China Game Industry Annual Conference 2018

This article contains AI-generated translation.

 Author
 Published
 Previous

首先感谢协会及游戏工委的领导老师邀请我们米哈游参加今天的2018年度中国游戏产业年会。今天很高兴与各位分享和交流。
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the leaders and teachers of the [China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing] Association and Game Publishing Committee for inviting us to participate in today's 2018 China Game Industry Annual Conference. It's a pleasure to share and exchange ideas with everyone today.

我们米哈游是我跟我另外两个上海交大同学在2011年的时候创业成立的，那时候我们还是上海交通大学研二的学生。我跟我的合伙人都是典型的交大理工科宅男，宅男嘛，所以特别喜欢动漫游戏。那时候我们把我们喜欢的动漫游戏称为ACG，A-animation动画，C-comic漫画，G-game游戏。我们特别热爱ACG，所以想做ACG相关的事情，但是那个时候市场上几乎没有什么国产原创动漫ACG相关的公司，所以我们觉得要想做ACG，只有自己创业才有机会做自己热爱而且想做的事情。2011年我们一开始创业的时候，就给米哈游确定了一个愿景：成为世界一流的ACG公司（世界一流的动漫游戏公司）。我们很自豪，今年是我们创业的第八年，这个愿景从来没有改变过，而且正在一步一步扎实向这个目标靠近。
miHoYo was founded in 2011 by me and two of my classmates from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. At that time, we were second-year graduate students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. My partner and I are typical engineering geeks from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and being geeks, we had a special love for anime and games. We referred to the anime and games we loved as ACG, which stands for "Animation," "Comic," and "Game." We had a deep passion for ACG and wanted to be involved in ACG-related endeavors. However, at that time, there were hardly any domestic original ACG companies in the market. So we believed that the only way to pursue our passion for ACG was through entrepreneurship, to have the opportunity to do what we love and want to do. When we started our venture in 2011, we established a vision for miHoYo: to become a world-class ACG company (a world-class anime and gaming company). We are proud that this vision has never changed, and this year marks our eighth year of entrepreneurship. We are steadily moving closer to this goal, step by step.

随着中国经济实力和国际政治地位的提高，在国际上大国的形象日益突出，如何向世界充分展示中国优秀传统文化是我们动漫游戏产业义不容辞的责任和义务。在坚持原创精品的同时，米哈游作为 “文化出口重点企业”、游戏工委“2017年度十大海外拓展游戏企业”也在积极探索国际化道路，与“一带一路”国家开展深入的文化交流，进行多方面的国际合作，致力于在世界范围内“讲好中国故事、传播中国文化”。
With the increasing economic strength and international political status of China, the image of being a major power is becoming more prominent on the global stage. It is our anime and gaming industry's undeniable responsibility and obligation to fully showcase China's excellent traditional culture to the world. While adhering to original high-quality works, miHoYo, as a "Key Enterprise for Cultural Exports" and one of the "Top 10 Overseas Expansion Game Companies in 2017" recognized by the Game Work Committee, is actively exploring the path of internationalization. We engage in deep cultural exchanges with countries along the "Belt and Road" initiative, participate in multifaceted international cooperation, and strive to "tell compelling Chinese stories and spread Chinese culture" worldwide.

我们米哈游的全球化布局起步于2015年，我们2015年在日本东京成立分公司将原创的国产动漫游戏出口到日本市场并取得了不错的成绩。2017年我们原创的国产动漫游戏出口到韩国、东南亚都取得了非常好的成绩。根据今年韩国数据公司IGAworks发表的《2017年韩国内中国游戏成绩报告》显示，2017年在韩国收入最高的中国产手游产品，我们米哈游的崩坏3名列第四。充分说明我们国产动漫游戏，已经达到了相当的水准，具备很强的国际竞争力，所以我们要坚定文化自信，敢于“走出去”。内容出海，为全球用户提供优质的内容体验，针对不同市场采取符合当地需求的本土化运营策略，创作具有全球影响力的内容产品。
Our global expansion at miHoYo began in 2015 when we established a branch in Tokyo, Japan. We successfully exported our original domestic anime and gaming products to the Japanese market and achieved favorable results. In 2017, our original domestic anime and gaming products also achieved great success when exported to South Korea and Southeast Asia. According to the "2017 Chinese Game Performance Report in South Korea" published by the South Korean data company IGAworks, miHoYo's *Honkai Impact 3rd* ranked fourth among the highest-grossing Chinese mobile games in South Korea. This fully demonstrates that our domestic anime and gaming products have reached a considerable level and possess strong international competitiveness. Therefore, we must have confidence in our culture and dare to "go global." By exporting our content, we provide high-quality content experiences to global users. We adopt localized operational strategies that cater to the specific needs of different markets and create content products with global influence.

从党的十七大提出推动“文化大发展大繁荣”到十八大明确“建设文化强国”，再到十九大强调要“坚定文化自信”，文化在国民经济与社会发展中的重要性日益提升。2018年，以党的十九大精神为指导，以坚定文化自信为关键，重点推动网络游戏行业的转型升级。游戏行业在不断发展，我们看到用户在不断进化，到底什么样的游戏产品能够成为新时期的游戏市场增长点，我们认为首先要注重社会效益，要回归游戏作为文化产品的本质，要为用户创造更美好的世界。
From the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposing to promote "cultural development and prosperity" to the 18th National Congress clarifying the goal of "building a strong cultural country," and further emphasized by the 19th National Congress to "have firm cultural confidence," the importance of culture in the national economy and social development has been increasingly recognized. In 2018, guided by the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and with a focus on fostering cultural confidence, efforts were made to promote the transformation and upgrading of the online gaming industry. As the gaming industry continues to evolve and we observe the evolving nature of users, it is crucial to understand what kind of gaming products can become the growth drivers of the new era's gaming market. We believe that emphasizing social benefits is essential, and we must return to the essence of games as cultural products, striving to create a better world for users.

我们米哈游从2011年开始创业就是做移动游戏，移动游戏市场从我们创业开始的2011年到去年2017年一直处于高速增长的时期，到今年仍然在增长，但是绝大多数移动游戏企业都感受到了前所未有的压力，现在又有人说我们的寒冬要来了。那么行业到底有些什么问题呢？作为移动游戏行业长时间的创业者，我也在思考这样一个问题。
Our journey at miHoYo began in 2011, focusing on mobile games. The mobile gaming market experienced rapid growth from 2011, when we started our entrepreneurial venture, until 2017. Even this year, it continues to grow. However, the majority of mobile gaming companies have felt unprecedented pressure, and now people are saying that the industry's winter is approaching. So, what are the problems in the industry? As a long-time entrepreneur in the mobile gaming industry, I have been pondering this question.

我觉得行业的问题与整个移动游戏过去几年经历的快速发展是有很大的关联性。过去移动游戏行业在高速增长，所以无论是行业巨头，今天在座的行业明星公司或者是创业公司，往往都是比较短视的，恨不得只争朝夕。整个行业都恨不得跟时间赛跑，跟时间较劲，大家都是特别地着急，我们把时间当做我们的敌人而不是朋友。所以我们很多游戏公司的创作，包括战略的制定，都特别希望短期见效。所以，我们看到过去通过扩充产品数量来堆高流水的打法，我们看到疯狂粗暴的换皮打法。
I believe that the industry's problems are closely related to the rapid development it has experienced in recent years. During the period of rapid growth in the mobile gaming industry, industry giants, star companies present here today, or even start-ups, tended to have a short-term outlook, wanting to achieve success as quickly as possible. The entire industry was racing against time and competing with it. Everyone was in a hurry, treating time as an enemy rather than a friend. Therefore, many game companies, including their strategic decisions, hoped for short-term results. We witnessed strategies that focused on expanding the number of products to increase revenue and aggressive reskinning practices.

我觉得作为游戏行业从业者，我们都是因为热爱游戏才进入这个行业，我们应该回归游戏作为文化产品的本质，提倡创作为先、内容为王的工匠精神。但是这种内容为王的工匠精神是比较艰难的，是需要长期积累的，反复思考的，只有这样才能创作出感动人心，具有全球影响力的作品，这是非常难的。
As professionals in the gaming industry, we entered this field because of our love for games. We should return to the essence of games as cultural products and promote the craftsmanship spirit that prioritizes creativity and emphasizes the importance of content. However, this content-driven craftsmanship spirit is challenging to maintain. It requires long-term accumulation and continuous reflection. Only by doing so can we create works that touch people's hearts and have a global impact, but this is extremely difficult.

引进国外的成功IP，移植国外的成熟玩法，大家都愿意做立竿见影的事，而不愿意做长期积累见效的事，我们的行业巨头也是这样的。我觉得所有的能够短期见效，立竿见影的事大家都做的特别好，特别极致。要长期积累，工匠精神的事大家都不愿意去做，这可能是我们行业存在的问题，也是我们国产动漫游戏产品“出海”后往往反响一般、缺乏竞争力的主要原因。
Introducing successful IPs from abroad and transplanting mature gameplay from overseas are instant ways to achieve results, and everyone is willing to pursue immediate effects rather than long-term accumulation. This mindset applies to industry giants as well. Everyone excels at things that yield quick results, but they are unwilling to engage in long-term accumulation and craftsmanship. This may be a problem in our industry and a major reason why domestically produced anime and gaming products often receive mixed responses and lack competitiveness when entering international markets.

从我们看移动游戏行业来说，过去几年，大量的团队和大量的资源投在很窄的产品品类里面，就是投在成熟商业模式的品类里面，比如说卡牌游戏，比如说MMORPG，也取得了好的业绩，但是我觉得这只是一个方向。另外一个方面就是品类创新的基础非常薄弱，在那些产品品类里面去积累的团队和公司相对来说是比较少的，也是被大家忽视的。
In terms of the mobile gaming industry, over the past few years, a large number of teams and resources have been invested in a narrow range of product categories, specifically in mature business model categories such as card games and MMORPGs, which have achieved good performance. However, I believe this is just one direction. On the other hand, the foundation for innovation in product categories is very weak, and there are relatively few teams and companies accumulating experience in those categories, which has been overlooked by many.

大量创新品类其实无人问津，大家希望迅速地见效，套用一个成熟模式几个月研发出一个产品，商业化成功之后快速复制，忽视了很多中国目前的现状，就是实际上随着中国国家综合国力的增强，人民生活水平的日益提升，我们的用户对精神文化产品也是有很强的消费升级需求的，我们还有大量创新的品类需要我们从业者去挖掘，满足用户的需求，那本来是我们大显身手的机会，而我们忽视了。因为那个见效比较慢，需要长期地积累，我觉得这也是需要我们反思的地方。
Many innovative categories have received little attention, as everyone hopes for quick results by applying a mature model to develop a product within a few months and then rapidly replicate it for commercial success. This neglects the current situation in China, where with the enhancement of the nation's comprehensive strength and the increasing living standards of the people, there is a strong demand for spiritual and cultural products. We still have a large number of innovative categories that need exploration by industry practitioners to meet user needs, which should have been a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our capabilities, but we have overlooked it. This is because it requires a slower time frame for effectiveness and long-term accumulation, which I believe is an area for us to reflect upon.

当然，现在大家觉得创新品类的机会少，是因为移动互联网的红利减少，品类创新的机会越来越少。一旦一个新的品类，一个新的所谓迅速冒出来的品类机会出来的话，大量的团队涌入，最后造成资源的严重浪费，出来很多同质化的产品，这些都值得我们去反思。
Of course, now everyone feels that opportunities for innovative categories are scarce due to the reduction of the mobile internet dividend, and the chances for category innovation are diminishing. Once a new category, a so-called rapidly emerging one, presents an opportunity, a large number of teams rush in, leading to serious waste of resources and the emergence of many homogeneous products. These are all aspects that deserve our reflection.

作为游戏行业的从业者，我们发现过去这一年，游戏行业开始变得比较冷清。原因是什么呢？就是我们前几年创业的阵亡率非常高。阵亡率高的原因是什么呢？很多的原因我觉得就是创业者选择方向的投机心理比较强，不断追风口创业，看到哪个风口起来马上调整追着这个风口去，所以现在这个时候还留在游戏行业的从业者是真正热爱这个行业，想让这个行业变得更好。
As practitioners in the gaming industry, we have noticed that over the past year, the gaming industry has become relatively sluggish. What is the reason behind this? It's because the mortality rate of startups in the industry has been extremely high in recent years. The high mortality rate can be attributed to the speculative mentality of entrepreneurs in choosing directions, constantly chasing after the latest trends. Those who are still in the gaming industry at this time are genuinely passionate about the industry and want to make it better.

过去几年行业并购财富的神话，鼓舞了很多的创业者一味地追求快速成功。但是大家没想到那种案例其实是非常小概率的，不一定能够简单复制的。大量的产品的成功，大概率的成功肯定是基于长期积累的工匠精神，这是大概率的事情，我觉得大家应该追寻这样的规律，而不是相信那样的创业者奇迹。
The myth of industry mergers and wealth over the past few years has encouraged many entrepreneurs to blindly pursue rapid success. However, people didn't realize that such cases are actually very rare and not easily replicable. The success of a large number of products, the high probability of success, undoubtedly relies on the long-term accumulation of craftsmanship. This is a probable outcome, and I believe we should pursue this kind of rule instead of relying on miracles of entrepreneurship.

我们行业的各位从业者，不应该老是追着风口品类，而应该实实在在地看我们的行业是否有这样真正的刚需，是不是解决特定用户的痛点，是不是你团队的优势所在。我们应该想着5年、10年以后公司到什么程度，长期匠心积累到什么程度。我们应该学学美国皮克斯、日本任天堂的这些企业，这些全球文化输出的佼佼者，真的需要长期积累，真正给用户创造价值。
As professionals in our industry, we should not always chase after popular categories, but genuinely evaluate whether our industry has real essential needs, whether we are addressing specific pain points of users, and whether our teams have advantages in these areas. We should think about where our companies will be in 5 or 10 years and how much long-term craftsmanship we can accumulate. We should learn from companies like Pixar in the United States and Nintendo in Japan, these globally renowned cultural exporters. They truly require long-term accumulation and genuinely create value for users.

因此，唯有立足于民族文化和时代精神，坚定文化自信，以“十年磨一剑”和“创作为先、内容为王” 的工匠精神，做有精神内涵和文化底蕴的动漫游戏，是国产原创动漫游戏成功走向海外的必由之路。
Therefore, only by taking root in national culture and the spirit of the times, by having a firm cultural confidence, and by embracing the craftsmanship spirit of "ten years to hone a sword" and "prioritizing creation and valuing content," can we create anime games with spiritual depth and cultural richness. This is the only way for domestically produced original anime games to successfully expand overseas.

我们作为从业者往往高估了短期能够做成的事情，却又低估了长期能够达成的成就。高估了现在，低估了未来。现在是否是中国游戏行业的顶峰呢？十年前我们哪想到今天游戏行业的规模到这个程度，未来十年呢？要相信未来，我们要相信只要我们长期匠心积累，持续的创作，一定能够创作出具有全球影响力的产品。
As professionals in the industry, we often overestimate what we can achieve in the short term, while underestimating the achievements we can make in the long term. We overestimate the present and underestimate the future. Is the current state the peak of the Chinese gaming industry? Ten years ago, who would have imagined the industry would reach this scale today? What about the next ten years? We must believe in the future, believe that as long as we accumulate craftsmanship over the long term and continue creating, we will undoubtedly be able to produce products with global influence.

在未来，米哈游将始终肩负社会责任和文化使命，以传承中华民族传统文化、弘扬社会主义核心价值观为指导思想，把原创内容作为中国传统文化的重要载体，通过不断融合中国历史文化内蕴、中华民族优秀传统及价值观、凝聚民族精神与情感，打造民族原创动漫精品品牌，为提升我国的文化软实力贡献力量。
In the future, miHoYo will always shoulder social responsibility and cultural mission. We will be guided by the principles of inheriting traditional Chinese culture and promoting the core socialist values. We consider original content as an important carrier of Chinese traditional culture. By continuously integrating Chinese historical and cultural essence, outstanding traditional values of the Chinese nation, and fostering national spirit and emotions, we aim to create outstanding original animation brands rooted in our nation's culture. We strive to contribute to the enhancement of China's cultural soft power.

这也是我们米哈游一直所追求的，谢谢大家。
This is also what miHoYo has been pursuing all along. Thank you, everyone.