Who says gaming isn’t romantic? A female-targeted mobile game Love and the Producer (恋与制作人) (our translation) has taken China by storm in little over two weeks after it went live on iOS on December 13th. Developed by Suzhou-based gaming company Page Games (苏州叠纸网络科技), the game is a relationship simulation targeted at women and girls. The game has taken over Honour of Kings and is now ranked the second most popular download on the App Store in the gaming category.
The game’s storyline begins like this: you take over a family business, a TV production and entertainment company, and while building your empire you develop romances with four possible male suitors. All of them are handsome and in love with you. During the game, you are able to chat with the hotties and even produce a variety show for your virtual “sweetheart.”
The game has seen 766,000 downloads on iOS since the game’s release, according to gaming news site Youxi Putao. The game, which went live on all platforms on December 20, is expected to pocket RMB 50 million ($7.6 million) in revenue during its first month.
On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, the hashtag “Love and the Producer” remains a trending topic with over 600 million views, 17,000 posts, and 39,000 subscribers. Here’s a sneak peek of just how romantic the male characters can be.
“I have to share this ‘hot chest’ dating plot,” wrote one player on Weibo. “My husband Bai Qi is too good at flirting. He’s just awesome,” she wrote, followed by some “crying” emoticons.
A joke has been circulating on the internet about the game referring to the paid features of the game: “Woman, you can bankrupt yourself and you still won’t be able to support these four men (老娘砸锅卖铁也养不起的四个野男人).”
Fans, however, seem undeterred. The rapid rise of Love and the Producer shows that female-targeted gaming market still has much potential.