Even despite these concerns, there's no denying the huge opportunity that awaits console makers by reaching out to China. While console sales remain strong across North America and Europe, the population of China is far too big to ignore, especially given the Chinese government continuing to relax their restrictions on gaming. Millions of people are prepared to discover console gaming for the first time. However, the biggest mistake that Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo can make is to take the exact approach with China that they do with other territories.
Every culture seems to veer towards different types of games. If the ESA and a recent Wall Street Journal article is any indication, different regions tend to drift towards different genres. Likewise, China has a distinct taste in gaming, one that console makers would be wise to analyze before taking any drastic steps forward.
Arenanet is one major video game developer that took great caution in approaching the Chinese gaming market. Their most-recognized MMORPG, Guild Wars 2, launched in China in May. That wasn't a spur of the moment decision. Rather, the studio analyzed the region carefully, noting a uniquely different taste in games from any other region the developer previously catered to.
"Chinese players are savvy game consumers," said ArenaNet Senior Vice President of Global Business Randall Price. "They educate themselves about the hottest games out there, and they build really strong communities and relationships with their fellow players. However, what Western developers and publishers need to keep in mind is that there are differences in the way they enjoy games. Chinese players often want their games to provide great content direction. They want clarity about how to play, where to go and what to do. Developers should let them know what is in store for them--tell players about the incredible content they’re going to get to play, the epic boss battles coming up and the great rewards they’ll receive. You'll acquire more players with this strategy.
"It's true that Chinese players love online games and MMOs. Their culture is based around Internet cafes and PC games generally, and so that's what they play today. That doesn't mean consoles don't have an opportunity in China. The issues with console games are going to be the price point and the availability of great games. Will the consoles and games be too expensive in China given that players aren't used to paying large amounts to purchase games? Also, with all of the government regulation around bringing foreign games to China, will publishers be able to launch their best franchises there? Consoles will have to get over these hurdles in China to be successful."
Accessible cost is something Microsoft has likely had in mind for several months. In fact, it's easy to make the leap in logic that the eventual Chinese launch is part of the reason the Kinect sensor was eventually sent out to pasture. It isn't just to compete in the Xbox One's current markets, but a cheaper entry point would definitely help court the Chinese user and stand strong against the PlayStation 4 whenever it eventually arrives. China represents a clean slate for console makers. It's a chance to start fresh with a whole new market, but approaching them as if the have the same gaming taste as North America, Europe, or Japan would be folly. That's why research means a lot if any of them are going to succeed.
One thing's for sure, though. If Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo do succeed in the Chinese market, expect future AAA game development to change in a big way. The simple fact is that there's more money to go around in China and if the user base there grows, so will the influence. Guild Wars 2 is already offering somewhat of a glimpse into what's to come, noting that Chinese players are being taken into account when planning future content.
"For any game company going into China, you need to conduct extensive testing and research with players, and you need to be willing to let the results from those tests influence your development decisions," Price said. "We've certainly done that with Guild Wars 2, making adjustments and conscious decisions based on feedback from Chinese players in an effort to make the game as enjoyable as possible for them. We've now changed the development of the game to focus on global development, taking into account the needs of all of our markets including China in our planning."
However, there's still one area where console makers can falter and that's online infrastructure. With Chinese users dedicated to online gaming experiences, frequent outages will not be tolerated. Stability has grown to be a major weakness for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network over the past few years. If either the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 are to thrive in this new market, it needs to dedicate its resources to keeping their services online more than ever. Issues like the recent PSN and Xbox Live outages can no longer be the norm if any of these companies hope to win over this new audience. Instances like this will simply send Chinese users over to PC, where games like Guild Wars 2, Black Gold, and Age of Wushu are already filling their need for gaming fantasies.
