Week 4 of August 2024

1. Offline Games-No Wifi Games Tops July Download Chart

2. miHoYo Maintains Top Tier in July Overseas Revenue Rankings for Chinese Game Developers

3. ByteDance leads July's non-gaming Chinese companies' overseas revenue rankings again

4. The synthesis + tower defense genre sees another masterpiece emerge, Lucky Defense achieves success in South Korea

5. NetEase's "Animal Crossing-like" Mobile Game 'Codename: Odyssey' Makes Its Debut at Cologne Game Show"

6. Lilith Games' New Release Sword and Faraway Journey: Departure launches in Asia-Pacific Region

7. Genshin Impact's 5.0 Update Showcases New Map at Gamescom

8. GigaBody: AI Muscle Filter Becomes a Hit for Men's Body Enhancement

01 Offline Games-No Wifi Games Tops July Download Chart

The latest report released by Sensor Tower reveals that "Offline Games - No Wifi Games," crafted by independent developer JindoBlu, has soared to the top of both the global download growth and total downloads charts for July, with cumulative downloads approaching 72 million.

This game is a compilation of diverse casual arcade games, encompassing puzzles, paper games, word games, and classic board games. All are playable offline, making it the perfect companion for those in areas plagued by poor or intermittent network coverage, such as avid travelers, commuters, or residents of regions with limited signal strength. This unique selling point has earned it immense popularity in countries such as India, Brazil, and Indonesia.

The game monetizes mainly through in-app ads and offers an optional ad-free premium version.

02  miHoYo Maintains Top Tier in July Overseas Revenue Rankings for Chinese Game Developers

Diandian Data released July's Top 30 overseas revenue chart for Chinese game devs. miHoYo's "Zenless Zone Zero" debuted globally, earning ~RMB 500M, 68.5% from overseas, offsetting "Genshin Impact" decline.

Tencent's "Honor of Kings" & TiMi's "Metal Slug: Awakening" saw overseas revenue jump over 37.2%, fueled by Saudi Esports WC & strategic launches, re-entering top 3 global revenue ranks.

Yostar's "Blue Archive" Japanese 3rd anniversary drew returning players, boosting overseas revenue 171.7% MoM, lifting rank to 11th. YiWorld's "Shangdao Gaoshou" Japanese 4th anniversary update secured its first ranking spot.

03 ByteDance leads July's non-gaming Chinese companies' overseas revenue rankings again

DianDian Data's July report lists ByteDance, Huya Inc., and Ruiqi Software as top overseas revenue earners among Chinese non-gaming firms. ByteDance retains its lead with slight revenue growth. Meitu's NA and EU revenue surged 10.2%, reclaiming 4th place.

Tencent's steady performance lifted it to top 5. Xiaomi's overseas earnings jumped 10.1%, advancing 4 spots. HelloTalk's app downloads and revenue rose 17.8% and 11.2% respectively, boosting its rank to 21st.

TP-LINK, iReader Technology, and Appxy improved rankings in June. However, most other vendors saw slight revenue declines, highlighting varying fortunes for Chinese non-game firms in overseas markets. Some grew through innovation and expansion, while others faced challenges.

04 The synthesis + tower defense genre sees another masterpiece emerge, Lucky Defense achieves success in South Korea

As a strategy tower defense mobile game launched by the South Korean gaming giant 111%, Lucky Defense has swiftly garnered players' favor with its distinctive charm and gameplay since its release. The game has consistently ranked fourth in South Korea's App Store top-selling list, a remarkable feat nearly three months after its debut.

The game's success has transcended the domestic Korean market, with a vigorous expansion into overseas territories. In regions like the United States and Taiwan (China), Lucky Defense has received significant promotion, securing 24.7% and 25.2% of the respective overall markets, trailing closely behind the 41.6% share in the Korean domestic market. This underscores the remarkable success of the game's overseas promotion strategy.

However, in terms of market performance, Lucky Defense has shown relatively modest results in the United States, potentially attributed to local gaming preferences and cultural differences. In contrast, the game has managed to rank within the top 30 best-selling titles in Taiwan, and China, indicating strong market acceptance and a solid player base in the region.

05 NetEase's "Animal Crossing-like" Mobile Game 'Codename: Odyssey' Makes Its Debut at Cologne Game Show"

NetEase's highly anticipated life simulation game, 'Codename: Odyssey', premiered at Gamescom, showcasing its charm to players through the release of its inaugural promotional video (PV). Its core gameplay revolves around multiplayer socializing and simulation management, crafted to deliver an immersive gaming experience.

Scheduled for a cross-platform release in 2025, 'Codename: Odyssey' will be available on PS, Xbox, Switch, PC, and mobile devices, catering to a diverse range of gamers. Pre-registration is now live on the official website, enabling players to secure their spot for an early gaming experience.

In an interview, the development team shared their design philosophy, inspired by "the carefree joy of summer during childhood," aiming to recreate that innocence and happiness within the game. The game aspires to become an irreplaceable companion in players' hearts, offering a relaxing, joyful, and healing gaming experience. "This "summer vacation-like" ambiance serves as the foundation for the game's anticipated success.

Codename: Odyssey design concept and gameplay atmosphere are poised to attract players seeking relaxation and social interaction, while also marking a significant endeavor by NetEase in the realm of life simulation games.

06 Lilith Games' New Release Sword and Faraway Journey: Departure launches in Asia-Pacific Region

Sword and Faraway Journey: Departure launched its open beta in the Asia-Pacific region on August 8th, including markets like Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia. Fueled by the game's exceptional quality and a near-RMB 100 million promotional budget on launch day, it has recorded remarkable market performance.

AppMagic data reveals that after its open beta launch in the Asia-Pacific, 'Sword and Faraway: Departure' skyrocketed 159 positions to claim the 14th spot on the August mobile game sales chart, driven primarily by robust demand in China and South Korea.

On the iOS free games chart, the game made a remarkable debut, occupying the top three spots in seven regional markets, with a 10th-place ranking in South Korea. In terms of revenue, the game generated 9.82 million yuan on its first day and has since maintained a steady upward trajectory, currently sustaining daily revenue of approximately 20 million yuan. This upward trend is anticipated to continue for some time.

Data from AppMagic shows that the game jumped 159 spots to 14th on the August bestseller list in the Asia-Pacific region, driven by strong demand in China and South Korea. In the first four days, it generated 61 million yuan in revenue, with Mainland China's iOS users contributing the most at 43.43% (26.3 million yuan), followed by Taiwan at 27.28%, and South Korea at 12.24%. While Japan's initial reception was modest, amassing RMB 4 million in four days, it has since begun to gradually climb.

07 Genshin Impact's 5.0 Update Showcases New Map at Gamescom

On the opening night of Gamescom 2024, Chinese game developer miHoYo unveiled the latest news for its hit open-world role-playing game, Genshin Impact. Since its launch in 2019, Genshin Impact has captivated gamers worldwide with its stunning visuals, expansive exploration elements, and captivating character designs.

miHoYo revealed gameplay for Genshin Impact's 5.0 update's new region, Sumeru, at an event. This seventh area offers a glimpse into its environment, culture, and new characters. Fans are excited for the adventures and tales Sumeru will bring to the game.

Beyond the news of new regions, miHoYo also announced that Genshin Impact will expand its platform support to embrace the Xbox Series consoles. This undoubtedly serves as exhilarating news for Xbox gamers, who will embark on the adventure of Genshin Impact from November 20th. This move underscores miHoYo's commitment to enhancing the game's cross-platform compatibility and catering to the diverse needs of players across various platforms.

These updates and expansions of Genshin Impact will further solidify its position in the global gaming market and entice both new and veteran players alike to embark on the exploration journey of Teyvat.

08 GigaBody: AI Muscle Filter Becomes a Hit for Men's Body Enhancement

GigaBody: AI Muscle Filter, from Montreal, adds muscle to body images instantly, akin to "Meitu Xiu Xiu" for men. It's popular on social media, letting users enhance photos with desired muscle effects.

GigaBody topped iOS downloads in China on August 17th, surpassing "Railway 12306". The developer aims to "transform your body transformation journey", offering tools for significant or subtle enhancements.

In essence, GigaBody's triumph underscores the immense potential of AI in the realms of beauty and body shaping, igniting debates around the interplay between authenticity and virtuality, as well as the dichotomy between effort and shortcuts. While GigaBody's paid conversion rates remain modest, its emergence undoubtedly adds a fresh dimension to the burgeoning "male beauty economy". It offers valuable insights into the prospects of related products.