Text / Mobile game that little thing Ayumu Nishizawa
A fishing game that does what all the "fishing software" could only dream of
- Step into everyone's device.
I was a little surprised to see the casual name of "Happy Fishing Master" appear at the top of the free list, but I didn't pay much attention to it, when it dominated the free list for several days, I still hesitated, and when it broke into the top 10 of the best-selling list with great momentum and showed no signs of stopping, I couldn't hold back my curiosity anymore:
"Whose general is this?"
("Happy Fishing Master" went straight from 198th on the best-selling list to 7th, with an astonishing rise)
According to public information, "Happy Fishing Master" will obtain a domestic online game version in January 2024, published by Shanghai Shuangmeng Network Technology Co., Ltd., and operated by Beijing Miracle Interactive Technology Co., Ltd. At first glance, it may seem that the software publisher has put on an unfamiliar and different multi-layer vest on various data platforms, but at the software copyright owner displayed at the bottom of the game login screen, we can catch a glimpse of a familiar figure: Beijing Online Tuyou.
According to the reliable news dug up by industry insiders before, the real identity behind the publisher of "Happy Fishing Master" all points to Beijing Tuyou, an industry giant that has been deeply involved in the fishing, chess and card industry for many years. When I witnessed Tuyou's "Fishing Battle" being overtaken by my own "Happy Fishing Master" on the best-selling list, an interesting idea suddenly emerged:
"Could it be that the end of fishing is that you can't catch it?"
(It's not related to fish)
Speaking of fishing, in recent years, from "Anglers can catch anything except fish", "Fishermen will never be in the Air Force", to "Cyber Lost Anglers" randomly refreshed in the comment area, the topic of fishing has spawned countless stalks and fun on the Internet. One of the three favorite activities of this middle-aged man, the "boring" hobby that was once not understood by young people, has now become a major representative of abstract literature under the deconstruction of netizens.
The popularity of "Happy Fishing Master" is inextricably linked to the "fermentation advantage" of the fishing topic on the Internet. The game's most popular social media platforms are Douyin and Kuaishou, and the combined number of views on related topics has exceeded 1.7 billion. Men and women, young and old, have recently easily swiped videos of a group of bloggers of the same age as college students playing this game in different ways.
In the video, some people use their mobile phones as fishing rods and throw them with all their strength, some people don't shake their mobile phones instead of throwing off huge TV screens, some people put mobile phones into bags and hang them on real fishing rods and throw them into the river, and even throw their mobile phones directly into the river......
In fact, as long as you have played it, you can find that the "rod flicking" operation in the game "Happy Fishing Master" does not support gyroscope somatosensory. Although it is not excluded that there are still a few models on the market that have the system function of adding gyroscope buttons independently,But most of the behaviors in the whole video,In fact, it is a play added to yourself in pursuit of immersion,The main thing is to convey a kind of "playing fishing games and playing magic"Mental state。 Videos often include footage from Happy Fishing Master, and even a link to the game is attached directly below the video. As long as viewers are attracted to the video content, it is difficult to resist the urge not to find out.
In addition to the live videos, there are also videos showing the gameplay of Happy Fishing Master itself, most of which are strategies for teaching how to catch big fish and "giant things" in the game. The game screen of the fierce fight with the big fish from the first perspective is exciting, and if it is paired with the BGM of "River Troll", it is half of Jeremy Wald's style.
According to the author's observation, behind those high-click and high-creative works at the top of the release time, a considerable number of video creators are big Vs and influencers who have a certain influence and voice in the field of comedy/games. This product is relatively shallow in terms of conventional buying methods, but it should use KOL marketing to expand its voice in the early stage of its launch.
("Happy Fishing Master" is on the Douyin Top Challenge List)
And now, the fire of "Happy Fishing Master" has been burning up unconsciously, and the number of downloads of the game on TapTap and Haoyou Kuaibang have exceeded 4.11 million and 970,000 respectively, ranking in the top 1 of the popular list. Other fishing simulation games of the same kind that have been online for a long time have also picked up, and have risen to the top of the popular list and the iOS free list. A spontaneous "cyber fishing carnival" spread by the whole people kicked off.
But according to common sense, fishing simulation games are not new for a long time, how did "Happy Fishing Master" single-handedly make a breakthrough in this humble category? What is so special about the product itself? The author originally only intended to try it at a superficial level, but unconsciously played it. If it weren't for the fact that I still had a manuscript to write, I would have become my incarnation: I felt like I could stay in the river and fish all day!
01
He who is good at fishing will be good at seducing
"If you want to fish more, you must first hit the nest. This is a long-standing mantra in the fishing world, which means that only if you dare to put in good bait can you catch a full basket of fish. The game packaging of "Happy Fishing Master" is just like that bucket of "good bait": the cost of product quality is ruthless, the reward mechanism is generous, and the commercial design has also been seasoned and improved according to market habits.
First of all, the graphic performance of "Happy Fishing Master" is enough to rank at the forefront of mobile games in the same category. As the most watched interface for players, the high-definition realistic fishing ground scenery creates enough immersion, the sparkling water surface texture under the sun is rendered in place, and the birds and ducks pass by from time to time, outlining a vibrant and agile beauty. Fishing in the middle of it is a beautiful thing.
Secondly, the fish in the game are also depicted delicately and realistically. When the fish is loaded, the player admires the lively posture of the fish, just like the winner staring at the unruly but finally conquered opponent, and the sense of accomplishment arises spontaneously.
In the fish album, players can take a 360-degree closer look at the modeling of various fish. Each fish is rigorously reproduced with real-life physical details, down to the reflective side of the scales, and the visual effect as it swims is lifelike. There is also a detailed science description next to the modeling, from which players can learn about the family, habits and other knowledge of fish, as if they are in an electronic museum, and enjoy a VIP treatment without spending a penny.
As you level up, you'll also be able to unlock fishing grounds in different regions and discover more fish species. The meticulous craftsmanship of the scene and fish design of "Happy Fishing Master" is enough to carry the player's desire to continue to explore.
In terms of gameplay, "Happy Fishing Master" takes the casual route. The game omits most of the professional operations in real fishing, which is more in line with the intuitive feeling of pan-users on fishing sports, and all game operations do not require skilled skills, which is convenient for newcomers to get started.
Specifically, the player consumes stamina to cast the rod, and it only takes a few seconds for the fish to take the bait, and then a charge bar that moves up and down appears. Tap "Stinging Fish" when the pointer is lowest to deal a lot of damage to the fish in the opening scene. Almost every time the pointer goes to the bottom after a swing round, it is not difficult to get off to a perfect start.
Next, just press and hold the "Take-in" button to continuously reduce the fish's stamina. At the same time as the line is reeled, the tension bar of the fishing line will also rise simultaneously, the greater the tension, the higher the damage, but if the limit is exceeded, the fishing line will be broken. Although it is a common risky design in fishing games, the tension changes in Happy Fishing Master are very gentle, and even the most powerful giant object I have encountered so far will not suddenly increase the strength of the tension significantly. As long as you don't be greedy, keep tapping and you can always maintain maximum output.
In addition, the fish will change the direction of their swim from time to time, and the player will need to "swing the stick" (QTE) left and right according to the system prompts. Successfully swing the lever three times to fill up the energy gauge, so that the line can be retracted with all its strength to cause heavy damage without breaking the line. Of course, there is no time limit for the operation of the pendulum, and even the grandmother has time to deal with it.
On the surface, the fishing process of "Happy Fishing Master" is the same, which is inevitably a bit boring and boring. But what if it's not just the fish that catches the bait, but there may also be a treasure map that leads to a mysterious fishing spot? What if after catching a fish bone, the situation changes in an instant, indicating that you have a "big guy" about to haunt you? What if the fish is devoured by a natural predator, but pulls out a stronger "opponent"?
Yes, although the basic gameplay of Happy Fishing Master is relatively simple, it has done a lot of work in terms of random event placement and visual feedback enhancement. The two complement each other and can also surprise players in different ways.
The most common random event stimulus in the game is the visual difference in the strength of the lever when the fish is hooked. Although the true face of Lushan has not yet been seen, players have a number of the grades of the catches. When the character starts to pull the lever hard, and there is even a yellow/red cordon on the screen, signaling that the "rare giant" is coming, the next time to fish can be expected - when an unusually exciting target is in front of you, even the simplest operation can become enthusiastic.
The close-up of weighing after the fish is loaded into an opportunity to set a new record for each fish, regardless of its size or rarity. If you want to catch rarer fish, you need to upgrade your rod to increase your stats, and if you want to catch heavier fish, you need to upgrade your "Fish Card" to increase the weight, damage, and score of the corresponding species.
It can be seen that "Happy Fishing Master" is essentially a numerical development RPG, but its commercial monetization design is not radical. On the contrary, there are plenty of ways to get resources for free: limited-time tournaments, PVP showdowns, daily and weekly missions, limited-time credit events, and tons of achievements all provide players with a steady stream of card packs, tickets, stamina, and treasure chests.
Usually, such a tolerant and generous reward mechanism is mostly seen in mini games that pursue user retention and advertising monetization due to the risk of weakening the willingness to pay. And "Happy Fishing Master" dares to be so generous, which not only demonstrates the confidence in the hard power of game quality, but also implies the intention of learning from the popular mini game market.
It is not difficult to see from its unboxing cycle that is exactly the same as that of "The King of Salted Fish", "Happy Fishing Master" has obviously learned some of the latter's commercial design: get points for opening the box, and exchange points for boxes; low-level boxes provide basic cultivation materials, and high-level boxes can directly open fishing rods or reel coupons; reel coupons are used to play the reel, and when you go to the jackpot, you will upgrade the reels to provide more rewards; the reel level will be reset periodically, suggesting that players should seize the time to fish and collect more reel coupons, and finally form a set of hierarchical reward closed loops.
In view of the fact that the commercialization model of "The King of Salted Fish" has been verified and run in the domestic market, the reason why "Happy Fishing Master" can rush to the top of the best-selling list in one fell swoop may be precisely because it applies and improves this set of designs that fit market habits, so that it is perfectly combined with the characteristics of the fishing simulation theme. Now it seems that with the blessing of high-quality content and the strong feedback mechanism that deliberately highlights the sense of numerical expansion, casual games still have the opportunity to accurately reach the comfort zone of pan-user groups by applying the commercialization model of mini games.
02
Two types of fishing, two destinies
Happy Fishing Master isn't the first fishing simulation mobile game to be so popular.
According to third-party data platform statistics, as early as 2017, "Fishing Clash" developed by Polish game company Ten Square Games has become famous. In 2019, its annual revenue reached 206 million Polish zlotys (about 360 million yuan), topped the iOS best-selling list in nearly 70 countries, and occupied the recommended position in the App Store for 100 consecutive weeks, and its market influence should not be underestimated.
In 2021, "Fishing Clash" was introduced into China by NetEase Baochuan Agency, and the localized version was named "Fishing Showdown". With a brilliant record in overseas markets, this game should make waves in China. However, the reality is that Chinese players are not paying for it. In just two years, "Fishing Showdown" left the scene, which is in stark contrast to the fish leaping dragon gate of "Happy Fishing Master".
At first glance, Fishing Clash has a lot of similarities with Happy Fishing Master. From "bait cards", tournaments to PVP gameplay, from the game core of the numerical development RPG to the simple basic gameplay operation, it is like "learning from the same school". Two fishing simulation products that seem to have the same roots, but they have ushered in different fates in the Chinese market. The reason for this has to start with the details of the game design.
If the designers of Happy Fishing Master had really taken Fishing Clash as a reference, they obviously didn't copy it, but rather optimized a lot of it. Take the "Fish Card" and "Bait Card" in the two games as an example, although the names are similar, but the design ideas are very different.
First of all, the way to get cards is very different. Fishing Clash borrows from 2016's popular Chicken Clash Royale, and controls the pace of players to obtain bait cards by "spending time unlocking card packs and giving out free card packs at regular intervals", hoping to cultivate the habit of collecting food online, while Happy Fishing Master is more straightforward, with card packs always available immediately, and obviously has no intention of earning daily life in this area.
(Happy Fishing Master Card Pack)
Secondly, the role of cards is very different. In Fishing Clash, as long as you carry a specific bait card, the fish you catch must be of the corresponding species. While this makes collecting the Bestiary a breeze, it also makes it almost non-random, and the surprise of the player when they catch the fish is gone. In terms of PVP, the victory or defeat is reduced to a direct comparison of the value of the bait card, and if the strength of the two sides is disparity, there is no suspense about winning or losing.
(The system randomly provides three alternative bait cards for each side, and each needs to choose one that is more beneficial to them, and both sides can only use the two bait cards selected in the subsequent match)
Compared to the straightforwardness of "Fishing Clash", the role of "Happy Fishing Master" fish cards is much smoother. Upgrading a Fish Card can certainly increase the weight, damage, and score of the corresponding species, but the Fish Card is automatically applied when placed in the warehouse. No matter how high a level a fish card is, the player is not sure that they will be able to catch it the next time they hit the hook. A single Fish Card only affects the weight of probability, and if you want to catch more big fish, you must increase all Fish Card levels in an all-round way.
While both games are driven by numerical literacy, Happy Fishing Master cleverly incorporates randomness in every aspect of the game, minimizing the negative feeling that "numerical determines the experience". Even if you are unfortunate enough to encounter an opponent with little combat power in PVP, players will not easily afk, after all, the opponent is also not guaranteed to hit the big fish.
(The PVP duel of "Happy Fishing Master" is more random)
Marion Haza, a game psychologist, has pointed out that fishing is a mini-game that may feel very similar to unboxing for some players. Both are equally random, which means that the longer you play and the more effort you put into it, the more you'll want to try again and again.
And "Happy Fishing Master" not only inherits the fun of fishing itself derived from randomness, but also cleverly infiltrates randomness into various game systems. It stimulates the enthusiasm of players to participate in an all-round way, and doubles the perception of players' cool points from the inside out, and its fast-paced and high-cool game experience is far from comparable to similar products.
After "Fishing Showdown" was taken off the shelves, the domestic fishing game market once fell into a vacuum. Although there are still many fishing game enthusiasts, it is difficult to find a suitable replacement for a while. Many players have even tried to revive Com2us' 2014 release of Ace Fishing: Wild Catch, but the ancient graphics quickly became intriguing. Since then, several similar products have been put on the shelves, but the quality is uneven, and there are generally problems such as monotony of the system and weak functions, which is difficult to fill the gap left by "Fishing Showdown".
Now it seems that "Happy Fishing Master" not only meets the needs of the majority of fishing game lovers, but also further expands the market segment of fishing simulation. Maybe not every "cyber fisherman" knows how to fish in reality, but seeing so many pan-users transformed into "cyber fishing" is at least enough to prove that Beijing Tuyou has many years of experience and grasp in the industry, and it does understand "cyber fishing".
03
Change fishing skills to fishing methods
Is the end of fishing really just fishing? For the veteran game manufacturer Tuyou, this proposition tests the company's determination and strategy to seek transformation and breakthrough. As the number one player in fishing and board games, Tuyou has been intensively cultivating these two categories for many years, and has accumulated a strong user base and revenue strength. However, with the difficult birth of the fishing game version and the increasingly strict supervision of the platform, the former Jinhai is no longer calm, and Tuyou has already begun to actively adjust its strategy.
In the past two years, Tuyou has seen the incremental dividends of the WeChat ecosystem, and has made frequent moves in the field of WeChat mini games, and has made some achievements. Released in the first half of 2023, "Sub-God: Awakening of Light" has made a casual adaptation of the idle RPG gameplay of "Slime Adventure", combined with social design, hybrid monetization, and accurate and high-frequency purchase delivery, and successfully ranked among the top 3 best-selling WeChat mini games.
(Sub-God: The Awakening of Light)
At the beginning of April 2024, Tuyou launched the mini game "Stray Supermarket", which has a good experience of both leisure and idle computer by iterating on the gameplay of salted fish and integrating the theme innovation of 3D lawn mowing, and quickly rushed to the top 2 of the WeChat best-selling list after it was launched.
(Stray Supermarket)
In addition, Tuyou also has a "Helping the Brave" that has already obtained the version number as a reserve product for the mini game. In the process of entering the field of mini games, Tuyou can draw nutrients from the successful experience of fishing chess and card categories in terms of promotion, production, design, etc., so as to go a long way. This cross-category experience transfer has become a "secret weapon" to help Tuyou achieve corner overtaking on other tracks. From this point of view, we can also see "Happy Fishing Master" as an attempt by Tuyou to tilt the idea of casual games into small games, and it is the initial practice of the integration and penetration of the two game types.
With the commercial design of "XX-like" products running through the market one after another, Tuyou has also shown its superb "fishing skills" in addition to fishing to the industry again and again, and it is not difficult to see that they are quite good at this "grafting" road. After that, how to explore more ways to monetize Mini Games in the context of more complex and changeable product frameworks and markets may become a key topic for this "all-rounder" game company to focus on in the future.