It is reported that the version number released this month is the seventh batch of version numbers released this year. The number of previous releases was only about 70. At the same time, the imported version number was also issued again after 548 days. Among them, the shooting g

Author | Junping

| Produced by Aotou Finance (theSankei)

On December 28, the State Administration of Press and Publication released the approval information for domestic online games in December. A total of 84 games received version numbers. Also released was the approval information for imported online games in 2022. A total of 44 imported games received version numbers.

It is reported that the version number released this month is the seventh batch of version numbers released this year. The number of previous releases was only about 70. At the same time, the imported version number was also issued again after 548 days. Among them, the shooting game "Valorant" that Tencent will soon represent has also been approved.

"Although the last batch of version numbers this year has surpassed the previous batches in quantity and quality, it cannot be said that the game industry has begun to recover. The overall number of version numbers this year is still less than before. In addition, the impact of the strictest online game order is still there. There is no need to be too optimistic about the development of the industry." A game industry analyst told Aotou Finance.

This statement is true. gamma data shows that the actual sales revenue of China’s game market in November this year was 19.168 billion yuan, a month-on-month decrease of 3.04% and a year-on-year decrease of 19.23%.

Tencent, as the number one game company in China, has made a lot of gains in this edition release. A total of 6 products have passed the review, 5 of which are imported editions. In addition to the aforementioned "Valorant", they also include " Pokémon Gathering ", "Age of Discovery: Sea Dominance", "Don't Starve: New Home" and other high-quality games. In addition, there are also many games that have received version numbers and Tencent has participated in the research and development, publishing and distribution.

"Tencent's bumper harvest of version numbers does not mean anything. In the year before this, Tencent only obtained two version numbers." The aforementioned analysts said, "The issuance of version numbers after the restart generally shows the logic of small factories first, then big ones. There are more reserves of version numbers to resist risks. For Tencent, which has strong risk-taking capabilities, it is their turn. "

Tencent has already anticipated the acquisition of version numbers. At the financial report meeting of Tencent's third quarter report this year, Tencent executives stated that Tencent game version numbers will be resolved soon, and version numbers will be issued soon. By then, Tencent will launch more games. The acquisition of multiple versions of

has undoubtedly loosened the grip of Tencent's IEG (Interactive Entertainment Business Group). Tencent held an internal staff meeting online on the 15th of this month. Tencent CEO Ma Huateng spoke sharply at the meeting, criticizing many business groups and bluntly saying "Leave it to Time is running out for certain businesses.”

Ma Huateng’s overall attitude towards IEG is relatively mild. “Everyone has been holding back for a year, waiting to rise.” He said that in the long run, the number of licenses in the domestic game market will definitely be tight, and it will not be as easy to obtain licenses as in the past. "Tencent games must focus on high-quality products and not waste any opportunity for a version number."

But in terms of business model, Ma Huateng criticized IEG's buying behavior. The so-called purchase volume refers to the placement of game advertisements. Although Tencent itself is one of the largest traffic owners in China, it is inevitable to purchase volume on other platforms during the game promotion process. In recent years, as the domestic mobile Internet dividend has peaked, the purchase cost has gradually increased, and problems such as data brushing and rebates have also emerged one after another.

made a sharp criticism of IEG's buying volume, Ma Huateng, "Don't tell me stories about buying volume in the future. I no longer believe it. And a lot of corruption problems are involved in buying volume. The team thinks about how much money they can make from it every day, and then they only help the company to do some business. It is meaningless."

"The competition for buying volume is very fierce now, among agents. Giving rebates in order to grab orders is a basic operation. "An unnamed advertising agency told Aotou Finance, "For example, we won an order of 5 million, but in fact 4 million can achieve the effect. The quotation given to the customer is still 5 million, and the remaining 1 million is the room for maneuver. ”

Ma Huateng said that many businesses within Tencent cannot be run, mainly because corruption loopholes are too large and the business has been hollowed out. "In the fourth quarter, there was a strict investigation on internal corruption. There are many problems that you just didn't have the chance to see. After reading it, you will be scared to death. It is really shocking."

In fact, after losing the effective means of purchasing volume, IEG's business promotion will undoubtedly face greater pressure in the future, but the cost will also decrease. This is also in line with the general background of Internet companies reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

However, Tencent, which has "focused on high-quality games", has not had a hit game for a long time. It is also unknown how the highly anticipated "Valorante" will perform after it is launched in China.