Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 129 New Popularity

Anyone who sees these sales figures, even someone completely unfamiliar with the gaming industry, will have to ask: When did Chinese-made games become so popular in Japan?

Aren't Japanese gamers notoriously picky and xenophobic? What does 55 copies even mean?
A domestically produced game sold 55 copies in Japan.
The impact of this news may be even more shocking than the fact that "Final Battle" has surpassed one million global sales; many even believe that StarCraft Games is "faking" it.

However... Chu Chen really didn't fake it.

The reason for this is simply because "Final Battlefront: Origins" was sold "too cheaply" in Japan, with a domestic price of 39 yen and a Japanese price of 890 yen.

Although the exchange rate is close to 60 RMB, which is much more expensive than in China, in Japan, 890 yen is about the same as three bottles of cola or a cup of milk tea.

At this price, pre-orders also get a 150% rebate in points.

Imagine if one day Arknights released a single-player version in China, selling it for 9.9 yuan, and then you bought it and got 15 yuan back as a bonus.
Regardless of the actual quality of this single-player game, when placing an order, you'll probably have to wonder, "Is the manufacturer really going to lose money?"
Anyway, that's the situation for "Final Battlefront: Origins" in Japan at that time.

A large portion of the comments from Japanese players on Twitter, besides discussions about the game's quality, were reminders to the developers to raise the price.
Yes, you heard right.

Players have suggested that the official price be raised.
The reason given is that Starry Night Games' demo of this quality is absolutely worth the price, and there's no need to sell it cheaply; many players are even somewhat "angry."

They said the pricing was absurd and that the developers were completely damaging the IP value of "Final Battle".
If Chu Chen hadn't updated a short video on Twitter...

They explained that the low-price strategy of "Final Front: Origins" was intended to attract more people to learn about Final Front, and that a corresponding skin pack would be released in Final Front after the game's official launch.

"If you really like this demo, helping to pre-order it and help with promotion would be a huge help."

"We will also release more derivative works in the future to expand the world view. Thank you for your support."

Fortunately, Chu Chen's personal account and the extensive promotion of Starry Night's derivative works in Japan helped; otherwise, Starry Night Games might have genuinely faced backlash from Japanese players due to its "low price."

It's quite amazing when you think about it.

Due to different national circumstances, most domestic players can only learn about overseas information through screenshots shared by content providers, and naturally cannot understand why "Final Front: Origins" sells better in Japan than in China.
Even Lao Bai couldn't understand it.

But he knows how to play games, and after about ten minutes, the demo was installed.

He put on his headphones and immersed himself in the world called "Final Front: Origins".

The crisp gunshots, the smooth rolls, the perfectly timed hit feedback... In less than three minutes, all his previous doubts and prejudices began to crumble little by little.

When the demo ended, the white-haired girl disappeared from sight, and the game's logo appeared on the screen, Lao Bai let out a long sigh of relief.

He leaned back in his chair and remained silent for a long time.

Without a doubt, this is a good game.

Regardless of its marketing tactics, this demo itself showcases a framework that is competent, and even excellent by today's standards for single-player games in China.
The quality of this demo completely exceeded his expectations.

He's starting to believe that the million-sales figure is real.

The combination of excellent quality, the massive user base of the mobile game itself, and the almost "free" pre-sale strategy... all these factors combined to create this seemingly impossible sales miracle.

Before today, he had heard the name "Final Front" countless times, but he had never been interested. But this time, it was different.
There's a kind of urge to read the main story after watching the wonderful bonus short film.

Almost instinctively, he started searching for the name "Final Front" on Bilibili and clicked on the game video he had previously glanced at.
~~~
Just as the game's story-driven players were cheering that version 1.1 was awesome...

While the single-player game market was amazed by the sales of "Final Front: Origins," PVE players of "Final Front" were experiencing a scene of utter despair.

After the new season update.

The "Night Battle" mode, which is very friendly in the main storyline and has some shortcomings, completely changes its appearance when it comes to the new PVE map, "Night Front".

"Holy crap! I'm blind! Is the night in PvE this dark?! I can't see anything at all!"

"Where's my sniper rifle? WA2000, what are you doing?! Your accuracy has plummeted to the bottom!"

"Only three flares? What are they supposed to do with that? This map is huge!"

"No lights during the boss fight, you can't dodge any skills, what's the point of playing!"

If the "Night Battle" mode in the storyline is the tutorial for beginners, then the PVE mode "Night Front" is the normal game difficulty, just like "Winter Front".

【Night Front】also adopts the formula of "environmental pressure + resource management -> dynamic tactical confrontation".

In this mode, to complete the PVE level, you need to understand the characteristics and costs of different lighting tools and plan the allocation of limited lighting resources.

Adjust formation selection based on nighttime combat conditions and make real-time tactical decisions on the dynamically changing battlefield.

This design greatly enhances the strategic depth and operational enjoyment, bringing a sense of novelty and challenge, and effectively boosting the game's vitality.

Of course, some people enjoy studying PVE, while others don't.

Just like in the previous game "Arknights," where people would look for walkthroughs and copy strategies as soon as a new level was released, many players of "Final Frontline" also don't want to think.

There are many similar posts seeking help on various online forums.

"Looking for a team composition for night raiding! Who has night vision/has a built-in light?"

Where should you throw flares for the best effect? ​​At the entrance at the start or wait until you're ready to fight the boss?

"Should I give the tracer rounds to the main DPS or the tank? I'm so conflicted!"

"Found a good spot! We can use the high ground and searchlights to take out the enemy backline for free!"

"You can use a corner to get through this level, and you only need two tracer rounds to save flares for the boss!"

One interesting detail is that although these players look for walkthroughs, they still feel a sense of accomplishment after they find a walkthrough and complete the game.

This sense of accomplishment mainly comes from the mild roguelike nature of "Final Front," which means that even with a guide, the player's experience will not be 100% the same as the content described in the guide.

Beyond the help-seeking posts, this upgraded "gameplay" is not only more fun for players than some games that only focus on increasing stats, but also creates great entertainment value for streamers.

"Ahhh! Just a little bit more! The flare cooldown is over!... Let's try again! I know how to do it!"

Some players even edited "streamer mistake compilations" to... no, to get cash incentives from Starry Night Games for creating derivative works.

(End of this chapter)