As a martial arts MMO online game that has been in operation for fifteen years but still maintains its vigorous vitality, Xishanju's creation of "Sword Network 3" can be said to have endured countless competing products, and has already become a commendable legend in the industry.
That being said, Sword Net 3 is actually not a "one trick fresh, eat all over the world" game. swim
The play is still this game, but it is like a ship of Theseus, which has been added countless times by the official Xishanju so that it can keep up with the mainstream level of the industry, and it can be described as reborn today.
Seven years ago, the remake was released, which gave the whole game a new look, and last year, the flagship version was launched, and the graphics of this game have reached a higher level, and now the official is relying on "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" to open up the joints, aiming to bring joy and convenience to new and old players.
Breaking through the joints is not an easy task
The reason why I use the word "open joints" to describe "Sword Net 3 Unbounded" is because it has a certain particularity. This is not an independent new game created with "Sword Network 3", but a mobile version that is fully interoperable with terminal game data in all aspects such as character data, appearance props, and social relationships.
In the understanding of many players, what the official has done is just to shrink the terminal game and move it to the mobile phone, saying that it is a very clever way to say that it sounds good, and it is fried cold rice if it is not good.
But in fact, it's a lot harder than building a new game.
You must know that if the official chooses to use the IP of "Sword Network 3" to make a new game, there is no need to start from scratch. No matter how you say it, the terminal game has been successfully operated for fifteen years, whether it is the ready-made model art materials, or the way of operation and the design of various scene copies, there are a lot of places for reference and reuse, especially for a manufacturer like Xishanju whose development and operation strength is obvious to all in China, it is not a big problem to make a completely independent "Sword Network 3" mobile game.
However, it is a different story to engage in interoperability.
First of all, as mentioned at the beginning, the technical strength of "Sword Network 3" is not the same as that of more than ten years ago, and the official has raised the picture to today's mainstream standards to meet the growing audio-visual experience requirements of players, but the performance difference between PC and mobile phone is still an insurmountable gap, so many games have suffered serious shrinkage when they are mobile games.
In addition to the main problem of functional differences, it is also extremely complicated to transplant the huge data of "Sword Network 3", as well as the more complicated operations of the terminal game to the mobile phone, and ensure that the balance between the two sides does not tilt to one side.
(Nowadays, there are more platforms where you can play Sword Net 3)
Therefore, whether in terms of time cost or technical cost, it is much more difficult to create a mobile game with data interoperability than to start a new game with the same IP.
However, what is commendable is that the effect presented by "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" this time is quite good.
In terms of picture effects, the picture effect of "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" is not as good as that of the terminal game with full picture quality and special effects. But in the field of mobile games, it is still much better than competing products of the same type.
In terms of adaptation for mobile phones, the game has not only redone the UI, optimized the process of movement and combat, but also changed the martial arts system. This allows players to fight and travel more smoothly on their mobile phones, without feeling "compromised" because they are using their mobile phones to play Sword Three.
Therefore, on the whole, the transplantation of Xishanju can be described as "delicate and stable", and the strong technical strength shown from it cannot but be impressive. It is precisely because "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" presents a play quality that is almost equivalent to that of a terminal game, and it has attracted as many as 8 million players to make reservations in just a few months!
The world is sober and clutches wealth
In fact, the reason why this "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" can accumulate such a high popularity, we can't say that there is no IP influence and luck in it, but the official Xishanju dares to boldly choose the strategy of interoperability, and makes the game perfect on the mobile game side, which is undoubtedly an indispensable prerequisite for the game to get out of the circle.
In all fairness, with such a strong influence of the IP of "Sword Network 3", it is not impossible for the official to make an independent mobile game at a lower cost, after all, having a golden sign in hand will have confidence, and being able to attract enough players means that it also has a chance to become an instant hit.
However, the reason why Xishanju did not take this path is not because they are "not saturated with work" or "burn too much money", but because the official decisions are both far-sighted and sober. In fact, the reason why "Sword Net 3" has been able to operate for fifteen years and still maintain considerable vitality is inseparable from this sobriety - more specifically, the official regards old players as the most precious treasure.
Admittedly, making a new game can bring short-term benefits, but it is not good news for players who are still playing PC games. Because for many terminal game players, IP mobile games mean that R&D, operation, and market investment will inevitably tilt in the direction of mobile games, and the original terminal game users/lost users will be more or less "left out" or even abandoned, which is contrary to Xishanju's purpose of not giving up any group of players.
Therefore, the meaning of the existence of "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" is to bring convenience to old players, now everyone can not only play games on laptops and Macbooks, but also pick up mobile phones and use fragmented time to do teahouse daily life, play simple copies, which is not only conducive to everyone to raise numbers and practice numbers, but also gives players who have dropped the game due to the pressure of work or life, a chance to reunite with "pro-son" and "pro-daughter".
(Whether it's the fast end or the mobile side, it ensures that the player's experience is almost uncompromised)
From a long-term perspective, Xishanju's strategy of treating old players as fundamental is undoubtedly desirable, and it has indeed experienced the double test of market and time. Compared with those manufacturers who only look at data and revenue, they can be called sober in the world, after all, in addition to the obvious interests, there are word-of-mouth, reviews, IP communication, etc., which are difficult to show from the data, but incomparable wealth, when the official is determined to seize this, old players will naturally Amway new players into the pit.
Therefore, although the appearance of "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" has a kind of "swimming against the current", it coincides with the overall strategy of Xishanju, and it also proves that their concern for old players is not just shouting slogans, so it can be said that the work has epoch-making significance in the MMO field.
epilogue
At present, the second test of "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" has officially presented almost all the content to players, including the martial arts experience of all 19 schools, the full gameplay of PVP\PVE\PVX, and the opening of all map scenes and game outfits, etc., so there is the effect of "one stone stirs up a thousand waves".
Thanks to the multi-terminal interoperability of the game, players can currently use a variety of devices to experience the new content brought by the "Foggy Sea of Dragons" expansion pack, whether it is to group relatives and friends to challenge the new secret realm "Leng Longfeng", or to take photos and check in wearing the new outfit "Heavenly Chosen Water Cloud Cold", this kind of double surprise brought by the new platform and new content is too valuable during the May Day holiday!
If the timeless "Sword Network 3" is an indispensable treasure in the field of martial arts MMO, then the launch of "Sword Network 3 Unbounded" opens up a special channel for new and old players to visit. I believe that under the strategic decision of Xishan Juna's old player-oriented, this IP will definitely be able to go further!