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Wuthering Waves has reportedly made over $110 million within first month of global release

Draugoth

Gold Member
2ee61-17183495762227-1920.jpg

Reports from a Chinese game industry research website, GameLook, claim Wuthering Waves has made over 800 million Yuan, roughly 110 million USD, within a month after its global release. While the title faced many in-game issues in the opening week, that didn't stop it from expanding its market and making massive profits.


The open-world action RPG from Kuro Games has also secured the number one spot for downloads on Top Charts in 100 regions. It recorded over 30 million downloads worldwide in the opening three weeks of launch.

Source
 

tmlDan

Member
It wont last, the content is not on par with Genshin, they're dragging their feet with the poor performance, lack of daily quest variety and the combat is too simple when it pretends to try and be complex.
 
It wont last, the content is not on par with Genshin, they're dragging their feet with the poor performance, lack of daily quest variety and the combat is too simple when it pretends to try and be complex.


This exactly.

It's one of my biggest disappointments since I thought they would try to differentiate themselves from Genshin. They just delivered a mildly darker Genshin that cannot compete with the original.

Good news for Kuro is that they have room to make core changes before Azure Promilia sweeps the floor with both.
 
Just for the record: games like this or Genshin are not strictly "waifu games". Yes, there are chicks pleasant to the eye, but that's pretty much it. On the other hand, they have production values superior to most JRPGS and budgets bigger than most AAA so the risk factor is high.

For Western studios this is not about lack of willingness but lack of capacity. They can't keep up with 40-50 hours of new content every six months and events every two months. It's impossible with their poor work ethics. Blue-hairs could never.
 

Pejo

Member
I have been playing this game since CBT2, and I think this is a positive start. For anybody think that they could release as a small studio and immediately compete with Genshin (a mutli-BILLION dollar revenue game with 4 years of content) are on crack. I think considering their size and experience, they made a better attempt than any other game has done so far, such as Tower of Fantasy, Blue Protocol, etc.

The core gameplay is leaps and bounds more interactive and fun, and some of the swap combos and hologram challenges are tougher than any AA/AAA character action game released in the last 5 years.

I know GAF has a bias against gacha games, live service games, Chinese games, and open world games, so I don't expect people to actually try it and give it a fair shot on this forum, but it's legitimately a good first attempt into the market and I think it could be a very solid game if they continue to refine, add, and grow it.
 

YukiOnna

Member
Combat system and world interaction is fun, girls are cute, and it's visually quite pleasing. Sucks the story suffered due to the issues leading up to launch + rewrite and initial performance issues rng, but it's cool. I prefer the player character interactions in this game than what Genshin does. I hope it does well for competition against Mr. Hoyoverse
 
I have been playing this game since CBT2, and I think this is a positive start. For anybody think that they could release as a small studio and immediately compete with Genshin (a mutli-BILLION dollar revenue game with 4 years of content) are on crack. I think considering their size and experience, they made a better attempt than any other game has done so far, such as Tower of Fantasy, Blue Protocol, etc.

The core gameplay is leaps and bounds more interactive and fun, and some of the swap combos and hologram challenges are tougher than any AA/AAA character action game released in the last 5 years.

I know GAF has a bias against gacha games, live service games, Chinese games, and open world games, so I don't expect people to actually try it and give it a fair shot on this forum, but it's legitimately a good first attempt into the market and I think it could be a very solid game if they continue to refine, add, and grow it.


I expected an open-world Punishing Gray Raven, with more difficult combat, less grindy and more "free exploration" without text walls. In short, learning from Genshin mistakes. I will give it a try on PS5 but I feel it as a missed opportunity.

For example, Arknights Endfield, that game really looks cool and unique, though very niche for gacha.
 
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Pejo

Member
I expected an open-world Punishing Gray Raven, with more difficult combat, less grindy and more "free exploration" without text walls. In short, learning from Genshin mistakes. I will give it a try on PS5 but I feel it as a missed opportunity.
They already fired the writer and voice acting directors and have made a plan to basically do an early story rewrite. I totally agree that the story particularly was awful, especially in english. There's a lot of stuff they straight up copied from Genshin and a lot of things that are the same/worse. I'm just saying the core combat is fun and incredibly deep once you look at swap combos, parries, dodge counters, etc.

I don't hate on anybody that actually tried it and doesn't like it, it's totally not perfect and I am not saying that everyone should try it - or any gacha game - but I'm just saying the combat is a solid base to start with, the character designs are better than average, and they seem very invested in making the game better. A new patch drops in a few weeks where we'll get a taste of what they've been working on since launch and see if the weaknesses are being addressed. I'm hopeful that we see some of the improvements at that time.
For example, Arknights Endfield, that game really looks cool and unique, though very niche for gacha.
Endfield looks boring as hell to me, but I'm not into base building type games and that's supposedly what it is at its core with a very passive battle system.
 
They already fired the writer and voice acting directors and have made a plan to basically do an early story rewrite. I totally agree that the story particularly was awful, especially in english. There's a lot of stuff they straight up copied from Genshin and a lot of things that are the same/worse. I'm just saying the core combat is fun and incredibly deep once you look at swap combos, parries, dodge counters, etc.

I don't hate on anybody that actually tried it and doesn't like it, it's totally not perfect and I am not saying that everyone should try it - or any gacha game - but I'm just saying the combat is a solid base to start with, the character designs are better than average, and they seem very invested in making the game better. A new patch drops in a few weeks where we'll get a taste of what they've been working on since launch and see if the weaknesses are being addressed. I'm hopeful that we see some of the improvements at that time.

Endfield looks boring as hell to me, but I'm not into base building type games and that's supposedly what it is at its core with a very passive battle system.


I love Death Stranding so Endfield seems my type of game. Similar vibes. The OST is fantastic.

Kuro's strong suit is combat so they should have stuck to that. Make the game simpler, more combat-focused, etc. Just elevate all the virtues of PGR in a desolate world. Right now I'm in the wrong, since they are making millions, but I believe that for the long run they need their own identity as Mihoyo did with Honkai Star Rail.

And remove the fucking 50/50, goddammit.
 
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Bkdk

Member
Yet another example of money not earned as western studios would rather pay millions of dollars to lick sweet baby inc's boots. in the west you can literally made uncensored gacha game, with better graphics, physics, animation technology and make 200 million dollars on first month, but no, they have to be sweet baby inc. simp, what a joke.
 
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Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Amazing how the west still hasn't figured out waifus sell
The majority of gacha games generate most of their revenue from the CN, JP, and KR markets (yes, this even applies to popular HoYoverse games like Genshin and Star Rail).

Due to this, some developers don't even bother releasing a Global version of their gacha titles.

Although this is an old graph, it clearly shows how even a highly popular gacha game like Genshin has the US + Germany + 'Others' markets accounting for less than 30% of the total revenue it generates.

gfzkxhnelh281.png


So yeah, good luck to western devs/pubs trying to enter the relevant gacha markets (CN, JP and KR).
 
The majority of gacha games generate most of their revenue from the CN, JP, and KR markets (yes, this even applies to popular HoYoverse games like Genshin and Star Rail).

Due to this, some developers don't even bother releasing a Global version of their gacha titles.

Although this is an old graph, it clearly shows how even a highly popular gacha game like Genshin has the US + Germany + 'Others' markets accounting for less than 30% of the total revenue it generates.

gfzkxhnelh281.png


So yeah, good luck to western devs/pubs trying to enter the relevant gacha markets (CN, JP and KR).
USA are pulling their weight here though. 11% of downloads, 13% of revenue. USA knows how to spend money, it's the rest of the West that are weak

China seems about right, but holy shit at Japan LMAO. It's no wonder no one in Japan has money to raise a family or whatever
 

Pejo

Member
The majority of gacha games generate most of their revenue from the CN, JP, and KR markets (yes, this even applies to popular HoYoverse games like Genshin and Star Rail).

Due to this, some developers don't even bother releasing a Global version of their gacha titles.

Although this is an old graph, it clearly shows how even a highly popular gacha game like Genshin has the US + Germany + 'Others' markets accounting for less than 30% of the total revenue it generates.

gfzkxhnelh281.png


So yeah, good luck to western devs/pubs trying to enter the relevant gacha markets (CN, JP and KR).
Depending on what the source of this data is, I'm guessing this is only Mobile (probably either iOS or Android). PC/Consoles are more of a western thing for games of this nature and the split is probably more even on those platforms. Problem is MHY is the only one that has that data and they don't share, so we have to get what we can from the public mobile platform estimates.
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Depending on what the source of this data is, I'm guessing this is only Mobile (probably either iOS or Android). PC/Consoles are more of a western thing for games of this nature and the split is probably more even on those platforms. Problem is MHY is the only one that has that data and they don't share, so we have to get what we can from the public mobile platform estimates.
The revenue estimates and their regional split are for mobile (iOS and Android) and come from the usual trackers like AppMagic and Statista. There isn't much information available on console and PC, but they typically account for a lower percentage of the total revenue compared to mobile.

Which country spends the most on Genshin Impact?​

41% of all revenue in 2023 was generated by users in China, followed by 23.5% in Japan, 10.9% in the USA and 6.7% in South Korea, according to AppMagic.

Anyway, what I was trying to say is that even juggernaut titles like Genshin and Star Rail still generate the majority of their revenue from CN and JP markets. So, if western developers and publishers want to enter the waifu and husbando gacha market, they will need to cater to the specific demands of Chinese and Japanese fans, and tbf, I don't see it happening.
 
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Japan is keeping Fate Grand Order the most profitable Sony's IP up to this day. They are very strong in their fandom towards certain games. Its CRIMINAL that Sony hasn't capitalized on FGO, since that is a console-seller. I don't mean something half-assed but full AAA JRPG ala Genshin.
 

Pejo

Member
The revenue estimates and their regional split are for mobile (iOS and Android) and come from the usual trackers like AppMagic and Statista. There isn't much information available on console and PC, but they typically account for a lower percentage of the total revenue compared to mobile.

Anyway, what I was trying to say is that even juggernaut titles like Genshin and Star Rail still generate the majority of their revenue from CN and JP markets.
Yea I know what you mean, I'm just saying I'd bet the US/European market has a higher % share of console/PC sales than the sub ~20% that mobile dictates, that's all. I'm sure the lion's share is coming from CN/JP like usual, but it's probably not quite a dire looking as the mobile chart, and the western markets are obviously there enough for them to continue to not only localize the text, but also full dubs in various languages.

So, if western developers and publishers want to enter the waifu and husbando gacha market, they will need to cater to the specific demands of Chinese and Japanese fans, and tbf, I don't see it happening.
Yep agree 100%. They don't have the development talent (or the talent is too scared) to make attractive designs anymore anyways. You'd get Hyenas-tier character designs and ain't nobody west or east pulling for that shit in a gacha.
 
Japan is keeping Fate Grand Order the most profitable Sony's IP up to this day. They are very strong in their fandom towards certain games. Its CRIMINAL that Sony hasn't capitalized on FGO, since that is a console-seller. I don't mean something half-assed but full AAA JRPG ala Genshin.
They made Fate/Samurai Remnant and nobody bought it

Phone gamers by and large don't play console games in Asia
 
They made Fate/Samurai Remnant and nobody bought it

Phone gamers by and large don't play console games in Asia


That's a low effort game. I'm talking about a gacha or traditional adventure game like Genshin. Sony had the resources, popular characters, lore... but PS Studios can't make anything Asian, they decided to burn their roots and give up the Japanese market. WIth the rise of China and Korena now they realize how fucking wrong they are but it's late for their first parties to catch up with that.
 

Guilty_AI

Gold Member
The majority of gacha games generate most of their revenue from the CN, JP, and KR markets (yes, this even applies to popular HoYoverse games like Genshin and Star Rail).

Due to this, some developers don't even bother releasing a Global version of their gacha titles.

Although this is an old graph, it clearly shows how even a highly popular gacha game like Genshin has the US + Germany + 'Others' markets accounting for less than 30% of the total revenue it generates.

gfzkxhnelh281.png


So yeah, good luck to western devs/pubs trying to enter the relevant gacha markets (CN, JP and KR).
Altough not an iron-clad rule, Asia generating a huge portion of the revenue tends to be the case for a lot of GAAS regardless.

...though i shouldn't expect western devs to have any competency in creating quality waifus, so i suppose they really would fail trying to break into that market.
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
That's a low effort game. I'm talking about a gacha or traditional adventure game like Genshin. Sony had the resources, popular characters, lore... but PS Studios can't make anything Asian, they decided to burn their roots and give up the Japanese market. WIth the rise of China and Korena now they realize how fucking wrong they are but it's late for their first parties to catch up with that.
It would be interesting for SIE (or I guess Sony Group) to invest more in the gacha game-sphere considering the success they've had with FGO on mobile and now also with 3rd party gacha games on PS5.

Having someone like Kuro Games (WuWa and PGR dev for people reading this) being given proper time and resources to actually make something rivaling Genshin would be dope, plus it will also help Sony with their goal on expanding more into mobile.
 

showernota

Member
Well deserved. It’s the first gacha game I’ve tried, and the gameplay is very good. It seems very generous to f2p as well.
 
do people play these type of games for the story ? i think its more about the addiction


Of course. Stories/worldbuilding/character development are key success factors for the long run in every gacha, without exceptions.

Some games are rewritten from scratch. Gacha devs are collecting feedback from people constantly. The backlash and outrage for a bad story/lore decision may kill a game completely, even before release. This has already happened with Girls Frontline 2. Some lore was leaked, people didn't like it and the game is DOA.
 
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