MeinMMO had the opportunity to conduct an email interview with the developers of Genshin Impact and ask them questions about various aspects of the game.
Genshin Impact has received a lot of attention in the gaming community since its release in September 2020. The co-op action RPG from the Chinese developer miHoYo has been praised by players for its fun gameplay and beautiful open world and took in over $100 million in no time.
However, there was also criticism. Players who wanted to play the game with their friends were disappointed by the co-op mode. The gacha and resin systems were also not well received by all players. There were voices asking for higher pull rates and more resin.
MeinMMO therefore asked the developers from miHoYo how they explain their success in the West and what changes they want to make to the game after the large amounts of feedback.
Gigantic success in the West for developer miHoYo
MeinMMO: Genshin Impact had the biggest launch of a Chinese original IP in the western market. What do you think are the reasons for this? Have you adapted your development strategy to specifically target the western audience?
miHoYo: In order to make Genshin Impact accessible to even more players and win over more hearts, we have carefully developed a long-term plan for it. Before the initial release, we conducted three closed beta tests to gather as much feedback from players across all platforms as possible. This allowed us to improve and significantly optimize the game already.
From the very beginning, our goal was to create a game that is accessible to players from all over the world and on all major platforms. To offer a better experience to players from various parts of the world, we released the game simultaneously worldwide in 13 languages.
It is also the first time a game has been released simultaneously for console, PC, and mobile devices, and it is also a premiere for miHoYo to release Genshin Impact on PlayStation. The simultaneous release on multiple platforms allows players to have their personal gameplay experience on different platforms according to their gaming habits and preferences, and it also allows us to reach player demographics that have never been reached before.
MeinMMO: Do the reactions and feedback from western players differ from those of Asian players? Can you give us examples?
miHoYo: We want to provide our players with an immersive open-world experience that offers them a higher degree of freedom than other games before, allowing each player to have their own experience in the game, regardless of the region they are in.
From our experiences, it is likely that Chinese players will increasingly look for combat efficiency and rewards for battles and quests, while some western players will probably spend a lot of time exploring the open world. But that can’t be generalized.
MeinMMO: Would you say that Genshin Impact is an MMO?
miHoYo: Although we appreciate the attention we have received from the MeinMMO editorial team and the global gaming community, we do not yet consider Genshin Impact to be an MMO.
We are heavily focused on the single-player experience, including the main storyline, but we have also incorporated some multiplayer content in the game and will expand the gameplay and associated actions, such as the multiplayer challenge “Elemental Crucible,” which was recently added, and our first seasonal event in the soon-to-be-released version 1.1, “Far Stars.”
MeinMMO: There are currently no incentives to use the co-op mode in Genshin Impact. Do you have plans to expand the co-op experience further?
miHoYo: We are currently still gathering opinions from players and the community on this issue, but we continue to optimize the overall concept of the multiplayer mode and are working on providing our players with more and more multiplayer features and activities.
On the gacha probabilities and the resin system
MeinMMO: Many western players are skeptical about the gacha system and loot boxes in games. Genshin Impact, however, seems fun enough that it is overlooked. Did you develop the monetization system specifically for the western audience? Can you imagine implementing direct in-game purchases?
miHoYo: First of all, high-quality game content is our top priority in game development. We hope to make Genshin Impact a F2P-friendly game while lowering the entry barrier for players, leaving it up to the players whether they want to pay for something or not.
Players can decide how much they want to spend within the game and find a good balance that works for them personally. Over the course of the story, players can unlock four characters that they need to explore the vast world of Teyvat
- to explore
- and complete various challenges and quests to obtain various materials for upgrading, equipment, and weapons needed for their characters,
- as well as additional characters.
For those looking forward to getting more characters and weapons, the so-called “wishes” system in the game naturally also offers the appropriate option for that. For now – at least at this point – we will not make any changes to that.
In the mobile gaming market, in-game shops became more popular as a financing option in free-to-play games a few years ago, they are called gacha games. In these shops, you often spend real money to obtain random loot. Similar to the controversial loot boxes in other games. This can create the feeling of pay-to-win. Genshin Impact also uses this system to finance itself.
MeinMMO: One of the biggest complaints we have heard about Genshin Impact is the resin system. It prevents players from receiving more loot daily. Can you imagine implementing more options for players to get more resin without having to pay more?
miHoYo: We have received various feedback regarding the resin system and will consider appropriate adjustments. As soon as there are news on this topic, we will announce them as soon as possible.
What about crossplay and the Switch version?
MeinMMO: Genshin Impact was released on PC, PS4, and mobile devices and features crossplay between mobile and PC. Do you believe that this is the future of mobile gaming?
miHoYo: We firmly believe that gaming without restrictions on multiple platforms simultaneously brings more comfort and enjoyment to players and will definitely become increasingly important in the future. Genshin Impact takes pride in being able to explore this area as a pioneer.
MeinMMO: Is there any new information regarding the Switch version? Can fans expect the first beta tests soon? And what about crossplay and cross-save with the Switch?
At this time, the development of the Switch version has not yet been completely finished, so we cannot provide any further information on this right now.
However, what the near future of Genshin Impact looks like is already known, and the next update is not far away. Patch 1.1 is scheduled to go online on November 11 and bring new content.
