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happy melon
Oct.30,2023
Should the quality of single-player games be tied to their sales figures? At the CEDEC 2023 game developers' conference held last week, Ryu's Office, a company specializing in market research and promotional marketing, presented a speech featuring their head, Ryuuta Konuma. Using the indie game "Needy Streamer Overload" as an example, Konuma analyzed the secrets behind the game's success within the industry. During the presentation, Konuma showcased the sales data of "Needy Streamer Overload." Currently, the game has sold over 1.2 million copies globally, with 610,000 copies, or 51%, sold in China. This means that nearly half of the game's sales come from domestic Chinese players. Through this, Konuma recognized the importance of the Chinese market and emphasized the need for increased promotion in the region. He also proposed suggestions like "prioritizing overseas markets" and "enhancing promotional efforts." For game developers, Konuma's speech at CEDEC 2023 provided a valuable opportunity to understand market dynamics and gain inspiration for promoting their own game development. However, the author of "Needy Streamer Overload," Nyalra, seemed to have a different perspective. He criticized the excessive focus on game sales within the industry, arguing that it overshadowed the intended message of the game. Reportedly, when Nyalra initially presented the project to a developer, they said, "If we can recoup the costs within a year of release, then the content can be freely expanded." Thus, Nyalra managed to develop "Needy Streamer Overload" without being consumed by commercialism. From a sales perspective, the success of "Needy Streamer Overload" places it among the top-performing games in the independent gaming sector. However, Nyalra remained unwilling to accept the "sales-only" perspective. A series of cold figures and commercial reports cannot encapsulate the dedication and ideas that the author poured into the game's development, especially for idealistic creators like Nyalra. During the development of "Needy Streamer Overload," Nyalra suffered from depression at one point, and external pressures as the game's deadline approached took a significant toll on his mental state. Such development experiences cannot be captured solely through data. In reality, Nyalra is not the only one who detests the "sales-only" approach to games. Independent game publisher Devolver Digital has expressed similar sentiments. Devolver Digital has stated that developers should prioritize game quality over sales, emphasizing that a game's release doesn't mark its end, and post-launch updates can extend a game's lifespan. Although "Disco Elysium," released in 2018, did not achieve massive sales figures, its intricately woven narrative set in a cyberpunk world earned it widespread critical acclaim, boasting a 94% approval rating on the Steam platform. The debate on whether game quality should be tied to sales has been ongoing, especially in the realm of single-player games. Most indie game developers' works cannot compete directly with the mainstream "AAA" games from big publishers, but this doesn't mean that the quality of indie games is necessarily inferior to major titles. This issue isn't only a concern for developers; it's closely related to us, the players. Several factors influence game quality, including the storyline, graphics, audio, gameplay, and more. Quality is crucial in determining whether players enjoy a game. Game sales, on the other hand, represent the market's audience and reflect the degree of popularity of a game. In theory, a higher-quality game should attract more players, but the actual situation isn't as straightforward. Take Capcom's "Resident Evil 6" as an example. By June of this year, the game had accumulated a total of 8.6 million copies sold worldwide. By the standards of "AAA" games, having sold over 5 million copies is already a significant achievement. However, "Resident Evil 6" received harsh criticism from most players for its dull visuals, excessive quick-time events, and convoluted storyline. Nonetheless, the game's low critical reception didn't overshadow its market performance. It can be said that it's the result of a choice made by the masses. On the other hand, Capcom's "Okami" and "Resident Evil 6" saw completely different outcomes. The games sold just 270,000 copies worldwide after a full year of release, with only 70,000 copies sold in the domestic Japanese market. However, "Okami" received widespread acclaim from both players and the media, praised for its artistic visuals, meticulous background design, and impeccable audiovisual elements. It even received a nomination for the "Game of the Year" at The Game Awards. Game quality and sales have a very complex relationship, with both potentially influencing each other. As game developers, they need to stick to their development philosophy and create each game with dedication. As gamers, we should provide a rational evaluation of games after experiencing them, rather than determining a game's quality solely based on its sales figures. This is not a simple issue of right or wrong, and it will require joint efforts from both developers and players to truly promote the healthy development of the gaming industry. So, friends, do you think game quality should be tied to sales? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
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