Is the RTS market big?
It's a pretty big market.
But it's hard to get into.
It's still the same reason: RTS games aren't hard to make, but it's hard to make them well.
And RTS games are different from regular action RPGs and RPGs.
For regular RPGs, if there's a good one and a not-so-good one, it doesn't mean the not-so-good one will definitely fail completely.
Because these games have limited content.
If players enjoy one and are still interested in the same type, they'll usually buy at least some of the others, as long as they aren't too bad.
That's what makes single-player games special. The market isn't a zero-sum game.
But RTS games are different.
Because RTS is a competitive game, not just about single-player content, but more about players competing against each other.
In this case, a great RTS game can often take over the entire market.
Unless there's another equally good RTS on the market, or one with unique features.
For example, if my RTS is set in modern warfare, and yours is set in ancient warfare, that difference will attract different groups of players, as long as the difference isn't too big.
But if there's a big difference in balance or player experience, then one RTS will definitely take over the entire player market.
Because when the number of players decreases, it means the player pool is shrinking.
It becomes harder to match with people of similar skill. New players get matched with experienced players, which ruins the competitive environment.
Of course, when it gets bad enough, the environment will slowly get better again.
Because by then, the only players left will be those who really understand the game. There will be no new players at all.
Everyone will be evenly matched, forming a small group.
For players who still enjoy the game, this might seem like a good thing.
But for a game company and designer, when a game shows this kind of thing, it's basically halfway to being dead.
Don't even think about sequels in the short term. After five or six, or maybe seven or eight years, you can try to spark nostalgia with a sequel or a remake.
Because of these things, even though the RTS market is pretty big, not many game companies, either in China or overseas, are willing to make them.
But now that Nebula Games suddenly wants to make an RTS, it's clear that it's not just a random decision.
The "Monster Hunter: World" crossover and the "Minecraft" crossover are enough to show that Nebula Games is serious.
Plus, the game with the most players online on the channel alliance is "Human Warfare," which is also an RTS.
Combine that with Nebula Games' official statement about 'redefining RTS,' and it's obvious!
'It's clear that Nebula Games is aiming for the channel alliance!'
'That's normal, since they're already competitors. And Lucas definitely knows that the channel alliance can't stand still. SkyNova and NetDragon's support from the side was just the beginning.'
'But what surprises me is that Lucas is choosing RTS. That's what the channel alliance is best at!'
'Yeah, shouldn't Lucas be good at RPGs and action-adventure games?'
'That's right. Looking at the games Lucas has made before, RTS is a first for him.'
'I'm more interested in Lucas's supposed 700 million. That's a bit of an exaggeration. It's not like it's a VR game that could cost 700 million. If he said "Monster Hunter: World" cost that much, I might believe it.'
Many designers in the industry are discussing Lucas's new game, but most people seem to be pessimistic.
The reason is simple: Lucas seems to be new to the RTS field.
And on the channel alliance side, even though the game industry doesn't have a good reputation, after they formed the channel alliance, "Human Warfare" was already a leader in the RTS area. Getting this wave of player resources has really helped them grow. They've even been at the top of the channel alliance's sales charts.
At the channel alliance office...
Felix , the designer of "Human Warfare," is talking to John, the president of Hero Games, about this.
They're called the channel alliance, but really each company is just opening their channels.
And for Hero Games, their flagship game is "Human Warfare." They've done a good job with esports and merchandise.
And with the creation of the channel alliance, "Human Warfare" has also seen a big wave of players.
Before Nebula Games suddenly intervened and caused big changes, Hero Games' revenue also dropped a lot. At least for now, the biggest source of revenue for the second half of the year is "Human Warfare."
If Nebula Games makes an RTS game, Hero Games will be the most affected.
"700 million cost, that's definitely an exaggeration!" Felix, the main designer, shook his head as he looked at the news online.
No one would believe that Lucas would really spend 700 million to make an RTS.
That's just wasting money, right?
"It might be exaggerated, but it's definitely over 100 million. Nebula Games is definitely coming on strong this time!" John Hong said, sounding a bit worried.
"Don't worry, John. I admit that Lucas is a genius in the game industry. 'Dark Souls,' 'Monster Hunter: World,' and 'Minecraft' are all groundbreaking works. But in the RTS field, it's not enough to just have ideas. Balance is the most important thing in RTS." Felix didn't seem concerned after hearing John Hong's words.
He's pretty confident in the RTS area.
"Of course, we can't do nothing. I think we should remake 'Human Warfare,' give players better graphics, and have a discount sale at the same time," Felix told John Hong.
"Also, we can hire people to spread rumors, like Nebula Games is falsely advertising," Felix added.
Even though he told John Hong that he wasn't worried about Lucas's "Warcraft" RTS game, he's still taking it seriously strategically. After all, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Plus, "Warcraft" is backed by the Nebula Games platform, and if they get bitten, it would be bad.
"Hiring people to spread rumors might be tricky. Nebula Games' legal department is pretty tough. As for remaking the graphics, that's no problem. The finance department will approve the budget," John Hong said, nodding.
......
With attention from the industry and players.
Hero Games is also using the power of the channel alliance to start its counterattack.
First, they're remaking the game's graphics, which will be offered as a free upgrade.
They're also making a lot of promises about future updates.
The reason they're called "promises" is because there was no information about them before.
And Lucas also announced some news.
"Warcraft" will have a free trial, just like "Monster Hunter: World."
The date will be November 11.
Even though a lot of single players want to complain about the date, wondering if Lucas is being mean.
But it also makes a lot of excited players, and skeptical players, look forward to it.
After all, will Nebula Games really be able to make a good RTS? Is the 700 million development cost just a lie?
Won't it be clear when we get to try it out?
(End of this chapter)
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