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0想知道2024-2025年的全球游戏市场会往哪个方向转？本期节目会分享过去一年里出海热潮中的有趣现象，也大胆预测新一年的爆发点。重度游戏还能否保持霸主地位，小程序游戏是不是下一匹黑马？答案就在这一集里，让我们先为出海之旅定下基调。
English Subtitles （First 5mins)
00:06 Hello gamers, I'm Sherry, and welcome to my podcast. I started this show because I want to chat about all aspects of game expansion overseas with both Chinese game developers and fellow gamers who simply interested in this field. I'm a pretty hardcore gamer myself, and later on I was lucky to work in the Chinese gaming industry, handling a few projects geared toward overseas markets. Along the way, I realized that Chinese games going global can be both fascinating and really challenging. That's why I decided to use this podcast to share a more systematic perspective. Of course, part of it is that I love talking about games, but I also hope this can become a platform that's open to everyone—no complicated threshold—to learn about the ins and outs of game exports.
01:01 Since this is our very first episode, and we've just stepped into 2025, I want to start by reviewing the events of 2024 and offering some forecasts for 2025. I hope we can sort out the latest industry movements and opportunities together. Over the last few years, there's been constant talk about how huge the potential for “Chinese games going global” is, and indeed, plenty of domestic studios have poured themselves into overseas markets. But if you ask me about the overall state of 2024, I'd sum it up with “steady growth, and more expansion to come.” I'd like to explain why I think so, step by step.
01:52 From roughly 2018 onward, Chinese games expanding overseas has always been on the rise, though there were some ups and downs along the way. Around 2020, many studios rushed into foreign markets only to realize the cost of compliance and user acquisition was far higher than expected. Some smaller outfits couldn't hang on and had to retreat, while others stuck it out. Fast forward to 2024,and I see a lot of bright spots in this wave of expansion. Numerous Chinese titles have achieved unprecedented revenue worldwide—especially staple genres like SLG and RPG, which remain immensely popular and profitable. On top of that, many studios have ventured into new merges of older themes like the Three Kingdoms or magical fantasies, or have toned down the typically hardcore, grindy gameplay to a more relaxed style, thereby attracting yet another wave of overseas fans.
02:54 Let's get more concrete. SLG games in the Middle East, for instance, continue to do well. Some Chinese SLG studios have deliberately crafted their UI and character designs to suit local aesthetics, integrating real-life cultural elements into the plot, or timing in-game events to match local holidays. That's resonated well with the local player community. A colleague once told me they spent a lot of time tweaking stats and carefully adjusting the monetization structure for Middle Eastern users, ultimately surpassing their predicted retention and revenue goals. It's tough to break into a region as competitive as the Middle East, so it's a sign that if you really invest the effort to understand local players' culture and habits—instead of just skimming the surface—you can open up new opportunities.
04:10 We also mentioned a “lightweight gaming” trend. I've noticed that some smaller domestic teams, which used to focus on idle, sim management, or casual competitive games, are now prospering overseas. People often ask, “Aren't Western players mostly into hardcore games? How come idle games can still do well in the West?” The reason is pretty straightforward: the global pace of life is accelerating, so more and more players only have fragmented chunks of free time—maybe they're office workers, maybe students. They just want a game that can entertain them in five or ten minutes during their commute or lunch. So if you manage to cater to that demand, you can succeed in foreign markets.
05:10 Within this wave, some teams have found success by combining a unique world design, a sharp art style, and a super relaxing progression system. That's helped them capture quite a few overseas users who say they like that “leveling up while AFK” experience, or “chatting with friends while the game basically runs itself.” A recent example is a game called “Legend of Mushroom”, an idle RPG featuring cartoony mushroom characters and humor-filled storylines. It's drawn many overseas fans thanks to ad creatives touting “level up by lying down” or “goofy mushroom adventures,” and it's done well in places like Japan, Korea, and the West. Many players say it's simple, it doesn't overburden them, it doesn't feel trivial, and it's a convenient way to unwind for busy young adults or office workers.
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