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1这一集请到了网易出海团队的核心负责人，和我进行了一场真诚对谈。我们聊到他们在日本、北美等地如何立足，从《荒野行动》《第五人格》到与暴雪等顶级IP的合作，也探讨了当前国内厂商在买量、合规和IP联动上面临的难题。如果你想借鉴网易的全球化经验、了解IP破圈的真招，这期访谈值得一听哦~
English Subtitles (First 5mins)
Sherry:
Hello gamers, I’m Sherry, and welcome to my podcast. Today I’m super excited, because we’ve got an old friend of mine here, who used to be in charge of international market strategy for NetEase Games. For privacy’s sake, we’ll just call him X. Many of you are curious about NetEase’s global endeavors over the years—like how they performed in Japan, their expansions in the West, plus titles like Knives Out, Identity V, Naraka: Bladepoint, LifeAfter, and so on. This is a chance for us to talk about the current state of game exports, and about NetEase’s challenges and opportunities. Say hi, X!
X:
Hey everyone, I’m X. It’s a pleasure to join Sherry’s podcast. I’ve been doing international tasks at NetEase for quite some time. In the early days, I mainly focused on Japan, then shifted to Europe and North America. Over the years, I’ve experienced all sorts of “twists and turns” in the overseas scene.
Sherry:
Yeah, I recall how you’d head off to Japan, investigating game stores in Akihabara and Ikebukuro to figure out the real tastes of local anime fans. Wasn’t that around the time NetEase was first pushing Knives Out into Japan?
X:
Exactly. We wanted to test the Japanese market with Knives Out. Some folks thought that was odd—would a battle royale game truly resonate in Japan? The genre was hot worldwide, but the local preferences can differ. So we launched big ad campaigns, used offline promotions, collaborated with Japanese stars and idol groups, and it actually took off. The game ended up ranking fairly high on the App Store’s charts in Japan.
Sherry:
That success shows how being unique helps. Knives Out found the right moment, and NetEase localized heavily for Japan. Do you remember any initial big challenges, like cultural conflict or distribution channel friction?
X:
Oh, definitely. The biggest was trust—Japanese gamers can be wary of foreign studios, especially a Chinese brand. They might assume “Is it low quality?” Meanwhile, competition in Japan is steep, with local giants and also Korean imports. If we wanted a Chinese battle royale to thrive, we had to address those trust concerns head-on. So offline ads helped. We also adapted the game’s UI, map design, even the aesthetic for weapons to match local tastes. We added social features because Japanese gamers enjoy teaming up with friends, so that was a big plus. Once they realized they could have fun with friends, word of mouth spread.
Sherry:
So word-of-mouth plus thorough localization—both essential. Later, NetEase introduced Identity V (aka Fifth Personality) overseas, right? I recall it was also well-received in Japan and Korea, with loads of Cosplay and collab cafés.
X:
Yes, Identity V is a prime case. Its gothic visuals and asymmetrical gameplay felt new to Japanese players. We partnered with local anime communities, held cosplay contests, staged pop-up shops, even did collaborations with major IPs like Detective Conan. Some fans came for the Conan event, then got hooked on Identity V’s spooky puzzle vibe. From our perspective, “breaking out” means forging alliances with local IPs. That synergy can attract the IP’s fans. Japanese players also enjoy collecting limited-edition outfits, so it works well for revenue, too.
Sherry:
Right, IP crossovers are a hot approach for “breaking out.” But you do need the resources and synergy for it. I guess NetEase had a strategy for IP from the start?
X:
We had some ideas, sure. But basically, you have to check whether your game’s themes match the target IP. For example, Identity V’s gothic puzzle vibe merges well enough with Conan’s detective angle, but pairing it with some random unrelated IP might confuse fans. Also, you want to see if that IP’s fan base overlaps with your prospective players. Then the final aspect: your own brand’s strength, because IP owners want to ensure you won’t tarnish their image. So money matters, but so does the intangible synergy. With anime IP, for instance, the IP holder might see your game as a chance to expand awareness among younger users, so it can be a two-way street.
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