In September this year, after the implementation of the relevant new policies for game addiction, many game companies have begun to quickly adjust the system to ensure the timely and effective implementation of the requirements of the new policies, and many games have even adopted more stringent measures than the policy, such as completely stopping the provision of all or part of the services to minors.
The game community TapTap is also very responsive to the policy, in mid-September, TapTap made changes in the download process of some games, in the case of no login or real-name authentication, when downloading some games through TapTap, there will be a pop-up reminder that requires users to log in.
Around the "real-name authentication" to carry out the relevant updates of the anti-addiction system, is undoubtedly tapTap focused on the characteristics of its own game distribution platform for an important move, and last week, TapTap announced the update of the new "TapPlay", and then better realize the implementation of anti-addiction in the TapTap platform, the function was officially implemented this week, which also made TapTap seem to turn into a "game launcher".
Running the Android emulator on Android? What is TapPlay?
TapTap explained TapPlay in the official announcement, its main purpose is also to directly respond to the anti-addiction policy, the following is the official announcement on December 13:
In order to better respond to the notice of effectively preventing minors from addicting to online games, TapTap has recently checked the included games, and for games that fail to achieve anti-addiction functions, we actively contact developers to make corresponding adjustments. In addition, in early November, TapTap's developer service has taken the lead in implementing the "underage health system", helping developers to easily implement the game real name system and anti-addiction.
However, some games have lacked maintenance for various reasons and cannot achieve anti-addiction in-game. For these games, we plan to use "TapPlay" to prevent minors from addiction starting next week.
In simple terms, TapPlay is a sandbox program based on the TapTap platform for direct operation of games on TapTap, and the game becomes part of the TapTap software. The official also explained: "'TapPlay' is a simulator-like technology in TapTap, which can simulate the Android system environment in TapTap, and realize the possibility of opening and running the game directly in TapTap." ”
Downloading a game that enables this feature requires tapTap to be opened before it can be played, which transforms TapTap from a game distribution platform into a "game launcher".
TapPlay is not a feature for all games, the main goal is some due to lack of maintenance, or developers for various reasons can not achieve anti-addiction games in the game, these games will only be through the "TapTap launcher" to download and play, thus achieving the anti-addiction system to fully cover these games.
It is worth mentioning that TapPlay will only appear when the latest version of TapTap Beta is downloaded, and users who do not participate in the test program will not see the relevant features. GameLook also downloaded the latest beta version for the first time, and for games that have opened TapPlay, the download button will change.
However, since this feature is currently only available in the beta version, it does not affect the use of the official tapTap user, and the game will have different download icons in different versions of TapTap.
GameLook has played a game that has been connected to TapPlay, and after downloading, the game will be installed through TapTap, rather than jumping to the installation process of the mobile phone, and the independent installation folder of the game cannot be found through the application management software that comes with the phone. Once downloaded, TapTap will prompt the game to run through the platform.
At the same time, TapTap also provides corresponding game options, by clicking the button next to the game, Android players can still add the game to the desktop shortcut, and the game icon will change accordingly. However, this shortcut does not directly launch the game, but will open TapTap and jump to the interface of the game library, and the user still needs to manually open the game again.
Since the TapTap account used by GameLook itself is real-name authentication, there is no obstacle to downloading and playing, and the play in TapPlay mode is smoother. GameLook also tested the use of accounts that are not real-name authentication for trial play, and the result was that a reminder of the need to authenticate TapTap accounts with real names appeared during the game.
All in all, in the actual game process, GameLook is difficult to appreciate the existence of TapPlay, only in the startup process, in the countless points from the desktop to open the game, it turns out that when tapTap is opened, it can be understood that tapPlay is playing a role. However, the official also indicated in the announcement that there are still many problems in this product that has been developed for only 3 months, such as game flashbacks and 32-bit game difficulties, and the official also said that it will continue to be optimized in the later stage through user feedback and data monitoring.
Can TapPlay make people play well?
Once TapPlay was launched, in addition to the official announcement post, TapTap also set up a user feedback post for optimization data collection, but no matter which post, there are players who have expressed their opinions on this new feature.
In addition, due to the imperfect construction of TapPlay functions, many games that open this function will have a certain degree of incompatibility problems, including black screens, repeated flashbacks, inability to download resources, etc., which has caused some players to complain.
So what is the significance of the development of this function other than the implementation of anti-addiction policies? In fact, TapTap also answered through the reply with the player, and this dialogue may also be a good reflection of the different positions between the player and the platform.
As a well-known game community and game distribution platform, in addition to providing players with game downloads and community services, TapTap's other important service objects are game developers, compared to some games that have the ability to directly insert anti-addiction systems in the game, there are many game developers for various reasons without hair to achieve this feature, as TapTap official said: "Anti-addiction related notices have been released for 4 months now, we are actively contacting developers." But the reality is harsh, and adults have one reason or another, and in the end there has been no adjustment. We counted the number of games and made this decision after taking into account all the factors. ”
To some extent, the TapPlay function is more like an "umbrella" for game developers, and for developers who are unable to make more adjustments to game anti-addiction, such a move undoubtedly avoids the situation of game removal.
Moreover, there are also many beta games in TapTap, which may be simple demos, or works that just want to test the waters in the market, and the emergence of TapPlay undoubtedly provides a compliant test market for such games, which in turn creates a legal and compliant "safe haven" for game developers from the perspective of the top-level design of the platform.
Empowering game developers, TapTap is always on the road
The official did not give a specific number when explaining the game coverage of TapPlay, and through GameLook, there are currently only some games marked "test" that have opened this feature, and the official also informed in a reply in September that only dozens of games had opened this feature at that time. However, in the face of these less than 100 games, TapTap still chose to risk being spit on by players for functional development to effectively protect the creative crystallization of developers.
In fact, TapTap has always been moving forward on the road to helping game developers, in July 2021 TapTap held a developer salon, Heartwarming CEO Huang Yimeng said that tapTap and developers relationship is not just a simple mutually beneficial cooperation, but mutual appreciation, support, and hand in hand. In addition to the "campfire test" to achieve the "early stage of game development, see the player as early as possible", TapTap's TDS (TapTap Developer Service) also for developers in the game development process to solve problems, reduce R & D costs and time.
TDS is committed to providing game developers with "a full set of game ecological services", in addition to designing resources and various services at the distribution level, TDS also details the relevant SDK configuration parameters in anti-addiction.
In November this year, TDS released version 3.3.1 of the TapSDK for the anti-addiction policy, "automatically docking the anti-addiction real-name authentication system of the Central Propaganda Department for developers, and reporting information with the main body of the developer." This function provides developers with an SDK interface, developers can freely choose whether to access the service when calling the interface, and after access, they can perform real-name system and anti-addiction authentication through TapTap rapid authentication.
TapTap's help to developers has not stopped, TapPlay may continue in the future, here is tapTap's respect for game developers and hand in hand, but also their determination and action to promote the entire game industry under the guidance of policies to continue to develop benignly.
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