Started as a comics editor

Chapter 257 App Store
"...Mobile phone manufacturers?"

Tang Yao paused for a moment upon hearing Li Xue's words, instantly recalling many anecdotes about mobile games and phone manufacturers from her past life, and asked with some confusion, "Do you know why they contacted us?"

Li Xue pondered for a moment, then replied, "I'm not quite sure, but I personally guess that they want to cooperate with us in some aspects... Because of our success, the mobile game industry has taken off, and all the major companies are gearing up. Now even NetEase Games has entered the fray, and is even carrying out large-scale layoffs and restructuring within the mobile game sector."

Now that our Hearthstone has achieved great success overseas, it feels like they're trying to leverage that success to promote their own mobile phone.

"Hmm...is it to promote mobile phones? It doesn't seem like it."

Tang Yao fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

Actually, in Tang Yao's past life... cough cough, in someone's past life memories.

There are quite a few stories about mobile games and mobile phone manufacturers.

Because the two complement each other...

Mobile games have indeed driven the evolution of mobile phone hardware. As the mobile game market continues to expand and players' demands for game quality increase, mobile game developers are constantly launching new games with higher graphics, more complex gameplay, and richer content.

These new games place higher demands on mobile phone hardware, prompting mobile phone manufacturers to increase their investment in hardware research and development, and drive innovation in hardware technology.

On the other hand, the evolution of mobile phone hardware has in turn led to the emergence of more high-quality mobile games.

There is indeed a mutually reinforcing relationship between mobile phone hardware and the development of mobile games.

Meanwhile, the development of mobile games has also boosted the market for related accessories, such as game controllers and cooling back clips, further promoting the development of the hardware market.

Even during their honeymoon period, mobile games guided the optimization direction of mobile phone hardware.

For a time, gaming phones were popping up everywhere...

However, this situation did not last long.

Because it's fast.

The mobile phone manufacturers and game developers had a falling out.

The reason they broke up ultimately came down to money.

At that time, domestic mobile phone manufacturers took a very high cut of the revenue from games on their own app stores. Once a game was listed on an app store, the revenue would be split 50/50.

The money players recharge is split equally between the two parties.

Moreover, the major mobile phone manufacturers that are worth mentioning have formed a 'hardcore alliance'.

These leading mobile phone companies that form an alliance each ship tens of millions of units annually, and together they have hundreds of millions of users.

Each phone comes pre-installed with its own app store.

Therefore, at that time, it was impossible for any mobile application distribution in China to bypass the 'Hardcore Alliance's' channels.

That was an era where distribution channels were king.

Therefore, their commission rate was even higher than that of the App Store, which had been criticized for a long time... Some even went so far as to split it 70/30, and 70% of that went to the phone manufacturers, so getting 30% depended on their attitude.

It's like begging on your knees.

This situation persisted for a long time.

And as time goes by.

Tensions have risen between the two sides, with major mobile game companies like Tencent and Xiaomi abandoning app store channels, suggesting a "better to die than live" mentality.

...Of course, the main reason is that we don't want to give billions of dollars to mobile phone manufacturers every year.

This is also related to the fact that the gaming industry has gradually shifted from being dominated by distribution channels to being dominated by content.

Of course, it's not that exaggerated here now.

Tang Yao herself was quite familiar with the mobile phone market here. Major manufacturers did have app stores, but the market was not yet established and it was mainly software distribution.

The mobile game industry has only just begun to take flight.

only……

It is foreseeable that if things continue to develop, the situation will probably not be much better than in her previous life.

The reason why mobile phone manufacturers are now contacting Avalon is probably because they see the huge profits that mobile games can generate...

They wanted a piece of the pie too.

Of course, there is another possibility.

They wanted to commission a game from Avalon to promote their new phone model.

This is also a standard procedure.

As for collaborating to launch a gaming phone... that's unlikely; it's not the right time yet.

"..."

Thinking of this, Tang Yao suddenly murmured, "Miss Li, do you think they contacted us because they want us to endorse them, or because they want to win us over and lay the foundation for future channels..."

Seeing Tang Yao deep in thought, Li Xue didn't say anything more. She simply wrapped her arms around Tang Yao's slender waist, subtly shifting her snow-white arm to secretly measure the girl's waistline.

Ok.

The two were even hugging.

The main reason was that Tang Yao didn't struggle, so Li Xue pretended not to know that the two were still hugging...

Since returning from her trip, she had noticed a change in Tang Yao's mindset.

Meanwhile, because of what happened at the hot spring inn those two nights... her mindset also changed somewhat.

until.

Tang Yao suddenly asked a question.

Li Xue finally came to her senses: "Huh?"

Tang Yao shared her thoughts with her.

"You mean... the phone manufacturers came to us this time?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xue frowned slightly: "On one hand, they want to cooperate with us, and on the other hand, they want to take us, the flagship mobile game developer, and pave the way for their app store?"

"I can't guarantee it, but it's very likely."

Tang Yao replied, "The mobile game market is just starting out, and mobile phone manufacturers definitely want to seize the opportunity and seek cooperation with us. On the one hand, Hearthstone has achieved success overseas, and we can use the popularity of Hearthstone to promote their new models. On the other hand, they may also want to drive us to their app stores."

So far.

None of Avalon's mobile games are available on third-party platforms.

In order to develop the game section of ANF.

Of course, Tang Yao couldn't just bring back an opponent for Cai Quan and his group out of thin air.

Instead of immediately offering her opinion, Li Xue asked in return, "So what do you think?"

"I……"

Just as Tang Yao was about to speak, she suddenly realized that the two of them were still hugging, their soft bodies pressed against each other.

Meanwhile, the surrounding staff were increasingly eyeing them.

"Sit down, sit down."

Tang Yao hesitated for a moment. Although she didn't mind this kind of thing much after resolving her inner conflict that day, it still wasn't appropriate with so many people watching.

Li Xue released Tang Yao's waist.

The two pulled up chairs and sat down.

And after sitting down.

Instead of continuing the conversation about mobile phone manufacturers, Tang Yao suddenly said, "Ms. Li, could you please arrange a private office for me?"

"it is good."

Looking at Tang Yao's flawless, beautiful face with a slight blush, Li Xue didn't ask why and readily agreed.

"Let's get back to the question we just discussed."

Tang Yao took a deep breath, slightly suppressing her blush, and continued, "Personally, I'm not really willing to cooperate with mobile phone manufacturers at this stage for the sake of revenue. Although game revenue will increase significantly in the short term, after all, major mobile phone manufacturers have a lot of users, this is a huge blow to ANF's game sector. Perhaps ANF's game sector, which is in its initial stage, will be shut down."

Moreover, right now, major mobile phone manufacturers still think that mobile games are a big pie... But if our game is actually released, it won't just be a matter of opinion; they will be absolutely certain that mobile games are a big pie.

Based on the situation on PCs, they might even form an app store alliance behind the scenes...

Upon hearing this, Li Xue frowned slightly: "Channel hegemony?"

"Ah."

Tang Yao nodded.

In fact, she personally disliked the somewhat distorted commission model of app stores in her previous life.

Of course, it's not that she feels sorry for companies like Tencent or Xiaomi, that they're being suffocated by the pressure.

These big-spending companies are, in the end, just like mobile phone manufacturers.

Her main concern is that such a high revenue share would force many small game companies and creative game developers into a dead end of focusing solely on increasing profits.

After all, under such pressure of high revenue sharing, games need to increase profits to generate revenue faster, which directly leads some game companies to focus on increasing revenue or making reskinned games to save costs, rather than focusing on improving game quality.

To a certain extent, this is indeed one of the culprits behind the chaotic situation in the mobile game market. Companies that put their heart into making games find it difficult to make money, while games that make money often suffer from a collapse in reputation.

of course.

The ass decides the head.

Tang Yao didn't dare say that she was contributing to the health of the game market.

She's not that noble... The main reason she dislikes this model is that she feels it's unreasonable for game companies, since she actually owns one...

Moreover, Avalon's atmosphere is finally moving in the direction of 'the most important thing about games is to be fun, not profitable'.

Who knows what will happen when faced with a channel that offers high commission rates but also has a huge customer base?

give up?

By then, the influence of channel services will have grown.

Is it really that easy to give up?
Do the staff feel... it's a pity?

Will I feel regretful?

"So what do you think we should do?"

Li Xue looked at Tang Yao: "Aren't we going to pay them any attention?"

"Hmm... I'm still thinking about it."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yao thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, our game is probably at its limit at the current scale. If we want to go further, channel servers are indeed a good way, especially at this stage, as they can help us take a step forward in a short period of time."

After all, while mobile phone manufacturers' app stores are currently lacking, their combined user base is still considerable, and our games are of very high quality…”

Li Xue replied with a knowing look, "But you're worried that our cooperation with them this time will allow them to fully develop their own distribution channels... ushering in an era where distribution channels reign supreme in the mobile game market, which will then increase their appetite, lead them to form an alliance, and in turn restrict us, right?"

"Ah."

"Could we leverage our current advantages to secure a favorable profit-sharing ratio?"

"Of course, mobile phone manufacturers would be happy to do so, since they don't yet have the confidence to take the lead in negotiations. However, this will inevitably deal a significant blow to ANF's gaming division, potentially causing it to falter in its early stages."

"Too……"

"Actually... I personally believe that quality and content are king in the competition, and that's the future."

"Competition hinges on quality and content...?"

"Simply put."

Tang Yao explained, "We win by the quality of the game, by leveraging our excellent reputation and game quality to build our own channels directly, instead of being limited by others. The ultimate goal is... even if these mobile phone manufacturers really form an alliance and monopolize the app store channels."

We can also leverage our brand recognition and advertising spending to achieve impressive market results for our new products and gain a good reputation among our users.

However, achieving this is not easy. It requires building up the ANF channel through personal brand recognition and paid advertising, which involves a huge initial investment and a challenging process.

on the other hand.

I believe that even if Avalon doesn't partner with mobile phone manufacturers, other game developers will... because it's a trend. As time goes on, the top mobile phone manufacturers will gradually increase their annual shipments of new phones, and these are all potential game users.

Game developers would find it hard not to be tempted.

And if they're tempted, then the trend of distributors gradually taking a larger cut is inevitable.

"Um……"

Upon hearing this, Li Xue also fell into deep thought. She gently touched her snow-white chin with her hand and pondered for a while before looking up and saying, "I think your idea is feasible. Currently, the ANF game section is actually much more well-known in the mobile game market than in mobile app stores."

"But unfortunately, it's only available on PC."

"Then we can try to develop a mobile version."

Li Xue blinked and looked at Tang Yao: "For example, a distribution channel similar to a mobile app store..."

Tang Yao chuckled softly upon hearing this: "Stealing their jobs?"

"Yes, things will definitely not go smoothly in the early stages, and we may even face suppression, but I believe in you."

Li Xue said softly, "Your judgment has never been wrong. Since you believe that content is king and that is the future, I think we might be able to use content to fight against the trend of channel companies taking a large cut... In the end, even if we don't go to mobile channels, we can still live very well, even better than those game companies that have gone to channels."

Tang Yao tilted her head: "Shall we give it a try?"

"Ok!"

Li Xue nodded immediately, while quickly thinking: "But before that, let me contact those mobile phone manufacturers and find out their purpose... At the same time, I'll ask ANF to assess the difficulty of moving the game section to the mobile platform and integrating it into a channel app."

As for the company's internal operations, the game project can proceed as usual.

"Um... I'll go now, and I'll come back and let you know when I have the results."

Say it.

Li Xue stood up abruptly, turned around, and hurriedly walked towards the elevator.

Tang Yao stared at Li Xue's graceful figure as she walked away, paused for a moment, and then smiled.

It's so good to have people you can trust.

……

Two days later.

Blue River Technology Headquarters.

A middle-aged man in a casual suit sat behind a desk, frowning: "Didn't agree?"

"The attitude wasn't very enthusiastic; it was just a female manager who contacted us, and that was how we extended the olive branch."

After a pause, the subordinate shook his head and said, "She only said she would consider it, and did not agree immediately. The rumored young and beautiful boss has no intention of talking to us."

"...Tsk, don't they know that the users our app store has can help them soar to new heights?"

The middle-aged man in the casual suit... Ji Zhuo, the president of Blue River Technology, clicked his tongue, somewhat displeased.

But soon, as he looked at the computer screen and saw the popularity of Hearthstone overseas, his displeasure dissipated considerably.

Instead, it's... hot!
He had actually noticed Avalon when it first emerged.

After all, this is closely related to the mobile phone industry.

At the time, he, like many others, thought Avalon was just lucky.

But I never expected...

Mobile games actually have a lot of potential!

Wow, that's incredibly profitable!

With the release of three new games by Avalon.

Ji Zhuo saw the potential of mobile games!

With Hearthstone achieving great success overseas.

Ji Zhuo confirmed one thing! From now on, mobile games truly are the future!

As the owner of the largest mobile phone brand in China, Ji Zhuo had a keen sense of opportunity and quickly realized the importance of mobile phone manufacturers like them to mobile games.

Mobile app store!

channel!

Make the rules!

just.

There's a small problem here.

Avalon, a leader in the mobile game industry, has made a name for itself without launching on any mobile platforms; it has done so entirely on its own merits.

When he realized what was happening...

Avalon has established itself firmly.

In contrast to mobile app stores, which are more suitable for mobile games, their ANF game section is actually more famous.

This is a bit embarrassing.

However, Ji Zhuo quickly came up with a solution... that is, to take the initiative to extend an olive branch and invite Avalon to join his mobile phone's app store, thereby fully opening up this market.

He is very confident about this!
He believed that any intelligent person could see just how beneficial it was to cooperate with mobile phone manufacturers.

Ji Zhuo wouldn't even mind lowering his stance and giving Avalo a higher share when facing them.

Because as long as Avalon agrees to cooperate, he can immediately use their game to build up the mobile app store channel and connect the app store with mobile games.

And as long as the channels are established...

From then on, it won't be the game companies that will take the lead.

He would team up with his peers to form an app store alliance... and then sit back and make money off these game developers, sharing the mobile game pie with them.

But now the question is.

Avalon...isn't interested? Why?
Think of this.

Ji Zhuo raised his head, suppressing his displeasure, and said, "Contact them again and reveal the revenue sharing ratio to them. At the same time, hint that you will do your best to help them showcase the game to more users."

"it is good."

The subordinate responded and turned to move away.

Ji Zhuo watched his subordinate's retreating figure and fell into deep thought.

Avalon...why not be tempted?

What are they thinking?
But if they really aren't interested.

that……

Ji Zhuo snapped out of his reverie, then slowly looked down at the documents on the table and said softly, "Perhaps we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket..."

(End of this chapter)