We once wrote that game companies in China have found a blue sea of web game. Actually more and more companies have realized that a “lighter” game portfolio could be the new driver to their business. Compared to traditional client games which are experiencing slow-growth in both revenue and market, mini-client games, it seems that browser games or mobile games are about to bring along more prominent results.
Last week, game publisher Shanda Games revealed that it would release more ‘light-weighted” games in the near future. Currently the company has already been operating two successful mini-client games Miracle3 and Wushuang, which are co-operated with other game platforms like 9377 and 37wan. The next plan of Shanda is to launch some in-house developed mini-client products including CaihongDao, and Xingchenbian.
As to its web games, CEO Tan Qunli told that the Championship Manager Online (co developed with Square Enix) and the web version of a Miracle Series called Hanjiang will be officially launched by month’s end and next quarter respectively.
What’s more, this Shanghai-based game company has also been building up its own mobile game platform with a 3rd party app store. Within this gaming center of Shanda, various products could be launched and downloaded easily. The mobile version of its classic MMORPG The World of Legend will be made available on this new platform. Also, through the partnership with Square Enix, Shanda will be entitled to publish the mobile version of Final Fantasy I, II, III.
All these moves in shifting the company’s direction implied that Shanda currently is undergoing a transformation period. Rumor has it recently that Tan Qunzhao CEO of Shanda Games will quit his job very soon, following the departure of Shanda Game’s president and two VPs last year. Tan is the founding member of the Shanda Group. He joined the company in 1999, taking charge of many significant businesses like the Shanda community and the R&D department of the gaming arm.
Industry insiders said that Shanda’s client game business has been remaining stagnant for quite a while, a transformation into “lighter” games and efforts into overseas market could be the new momentum for the company. Though it requires a lot of cash injection. On the other hand, the privatization of the company has cost the group nearly RMB 3 billion thus giving the game branch even greater burden in monetization.
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