Practical innovation and quick response is the game of choice

Since mid-September 2012, Tencent's share price has continued to rise, the maximum exceeded 260 Hong Kong dollars, and the market value is stable at more than 60 billion U.S. dollars. The focus of the world, the famous social networking site Facebook is in sharp contrast with the previous 100 billion US dollars from the market value slipped all the way, only 40 billion US dollars more, about two-thirds of Tencent.

Although the future of a company's imagination is very important, but make money or hard targets, the two have to say that the best policy. For the current Tencent, just over 200 million users, glamorous WeChat understandable capital markets support the "city dream rate" key role, but the real take Tencent in the world arena is the rapid rise of the banner is the game .

August 15, 2012, Tencent announced the second quarter and first half of 2012 earnings. Q2 Tencent's total revenue of about 10.5 billion yuan, up 56.2%, without exception, the separate disclosure of online games revenue reached nearly 5.6 billion yuan, more than half of Tencent's total revenue.

Tencent in the game is still non-stop force. Not long before the earnings announcement, Tencent announced a strategic cooperation with Blizzard, the world's leading game manufacturer, in July to release "Call of Duty online" (a game called "Call of Duty" by Chinese players); Tencent's second The quarter also one after another closed beta of two years-long game masterpiece "Dragon in the Sky" and "NBA2K online", so far impressive results, including "Dragon" into the beta at the same time online already exceeded 500,000 , Broken millions should be no suspense; and in June, Tencent also shares of the game developer Epic Games, the latter with "Unreal Engine" and the game "War Machine" series of internationally renowned reputation.

Can be imagined, for a long period of time in the future, Tencent game will also act as the "cash cow" of the entire Tencent group, at least for now it seems that its strong momentum has not been declining trend, but more and more seem to be blessing .

If from China's online games industry point of view, this is really a different number. The entire online games market peaked in 2008, the entire plate of about 20 billion yuan, a substantial slowdown in growth rates since 2009, the industry is called "winter is coming," so far no improvement. Online games is still a lucrative business, from 2008 onwards, the relative e-commerce and mobile Internet market after the hot, gradually lost the imagination. Tencent games in this overall market conditions, only 5% more market share in early 2007, in addition to the top 5, in 2008 soared to 15%, directly into the top three. In Q2 2012, as the mainstream users were the student groups in the online games market, negative growth was seen in the online games market. Tencent continued its contrarian growth, accounting for more than 35% of the entire market. Its net incremental revenue accounted for 62% of the industry.

Tencent QQ all this simply due to resource traction is too far-fetched QQ users, because Tencent has long wanted to encroach on the game, suffered a defeat in 2004, dormant for 4 years until 2008 before the rise. So what makes today's Tencent game so lucrative? From Tencent Interactive Entertainment Tencent interactive entertainment group (hereinafter referred to as "mutual entertainment"), the low-key "department" and where learned more growth momentum? Only in-depth Among them, can only explore the answer.

Practical innovation and quick response

In 2003, with a section named "Triumph" online games beta, Tencent formally entered the online games market. All the combination looks so perfect: South Korean Academy of Sciences, the top technology force, the next era of the full 3D engine, South Korea, China Taiwan market early success, the Chinese online games market is maturing, with Tencent user advantages, operational capabilities, user understanding ...... But eventually, this had great expectations of Tencent's game without end.

"After we reflect on the original choice of the game, the game screen, the most emphasis on experience, this is a typical product-type perspective." Tencent vice president of interactive entertainment group Cheng Wu said, "However, the game threshold is relatively high, difficult to get started, or even In China, many Internet cafes do not support the graphics card to do this game did not really from the actual situation in China and the needs of users.

This lesson became one of the most important guidelines for playing games after Tencent. Tencent temperament in the people to keep the respect and fear of "patience" in subsequent years in the story of mutual entertainment has been proved, "Triumph" of the technical accumulation, creative accumulation and accumulation of people are preserved, and what is The real user needs have become a matter of constant reflection afterwards.

From 2006 to 2007, mutual entertainment began to form its own set of methodology. From the subsequent development, it is not hard to see that the eggs should not be thrown into a basket and should be researched together with the agents themselves. Starting from the blue ocean market segment, lowering the threshold, Emphasize the refreshing pleasure of the game itself; resolutely unlimited upper anti-plug-in, and strive to ensure the fair play of the game; grounded air, do not "pure proxy" must be localized according to user habits.

"Broadly speaking, the game is a human nature." Cheng Wu said. In exploring the nature of the game, Tencent Games found a way to play in stand-alone games.

In 2008, Tencent launched several games after the layout was completed, including "Dungeons & Dragons", "Cross Fire", "QQ Speed" and "QQ Hyun Dance" which were later referred to as the "Four Masters". Among them, the first two are a horizontal axis fighting, one is a CS-like shootout, and then two with the market then critically acclaimed two game genre.

It is hard to say that Tencent had already decided at the time what type of game was suitable for its operation. Obviously, unlike the traditional MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) for online games, Tencent's success in 2008 was more to get started and play and to emphasize competitive Sexual and refreshing fast-paced game, which became different from other online games manufacturers obvious characteristics.

Compared to MMORPG, this kind of game can be said to be hot and quick for a while, but the life cycle should be shorter because the gameplay is relatively fixed and the player's sociality is relatively weak. However, Tencent just put their energy to the extreme, such as the relative similar games, "QQ Speed" and "QQ Dancer" today still maintain a very high players online or even rising, "Dungeon and Warriors" can always After the opening of the new chapter ushered in the climax of the players. This is due to the endless play in the game and the interface, the player system "minimal innovation", the second is in the operation of the game culture, trade unions, idol shape and the surrounding extension, allowing players to enter a game to become a habit, three Is tied with other resources such as QQ Tencent, allowing players to gain identity and other recognition, with their own "online identity" into one.

In addition, Tencent will have some extreme perseverance in the operation process, such as anti-plug. In the dungeon and warriors after the hot, with the Chinese online games grow together with the plug-in forces have entered, and even each time a new version is introduced, less than 10 hours to launch a new plug-in. As long as the top could not stand, this game is bound to have the same year and the "Legend" and many other games, as the default plug-in coexistence of the mixture. In order to combat plug-in, Tencent game at the direct stop taking, when to plug-in can be closed when open - which means that will lose a lot of income, boring players will lose when trying new games, which in other games is unimaginable. This year's new game, "Royal Dragon in Heaven", the beta test phase found 11 different plug-ins, the team paid the suckling power, updated three times a day version.

In the constant localization, actual combat innovation and rapid response, Tencent's own R & D team deeply involved in the game, even if the game is the last agent, has become a real "joint research and development." For example, "Cross FireWire," Tencent games come in from the game interface to the interaction have carried out a lot of adjustment and optimization, and the original South Korea has made a big difference.

Internet games have the dual nature of Internet products and cultural products, Tencent is a typical entertainment product development and cultural operations, technology and "art" both hands are hard on behalf of. After "patience", Tencent style of "strong executive power" becomes more and more obvious.

Creative Beehive and Resource Pool

Since 2008, Tencent has started to have a studio prototype. Since eggs are placed in more than one basket, each basket will inevitably form its own characteristics. Depending on the type of game and the differences in style, it is almost inevitable for the relevant team to form an internal culture and atmosphere. International well-known game manufacturers model is the separation of research and development and operation, in general, is a separate operation, each game by their own relatively independent studio to complete the research and development process less interference, making the game features continue to be strengthened.

With the increasing number of "eggs," product-centric models no longer fit the reality. In 2010, Tencent Interactive officially divided three product divisions and five divisions (later became two product divisions and six studios). Each department is in fact equivalent to an independent organization with a resource department removed. It has considerable autonomy and sometimes only has a special position to be used for docking after the new product is formally put into operation and needs to be opened up externally.

Each studio can plan its own game, the equivalent of "newspaper election questions", and after passing the assessment of each stage down. Independent research and development, Tencent has a special "self-study committee" responsible for the review, composed of high-level interactive entertainment, but they generally do not participate in the opinion exhaustive - it is very much like Tencent's large structure, the main work of all business groups By the EVP (Senior Executive Vice President) composed of "President Office" decision.

The system, known as IGD (Integrated Games Development), is divided into five stages according to the progress of each game. When the studio gets the game project in the first stage, the second stage of R & D is generally shaped. The third stage Is a large-scale testing, data and user feedback and reporting, through the four phases began to be tested for the outside world, the final stage into the open beta and formal operations.

Each stage will have the corresponding standards, not so much approval, as it is "game success rate assistance." The studio is responsible for reporting, verifying, and certifying. The committee, after granting qualifications, will continue to import more and more resources according to its quality.

The entire interactive entertainment in accordance with the quality of the game will have a "star rating", one to five stars, the highest is the privileged super-five-star product, means that access to the most resources. Generally every six months in accordance with the results of the game there will be a star re-evaluation of the amount of resources imported, some games are not very optimistic about the beginning, and later proved that innovation and the market, so to enhance the level; some games is the need for so many resources Star stage will come down.

Reciprocal resources pool unusually rich, including marketing, external diversion Tencent mutual entertainment, public relations, user analysis and research and so on. "We have to be good at more than five-star products and we have to proactively and regularly deliver marketing solutions to their teams and modify them as they wish," said an employee at Tencent's interactive entertainment division. "The beta In the future, they will have almost no market cap on investment. "

Each studio thus gained a great deal of space, on the one hand, they are firmly bound with each other in the growth, and on the other hand, they can become more and more organizations with their own unique qualities. "In fact, compared with the Commission, we will be higher on their own." Yao Xiaoguang, general manager of Tencent Games Lin heaven studio said, "Now we require similar works, remove the brand Tencent game we have to be the best; new Legislation to ensure that the project does not hit the brand in the market layout of Tencent games do not repeat a game. "Otherwise, at each stage of the review when shameless, can not win higher star and more resources, labor and labor No use.

An online game may span several years, and often there will be some accidents. Even Blizzard has a series of bounce tickets, interactive entertainment studio and the Department of Cooperative Products (responsible for the joint development and operation of the game of the type of agent) progress can not be strictly guaranteed. This means that a relatively more relaxed environment is necessary, while a relaxed environment comes from patience and understanding. Yao Xiaoguang mentioned one thing, "QQ Speed" in the research and development has reached 40% then, the assessment stage studio proposed to change the overall style redone, this situation has been supported. And there is another product, the original goal is 18-24 months to complete, then according to the actual situation, the studio will be directly dragged on for another 12 months. "Everything is better and more successful products," said Yao Xiaoguang.

After the success of the first wave of Tencent games, such a model for the next wave of greater success has been brewing. Only Lin heaven studio, this year there have been "Dragon in the sky" and "War" two masterpieces available, and the traditional arcade fighting game into online games, "Hyun bucket King" has also been in the scale test. Tencent blue ocean market segmentation results, began to continue to the type of online games, including online games in the king - MMORPG launch their own impact.

User exploration and professionalism

In 2010, when Wang Zhikai stepped into the door of Tencent's interactive entertainment, he found that interactive entertainment lagged behind traditional industries for at least 5 years in user research. As a "researcher" who has been involved in many related activities in companies such as PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble, he saw that compared with the careful and professional user research in the traditional industries, whether in the framework or mode of operation, The earlier stage.

The "human nature needs" is just a broad concept. It is his first priority to implement this concept more effectively throughout the process of making a product.

Previously, user research was followed by each game, each studio has its own research team responsible for the work. The members there even used to do other games related to the previous work, but also thinking about doing research for a period of time, go to other positions to continue to play games. The concept of user experience, methodology are not accumulated and formed, and sometimes even lead to misunderstandings because of the wrong user samples.

In July 2011, when the new architecture consolidation started, all the research teams that followed the studios and product divisions became the market and user research centers of mutual entertainment. It is not too obvious how many difficulties such adjustments have made. In short the transfer of jobs, the left behind, Tencent mutual entertainment central user management system shaping - a very short period of time, it has become an important "resource pool."

"Marketing began with the third phase of the game in the IGD system, conducting research and giving feedback to the gaming team, and market resources began to intervene after the fifth phase." Wang Zhikai said that "customer satisfaction, lost user rates , Including the forecast and recommendations of the advertising effect, are done by us. "

This kind of work is even fine-tuned to the size of a logo on a poster, as well as elemental analysis that needs to be present and unwanted in a promotional video. "These are well-formed methodologies that have evolved into our own models based on live, interactive databases and ongoing testing." This is far from being the case for user research in traditional forums, phones, web questionnaires, in-game feedback, and more simple.

More to make ordinary people feel magical, it is the use of brain waves and eyes for analysis. Sometimes subconscious things can not be fully expressed or even known by themselves, but when they actually see a promotion or enter the game, their brain's response is very clear. With the help of volunteer users, user-specific research center can gain insight into users' reactions to phobia, questions, etc. in each specific instance, and form some basic methodology for studying interactive users.

In Malata Building, Shenzhen, each of the interactive entertainment headquarters, there is a very few companies in the country to use professional sight detection equipment. Periodic Center will recruit users to observe their subconscious areas of focus from discovering games, entering usernames and passwords, etc., and generating reports to be forwarded by the game team. When the user is in the process, the other side of the one-sided mirror, a large TV synchronization screen will be transmitted to the relevant team before they will start thinking and discussion.

In 2012, a total of 500 such research projects and centers will be completed.

"How do you get the resonance of potential players when you're broadcasting and what are the psychological conditions they play when you play games?" Wang Chih-kai said, "Some people may say that these are all icing on the cake as long as the product is good. Thorough research, we have the ultimate breakthrough in innovation. "

Competence Matrix and Globalization

This year, Tencent games total revenue of more than 20 billion yuan is not a problem, which is more than the entire amount of China's online games industry in 2008 more. Standing in the elevator of Malata Building in Shenzhen, you will see crowded people in and out, and by the end of 2012, Tencent will entertain more than 6000 employees.

Patience, strong execution, style, professionalism, user understanding, will be entered from the blood vessels of Tencent mutual entertainment to more than 6000 people, and give Tencent game is getting closer and closer to the second wave of full support. This is why Tencent games in the Chinese online games trend momentum flat market contrarian reason, all this is Tencent interactive entertainment business group formed more than the industry standard of comprehensive competitiveness.

Tencent mutual entertainment does not think this is enough.

"Our Rubik's Cube Studio is dominated by products for the younger age group, for example they have a Kids Community product called Locke Kingdom." Cheng Wu said, "The vision of this product is to build a 21st century teenager The collective memories. "

If a lot of collective memories after 80 are the cats and the transformers, this vision of Cube Studio shows a bigger ambition or ambition of Tencent Entertainment.

"Locke Kingdom" is preparing for its second major national film release, and the related stage drama is also being prepared. From the game to the culture to go, movies, music, animation, peripherals, extending a broader impact on the Tencent game, a similar move is defined as "pan-entertainment." This means that Tencent Entertainment has more than just confined itself to the game, but to gradually become truly influential entertainment organizations.

The gaming side Tencent mutual entertainment also take advantage of the group, is forming the influence beyond national boundaries. As mentioned earlier with the cooperation with Activision Blizzard, Liu Chi-ping, president of Tencent personally in person, the conference CEO Ma also stage, this cooperation has been the power of the whole group; Another example is the investment and cooperation Epic, Has also not only limited to the category of mutual entertainment, but deeply related to Tencent Investment Department.

Tencent's user base and influence in China are attracting more and more international big game manufacturers wanting to enter the Chinese market to cooperate with them. The products and technologies with the final cooperation will be used for mutual entertainment for the first time. Tencent Reciprocity, including the acquisition of good investment products from Boston Studios in the United States, is also exported to countries in the world that have the opportunity to help Tencent radiate outwards; at a more appropriate time, a more powerful "resource pool" Other companies jointly research and development; investment department also continue to look for good game team and products to invest way to cooperate with, and then put the product into Tencent's operating platform (into the resource pool).

Compared with the future space of Tencent itself, this will start from the game and bring Tencent to a brand new international stage. This is a more exciting stage.

"It's not likely that a truly innovative form of gaming will emerge as long as the user's fundamental changes have not taken place in the years to come, but the blending of various forms of play gives rise to some interesting ways of playing, such as combat plus RPG, or 3D role-playing plus real-time play. "Yao Xiaoguang said," We are preparing for and we look forward to a revolutionary change in the human-computer interaction. "

However, compared with the game itself may also be relatively distant changes, from the rise of Tencent games in 2008 after several rounds of active "toss", has begun to usher in the past, the giant giants in the past are hard to achieve changes.