as long as the campus network can be successfully listed this time, each person will have an apartment." Qin Shaoyan said lightly, "I, Qin Shaoyan, am not a stingy person, and I will not treat anyone who wants to conquer the world badly with me."< br>
Houses are so cheap now, and with the help of loans, it is simply a waste of money.
"Call Brother Kun and Teacher Hong, let's have a meeting and talk about how to make this online game."
(End of this chapter)