How does the game create IP-derived animation? Industry celebrities talk about the future development direction of domestic roaming linkage

Not long ago, reporters and Game Grapes jointly held a small round table. We invited guests such as Zhang Zhi, Vice President of Demonic Qi, Luo Hao, Commercial Director of Tencent Animation, Wei Xin, Director of Longtu Game Operations, Jiang Dawei, Marketing Director of Mihayou, and Zeng Qiang, President of Yuyan Technology, to discuss many topics of roaming linkage. Analysis and discussion.

not long ago, reporters and Game Grapes jointly held a small round table. We invited guests such as Zhang Zhi, Vice President of Demonic Qi, Luo Hao, Commercial Director of Tencent Animation, Wei Xin, Director of Longtu Game Operations, Jiang Dawei, Marketing Director of Mihayou, and Zeng Qiang, President of Yuyan Technology, to discuss many topics of roaming linkage. Analysis and discussion.

Youyao, Tencent Animation has many roaming linked works, Yuyan Technology runs the mobile game "New Qin Shi Ming Yue", Longtu has animated games such as "Battle of Yamaguchi Mountain", and Mihayou is a self-created IP secondary game. Five companies have a high say in this field.

The reporter shared the roundtable record here as follows (compiled):

What types of anime are suitable for adapting into games?

Luo Hao: First of all, the world outlook, values and story structure must be sustainable and in line with public values. This is a relatively important selection criterion; second, the image of the characters and the plot of the story must be suitable for the target type of game.

Zhang Zhi: We believe that compared with other anime genres, hot-blooded teen comics are more suitable for adaptation and commercialization. Therefore, most of the contracts are hot-blooded teen comics, whether it is made into film, television or gamification.

Wei Xin: From the perspective of game operators, we are more willing to select an IP that can affect the explosive power of users at present or in the short term in the future, and pay more attention to the current explosive power, which will be directly related to the cost of subsequent product promotion. problem.

How can copyright parties and adaptors cooperate?

Luo Hao: Two more important points are that the licensor and developer at the initial stage of development must reach an agreement on expectations, including expectations for content and games, as well as an expectation for the entire future revenue operation. This will facilitate everyone to communicate and use on the same level and amplify the value of this IP. This may be what we spend the most time and energy chatting and communicating with all partners now.

Second, IP itself will also provide basic users. We must find these users and then investigate their characteristics and core users 'behaviors clearly. Including user basic attributes, behavior in reading works, game behavior, consumption behavior, and even their behavior data in the same type of games. This will allow us to identify the basic attributes of users in the early stages of authorized game development, thereby predicting their consumption behavior, and provide great help for later numerical adjustment and gameplay design.

During the development process of the game, we will also have a certain degree of supervision to ensure that the use of the entire IP does not deviate from the original intention of the IP, but it is not very strict to completely match the original IP image. This is also a stage for the anime and game parties to learn and explore each other. The overall principle is to hope that games can use IP to bring maximum value, and in turn, games can further enhance this IP and jointly operate IP better.

Zhang Zhi: When combining it with the game, we will provide feedback on the supervision work relatively quickly. At the same time, we hope that the overall game can reflect the comics 'worldview and character relationships. At the same time, we can also bind players through internal testing in the early stage, import a group of users into it at the beginning, let them experience two or three tests first, and then adjust the value based on the feedback of these players.

Wei Xin: I think it should be divided into three stages: preparation period, research and development period and promotion period.

During the preparatory period, we focus on how recoverable and scalable the IP content is, and whether the team can catch the IP and carry out the project. When designing a game, designers need to consider many qualitative issues, such as whether the server can stably carry the number of users when it is launched, and where are the seed users, core users, and new users.

During the research and development period, our requirements are more accurate restoration and put as many animation elements as possible into the game to give players a strong sense of substitution. During the research and development period, we and the copyright owner will encounter many supervision problems, which will continue to be repeated. During this process, as the licensor, we will pay more attention to the impact of the adaptation on our platform. This is an inevitable problem.

During the promotion period, what we need to do on the one hand is to strengthen the iterative ability of the game; on the other hand, how to use IP to achieve the level we hope for in promotion, such as what opportunities can animation and games use to jointly work together.

The opportunities and potential of anime IP adapting games

Zhang Zhi: The value of anime IP lies first of all in its ability to drive the number of users, and secondly in its worldview and characters. These designs are to provide users with a sense of substitution and viscosity. For comic platforms, what we need to do is to insist on making the content explosive, let the public realize it, and then tell the story well to make IP influence.

Luo Hao: Compared with other derivative methods, animation is more suitable for game adaptations. In addition to the basic user volume and worldview background, during the user training process, anime characters already have fixed character settings or a corresponding form of expression, which is very helpful to users in smoothly transitioning to the game.

Many manufacturers are thinking about how to increase the retention time and participation time of game users, such as allowing reading behavior and game behavior to interact and increase each other. This will increase market attention and user costs, and will also increase the number of successful cases of comic modification games.

Zeng Qiang: Roaming linkage is not an operating model, but more like a marketing model in essence. I think animation and games are two different industries. The two can be launched at the same stage. Games can accurately find target users through IP, but after users enter the game, animation can not provide much help.

IP only changes the marketing cost of games, which has its benefits and disadvantages. When IP users enter the game, the operating rhythm is obviously very different from many non-IP projects. It will present relatively standard fan-oriented product characteristics, that is, a cliff-like decline. Games can use IP such as anime and TV series to attract, but when the first batch of users come in, the relationship between games and anime will weaken, and it is the game itself that can retain users, so you must make games down-to-earth.

There are several characteristics in the data of fans 'products: when the game is first launched, the number of visits is particularly large, and the number of visitors will be ten percentage points higher than that of ordinary games. However, after a week, it will return to normal retained data. By the 15th, the data will basically be determined by the quality of the game. Players come in by IP, but they don't keep playing games because of their feelings after they come in, so a good IP is just a bonus, not the foundation of the game.

David Jiang: First of all, a game must be a good game regardless of IP. The reason why users can continue to stay in the game must be that the gameplay can bring fun to users. A good IP is more useful for users in the early stages of the game.

In addition, the game guides user behavior. For example, we make the more important characters in our games into novella comics. When users are enthusiastic, we design relevant game activities and make some in-house purchases for everyone to consume. Compared with games without story background, users are more willing to buy.

How does the game create IP-derived animation?

Luo Hao: If the content is well done, it will definitely have a positive impact on the game, including extending the life cycle and increasing payment points. There are many games within Tencent that are doing animation, but now it is impossible to determine how obvious the improvement can be. Overall, user activity is increasing, discussions in the game are active, and the key plots and key images of the content can be refreshed after they are presented in the game. In the future, games should produce content, and then drive more forms, including movies, games, peripherals, etc., so that this can be called the success of reverse linkage.

For independent CPs, if they can make some more sophisticated or in-depth IPs in this regard, there is a great chance of success. However, their ability to deal with risks is relatively more advantageous by relying on the platform.

The future development direction of domestic roaming linkage

Luo Hao: We are now in the era of pan-IP. On the one hand, IP can broaden your audience, but it cannot determine whether you can gain explosive income through IP or have a great impact.

This uncertainty can also be reversed. For example, if we can reverse the animation from players 'feedback, it can be recognized by the market, so that it can continue to produce water for a long time, making the company willing to turn this product into a pan-entertainment thing. Animation and comics are both forms of IP expression. Such works not only affect China, but even radiate abroad. Whether it is at home or abroad, we will give priority to using the local IP we are familiar with to adapt them into games.

Zhang Zhi: In 2014, 70% of our revenue came from games. This year, 40% came from games, 40% came from film and television, and 20% came from cooperation with copyright and other platforms. I think this is a kind of benign ecology. As our content becomes stronger, there are more and more opportunities for commercialization. Of course, we also hope that animation companies will not only focus on game adaptations. We should cherish all opportunities and create commercial value for ourselves through various sources of income such as film, television series, and copyright.

Zeng Qiang: I am very optimistic about this model. Whether it is video games or roaming linkage, it is an optimization of user acquisition costs. Using IP to adapt can reduce the cost of game distribution. This is fundamental. This model will become a long-term development trend, and more and more cases will appear.

I think everyone needs to change their thinking more and in turn consider what kind of group of people an IP is more suitable for and what type of game it should be adapted into, rather than the thinking of "we want to get a big IP". This will in turn affect the animation company. When planning a new project, it will consider what derivatives this IP can be adapted into in the future, and will pay more attention to the shaping of this content when creating it.

David Jiang: I think the success rate of roaming linkage in China is very high. There are also many successful examples of roaming linkage in foreign countries, such as FATE in Japan, Marvel and Disney in the United States. They have made roaming linkage relatively complete. Since 2014 in China, the level of the entire industry has been continuously improving, and users 'desire to pay for IP is also constantly increasing. I hope to do better and better in this regard.

Wei Xin: Personally, I feel that the future is not just about roaming linkage. In fact, animation and its derived forms of expression, including film and television, surrounding areas, etc., will have strong interaction and linkage. One of the most testing points for operators is their ability to refine operations. Nowadays, there will be fewer and fewer phenomena of simply using IP to de-direct, and more of a in-depth combination, such as continuously providing a better product expression based on user feedback, which is the key to whether you can gain greater value. So no matter what form of linkage, more and more high-quality derivative products will definitely emerge in the future, and I believe this can be expected.

This article is reproduced from San Entertainment, and the reproduction has been authorized.

Editor: yvette