Rebirth 2010: I taught Mr. Lei how to make a mobile phone

Chapter 1014 Genshin Impact Open Beta: North American Players Are Jealous!

When Apple's collapse occurred, even Lei Jun, who was focused on his work, was stunned.

He never imagined that his efforts to stockpile resources would lead to Chen Mo's major battle inadvertently dragging Apple into the mess, while Xiaomi, which had done nothing, would benefit from the situation.

Huh? Why did he say "again"?
This feeling of "winning without lifting a finger" actually made Lei Jun feel a little frustrated.

Perhaps he has truly passed the age of knowing one's destiny, and he has long since lost the youthful vigor of "taking life and death lightly and fighting if he disagrees."

Nowadays, he prefers to focus his energy on refining the product rather than engaging in verbal disputes with the outside world.

Even though the mobile phone business has been repeatedly smeared and Dong Mingzhu has frequently mocked and ridiculed the home appliance sector, he just smiled calmly—Xiaomi's future strategy is to focus on doing its own thing well, regardless of what's going on outside.

As he said to Chen Mo while they were drinking and chatting, "Our opponents are outside. If we only focus on internal strife, our vision and perspective will be too shallow."

Since Chen Mo's suggestion, Xiaomi has abandoned the rear screen design across its entire product line and has redefined its R&D direction.

Coupled with the impact of sanctions on his own business, Lei Jun is not having an easy time financially.

But this battle is crucial – he received information that 5G will be officially launched in the middle of the year, and this year will become the first year of competition among various 5G mobile phone manufacturers.

Xiaomi must seize the opportunity; the new products will lay a solid foundation for the 5G era.

However, Lei Jun still harbors a hidden worry, not for Xiaomi, but for the future.

After reviewing the accounts, the higher-ups started targeting Apple. Even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner; he called Chen Mo.
"You're really not afraid of pissing that old man off, or he might give you a temporary ban."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. He wouldn't dare."

It's not that they "can't," but that they "dare not."

Lei Jun could tell that Chen Mo must be holding some cards that he didn't know about.

Chen Mo today is no longer the young man who needed his guidance; his abilities and vision have far surpassed his own.

This left Lei Jun feeling both frustrated and secretly proud.

What's frustrating is that Chen Mo is nearly twenty years younger than him, yet his achievements are so dazzling.

If his peers were better than him, he might feel resentful, but facing this "prodigy" whom he had watched rise step by step, Lei Jun simply couldn't bring himself to compare.

He admitted that Chen Mo deserves secondary credit for Xiaomi's scale—but of course, the primary credit still belongs to himself.

As for his pride, it stemmed from a sense of satisfaction at having "a discerning eye"—after all, he was the first to recognize the young man's extraordinary talent.

"Just let me know if you need any help!"

"I understand. I certainly won't hesitate to ask you for help if needed."

"Just keep that in mind, I'm hanging up."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Mo felt a warmth in his heart.

Since he launched his attack on the House of Representatives, many friends and partners, besides those from the other side of the strait, have not stood idly by but have instead called to express their concern.

Whether it was genuine or feigned, he didn't care. A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. This phone call proved that his years of business dealings and interpersonal relationships hadn't been in vain.

Lei Jun was aware of his abilities, so he did not immediately intervene after the House of Representatives incident.

It wasn't until they saw the global information being synchronized and realized that the materials Chen Mo had submitted might have serious consequences that they made this call.

Actually, Chen Mo didn't say "He wouldn't dare!" on the phone just now; he just said it on purpose, not to comfort Lei Jun.

Because it's already in the final stages.

However, in the end, we still need to give them a surprise, to let them see what kind of waves the new game from the other side's game studio will create around the world.

That is Genshin Impact, which miHoYo spent three years developing with all its might.

In January 2016, the project "Honkai - Chronicles" was launched, initially positioned as a supplementary work to the "Honkai" series.

In January 2017, Chen Mo visited miHoYo, and the project was renamed "Genshin Impact" by accident.

On June 21, 2018, Genshin Impact made its debut at ChinaJoy and launched the "Original Test", which quickly attracted the attention of anime and manga fans, but also became embroiled in controversy over plagiarism of The Legend of Zelda.

On September 19, 2018, the "Re-entry Test" was launched.

This is the first time Genshin Impact has been opened to players on a large scale since its debut at ChinaJoy and the subsequent plagiarism allegations, making it the "main battlefield" for public opinion.

A large number of players—including many non-core anime fans—flooded into the game with the mentality of "let's see if it really copied it."

Social media and gaming forums (such as GHome forum, NGA, Tieba, and Bilibili) are full of gameplay footage comparing Zelda to the game and game review videos from content creators.

Players who delve deeper into the game begin to discover the fundamental differences between the two in their core gameplay.

This test also caused a severe split in the player community, much like in the mobile phone industry. External criticism was huge, but the game's unique charm also began to attract its first core supporters.

The nicknames "Miweibing" and "OP" quickly spread.

Although this test sparked huge controversy, it also brought unparalleled traffic and attention, and began to break out of its niche.

On November 16, 2018, the "Departure Test" was launched.

This test has greatly demonstrated that miHoYo not only has the ability to create a cartoon-rendered open world comparable to Zelda, but also to create content with unique cultural characteristics.

The most eye-catching development is the opening of the Liyue region—the “Chinese style” scenery based on the landscape of ancient China has amazed many players and become strong evidence to refute the “plagiarism theory.”

The appearance of Liyue is seen by many players as strong evidence to "slap in the face" the plagiarism theory.

This largest-scale test before the public beta successfully captured the attention with its solid game content and achieved initial word-of-mouth conversion, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent global public beta.

That's why Chen Mo was confident enough to insist on going live at this sensitive time.

It's simply because it's called "Genshin Impact," and the company that developed it is called miHoYo.

From the initial exploration of "Honkai Impact 3rd" to the experimentation of "Honkai Impact 2nd", and then to the maturity of "Honkai Impact 3rd", miHoYo spent eight years honing its skills and finally created "Genshin Impact".

Coupled with the global marketing resources available on the other side, it's like having a super-fast acceleration feature.

With Chen Mo's support of "only providing funds and not interfering," there's no reason why Genshin Impact wouldn't be a hit.

Chen Mo took out his phone and sent a message to a WeChat group containing the "Mihoyo Trio":
"You can now begin public beta testing."

Amid the nationwide "account reconciliation" frenzy, on April 16th, Genshin Impact, a large-scale open-world adventure mobile game developed by miHoYo and published by Beyond, officially launched its global simultaneous open beta.

It was launched simultaneously in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and other regions, and supports multiple platforms including PC, iOS, Android, GHome and PS4.

The mere mention of "The Other Shore" garnered widespread attention globally upon the open beta launch of Genshin Impact. It immediately climbed to second place on the domestic best-selling charts, second only to "Glory of the World."
The game also performed strongly overseas, easily ranking among the top ten best-selling apps in various app stores. In just one day, miHoYo announced that Genshin Impact had surpassed 100 million registered players worldwide, setting a new record for the fastest mobile game to reach 100 million users.

This game, which was released for free worldwide, caused widespread controversy on domestic websites and forums, but unexpectedly won high scores on overseas websites.

As a highly trusted review media outlet among players, the renowned Japanese magazine Famitsu gave Genshin Impact a score of 35 out of 40, demonstrating its outstanding status among overseas media and making it a platinum-level masterpiece!
Several game review media outlets even created a separate "Genshin Impact" column, praising Genshin Impact for presenting players with a captivating open world, without mentioning any controversy regarding "plagiarism".

Through these reviews from various media outlets, players worldwide have gained a more comprehensive understanding of this game.

Within ten days of its open beta launch, Genshin Impact achieved nearly $100 million in sales on Apple and Google Play stores worldwide, thanks to the strong promotional resources from the game's parent company, TYPE-ROI.

According to relevant organizations, miHoYo's "Genshin Impact" will generate as much as $5 million in monthly revenue, and may even pose a strong challenge to "Glory of the World".

In terms of cultural export, Genshin Impact has even surpassed the achievements of Black Myth: Wukong to some extent on a global scale.

This makes the saying "Products from the other side are bound to be of high quality" even more valuable.

However, players in one region are particularly "pitiful" – North America.

This public beta test covers the "North American region" and does not even include the XBOX platform.

North American players were extremely frustrated and took to gaming forums to protest this "unequal treatment," with many even expressing their dismay.

Even IGN, a review organization that has previously been ambiguous about its attitude towards China, gave Genshin Impact a rare high score of 9 out of 10.

In their reviews, the game was praised as a stunning open-world masterpiece that clearly drew inspiration from the animated essence of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while building upon it to create content with unique Chinese characteristics.

It even subtly reveals a hint of ingratiation.

In response, miHoYo issued an official statement:

miHoYo is committed to providing a consistent and high-quality gaming experience for every player in the world, and regards Genshin Impact as a bridge connecting different cultures and emotions.

However, the increasingly complex international economic and trade environment has brought us uncertainty recently.

As a research and development company with creativity and technology at its core, we must ensure the long-term stable operation of our projects and the common interests of players worldwide to the greatest extent possible.

After careful evaluation by management, we reluctantly decided on the "Global Public Test Around North America" ​​plan.

This decision was not made due to insufficient technical or content preparation, but rather based on a comprehensive assessment of the local business environment, aiming to proactively avoid uncontrollable external risks and protect the overall health of the project.

We firmly believe that cultural exchange and the enjoyment of games should not be interfered with by non-market factors.

We will not launch a region's official operations until we are certain that we can provide players in that region with a fair, stable, and non-discriminatory service.

We deeply regret this and extend our sincerest apologies to our long-awaiting players in North America.

Preparations for the launch in North America are complete, but there is a key prerequisite for the launch timeline.

That is, when we are assessed and can obtain fair, just, and non-discriminatory treatment in the local market.

We believe that will also be the time when Genshin Impact officially meets everyone.

During this period, we will continue to dedicate our full efforts to providing the best game content and services to regions where the open beta has been launched.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

miHoYo's Genshin Impact project team
April 22, 2019

This statement, like a clever "shift in the tide," has transformed the conflict between players and miHoYo into a consensus that players and miHoYo should face external obstacles together.

GameSpot, a long-established and veteran gaming media outlet known for its depth and professionalism, analyzes the meaning behind this statement.

"Clearly, this is not a pure game public beta test, especially at such a sensitive time. Moreover, publicly disclosed information shows that the major shareholder behind miHoYo is Chen Mo, the chairman of the Other Shore Group."

Then this action makes sense.

Moreover, the brilliance of this statement lies in its masterful narrative technique, which completely reshapes it into a proactive and responsible strategic choice.

The repeated emphasis on "prudent assessment," "ensuring long-term stability," and "player interests" in the statement aims to send a clear message to global players and investors:
miHoYo's decision was not based on weakness or fear, but on a mature risk management capability that transcends short-term interests.

They even cleverly elevated a business issue at the corporate level to the level of public discussion on "market fairness," and may even leverage the large player community to form a grassroots force calling for the lifting of the ban on TT.

Regardless of when Genshin Impact finally launches in North America, this statement has proven to the world that miHoYo is not only a top-tier game developer, but also a force to be reckoned with in the complexities of global business.

This statement is an unprecedented example of corporate diplomacy and strategic communication in the video game industry.

Within China, players and netizens alike gave a remarkably consistent response: "Well done!"

Genshin Impact's domestic revenue even saw a surge as a result, demonstrating the public's support.

The protests and marches have gained new members, forming a massive force that confronts the order-maintaining teams every day, much like a daily routine.
By early May, the two sides had reached a new balance and had gotten used to each other.

Inside the magnificent white building.

"It's just a trash game, not worth mentioning. I told you not to worry about it."

"But sir, our approval rating has dropped to 30%. If this continues, the situation next year will be extremely pessimistic. Moreover, we have also discovered that some people in the opposing faction are making underhanded moves behind the scenes."

"Once we take over TT, we can give some 'soup and water' to those people outside, and our approval rating will come back. There's still time."

Just then, Lao Dong casually opened an email he had just received. After reading the contents, his pupils dilated in shock, especially the last sentence, which sent chills down his spine.

"You don't want your opponent to know about this, do you?"

Unexpectedly, the final $1 million payment that arrived earlier did not come from the Middle East, but rather...
Moreover, looking at the requirements inside, the truth about the source of this funding is already obvious.

No wonder this guy dares to be so fearless.

FK, we've been tricked!

The arrogance that Lao Dong had previously displayed vanished visibly. "As for TT, forget about it."

"Sir, what about everything we did before?"

"That plan can begin now. Are there any major events planned for China in the second half of the year?"

"There is indeed one in the second half of the year, but out of a sense of duty, I'd like to confirm one last time: Sir, are you really sure you want to do this? You know, this could drag us into the mess as well."

Old Dong shrugged, feigning nonchalance, and said, "Then it's not my fault. They forced me into this!"

In this unfavorable situation, perhaps the only way to win amidst the chaos is to drag everyone down with us.

(End of this chapter)