Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 405 Skin Change
"Once the game is finished and enters the debugging phase, a bunch of pixel 'bugs' will appear on the screen. The employees will turn into a 'bug-catching suicide squad,' frantically typing on their keyboards. If the bugs aren't completely fixed, the game's score will plummet."

"Finally, the game was released, and sales varied depending on the final rating, but overall, the game's popularity skyrocketed, the number of fans surged, and the company's reputation soared."

"And then?" Chu Chen looked at Li Suhao. "What's the first thing you want to do with the money you've earned?"

"Let's move to a bigger office and hire two more capable employees!"

Li Suhao answered without hesitation.

“That’s right.” Chu Chen snapped his fingers. “That’s what makes Cairo so amazing. It provides you with a perfect positive feedback loop.”

"Starting from scratch, through simple choices, you achieve clear numerical growth and ultimately obtain a quantifiable result. High scores and money are digital things."

"Numbers are something you can visualize, and then you can immediately use those rewards to upgrade your productivity tools, find more topics, get new offices, stronger staff, development server licenses..."

"These can all make your next game more profitable."

"This cycle is simple, brutal, but incredibly effective. It eliminates all the complexities that can frustrate players in simulation games."

"In the world of Cairo, you are always moving upwards; almost every investment you make will be rewarded. The only difference is the size of the reward."

Li Suhao nodded repeatedly.

He had actually played this game for a while, so hearing Chu Chen's analysis gave him a rather peculiar feeling.

This is why so many people watch Chu Chen's live streams; not everyone can do that kind of skillful, masterful dissection.

In fact, many things are like this.

You think you understand, but you don't. Then someone who truly understands tells you, and you suddenly realize, "Oh, so that's how it is."

This is why many games made by domestic game developers often feel "awkward".

Because they understand, but not completely.

Cairo's logic is so easy to copy, but in reality, very few small domestic manufacturers can actually copy it well.
Among a large number of manufacturers.

Cairo itself copied it best.
Almost all of Kairosoft's games are based on this model, with additions and subtractions made to it.

Their 'micro-innovations' or 'rebranding' are actually very clever.

If you're addicted to Game Dev Story and want a change of pace, here's Hot Spring Story. The core gameplay is the same, but this time you're running a Japanese inn, and you'll need to consider the layout of guest rooms, views, and restaurants.

If you get tired of hot springs, there's also "Food Dream Factory," where you can study recipes and participate in competitions.

The same core, with different "skins," can bring players a completely new experience. Because what they're selling isn't the "skin," but rather the endlessly replayable, positively feedback-rich "core loop."

Of course, besides *Game Dev Story*, Kairosoft has other games with similar core themes, such as *Ninja Battle Village*. However, generally speaking, Kairosoft games revolve around a single core theme, constantly incorporating "micro-innovations."

"What we need to do is to put this core concept into idol training games."

In Chu Chen's initial plan.

This idol game could also use Kairosoft's loop, but of course, many details would be different; for example, the game's graphics could be much better.

A good visual can also create anticipation.

Many simulation game players enjoy spending time, after building everything, scrolling through the camera to admire their creation. In this aspect, Kairosoft games fall short.

This disadvantage is not very obvious on mobile phones, but if Chu Chen wants to move it to PCs to reach a wider audience, he needs to address this shortcoming.

This is also the basis for the cooperation between the two parties. Chu Chen, who is used to subtraction, wants to add this time, and will remake some classic Kairosoft games.

It's like adapting a classic stage play into a movie.

Since these gameplay elements have been thoroughly refined, as long as the graphics are improved and some depth is added appropriately, wouldn't the gimmick of an exclusive game be just around the corner?
The same is true.

If Starry Sky is going to make an idol-related game, then the graphics will definitely be one of the gimmicks, but the gameplay can be simpler and more straightforward. Players will not play any of the members of Nogizaka46, nor their producer.

The player takes on the role of the president of an idol agency in a brand new, parallel world.

At the start of the game, your agency might just be an office rented in a run-down building in Tokyo, with only a few inexperienced and mediocre trainees under your command.

Your goal is to transform this nearly bankrupt agency into Japan's number one idol empire.

You need to recruit new talent and discover promising new stars from thousands of resumes.

You need to arrange courses for them to improve their singing, dancing, variety show skills, fashion sense, and other abilities.

You need to plan their career path, whether to go for the pure and innocent idol route or the stylish and fashionable model route.

You need to produce a single, from composing the music, writing the lyrics, choreographing, to shooting the music video.

Following the release of the music video single, the game gained increasing influence and financial rewards, creating a complete "idol genealogy" belonging solely to the players.

This system is essentially a reskin, but reskinning also has its own fun, such as recording variety shows or managing the theater. At first, there might only be a few people coming to the theater.

Subsequently, more and more theaters were set up.

There are also concerts. You need to hold concerts, starting from a small live house, gradually moving towards the Budokan, and finally stepping onto the stage of the Tokyo Dome.

So, where are the members of Nogizaka46?
Naturally, they are recruitable characters.

However, it doesn't mean you'll definitely find them. Just like in a football game, players can recruit "youngsters" while developing their agency.

When your firm reaches a certain size and conducts nationwide auditions, you might find a resume in a city in Kyushu that reads "Nishino Nanase".

Her initial stats are incredibly high, but she is extremely introverted and requires players to use special strategies to get her to open up.

Or, when your team is filming a music video for a new single, they might bump into a girl painting on a beach, and her name is "Mai Shiraishi".

Even in the game, there's no need to show these girls' real-life images; they're just game assets.

Just like finding a young Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi in a football game, players are not "cultivating" an existing idol, but rather "discovering" and "nurturing" an idol named "Mai Shiraishi" in their own world.

The only problem with this logic might be that for this type of game, making it a buy-to-play single-player game is the safest option for a good experience.

Moreover, the price cannot be set too high.

This might mean that revenue might not be very strong, but essentially what Chu Chen wanted wasn't a cash cow, but a new avenue for publicity.

Moreover, even if you can't sell gacha pulls, you can sell DLC.
(End of this chapter)