7th November 2020, Kathmandu
The recently released “AAA gacha” game, Genshin Impact, from the Chinese developer miHoYo, is set to be one of the biggest mobile launch ever.
Released on the 28th of September on Windows, PS4, Android, and iOS, the game has made $245 million in just mobile platforms.
In fact, there is no other game other than Pokémon GO that seems to have made more than Genshin Impact did in its first 30 days. The massive global megahit had made over $283 million in its first 30 days.
In doing so, Genshin has thrived in the market, beating the likes of Fortnite, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, etc.
Of course, Pokémon Go was a mobile-only game.
Moreover, the data from Sensor Tower is not counting Genshin Impact player spending on PC and PS4. Or else, it could have made the game the most money made by a free game launch ever.
However, there’s no confirmation until miHoYo releases some actual numbers.
Also Read: Sony Group Makes an Investment of $250 Million in Epic Games
Genshin Impact thrives within a month of release
China and Japan account for over half of Genshin Impact’s spending. We suspect the reason most likely being how popular mobile gaming is in Asia.
The US follows them at 18%. However, this percentage is likely to go up significantly if the PC and PS4 spending is also accounted for.
Genshin Impact doing so good is not exactly a surprise. It is an extremely fun and satisfying RPG game full of vibrant characters and locations.
It also includes hugely profitable gacha mechanics in which players pay for chances to gamble for new, rare characters. Instead of offering a DLC character for $10 or so, Genshin Impact requires one to spend over $400 to ‘guarantee’ the hero through triggering a series of pity timers.
Genshin Impact also further cements Chinese game developers as a major power in the mobile gaming industry. In addition, it also helps improve the stagnating mobile gaming market.
Games like Genshin Impact and PUBG-M seem to have captured the Western audience without losing their home audience.
This exactly shows how good production values, popular gameplay mechanics, and deep progression systems can indeed be a profitable venture for game developers.
