Asia
Tencent’s next level up: fewer big foreign franchise games, more in-house
In a sea change at China’s Tencent (0700.HK), opens new tab, an easy-to-play game of cute characters tackling obstacle courses has taken precedence over developing a big-budget sophisticated foreign franchise for smartphones.
Since late last year, the world’s largest video games company has, according to sources, redeployed hundreds of people from the team developing “Assassin’s Creed Jade” for mobile – a multi-year project with France’s Ubisoft (UBIP.PA)
They are now working on recently launched “DreamStar” – Tencent’s answer to rival NetEase’s (9999.HK), hit “Eggy Party” and the company’s most high-profile attempt to date at the so-called party game genre which offers simple gameplay, minigames and encourages players to hang out and chat.
As a result, “Assassin’s Creed Jade” – an action-adventure game set in ancient China that has been under development for mobile for at least four years – will likely be released in 2025 instead of this year, according to three sources familiar with the matter. They were not authorised to speak to media and declined to be identified.
The redeployment of resources highlights the trends forcing a strategic pivot at Tencent. Firstly, developing big-name Western franchises for mobile phones tends to yield thin margins.
At the same time, rivals have had breakout hits with ostensibly niche products that offer new takes on gaming such as as NetEase’s “Eggy Party” and miHoYo’s anime-style fantasy game “Genshin Impact”. Moreover, the games were developed in-house so their profits are all their own.
Tencent had, for years, great success by developing for smartphones international hits like Activision Blizzard’s shooter game “Call of Duty” and the battle royale game “PUBG” by South Korea’s Krafton (259960.KS).
But such franchise games – called IP (intellectual property) games – are costly to make. Royalty fees of 15% to 20% of sales are typical, Apple’s (AAPL.O), opens new tab App Store takes a 30% cut while marketing and user acquisition expenses can cost another 30% to 40%, the sources said.
After a string of IP game setbacks, Tencent plans to be more selective. “We’re focusing on fewer bigger budget games. Typically, we’re seeking to make the biggest bets around games that either iterate on a successful IP … or games that are iterating around proven gameplay success within a niche and taking those to a more mass market,” Tencent Chief Strategy Officer James Mitchell told an earnings call on Wednesday.
Tencent is now also pushing for royalty fees to fall to under 10% of sales in some negotiations, according to one person with direct knowledge of the matter. “That would have been almost unthinkable just a few years ago. Tencent used to be far more generous,” the person said.
Tencent declined to comment on details of its strategic shift.
SETBACKS AND BAMBOO SHOOTS
On Wednesday, Tencent reported a slight decline in fourth-quarter gaming sales and also flagged that overall gaming revenue this quarter would be soft compared with the same period last year when gaming sales surged as pandemic restrictions were lifted.
Pony Ma, Tencent’s founder and chief executive, has been blunt that the company’s video game division – which last year generated 180 billion yuan ($25 billion) in sales or around 30%of overall revenue – needs to do better.
Competitors have continued to create new products, “leaving us feeling we have achieved nothing,” he told a stadium of employees in Shenzhen at the company’s annual meeting in January, according to a separate source with direct knowledge of the event.
That month, Tencent also launched its “Spring Bamboo Shoots Project”, aiming to incubate in-house games with novel gameplay and offering budgets of up to 300 million yuan ($42 million) per game. While that is much less than budgets of 1 billion yuan for a major franchise, the initiative signals Tencent is willing to take more risks on non-conventional game design, the sources said.
Some major setbacks have only increased the sense of urgency for change.
Last year, Electronic Arts (EA.O), discontinued “Apex Legends Mobile”, a game developed by Tencent, with executives at the U.S. firm saying it had fallen short of expected quality.
In December, Tencent axed development of a mobile game based on the “Nier” franchise from Japan’s Square Enix (9684.T), in part because the Chinese firm struggled to find a compelling monetisation model given its expensive development costs and franchise rights, sources have said.
“Mobile games studios have learned that IP is not the magic bullet for user acquisition it once was,” says Serkan Toto, founder of game industry consultancy Kantan Games.
Tencent has also seen a key in-house game bomb. “Undawn”, a zombie apocalypse shooting game that Hollywood star Will Smith was hired to endorse, flopped spectacularly despite having a budget of close to 1 billion yuan with more than 300 developers, according to two of the sources.
Last month, one year since its launch, “Undawn” brought in revenue of just $287,000, according to research firm Appmagic.
Western companies have also started to shift away from outsourcing mobile game development to Chinese companies like Tencent. Microsoft’s (MSFT.O), Activision Blizzard, for example, has just launched “Call of Duty Warzone Mobile” which will compete directly with Tencent’s “Call of Duty Mobile”.
Adding salt to the wound, Tencent’s top two games saw revenue slide during the week-long Lunar New Year holidays in February. “Honor of Kings” and “PUBG Mobile”, which are nine and seven years old respectively, suffered 7% and 30% drops compared to the holiday period last year, according to one of the sources who was briefed on the matter.
Source: Reuters
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The fast-growing Boomerang Partners affiliate program continues gaining global recognition, earning a nomination for the prestigious ‘Rising Star Affiliate Program 2024’ category in the Asia region
With a rapidly growing network of over 5,200 affiliates across 70+ countries, the dynamic Boomerang Partners affiliate program has been recognized as a finalist for the ‘Rising Star’ category at the SiGMA Awards Asia 2024. While Asia is not currently the central focus for brand promotion, this prestigious recognition from SiGMA is a notable honor that inspires Boomerang to fortify its global footprint and industry-leading position.
In 2023 alone, Boomerang’s achievements included paying over €50 million to affiliates, creating 22 exclusive branded games, hosting 82 tournaments across 30 regions, and expanding into 31 new markets. This followed prestigious wins like ‘Casino of the Year’ at the SiGMA Balkans/CIS Awards, ‘Commission Offer of the Year’ at the AffPapa iGaming Awards, and ‘Best PPC Affiliate’ at the SiGMA Europe Awards.
This year, Boomerang Partners is highlighting innovations like a worldwide traffic tournament and has already been nominated at the AffPapa, MAC, and AskGamblers Awards – eagerly awaiting the results across these prestigious voting processes and final selections.
“We actively collaborate with SiGMA, having participated in their events and been honored with SiGMA awards in other regions previously,” said Vitalii Prokofev, CEO at Boomerang Partners. “SiGMA sets the standard with premier industry events and accolades worldwide. This nomination at their Asia awards is valuable recognition that fuels our ambition to raise our global profile further.”
Boomerang Partners invites all affiliate managers and industry enthusiasts to learn more about their award-winning program. Voting for the SiGMA Asia Awards runs until May 20th. Winners will be announced at the June 3rd ceremony during the June 2-5 event in Manila.
Support Boomerang in the ‘Rising Star’ category while voting for other favorites at SiGMA.
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International Game Technology announced that it will showcase an exciting portfolio of locally attuned gaming innovations for the Asia-Pacific market at G2E Asia 2024 at The Venetian Macao, June 4-6. The products within IGT’s G2E Asia 2024 portfolio are designed to enhance player entertainment, drive performance, and enable operators to diversify their gaming floors with research-backed solutions.
“It’s great to see G2E Asia return to The Venetian Macao in 2024. With Asia being a growth market for IGT, we are excited to connect with our customers and present a localized games and systems portfolio that can create new opportunities for IGT and our customers throughout the region,” said Dallas Orchard, IGT Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Gaming APAC.
“IGT’s G2E Asia 2024 portfolio is anchored in exciting new link and standalone games that build on the momentum of many of our highest performing titles in the region of the last year. G2E Asia 2024 will be the debut of Cash Cove Frenzy, an action-packed multi-level progressive based on one of IGT’s most popular titles in the region, and Jetsetter Gold Link, a new-to-Asia game that can help our customers diversify their gaming floors. We will also spotlight the many operator and player benefits of IGT ADVANTAGE, our highly scalable casino management system that has strong market penetration in Asia and beyond,” said Charles Seo, IGT Senior Director of Commercial Strategy, Asia.
G2E Asia 2024 attendees will have the opportunity to experience an array of IGT solutions in the Company stand A801.
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GR8 Tech, an award-winning iGaming solutions provider, will exhibit at SiGMA Asia on June 3-5, marking a significant expansion into the region. Attendees can visit GR8 Tech at stand D806, where they will have the opportunity to explore the provider’s comprehensive ecosystem of solutions, featuring the flagship GR8 Sportsbook, the robust GR8 Casino, and innovative standalone products, including but not limited to CRM, Sportsbook iFrame, Feed, and Payment Gateway.
“SiGMA Asia provides us with a unique platform to connect directly with local operators and stakeholders, and we are excited to demonstrate how our technology can help them achieve greater profitability and efficiency,” said Evgen Belousov, CEO of GR8 Tech. “This is a milestone moment for GR8 Tech as we bring our advanced betting and casino solutions to one of the most dynamic gaming markets in the world.”
Additionally, GR8 Tech, in collaboration with BETER, will host an exclusive invite-only party on June 3. This event is a perfect opportunity for valued clients and partners to relax and network in a festive setting, celebrating our continued partnerships and future successes.
Meet GR8 Tech at SiGMA Asia: Unlock the New Horizons
High-Performance Products and Interactive Demonstrations
The technological prowess of GR8 Tech’s diverse product suite will be on full display at SiGMA Asia. The attendees will be able to take a closer look at the comprehensive GR8 Sportsbook and Casino platform and vital standalone products like CRM, Sportsbook iFrame, Feed, Payment Gateway, etc., on demo screens at the stand. Each solution and product seamlessly adapts to address the specific needs of the Asian market, ensuring that all functionalities – from handling high betting volumes to integrating seamlessly with various payment systems – are tailored to enhance user experience and operator profitability.
Particularly, the provider’s flagship GR8 Sportsbook, known for its high stability and performance, offers a wide selection of content that caters to the diverse preferences of players across Asian countries. It also features unique margin management capabilities designed to maintain competitiveness and profitability in the region’s aggressively low-margin environment.
“GR8 Sportsbook is engineered to meet the specific needs of the Asian market, from its mobile-first design to its ability to handle high betting volumes without compromising user experience,” added Oleksandr Feshchenko, CRO at GR8 Tech. “We are proud to showcase how our platform can transform sports betting operations.”
Connect with GR8 Tech
To ensure a personalized experience, GR8 Tech invites interested parties to book a meeting with their team, taking advantage of an excellent opportunity to discuss how GR8 Tech’s solutions can elevate business success in the region.
The post From LatAm to Asia: Meet GR8 Tech at SiGMA Manila appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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