RPG reports and market data
Documents
Skyrim's Opening - How NOT to Start a Game - Extra Credits
The opening sequence of Skyrim serves as a case study in ineffective game design, specifically regarding how a title’s introduction should establish its core engagement.
- Game introductions must prioritize mechanics that reinforce the title's core identity rather than borrowing structural templates from unrelated genres.
- Skyrim’s opening sequence fails by forcing players into a passive, scripted cart ride that contradicts the game's fundamental appeal of freedom and exploration.
- The attempt to mimic the cinematic, linear opening of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is ineffective because it ignores the mechanical differences between a high-stakes shooter and an open-world RPG.
Games You Might Not Have Tried (or Heard Of) - ep 1 - Find New Games - Extra Credits
This analysis focuses on identifying and recommending lesser-known or under-the-radar video games that offer unique mechanics, compelling narratives, or innovative design.
- The analysis identifies high-quality, under-the-radar games released from 2008 onward that prioritize mechanical innovation and thematic depth over mainstream industry trends.
- Strategy gaming is represented by titles like 'Fate of the World,' which uses scientific modeling for global survival simulations, and complex historical titles from Paradox Interactive, specifically 'Europa Universalis III' and 'Victoria II'.
- The RPG category highlights 'The World Ends with You' for its dual-screen combat mechanics and 'Demon’s Souls' for its atmospheric, high-difficulty design.
GungHo Business Report Vol. 23
GungHo Online Entertainment’s business report outlines a strategic roadmap for 2016, centered on the goal of becoming a premier global entertainment company.
- GungHo reported 2015 financial results of 154.3 billion yen in sales and 72.4 billion yen in operating profit.
- The Puzzle & Dragons franchise remains the company's primary revenue driver, reaching over 53 million global downloads as of February 2016.
- The company is aggressively expanding internationally, including a collaboration with Tencent for a Chinese release of Puzzle & Dragons and a joint venture with Gamania for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
GungHo Business Report Vol. 29
GungHo Online Entertainment’s business strategy focuses on four core pillars: maximizing the value of existing titles, creating new intellectual properties, expanding into new fields, and leveraging subsidiary business operations.
- GungHo’s flagship title, Puzzle & Dragons, reached 80 million global downloads as of early 2019, with consistent updates and e-sports initiatives successfully reversing a downward sales trend in late 2018.
- The company reported 92.1 billion yen in net sales for the 2018 fiscal year, maintaining consistency with the previous year despite a decline in operating income from 34.4 billion yen in 2017 to 26.6 billion yen.
- Growth is being driven by subsidiary GRAVITY Co., Ltd., which successfully expanded the international reach of Ragnarok M: Eternal Love across Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania.
GungHo Portfolio Overview: Teppen and Nagmaro
GungHo Online Entertainment focuses on a multi-faceted growth strategy centered on maximizing the value of existing intellectual properties while simultaneously developing new titles for the global gaming market.
- GungHo is executing a global expansion strategy to transition from a Japan-centric model to a multi-platform operation across mobile, console, and PC.
- Flagship title Puzzle & Dragons remains a primary revenue driver, having surpassed 80 million global downloads.
- The company is diversifying its portfolio through strategic collaborations, such as the card battle game Teppen developed with Capcom and the console-based Ninjala.