In 2015, the overall web game market had slight progress in terms of product playing method and the innovation type, which promoted the development of the industry by relying on IP adaptation and the pan entertainment industry. In Q4, there was a larger-scale merger and acquisition in the web game development field, which will have an impact on the competition pattern to the future market. In addition, the web game manufacturers kept momentum to enter the field of mobile game, the business transformation has become the mainstream trend.
1. The web game development market maintained steady state, the industry consolidation may affect the pattern of competition
In 2015 Q4, the whole open service of China’s web game market slightly improved, the on-line number of new players decreased, the promotion resources of intermodal platform of web game continued to concentrate on the top products. The web game developers still chose the mainstream RPG type, as well as the products adapted from the client game, Legend or online novel IP to reduce risk, making the product homogenization phenomenon further intensified.
The market share of Youzu.com in Q4 fell slightly to 7.8% compared with the last quarter. According to annual report of Youzu.com in 2015, although its web game revenue remained modest growth, the operating profit and gross profit margin was significantly lower than in 2014. Youzu.com had great progress in the development of mobile game; in 2015, the revenue of mobile games grew over 6 times year on year, and the income size was close to the level of the web game. In addition, Youzu.com announced to intend to acquire the web game developers, Fancy Guo and Chengdu Mokylin, trying to strengthen the development business of web games, if the acquisition is completed, its market share will be improved.
Guangzhou Chuangsi obtained 7.3% market share in this quarter with its self-developed web game, lt.9377.com. Since its development of mobile games was appealed by Shanda for infringement, the road Guangzhou Chuangsi A shares backdoor listing is still blocked. Mokylin Group chose New Three Broads that have lower requirements for profits, and complete the listing by the end of 2015. Mokylin Group proposed to sell the web game development subsidiary, Chengdu Mokylin, aiming to cut back web game business, and raising funds for the development of mobile games. By the end of 2015, the mobile game, qmws.qq.com, developed by Mokylin was launched on Tencent mobile game platform, which may become the flashpoint for mobile game business of Mokylin.
In addition, Wizard Game maintained sustainable turnover growth with self-developed FPS 3D web game masterpiece ssjj.4399.com, the market share rose to 3.1%. The game has been operated for more than two years after launching, the data were outstanding, DAU was up to more than 6 million, PCU has exceeded 700,000, which has become the benchmark product in the shooting class web game currently.
2. The pattern change of operating platform was not big, the high investment pursues high turnover
Shown in the Quarterly Monitoring Report on China’s Web Game Market 2015 Q4 published by Analysys industry database, the operation platform of China’s web game continued to increase the opening service and increase input in the promotion of few refined products. The operation platform of web game has more market sayings for controlling the flow entrance. In the promotion of the man product, the various platforms also pay more attention to celebrity endorsements, interaction of video game and other interactive entertainment modes of operation, pursuing high turnover through high investment.
With the overall slowdown in the web game market, from the business layout of leading web game companies, such as 37 Game, Youzu.com, Mokylin Group and Guangzhou Chuangsi, it has become an mainstream approach to use the development, channel and IP resources accumulated in the web game field to expand the mobile game business. In the mobile game market that has become popular, the difficulty of small and medium manufacturers to break through increased significantly. The capital reserve of web game companies is not comparable to the big companies of client game, in the process of transition to mobile game, it needs to make use of their own advantages, or have innovations in its own IP mining, or in product playing method, or the distribution and promotion, then it may be outstanding in the current mobile game market.
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