With over 305 million online gamers in the People’s Republic of China, it’s easy to see why western gaming developers are so eager to enter the market. Gaming giants like Supercell (makes of hit Clash of Clans) are getting swooped up by Chinese tech giants such as Tencent to aid in entry and flourishing in the world’s biggest gaming market. And the effort has been paying off: League of Legends (developer Riot Games also acquired by Tencent) and others can be seen in the hands of many subway riders in the major cities.
Meanwhile, Chinese game-makers and other tech verticals are shedding the stigma of poor-quality tech. From behemoths like Huawei to startups like Kika Tech with over 275 million overseas downloads and even independent developers, consumers abroad are embracing Chinese products like never before. And these accomplishments are not going unnoticed.
Embracing high-quality games, apps, and hardware is not just happening among users. The app stores are recognizing quality as they see it, no matter the size of the developer. Carl Wang Chun, the former lead designer for several Glu Mobile and Kingsoft (owner of Cheetah Mobile) games, is one such developer who has recently left Big Gaming to start his own company, Cyberlodge Interactive.
“As developers, we’ve been fortunate to gain experience and utilize resources of major developers like Glu Mobile and Kingsoft. But we wanted more,” Carl, CEO and founder of Cyberlodge Interactive said. “That’s why we started Cyberlodge. We wanted to create a home for those who love to make games and work together with our developers and distribution partner SuperD to help our dreams come true.”
In that spirit, Cyberlodge and SuperD have launched their first offering, Downgeon Quest, on the Google Play store. And it has come with a warm welcome from Google, being featured in the United States, Canada, France, Great Britain, Australia, and Southeast Asia beginning today – a true testament that China is catching up to the West in terms of quality.
In Downgeon Quest, the stage is set with the hero, Dumholf, who battles and crafts his way through the depths of a dungeon, collecting recipes and artifacts to increase power, and recruit new heroes. The twist is that, in order to survive, you need to craft spells, weapons and other items from materials that can be found as you delve. The game pulls you in with its simplicity and brings you back with the new tricks and secrets you learn as you play.
Already heralded as a hit game on iOS, it has been listed as one of the best games of 2017 on CNET. The Android version is even getting the YouTube star treatment, with the likes of Clash with Cam, Lady Calysta, Chief Pat and mystic7 getting in on the action.
With the rest of the world caring less about the location of the developer and more about the quality of the product, expect to see more Chinese firms duplicating the success of those that ventured beyond the Great Wall before them.