Grand Game 18 Fund: awarded to the fishing incubation of the online enterprise

Three years to invest 1 billion yuan, so the investment will be a grand layout of how the game industry chain?

"18 months, more than 20 million yuan", this is the development of an online game of the average input. It is really a matter of burning money, there is no capital, empty creativity, team, can only be "Huang Liang One Dream."

However, with a story, fuming really made his dream. "Arcade game networking, first person shooter" is fuming's unique creativity. September 2006, fuming received a grand 18 fund 8 million Yuan investment, with a strong arcade game style "Ghost blows" in this regard in cooperation with the emergence of the two sides, the production of Shanghai Mashi Information Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Mashi) development also launched a new chapter.

"Now we independently research and development of the game product" ghost blows rumored "Cumulative login users have reached 10 million times. Mashi's founder and CEO, fuming, felt "more and more" about the company's development.

Fuming's Mashi is just one-fortieth of Shanda's 18-funded projects. Through the "monthly 18th, the Grand 18 fund to listen to your story" this way, Shanda game is full search for excellent team and products, "for my use, achieve a total win."

The so-called "Teach the fish, as the award of fishing", Shanda 18 fund can be positioned as a "fishing operation" training camp. For the investment of the online games enterprises to provide including funds, operating platforms, channels, personnel and other resources, to ensure that the investment enterprises thrive.

Free-range”

"With just one entrepreneurial story, a grand game can start investing in the relevant team," he said. "Shanda 18 funds to the creative online investment direction, attracted a lot of online entrepreneurs attention." Grand 18 fund before and after the start, there are a number of projects, such as Shanghai Mashi Information Technology Co., Ltd., Chengdu Kam-Day Technology Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai Pine Cone Network Technology Co., Ltd. has entered the Grand 18 Fund training camp.

"Shanda will provide entrepreneurs with all the help they need, including money, markets, teams, etc." Tan, CEO of Shanda, said in an interview with The Economist, "and the Grand 18 Fund undertakes costs and risks." ”

But it is not a bad thing for the entrepreneur to grow up through the ordeal of eugenics and escape. In the face of "how to avoid the greenhouse flower effect of the investment enterprises", Tan said: "The Grand 18 fund is only to help entrepreneurs to reduce life and capital pressure, but will not form a ' greenhouse effect '." ”

"Entrepreneurship is always a challenge, and entrepreneurs are driven not just by pressure but by persistent entrepreneurial ideals." Tan further said, "If the entrepreneur loses its momentum because of our investment, he is not worthy of our further investment." ”

"To be honest, the industry is not bad money. The key is to provide the content of the entrepreneur support, to provide the stage to achieve the dream. Tan said, "Incentive 1.0 is to rely on intimidation to achieve, incentive 2.0 is to rely on the support of money, incentive 3.0 is to rely on self-realization of the power of the dream." ”

Creativity is a more mysterious things, and its linked technology content, product content, market prospects, perhaps in the future specific operation can be reflected in the online games industry for many years of the grand game has undoubtedly formed its own more scientific evaluation system.

The evaluation system of Shanda 18 fund includes evaluation of game planning, technology, art and so on, and 10 decision makers voted to decide which project to invest. At present, there are two partners in Shanda 18 Fund, respectively, Zoo Yurong and Chen Haojian, and four fund managers working for two partners.

"From an investment perspective, the investment game is mainly to see people, see the team, which is not different from other investments." Tan said that the Shanda 18 fund investment in the online games enterprises are divided into entrepreneurial enterprises and development-oriented enterprises.

At present the Grand 18 fund invests more than 40 swims the company, the entrepreneurial enterprise proportion more. "For entrepreneurial game companies, Shanda General not holding." "Tan said. Shanda 18 Fund invested fuming 8 million yuan, only holds Mashi 20% shares. Although later with the Grand 18 fund gradually investment, fuming accepted investment has accumulated 20 million yuan, but fuming and its entrepreneurial team is still holding, shareholding ratio of 80%, which to a large extent to ensure that the original team "master" mentality and drive. For the development of enterprises, Shanda 18 funds often adopt a holding-type acquisition, such as a wholly-owned acquisition of Morchi Media.

Shanda 18 funds can provide an environment for entrepreneurs to work with them to optimize their goals and ultimately achieve success. Tan said, "As for the way of cooperation, there are a variety of Grand 18 fund to become a growth incubator for the rapid development of online games." ”

"Free-range hatch," tan so described, and admits that many business incubators at home and abroad through the detour, "experience is very valuable", such as the ideal color too strong, lack of experience, management matching, and a more unitary mode of cooperation is a grand 18 fund to avoid the problem.

Now the Grand 18 Fund is located in Shanghai Zhangjiang Technology Development Park, and Zhangjiang has a good cooperative relationship, but also with the Chengdu government to establish a incubation base for the investment enterprises to provide including preferential rent services. "To provide more services, less forced to do things, according to the needs of enterprises." ”

As a grand 18 fund investment of the first creative online games, in addition to 8 million Yuan capital, Shanda 18 from the beginning of the Chinese network to buy out the "Ghost blows" game adaptation right, will be free to provide fuming team. Today, the number of Mashi has reached nearly 80 people, technical research and development staff of more than 60 people, and has been from simple technology research and development to the game research and operation, its own platform in the continuous accumulation of expansion.

"Player IP," the platform of the Grand game source contributed to the 40%,14% from the beginning of the Chinese network, others are from the "ghost blows rumored" of their own influence. Fuming seemed particularly excited.

In addition to these large services, fuming also recalled the original "ghost blows rumored" when the public test, because of unexpected events and directly call Chen Tianqiao "emergency". "Before the public test we made the market strategy because of insufficient preparation of early resources, in the public test appeared a small situation, fortunately Chen General (Chen) their resources are extensive, help us timely coordination and treatment." ”

"Now, for the development of their own enterprises, my heart is more spectrum." "Fuming said.

Profit

"We have a team of two people who got 180,000 dollars in profits in March and have now set up a company," he said. "Tan is very happy that the company that has invested has achieved such development.

Co-win cooperation, like other investment institutions, the discovery of good projects, investment, to obtain returns, Tan frankly, Shanda 18 Fund also has such operational objectives.

Mashi is currently introducing a new round of investment, but the specific period and amount fuming did not disclose that Shanda 18 funds may continue to invest. As an angel or a round investor, the introduction of new investors to obtain a certain degree of exit, also does not exclude the investment enterprise independent listing, this is the Grand 18 fund to obtain investment return of the alternative way.

"Equity is part of it, and there are other ways to profit." "Tan said. "At present our cooperation with Shanda is no longer limited to capital investment and being invested, or who controls who, has gone beyond this level, there are many ways for us to cooperate." "Fuming also emphasized many times.

"Shanda games to IP as the core assets", access to the enterprise's game IP is a grand 18 fund to obtain a return of a way. In addition, Shanda 18 funds can be divided into profits from the enterprise revenue process to achieve cumulative returns. At present, Shanda games in the world with 40,000 web platforms can be used for online games enterprises. Enterprise games with a grand game platform is free of charge, the game operating profits and grand to do according to the score.

The results of technical cooperation are also one of the important rewards. Take Mashi as an example, "Ghost blows" is a large multiplayer online role playing games, but also a grand 18 fund investment of the few emphasis on fighting and level challenges of action-class games. "Our research and development and operational experience can be complemented by the development of action games and user maintenance." "Fuming said.

Now in the Grand game platform operation and testing of the 60 games, Shanda 18 fund investment enterprises have more than 20, occupy a considerable proportion. Mashi is now operating healthily and is expected to make a profit by the end of 2010; the "Magic Thief" in the beta, and the upcoming "Heroic Age 2", will also bring great rewards for the Grand 18 fund in the future.

and Shanda 18 Fund's sub-fund, also plays the role of discovering and training the Forces nouvelles, Shanda 18 fund naturally also from the investment process of its child fund continuously get return.

In January 2010, the Grand 18 Fund invested its first overseas list, mochi media of the American game distribution and the built-in advertising platform, Mochi Media has 140 million active users, with operations involving 48 countries and regions, Morchi Media will pay attention to the layout of community games and mobile games, and will greatly enhance the ability of overseas development of Shanda games.

The following March 2010, the Grand 18 Fund and Mochi Media cooperation to set up a "Game developers Fund" for "Flash Game" investment. "Mochi Media is the first company to offer free platform to online amateur developers, and we hope that the Cooperation Fund can help the creators of the game to release the game and the partners will benefit." "Tan said.

For the Grand 18 Fund's future overseas strategy, Tan said the "Grand 18 fund the pace of globalization will slowly unfold", the early game overseas cooperation more is a simple IP cooperation, the future Grand 18 Foundation in the investment, management and other aspects of further, such as with South Korea, the United States and other countries online games company's cooperation.

"However, we will not make a special setting for the return of the fund, and many returns have been gradually reflected in the process." Tan stressed that the Grand 18 Fund is not in a hurry to "cash in".

Cycle

From the content manufacturer to the platform operator transformation, "three years investment 1 billion yuan" plan will be good to help the grand game to achieve the goal.

In fact, we have been in transition. "Tan laughs," The grand game hopes to no longer be a simple game production or research and development company, but hope to form an ecosystem, can cultivate more partners, so as to achieve resource exchange, benign collaboration. ”

"No longer eggs chicken, but become a chicken farm", some media so appraised Grand 18 fund in the Grand game industry layout role.

That's true. Tan said that although the Grand 18 Fund is still a grand game of a department, but "formal fund" is its development direction. "Shanda 18 fund will become the core business of Shanda Games, even the only business." "Tan made it clear.

Of course, Chen and Tan today's calm, from the game industry, the current situation and the future "after the pain of thinking." The success of a game, may not represent the future success, game creativity, player mentality, launch time and many other factors determine the game industry fierce competition.

Shanda is a very good platform, but because of this, Shanda games have also become a springboard for many people to find better job opportunities. It is understood that from the end of 2005 to the first half of 2006 in just a few months time, only more than 2000 employees of the Grand game, the loss of hundreds of employees.

How to retain outstanding talent, how to develop specific market prospects of the creative online games, become Chen Tianqiao transformation Grand Game main driving force.

"Shanda games not only in the excavation of new ideas, but also very actively encourage internal entrepreneurship, soon after the size of the grand game may be from the current one thousand or two thousand people into hundreds of people, the main nature of the work will be a large number of management companies." "Tan said," The cooperative way of industrialization, the formation of a virtuous circle of the game industry. ”

At present Shanda 18 Fund has invested more than 40 game projects, the amount of more than 600 million yuan (excluding the acquisition of Morchi Media), the image of things as management experience, the "fishing operation" to each of the invested enterprises, is the Grand 18 fund industrialization Management of one of the goals.

However, now this "investment creativity" has attracted many imitators, giant network of "win in the Giants", a tour network of "The Treasure Plan" and other special online game funds in July or August 2009 debut, hoping to share a cup of soup.

However, Tan said that the Grand 18 fund through the "Bottom-up Drive", has been many of the heroes, "demonstration effect" is obvious, not afraid of the future competition.

In fact, in other industries, equity investment has already been normalized, such as Fosun Group, Xinhua, ya ge Many enterprises have already intervened in the field of equity investment, the harvest is very high, especially Youngor, in 2009 its investment business has contributed more than half of its profits, Fosun Group and Carlyle Group to set up a renminbi fund, The results are very commendable.

This investment in Shanda has its own uniqueness, Tan says, and the investment in the game industry "takes into account the nature of the industry". At present, few software industry enterprises do the same industry investment, and most of them are cross-industry investment. and the game industry and the film or media industry investment is similar, are looking for the so-called "creative source."

"Creativity cannot be monopolized", and many good ideas come from entrepreneurship, so Shanda hopes to gain excellent creativity and further market space through this "no bondage" approach.