"pubg" is a nickname for the game "playerunknown's battlegrounds". in fact, "pubg" does not only refer to "playerunknown's battlegrounds", but also to a genre of games called battle royale.
moreover, since its inception, "playerunknown's battlegrounds" has been a huge success, generating monthly revenue of up to 300 million dollars. not only that, in just three years, this game has evolved into a game genre with a global user base of 500 million and an annual output value of billions of dollars.
but here's the strange part.
from 2000 to 2017, a span of 17 years, a gaming powerhouse like japan should have already been eyeing the game adaptation of "battle royale", and game companies worldwide should have started paying attention to it as well.
yet, why hasn't any company successfully turned "battle royale" into a game all these years?
given its high economic value, did no game company foresee this?
this article will unveil the underlying logic behind the success of "playerunknown's battlegrounds" and the reasons why many game companies have overlooked it.
everyone who plays games knows a rule: every game starts easy and gradually becomes harder. the goal is to allow players to get started with simple and direct methods, and then increase the difficulty step by step until they become skilled players.
players also experience a sense of growth and satisfaction during the game as they level up.
if a game is extremely difficult from the beginning, like "pubg" where players can be "killed" right after landing without getting used to the game environment, it can be frustrating for players.
this kind of player dissatisfaction can greatly reduce their interest and cause them to quit the game directly.
in the gaming industry, everyone is researching ways to reduce the chance of players quitting, and there is a professional term called "exit cost management", which refers to managing the time players spend in the game. this can be considered a basic lesson for game designers.