Plants vs. Zombie Developers in China: facing fake products

You must have played "Plant vs. Zombies," and you must not spend money.　　Now the game's developers-the United States National Treasure Open Game (PopCap Games) to let you change this habit. Bao opened in Seattle ten years ago, the first game is later popular in the world of "Gem Bejeweled" (bejeweled).　　As a result of a unique first-play after the sale of the way-to allow customers to free online demo version, and then attract them to pay to buy more levels, can save progress of the full version-this product success, but also laid a unique sales model Bao Open the foundation.　　In the following 10 years, Bao opened successively launched the "Plant War zombie" and other 35 stand-alone games, covering the Web page, PC, Mac, mobile phone, IPad, Xbox, PlayStation and other platforms, and is developing a game for the Android operating system. August 2010, the treasure opened the game Asia headquarters Shanghai Bao Kai Software Co., Ltd. to reach a partnership with Renren, the end of the year will be in the online launch of a new social game, trying to sell game props to the players to profit.　　At present, Renren boasts 150 million registered users and is popular among Chinese college students. In the United States, with the cooperation with Facebook, the game is getting a good income. December 2008, the treasure opened its trump card products "Gem Bejeweled" on the world's largest social networking site, Facebook, by adding "buy magic Power" payment options to earn revenue; in April 2010, the game began to be paid to download,　　has now entered the top 20 of the Facebook apps rankings, with 12 million active users.　　According to Insidesocialgames.com, the first Web site to market research on Facebook platforms and social games, the 2009 US virtual-market value was around $1 billion trillion, while valuations in Asia amounted to $7 billion trillion, which came from a number of gaming products developed by companies such as Bao Kai. Bao Kai intends to replicate such a successful model in China. In fact, developing social games is the trend.　　China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the "2010 China web Game Survey Report" shows that as of April 2010, the total number of Chinese web game users have reached 105 million, of which social-type web games reached 92.09 million, almost equivalent to the total size of domestic web game 90%. Now it's not just defining social games as web games on social networking sites, but it's also a stand-alone game with social elements. For example, in the annual edition of "Zombies", users can design their own zombie images and share them with friends, such as sending them to social networking sites or using them as MSN avatars.　　Kun, manager of the Great China area, said that every game in the future will be joined by a similar social element. But if they want to be smooth sailing in China, they might not win a bunch of zombies like a watermelon cannon.That simple. In May 2010, a game called "Gourd Doll War Group Demon" has aroused the enthusiastic discussion of the players. The product, which is developed by a company named Pixel software in Beijing, is the same as "Plant vs Zombies", which was launched as part of the 3D online game of Tencent operations. Because the controversy is too big, now on Tencent's platform has not found this game.　　And Tencent has been operating for many years the game "QQ Dragon Bead" is also the players think there is a fake treasure opened another classic game "Zuma" suspicion.　　A little action can spark intense debate-Tencent is like a big mountain in the Chinese market for any small-and medium-sized game developer. As of the second quarter of 2010, the domestic largest Internet service provider's Instant Messaging QQ service already has nearly 1 billion registered users, more than 600 million active users; QQ network QQ has accumulated more than 428 million users, its main operating leisure games "QQ Game" portal,　　The top online accounts (including casual gaming only) reached 6.5 million.　　This powerful operating platform is not currently open to more third-party developers, it only operates Tencent's close to hundreds large and small products, they are either developed by Tencent, or by Tencent acquisition, agent. Compared with Tencent, Bao open the choice of partners-Renren, in the domestic social networking sites on the battlefield does not occupy a convincing advantage. In addition to the most dangerous Tencent, happy Net, 51.com and other sites are also eyeing, both the number of users and Renren is comparable.　　This has discounted the value of Renren as a marketing channel, while in the US Facebook is the largest social networking site. Bao Kai will also face any time may appear similar to "Gourd Baby war Group demon" such a fake products of the trouble.　　Although it may be because of suspicion, Tencent no longer operates the game, but once a similar product appeared on the QQ platform, it is obviously more than "Plants vs zombies" more quickly to find users, in the player overlap a higher level of leisure games more so. And Bao Kai think they can play the card is the quality of the game. "Plants vs Zombies" is a kind of tower-defense game that anyone can do. "Kun said.　　But he thinks each company makes to operate the feeling, the fine art precision is different, "the plant fights the zombie" is the treasure opens 10 developers to spend three years to develop. The company is pursuing a localization strategy in China. In the local studio has been set up, 75 of employees from across the country have summed up the user preferences of different regions, such as the southern region may prefer the cartoon image, the north prefers to realism some scenes and martial arts content. They will develop the product accordingly without the consent of the US headquarters.　　In the game developed specifically for the Chinese market, joining the Chinese image and elements will be an important direction.　　Bao Kai hope this time will not hit the wall again. Since 2007, the game has tried to enterIn China, the then business development manager, James Gwertzman, came alone to develop a vast market outside Europe and the United States. 2008 Shanghai Bao Kai Software Co., Ltd. was founded, the original treasure opened the game to the video network Yuan Entertainment Technology Co., Ltd. 's network agent sales, the average price per section of about 20 U.S. dollars. In a market that does not pay to buy a single game, sales have been unusually difficult.　　Online everywhere is to ask how to crack the game's posts, which let the company feel helpless, finally terminated the network with the cooperation of the net. Paula realised that it was important to look for a business model suitable for Chinese consumers in the Chinese market, and that buying games like software was clearly unpopular here.　　In the end, working with social networking sites to develop social games that match Chinese players ' habits and charges for props has become a new play in the Chinese market. If there is no Tencent, if not all kinds of "gourd baby", this may be a perfect plan.