Chapter 154: Three Key Words for Card Mobile Games 4/17
Among the designers attending the lecture, some were puzzled, some were immersed, some were confused, and some had sudden realizations—all kinds of reactions were present.
Qiu Bin paused for a moment. "It's fine. If you have any questions, feel free to ask at any time."
Someone raised a hand and asked, "Excuse me, why is it said that card games make use of fragmented time? The playtime on the first day of 'I Am MT' was actually quite long."
Qiu Bin nodded. "Yes, but that's only for the first two or three days. Extending the playtime in those initial days is mainly to help players form habits more quickly and ensure they rapidly build recognition of the cards' value."
"However, once a week has passed, the playtime must be reduced. Because card games have a single gameplay loop, if players repeatedly experience the same content, they'll find it boring, which will affect the game's lifespan."
The person who asked the question suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly.
Qiu Bin smiled and continued, "The second key word is low cost. Many people might say, 'If you have money, why not spend it?' Actually, the key to low cost isn't about not spending money—it's about rapid iteration and quick version updates."
"The card game market is changing rapidly right now. If you can make a game in two to three months, you can still catch the trend. But if you drag it out, your gameplay might already be outdated."
"Is 'I Am MT' exceptionally well-made? No, it isn't. But that doesn't stop it from making money. On the premise of ensuring the most basic game quality, you compress costs as much as possible and iterate quickly. As the saying goes, 'Speed is the key to invincibility.' That's what it means."
"The third key word is big IP. Actually, it's very simple: IP determines the value of the cards. So I advise everyone—if you see a good IP, buy it quickly. Even if it's expensive, it doesn't matter. Because in the current market environment, buying a big IP means you can lie back and make money. It's a surefire, no-loss deal."
Qiu Bin spoke eloquently and held nothing back, sharing all the experience he had gained from developing and operating "Demon Slayer."
The designers present listened very attentively, with someone occasionally asking questions, and Qiu Bin answered them well.
In fact, for the first-generation card games represented by "I Am MT," the core gameplay wasn't complicated. Even if someone didn't understand at first, after copying one exactly and operating it for a while, they would eventually figure it out.
"Demon Slayer," relying on the Imperial Dynasty game platform, had a very large user base with rich user data. Qiu Bin had been diligently studying it, so it was only natural that his understanding of card mobile games surpassed that of other designers.
The lecture lasted over an hour. Afterward, more designers asked questions, and Qiu Bin answered them one by one.
Finally, a designer asked, "Thank you very much for the lecture. I've gained a lot. My question is, judging from the market reaction, card mobile games are currently in a transition period. What's your take on that?"
Qiu Bin nodded. "Thank you. That's a good question. You have a keen sense of the market."
"Indeed, card mobile games are currently in a transition period, or rather, an adjustment period. Players have been playing games of the 'I Am MT' type for a whole year now and are starting to get tired of them. So, we must seek innovation and change to keep these players."
"Many people are speculating whether card games will undergo a revolutionary transformation. I can say with certainty that they won't. Even if changes occur, they will be limited to the form of presentation."
"Why? Because of the three key words I mentioned earlier. Does everyone remember them? Fragmentation, low cost, big IP. A thousand changes cannot stray from the core. I believe no designer would dare to alter these three points, because they are the core elements that allow card games to make money while lying back."
"As long as these three points remain unchanged, the gameplay of card games can't undergo major changes, and naturally, no card game that completely overturns the trend will emerge."
The designer who asked the question said, "Are you sure no designer would dare to alter these three points?"
"Absolutely none." Qiu Bin thought for a moment, then added, "Oh, except for Chen Mo."
Everyone was stunned. What? How did Chen Mo come into this?
Qiu Bin added, "Because the model of 'I Am MT' was created by Chen Mo. No one knows what his ideas really are. Perhaps he has design concepts that are completely ahead of mine."
Qiu Bin paused and added, "So, it's a good thing he's gone to develop PC client games."
The designers present all laughed. Yes, it was a good thing Chen Mo had gone to mess with the PC side. Otherwise, if he were still playing with mobile games, churning out one iterative product after another, there really wouldn't be much left for them.
The lecture ended, and the designers came forward one after another to exchange pleasantries with Qiu Bin.
"That was an excellent talk! Listening to you is better than reading ten years of books!"
"I've benefited greatly, truly benefited greatly."
"I heard 'Demon Slayer' is performing better and better. Congratulations!"
Qiu Bin quickly said, "I don't deserve that, I don't deserve that. This is all thanks to President Lin's trust in me. Of course, the Imperial Dynasty platform is also very important."
A designer said, "By the way, I heard that 'Demon Slayer 2' is almost finished developing? If it can continue the success of its predecessor and have two games dominating the mobile platform in a row, then you're practically guaranteed the honorary committee member spot at this year's Game Committee meeting."
Qiu Bin quickly waved his hand. "That's hard to say. No one knows how a game will turn out before it's released. I'll just take your kind words as a blessing."
Leaving the meeting room, Qiu Bin's assistant followed behind him.
Qiu Bin asked, "Have all the promotional resources for 'Demon Slayer 2' been arranged?"
The assistant quickly replied, "They've been arranged, no problem at all! After all, our Imperial Dynasty places great importance on promoting 'Demon Slayer 2,' and we're basically giving it all the resources we can spare."
Qiu Bin nodded. "Good. As long as the promotional resources are sufficient and we have the player base from the previous game, the sequel definitely won't be bad."
"That's for sure." The assistant hesitated for a moment, then said, "But, has the operations manager talked to you about some things regarding the promotion?"
Qiu Bin looked at him. "Haven't you been the one coordinating with him on this?"
The assistant said, "Yes, mainly the manager over there hinted to me about some operational strategy issues. It was quite subtle, so I wanted to ask if he had mentioned it to you."
Qiu Bin was a bit confused. "What do you mean?"
The assistant said, "Actually, it's nothing much. The operations manager told me that we should make our slogan louder. Now that 'Demon Slayer' is the number one card mobile game in the country, and 'I Am MT' is long past its prime—its monthly revenue has dropped to the point where it's barely worth looking at—so maybe we could use gimmicks like 'The Number One Card Mobile Game in the Country' or 'The National Card Mobile Game' for promotion?"
Qiu Bin frowned slightly but said nothing.
The assistant added, "Judging by the operations manager's attitude, President Lin probably supports this idea too. Besides, 'Demon Slayer' is the number one card mobile game right now. Saying that isn't really an exaggeration, is it?"
Qiu Bin nodded slightly. He also felt it was perfectly fine to say that. In terms of performance and player numbers, "Demon Slayer" was indeed the number one card mobile game, with no room for dispute.
"Alright, use that as the gimmick for promotion. 'Demon Slayer 2' must attract even more players than its predecessor!"