From Our January Issue.
Mobile games’ popularity has come and gone with the general public, but for those who want to play video games on the go, it’s appeal never faltered. Developers compete to have their games rated the best amongst both fans and critics. Genshin Impact from miHo Yo proves itself to both.
Genshin Impact is an adventure game, starting off as a single-player RPG (role-playing game), and later opening up the ability to play with others to battle enemies. Most RPG games do not have this same track record of success, however. The thing that makes Genshin Impact special is the gacha aspect.
Gacha is a word based off of “gashapon,” a kind of plastic eggshell toy that originated in Japan. It’s a lucky draw mechanism that draws users to spend money in order to keep rolling, or to buy more materials to guarantee they draw a character or item they are trying to get. It is even more easily monetizable when Genshin Impact offers limited edition gacha challenges and offers.
“I have spent around $75 on the game,” says Shiloh Rodriguez, a junior at Cypress Springs High School.
“[It has been] mostly to get limited characters before they’re gone, but for the most part, I play without spending [money],” continued Rodriguez.
Having had the game on both their mobile phone and PC for almost 3 months, it is not a necessarily arbitrary amount to spend. Multiply this by its thousands of thousands of players who are willing to pay, however, and it adds up.
According to Sensor Tower, the game collected $245 million in player spending during its first month, making it one of the biggest mobile launches ever, competing with only Pokemon Go. Being the developer’s fifth game, Genshin Impact has made a mark and will continue to grow not only within itself, but within the gaming community and China, where they’re based.
Gacha is not the only appealing feature, however. The game is available on mobile and PC, letting players have different experiences without missing out on what makes Genshin Impact different from its competitors.
“I think what makes it different is the setting, with different cities that represent different countries around our world, and it’s interesting to see that represented,” says Rodriguez.
The city that a player starts in is based off of many cities in Germany and Switzerland. Another area players can travel and discover is based heavily on the Sichuan province of China.
The storyline the game offers is the main driver of the RPG, engaging players by having them interact with the settings and the characters alike. Each area offers different tasks and specialized characters, leading to players spending more time on the application.
“I do play quite a bit everyday,” says Rodriguez, “but on average, I spend around 36 hours weekly [playing].”
With the game having only been available to a worldwide audience for about 4 months, the audience and traction it has received is impressive. Miho Yo has promised players that the game will expand to even greater heights— both in and out of the game itself. More areas for players to explore have already been promised.
“I can definitely see myself playing in a year! It’s a very recent game, so I’m excited to see it in the future,” tells Rodriguez.
