Shanda Games Tan Yanfeng: Game adaptations of films need to respect the professionalism and creative rules of films

China Joy is Tan Yanfeng's first public appearance since returning to Shanda Games. This is also his last appearance at CJ as vice president of Shanda Games. Tan Yanfeng said that he couldn't reveal when to change the new name and what the new name was yet, but his 14-year journey with CJ will not stop there. He hopes to attract players with products and user experience next year.

For Tan Yanfeng, this year's ChinaJoy is probably the most complex CJ.

Nearly a month before the opening of ChinaJoy, on June 28, Shanda Games CEO Xie Fei issued a new personnel appointment, appointing Tan Yanfeng as the company's vice president, responsible for market communications and other work. Tan Yanfeng served as product manager of DOA project and marketing director of Chuanshi Studio at Shanda Games from 2007 to 2013. After leaving Shanda, he became vice president of Youzu Network.

ChinaJoy is Tan Yanfeng's first public appearance since returning to Shanda Games. This is also his last appearance at CJ as vice president of Shanda Games.

At the beginning of this year, Shanda Group announced that Shanda Group no longer holds any shares in Shanda Games. Moreover, the Shanda Games trademark will expire on December 31, 2016. That is, next year, Shanda Games will no longer be a "Shanda Games". At this year's CJ, the rumor of changing the name was finally confirmed. Chen Danian said that this was the last year that "Shanda Games" would participate in the exhibition.

As a "champion", Tan Yanfeng naturally could not escape the fate of being "tortured". Tan Yanfeng said that he couldn't reveal when to change the new name and what the new name was yet, but his 14-year journey with CJ will not stop there. He hopes to attract players with products and user experience next year.

"All my personal dreams of youth have been dedicated to Shanda Games'." Like Tan Yanfeng, many China players have dedicated their youth to the classic game "World of Legend", which is represented by Shanda Games.

Thirteen years later, the copyright of "World of Legends" has once again fallen into a dispute. This storm reached a peak on this year's CJ.

The two companies fought directly on CJ. On the one hand, South Korea's ACTOZ company issued a statement saying that it would immediately take legal measures to deal with the infringement of entertainment and other authorized parties. On the one hand, Yumeide held an interim press conference and stated that although Shanda Games holds ACTOZ, it is still only the operator of the legendary series of games and does not enjoy copyright. Although Shanda has obtained legal trademark rights in China, it is only because it is easier for Shanda to apply for trademarks in China that entertainment and virtues will not recognize Shanda's legendary trademark.

Tan Yanfeng told reporters that as the co-owner of the legendary copyright, Meimeide cannot unilaterally violate relevant agreements and authorize it alone. Neither China nor South Korean law allows it. After Shanda's attempt to negotiate a settlement of the legendary dispute failed, it has formally filed a lawsuit and let the law judge it.

The following is part of the interview record:

Reporter: About the legendary IP pan-entertainment planning is?

Tan Yanfeng: For Legendary IP, we have a comprehensive plan, which is generally referred to as the Legendary Chronicle Plan. This is the general name of a series of content projects, which consists of text setting, visual concept design, character modeling, story writing and other links. By summarizing, refining and iterating the accumulated content in the operation process of Legend for more than ten years, a unique and complete world is established and described.

We have formed a strong content construction team that brings together scholars and artists from multiple disciplines to create from multiple fields such as geography, history, ethnicity, and humanities.

Reporter: Can you tell us more specifically about the legendary IP development plans and which ones are being promoted?

Tan Yanfeng: Currently, the first official novel in the legendary chronicle,"Fighting the Sand", is being serialized. During the CJ period, physical books in simplified Chinese will be released. Audio novels based on "Fighting the Sand" have already been launched on major audio platforms. The full-length comic project of "Fighting the Sand" has also been launched and will be launched soon.

The entire Legendary Chronicle project also includes the second and third parts of the official novel, the short comics of the Weapon series, legendary radio dramas, etc. The Chronicle's film and television plan will also be launched, and discussions are currently being made with possible partners. We also plan to launch "Collection of Novels from the Past" and "Comics from the Past", and the "World of Legend" legendary world mobile game will also be officially launched within the year.

In terms of games, new RP-type games will be based on the new worldview and settings of the legendary chronicle, bringing new feelings to players; sub-types other than RPG are also the key research and development direction of legendary mobile games, such as e-sports mobile games."MOBA Legend".

Reporter: In the legendary film and television industry, are movies or online dramas likely to be the first to appear?

Tan Yanfeng: The possibility of a movie is greater. After all, there is a precedent for the "Dragon Valley" movie.

Reporter: Although many game companies are talking about pan-entertainment now, the success rate of adapting games into movies is actually very low. How do you view this risk?

Tan Yanfeng: The most important thing in game film adaptation is how to ensure the professional quality of the film on the basis of controlling the direction of IP. In fact, the two are often in a dilemma and it is difficult to balance. Therefore, it is very risky for game companies to dominate film projects. Big, currently game companies are generally positioned to export IP.

At present, the number of game-adapted movies is quite large. Based on past case studies, the following factors must be considered in selecting a game IP:

First, the popularity, influence and number of players of the game, which is also the most widely recognized factor.

Next is the type of game. The game threshold and risks of the second-dimensional animation style are very low, and there is a certain market demand. For example, the box office of the movie "Dragon Valley" we launched was quite good in the same period. Games with a more realistic style will not require too high filming and post-production, but script creation is a major difficulty, and there are no particularly successful cases so far. Games with a fantasy style can be technically realized, but the characteristics that are too inclined to CG presentation are not suitable for the current viewing experience, which is very risky. Game movies such as Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and Warcraft all have similar problems, and their final box office results are not ideal.

The third is to evaluate whether there are distinctive characters. Movies are ultimately the stories of the characters, and games are just weak points in character creation. Therefore, whether the game itself creates characters that are familiar to players is an important factor in the success of the adaptation.

Reporter: How do legendary movies plan to avoid these problems?

Tan Yanfeng: Legend has a player base and influence that is no less than the Warcraft series in China. Players have their own expectations and imaginations for Shabak, Judgment, Woma Master, etc. These expectations are also the basis for the success of the game's adaptation of the movie.

But we must also see that game-adapted films are also films. If you don't want legendary films to become enthusiastic "sentimental films" for consumer fans like Warcraft, you must respect the professionalism and creative rules of the film. First of all, the script must be based on telling a good story, rather than the display of game characters and props. Secondly, quality must be emphasized in production to avoid going in the wrong direction such as CG films or even game CG. Therefore, for big movies of Legendary IP, our overall plan is to plan early and slow progress. Try your best to write the first song.

Editor: yvette