"Old Touhou" is actually going to be made into a mobile game? This news caused an uproar within the gaming circle. Many people think that this is absolutely impossible to achieve. After all, it was originally a buy-out console and a very influential work on PC. However, the mobile version is rumored to be free plus in-app purchases.
Potential challenges of mobile gaming
For a game that is famous for its high difficulty and immersive stand-alone experience, if it is to be moved to a mobile platform, it will first encounter problems with operation adaptation. Complex battles on consoles rely on precise button combinations, and it is a difficult problem to restore this feel with touch screen operations. The current virtual joystick and button layout in mobile games may not be able to meet the needs of core players.
I'm afraid that through some changes, the core experience of the game may be diluted. The sense of loneliness explored in the original work and the sense of accomplishment brought by the challenge are, to a large extent, built on the complete and completely uninterrupted experience provided by the buyout system. Once it changes to a free-to-play model with built-in shopping, how to balance the paid design and the fair game itself will bring a great test to the development team.
Structural conflict in payment model
After a one-time payment, you can experience the full content of the original "Elden Circle". Tencent is rumored to have the idea of creating a free model similar to "Genshin Impact", which will definitely introduce systems such as card drawing, physical strength, and paid props. For a group of players who are accustomed to pure adventure, it may be difficult to accept.
Such a change is not just a change in the business model, but is also likely to touch the underlying logic of game design. The in-app purchase system requires continuous content updates and payment point design, which may force the game to shift from focusing on one-time grand narratives to focusing on daily tasks and repetitive gameplay, thus changing the nature of the game.
Huge pressure on development teams
It comes as no surprise that there are dozens of people on the development team and progress is slow. Because if you want to build an open world for mobile devices from scratch, the technical difficulty and resource investment required will be extremely huge. And it is not a simple transplant, it can almost be said to be the development of a new large-scale game.
At the same time, the team is under heavy pressure, which stems from the dual expectations of the market and the company. First, it needs to meet the extremely high standards set by fans of the original work, and second, it must meet the company's expectations for commercial success. To find a balance between "restoring masterpieces" and "creating hits", each step is like walking on thin ice, always cautious and cautious.
Tencent’s IP strategic layout
In 2022, Tencent invested in the developer FromSoftware, which created the basic conditions for Tencent to obtain IP authorization. This approach can be considered part of Tencent’s continued strategy of laying out the world’s top game IPs. Prior to this, Tencent had achieved a huge level of commercial success in the mobile version of "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds", and it has been looking for the next game that can become a global hit.
Facing the competitive pressure brought by products such as MiHoYo's "Genshin Impact", Tencent urgently needs a new trump card to transform the top console IP that has been proven by the market into mobile games. This is regarded as a feasible path. However, successfully realizing mobile gaming requires a deep understanding of the IP core and innovative transformation, which is much more difficult than simply obtaining authorization.
Contradictory reactions from the player community
After the news spread, the player community showed polarized reactions. Some players expressed their expectations for being able to experience the world of "Old Touhou" on their mobile phones, feeling that this would expand the influence of the game. Some of the remaining core players strongly opposed it, worried that the business model of mobile games would damage the reputation of the IP and the purity of the experience.
Such differences show the essential differences between different game groups. Light gamers or mobile platform users pay more attention to convenience and accessibility, while core console PC gamers value the feeling of the game as a complete work of art. How to coordinate the needs of these two types of users will be a public opinion difficulty faced by the project.
Lessons from industry cases
Tencent's attempt this time is not without precedent. Its previously axed "NieR" mobile game project has provided relevant lessons. The project was terminated due to excessive costs, extremely complicated IP licensing conditions, and unclear profit models. This fully demonstrates that converting top console IP into mobile games is a path with high investment and great risks.
The "Elden Ring" project is currently said to be progressing slowly, and there are still huge variables in whether it can finally be successfully implemented. It not only has to deal with technical problems, but also crosses the gap between business models and artistic expression. The project itself has become a key experiment to see whether major Chinese game companies can control top global IPs.
For "Elden Ring", a game that has achieved the status of a god due to its hardcore and pure experience, if you want to adapt it into a free mobile game, have you ever thought about where its biggest "soul" is most likely to be lost?
