Youxi Putao Lecture Hall 2014

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在6月19日，游戏葡萄与GA游戏教育在上海联合举办了葡萄大讲堂活动第三期，邀请《崩坏学园》制作人蔡浩宇进行了《小众游戏的绝对领域》的主题分享。
On June 19, Youxi Putao and Game Academy jointly held the third phase of the Putao Lecture Hall event in Shanghai, inviting Cai Haoyu, the producer of *Houkai Gakuen*, to share the topic "The Absolute Territory of Niche Games."

在会上，蔡浩宇就《崩坏学园2》如何抓住用户痛点、小众游戏的取舍与逼格等三个方面进行了分享，以下为经过整理的分享内容：
During the meeting, Cai Haoyu shared insights on three aspects related to *Honkai Gakuen 2*: capturing user pain points, making choices in niche games, and maintaining uniqueness. Here is a summary of the key points discussed:

### Introduction

很高兴和大家一起讨论，作一些小众游戏的经验之谈，也希望能和大家一起分享一些 小众游戏的故事，我们团队做过很多游戏，《崩坏学园》并不是第一款。在这个小团队的成长过程中，每个人都身兼数职，作为制作人我也会做过制作游戏之外的事情，做过数值也做过系统。
I'm glad to have the opportunity to discuss and share experiences about developing niche games with all of you. Our team has created numerous games, and *Houkai Gakuen* is not our first title. Throughout the growth of our small team, each member has taken on multiple roles. As a producer, I have also been involved in tasks beyond game development, such as working on game mechanics and systems. I would be delighted to share stories about our journey in developing niche games and the various responsibilities we have undertaken along the way.

这款游戏在开始和普通游戏不一样，游戏在刚开始出来时压力很大，游戏葡萄等行业媒体对这款游戏都有关注，微博上也有很多关注。所以说压力还是挺大的。也希望这次能和大家一起分享一些做游戏的经验。
This game is different from regular games right from the start. There was a lot of pressure when the game was first released, as it gained attention from industry media such as gaming grapevine and other platforms like Weibo. So, the pressure was indeed quite significant. I also hope to share some game development experiences with all of you this time.

今天的这个标题绝对领域这一词出自于动漫EVA。原指使徒的力场，之后用来形容穿过膝袜和裙子的女孩裙下和膝上这一部分，这有个黄金比例的，4:1:2.5，招客服的时候我们就问这样一个问题，问绝对领域的黄金比例是多少？答对了才能招进来。
Today's topic, "Absolute Territory," comes from the anime *Neon Genesis Evangelion*. It originally referred to the [protective] force field of the Angels. Later on, it was used to describe the portion of a girl's leg between the sock and skirt, specifically the area below the skirt and above the knee. This area is said to have a golden ratio of 4:1:2.5. When hiring customer service representatives, we would ask a question related to this topic, such as "What is the golden ratio of the Absolute Territory?" Only those who answered correctly could be hired.

### Pain Points

第一个关键词—痛点
The first keyword: pain points.

做游戏关键就是把握用户的痛点，什么是用户的痛点，即是用户有很强的需求却并没有被满足的点，这就是痛点。绝对领域这个概念即是针对死宅的 痛点，我们小团队在做游戏时就做专注一些很细节的东西，做很多值得把握的东西。做这个游戏是作为策划的我决定的，选定了方向做游戏时很多时候都是凭感觉摸 着石头过河，作为一个死宅，我能理解我们目标用户的需求，在ACG文化上的共同的述求是能够用游戏满足的，对于这一点的把握我很有自信。以我自己对ACG 宅圈的理解去制作针对死宅的游戏，在决定了这个目标之后，排除了很多不同的意见之后，就着手进行操作。
The key to game development is understanding the pain points of the users. The pain point refers to a strong user demand that has not been met yet. The concept of the Absolute Territory specifically targets the pain point of otaku culture. As a small team, we focus on fine details and strive to capture significant elements. The decision to develop this game was made by me as a planner. Many times, when creating a game, we rely on intuition and navigate through uncertainties. As an otaku myself, I understand the needs of our target users, and I am confident in fulfilling their shared desires within the ACG culture through our game. With my understanding of the otaku community, I excluded various opinions and proceeded with the development process.

做游戏我们不敢说是最好的，但在数 据把控，受众分析方面的精细程度是我们自豪的，现在有很多手游比如说一些格斗过关类型的，往往里面不会缺少扫荡系统，但我就觉得这样的系统不好，这样的系 统自以为把握了用户的需求，但只是自以为是。举个例子，设计一款给女生的袜子，那么就有这么几个要求，1能博得男性喜欢2冬天能保暖，不容易掉。在此基础 上可以进一步发挥，比如可以在上面印萌图。比如猫，或者狗，这样的袜子会很受女性喜爱，但这肯定不是死宅所想要的。也就是针对客户的痛点没找好。
When it comes to game development, we dare not claim to be the best, but we take pride in our meticulous approach to data management and audience analysis. Nowadays, there are many mobile games, especially those of the fighting and clearance genres, that often feature a sweeping system. However, I believe that such a system is flawed. It assumes that it understands the users' needs, but it is merely presumptuous. Let me give you an example: if we design a pair of socks for girls, there are several requirements: 1) They should be appealing to men, 2) They should provide warmth during winter and not easily come off. Based on these requirements, we can further explore possibilities, such as printing cute images on the socks, like cats or dogs. This would make the socks highly desirable among women, but this is definitely not what otakus want. In other words, the pain points of the customers haven't been identified accurately.

基于上面的例子，这个游戏是根据我们筛选出来的核心用户设计的。
Based on the example above, this game was designed based on our selection of core users.

做游戏是为了满足别人的需求，如果这个需求还没有被别人满足，而且是很强烈的需求，那么这里就有市场，在我们选取了核心用户需求之后，我们就要深入挖掘。在 这一方面，制作人的角色很重要，需要坚持自己的立场，特别是这样一个小众游戏，在制作过程中的滤掉很多多余的想法，都需要制作人态度坚定。什么时候我有了 要做这样一款游戏的想法呢？
Creating games is about fulfilling the needs of others. If a particular need hasn't been satisfied by others yet, and it is a strong need, then there is a market. Once we have identified the core user needs, we need to delve deeper. In this regard, the role of the producer is crucial. They need to hold their ground, especially in the case of a niche game, and filter out unnecessary ideas throughout the production process. It requires a firm attitude from the producer. So, when did I have the idea to make such a game?

在我开始玩手机游戏的时候，我发现市场上没有我喜欢的游戏，不能满足我所想要的视觉需求别的领域我不敢多说，但在ACG方面，我深知很多死宅都是视觉动物，我也是，我想要一款能满足视觉的ACG游戏，所以就这么决定了。
When I started playing mobile games, I noticed that there were no games in the market that I liked, and they couldn't fulfill my visual needs. I can't speak for other fields, but when it comes to the ACG realm, I know that many otaku are visual creatures, and I am one of them. I wanted a ACG game that could satisfy my visual desires, so it was decided.

《崩坏学园》这一款游戏在系统和数值上我只认为只能打60分，但在视觉呈现这一痛点上针对死宅用户做到了最好。
[I] would rate *Houkai Gakuen 2* around 60 points in terms of its systems and numerical aspects, but it excels in addressing the pain point of visual presentation, particularly catering to otaku users.

我们团队之前做过一款游戏，叫《FlyMe2theMoon》是一款iOS的付费游戏，这款游戏没卖多少份，后来就无疾而终了。
Our team previously developed a game called *FlyMe2theMoon*, which was a paid iOS game. Unfortunately, this game didn't sell many copies and eventually came to an end.

之后我们就想要做一个好玩的游戏，这个探索的过程很长，也看过很多游戏的数据，研究怎样的游戏受欢迎，怎样的游戏用户最多，最后我们决定，我们只要做一个好玩的游戏就够了，开始是没有关注付费和数据这一方面。
Afterward, we wanted to create a fun game. The exploration process was lengthy, and we studied the data of many games, researching which games were popular and had the most users. Ultimately, we decided that our focus should be on creating a fun game, without initially paying much attention to monetization and data aspects.

我个人对游戏的品味和要求很高，在刚开始决定面对这个市场时，我们发现市场上很是空白。能作为经验的游戏只有《时空猎人》，而其在画面表现上为了配合渠道而 很粗糙，不合死宅用户的胃口，在确定了我们在画面上的这一要求之后，高清画质的代价是成品是一个很大的包，结果因此在推广上有些麻烦，但在数据上我们确定 我们方向没有错。就确定了这样做下去，就没有对大小进行调整。
I personally have high taste and requirements for games. When we initially decided to enter this market, we discovered a significant gap in the market. The only game that could serve as an experience reference was *Space Hunter* (by Yinhan Games), but its visual presentation was roughened to fit the distribution channels, which didn't appeal to hardcore gamers. After determining our visual requirements, we realized that achieving high-definition graphics would result in a large file size. Consequently, we faced some challenges in promoting the game. However, based on the data, we were confident that our direction was correct. We decided to continue without adjusting the game's size.

二次元和三次元做这款游戏我们也考虑了作为小众游戏为人所接受并不简单，具体来说，我们面临了不少挑战，但我们也有很多优势，相对大众用户而言，竞争不那么激烈，还有小众游戏能做到让用户绝对满意，可以培养用户成为你的粉丝，这样后续就会有很多奇妙的事情。
When developing this game in the two-dimensional and three-dimensional realm, we also considered the challenges of making it appealing to a niche audience. Specifically, we faced several obstacles. However, we also had many advantages. Compared to mainstream users, the competition was not as fierce. Additionally, with a niche game, we could strive to ensure absolute user satisfaction, fostering a dedicated fan base. This, in turn, would lead to many wonderful possibilities in the future.

在我们开始推出游戏的时候，没有进行宣传和推广，在第一天的时候，我们没有采集到数据，但第二天，就有了免费帮第一的排名，在付费榜的排名上也是第一。这就是粉丝推广的作用，可以说我们的一代积累了粉丝，当二代推出的时候，粉丝的作用就体现出来了。
When we initially launched the game, we didn't engage in any marketing or promotion efforts. On the first day, we didn't gather any data. However, by the second day, we had secured the top spot in the free rankings and also ranked first in the paid rankings. This is the power of fan promotion. It can be said that our first generation of players had accumulated a strong fan base, and when the second generation was released, the impact of those fans became evident.

在贴吧，微博上关于游戏的讨论很多，这也是我为什么要做《崩坏学园2》的理由，因为积累了很多粉丝，以及积累下来的渴望。这也是我们另一个优势所在，就是垂直推广，我们只需要在用户会出现的地方投放广告就可以获得精准的用户。
There are many discussions about the game on forums and microblogs like Baidu Tieba and Sina Weibo. This is why I decided to create *Houkai Gakuen 2*. It's because we have accumulated a large fan base and their strong desire for the game. Another advantage we have is vertical promotion. We only need to advertise in places where our target users are present, allowing us to reach a precise and targeted audience.

从运营方面来讲，当一个圈子很小的时候，用户都是比较核心的，当圈子比较大是，就会出现没什么向心力的情况。做游戏，用户多了我们就会有很多取舍。
From an operational perspective, when a community is small, the users are usually more core and engaged. However, as the community grows larger, there may be a lack of cohesion. When it comes to game development, having a large user base requires us to make various trade-offs and decisions to cater to different user preferences and needs.

### Trade-Offs

第二个关键词——取舍
The second keyword: trade-offs.

所谓有得必有失，选择了做小众游戏就意味着我们放弃了做大众游戏的高盈利可能，小众游戏的盈利是有这样一个瓶颈存在的，用户基数也是有限。而且产品无法做到 长期的话，其盈 利水平也有限。因为小众游戏面对受众少的关系，无法像大品牌一样做成一个品牌或者一个系列，在研发和制作上的投入也不会太高。
The saying "there's always a trade-off" applies here. Choosing to create niche games means giving up the potential for high profitability that comes with mainstream games. Niche games have a bottleneck when it comes to profitability because their user base is limited. Additionally, if a product cannot maintain its presence in the market for an extended period, its profit potential is also limited. Due to the smaller audience of niche games, it is challenging to build a brand or a series like larger brands do. Moreover, the investment in development and production for niche games is typically not as high.

用户基数小，当吸取了第一批核心用户之后，后续的推广就比较麻烦了，浅层次的客户因为散布得碎片化，在推广和开发新客户的层面上相当吃力。
With a smaller user base, after attracting the initial core users, subsequent marketing becomes more challenging. Acquiring new customers and promoting the game to a broader audience becomes difficult due to the fragmented nature of shallow-level customers. It requires significant effort in marketing and developing new customer channels.

不仅在产品的战略上要进行取舍，在游戏的玩法，物品上也要进行取舍。游戏的声优开始选择放日文声优也是备受争议最后定型放上中文声优。
Not only do we need to make choices in product strategy, but we also need to make choices in gameplay and items within the game. The decision to initially consider using Japanese voice actors for the game sparked controversy, but ultimately we settled on using Chinese voice actors.

作为一款小众游戏有用户喜欢也会有用户不喜欢，这也是取舍。
As a niche game, there will be users who like it and users who don't. This is also a trade-off we have to make.

### Feign "X"

第三个关键词——装X
The third keyword: feign X.

其实也不是我们通常说的装X，而是自然流露出这种感觉。这款游戏在贴吧还有论坛上都有很多帖子，很多都是关于游戏需要改进或者不好玩的讨论，开始我们很重视这样的意见，但到了后来就只坚持自己的路子，你爱来玩就来，不爱就走。这样的态度就是装X。
Actually, it's not what we typically refer to as showing off, but rather a natural expression of that feeling. There are many posts about this game on Baidu Tieba and forums, with many discussing the need for improvements or stating that it's not fun. At first, we valued these opinions a lot, but later on, we stuck to our own path. If you love to play, then come, and if you don't, then leave. This kind of attitude can be seen as being pretentious.

除了我们自己要有立场保持逼格之外，还要装出高度来，比如比较受大众欢迎的游戏，都给人一种同质化的感觉，在我看来，保持自我才能拥有一些属于自己的东西。
In addition to maintaining our own stance and preserving our sense of style, we also need to project a sense of grandeur. For example, many popular games tend to give a feeling of homogeneity. In my opinion, it is by staying true to ourselves that we can possess something unique to us.

在声优配音上，一方面是市场推广的考虑，一方面还有逼格的考虑，之后的作品，我们会请到花泽香菜，田村大魔王等知名声优来进行配音。
In terms of voice acting, we consider both market promotion and maintaining our sense of style. For our upcoming projects, we plan to invite renowned voice actors such as Tamura Yukari and Hanazawa Kana to provide the voiceovers.

在 游戏的核心玩法上，有很多玩家反映游戏的核心玩法很奇怪，但是我们没有选择改变，之前在《崩坏学园》一代已经验证这个核心玩法是行的通的。之所以在玩法上 的不一样还在于我做的东西和别人不一样，才能显得独特，这种独特性能够吸引玩家。在游戏的过程中，进行过很多的数据调研，其实我们不这么做也可以，但是我 们还是这么做了，为什么呢？一方面是因为逼格，另一方面是因为粉丝。为了粉丝去做一些可以不做的事为我们获取了游戏很多粉丝。
In terms of the core gameplay, many players have expressed that it feels peculiar, but we chose not to make changes. We had already validated this core gameplay mechanic in the first installment of *Houkai Gakuen*. The reason for keeping the gameplay unique is that it sets apart what I create from others, making it stand out and attract players. Throughout the game's development, we conducted extensive data research. Although we could have chosen not to do so, we decided to proceed with it. Why? On one hand, it's about maintaining our sense of style, and on the other hand, it's for the fans. Doing things that we didn't have to do but did for the sake of our fans has garnered us a significant number of loyal supporters.

而且在游戏方面为了核心用户的体验，放弃了针对大众玩家的适应调整。在粉丝营销方面，在贴吧上做过一些活动，比如给游戏角色雷电芽衣过生日的活动，在贴吧上5分钟就获得了10w的流量。
Furthermore, in terms of the game, we made the decision to prioritize the core users' experience and forego making adjustments to cater to the general player base. In terms of fan marketing, we have conducted various activities on Baidu Tieba, such as celebrating the birthday of the in-game character Raiden Mei. During one of these activities, we achieved a traffic of 100,000 within just five minutes on Baidu Tieba.

征集雷电芽衣的生日贺图时也收到了很多礼物，还收到了巧克力，大闸蟹等玩家寄来的物品。这在普通的游戏中是看不到这样的玩家反馈的，这正是粉丝玩家的潜力。
When we collected birthday tribute artwork for Raiden Mei, we received numerous gifts and items from players, including chocolates and even hairy crabs. This level of player feedback is not commonly seen in regular games, highlighting the potential of fan players.

在运营者一方面，我们通常会忽略一些玩家大众的意见，甚至会考虑反向思考，考虑对于核心用户而言，这些意见意味着游戏体验方面还有那些需要整理的地方。
As operators, we often tend to overlook the opinions of the general player base and even consider adopting a reverse thinking approach. We focus on considering what these opinions mean for the gaming experience of our core users and identify areas that need improvement or refinement in that regard.

之前日本有个很火的游戏《舰娘》，每个月只开放8000个账号注册，淘宝上甚至有专门出售舰娘账号的。这款页游其实很一般，但为什么能做到如此成功呢？这是因为这款游戏专注于做IP，在IP这方面做得非常好。
There was a popular Japanese game called *Kantai Collection*, which only allowed 8,000 account registrations per month. There were even dedicated online sellers on platforms like Taobao selling *Kantai Collection* accounts. Despite the game being relatively average, it achieved remarkable success. The reason behind this success lies in the game's focus on building a strong IP and excelling in that aspect.

在 日本最大的同人志贩卖会C85还有日本的绘画网站Pixiv上，做了很多宣传工作，当有人发现在网站上很多知名画师在描画这样一款游戏的时候，就会好奇， 这是一款这么样的作品。当然这只是开始的一部分，后来在同人志的推广还有网站上的推广活动成功的延续了产品的生命力，这个IP也就成功的塑造起来了。
They carried out extensive promotional activities at Comiket 85, the largest *doujinshi* selling event in Japan, and on Pixiv, a popular Japanese art community website. When people noticed that many renowned artists were creating illustrations related to the game, it sparked curiosity and intrigue. This was just the beginning. Later, through promotion at *doujinshi* events and online campaigns, they successfully sustained the game's vitality and effectively shaped the IP.

这就是我所要讲的，小众游戏，就是要做IP，坚持我们自己的行为。《崩坏学园》这样一款游戏就是在这样一个愿景下，为了实现我们的ACG梦想，所选取的能够获得盈利的手机游戏的商业模式。
This is what I want to emphasize. For niche games, it is crucial to build a strong IP and stay true to our vision. *Houkai Gakuen* is a game that was developed with this vision in mind, aiming to fulfill our ACG dreams. It follows a commercial model for mobile gaming that enables us to achieve profitability while catering to our target audience.

## Notes

1. ↑ The artwork titled サラさんのふともも・・・ "Sara-san's Thighs..." was illustrated by Hokuto (北斗) and depicts Sara, a character from *Jewelpet Twinkle*. It was published on Pixiv on July 18, 2010.
2. ↑ 装X *Zhuāng X* is possibly derived from the internet slang 装B. 装B refers to the act of intentionally pretending to be someone or something you are not, often with an exaggerated or ridiculous behavior, attitude, or appearance. It implies that the person is trying too hard to appear cool, impressive, or unique, but in a way that is seen as obnoxious, arrogant, or insincere. It is commonly used to mock or criticize individuals who are perceived as being fake, pretentious, or overly dramatic.
3. ↑ The artwork titled ヴォーカロイドによる武力政変 "Armed Coup by VOCALOID" was illustrated by Terumi (てるみぃ). It was published on Piapro on July 29, 2008.
4. ↑    During the morning of January 18, 2014, a player sent a box of twelve hairy crabs to the miHoYo studio. *Houkai Gakuen 2* posted on Sina Weibo: "On a winter morning, the customer service girl received an anonymous phone call, followed by receiving 12 hairy crabs sent by a player. She was overwhelmed with gratitude for the generous treat. However, don't send panties [or] similar items, ah." (在冬日的早晨，客服娘收到匿名电话，随后收到了玩家寄来的12只大闸蟹。内流满面感谢大大的投喂嘛。不过，胖次神马的不要就寄来啦。)
5. ↑ Comiket 85 was held from December 29-31, 2013.