Crossover: 2014

Chapter 418 Minimalist design concept?

And if the game "T-rex's Journey" can achieve 400 million effective downloads, the price will be raised slightly.

In this way, even if the market response of the game "T-rex's Journey" is cold, it seems to be nothing.

After all, even with 400 million effective downloads, the revenue of the game "T-rex's Journey" can still reach tens of millions of dollars.

Although Lin Hui did many miracles, it wasn't just Huang Jing who was not optimistic about the game "T-rex's Journey".

Many game commentators are also not particularly optimistic about the game made by Lin Hui.

Even Apple, which should stick to Lin Hui the most, in fact, many people in it are not very optimistic about the game "T-rex's Journey".

As for why this happens, it has something to do with Lin Hui's game design this time.

Although it is often said that the avenue is the simplest, the highest state of software engineering design is simplicity but not simplicity.

Having said that, the game "T-rex's Journey" is too simple, simple and even a bit crude.

Lin Hui made games like "2048" and "FLAPPPY BIRD" in the past, although they were also very simple.

However, there was only one "THREES" at the same time when the gameplay was similar to "2048".

When the game "FLAPPPY BIRD" was first launched, there were almost no games similar to this game.

Like "2048" and "FLAPPY BIRD", although they are also very simple.

GRAY FOREST used to make such a "simple" game with almost no competitors when it was launched.

Because there are no competitors, it is naturally a simple mode of taking the lead.

Even if the content of the game is not so good, it can still reap success.

If Lin Hui's previous games, which had almost no similar competitors after their launch, were called the victories achieved because of the sword's slant.

Then the success of the game "T-rex's Journey" can be said to be an adventure of taking chestnuts from the fire.

Why do you say this way?
Because of the little game T-rex's Journey.

Putting aside the connotation that Lin Hui gave to this game.

In terms of form, this game is essentially a horizontal parkour game.

In addition, the game "T-rex's Journey" is just a 2D parkour game.

Although Lin Hui's previous games were all 2D.

But to make a parkour game 2D, uh...

It cannot be said that the idea is very strange, it can only be said that the brain hole is too big. .

Some aggressive marketers within Apple even felt that the game "T-rex's Journey" did not come from Lin Hui.

The game "T-rex's Journey" looks like a street product made by Google/Google's crappy programmers. . .

And the most indispensable thing in the current Apple App Store, especially the Apple App Store on mobile terminals, is parkour games.

For all kinds of parkour games, there are seventy or eighty if not one hundred.

The names are highly homogeneous, basically such as "XX Cool Running" and "Speed ​​XX".

"T-rex's Journey" has quite a lot of competitors in this game.

Compared with a lot of competitors who are also parkour games, the game "T-rex's Journey" has no advantages.

And if the game "T-rex's Journey" can achieve 400 million effective downloads, the price will be raised slightly.

In this way, even if the market response of the game "T-rex's Journey" is cold, it seems to be nothing.

After all, even with 400 million effective downloads, the revenue of the game "T-rex's Journey" can still reach tens of millions of dollars.

When Lin Hui launched the game "T-rex's Journey", he checked the Apple platform exclusive agreement as usual.

In line with the spirit of the minimum agreement, Apple still promoted and publicized the game "T-rex's Journey" accordingly.

Despite this, many Apple employees, including Huang Jing, are not optimistic about products such as "T-rex's Journey".

Although it is not optimistic, the reality is extremely slapped.

"T-rex's Journey", a game they consider to be very simple, has set many records.

"The fastest small game with a revenue exceeding [-] million US dollars"

"Fastest game to break $2000 million in revenue"

"..."

"The fastest small game with a revenue exceeding 5000 million US dollars"

A small game like "T-rex's Journey", which is not expected by others, has achieved a turnover of more than 5000 million US dollars?

Unbelievable result!
But GRAY FOREST did it.

And as the saying goes, winners and losers, the winners are always given countless auras.

When Lin Hui quickly achieved success.

Immediately, a group of people jumped out to promote the game "T-rex's Journey" made by Lin Hui.

Although the software field does not adapt to the cold law of "history belongs to the winners".

But successful people will never lack various "just in time" research and judgment.

This kind of research and judgment is more like hindsight-style interpretative analysis.

But it doesn't really matter how it happened.

Anyway, Lin Hui recently made the game's "simplistic" style that was questioned by many people has also become a minimalist design concept.

As a result, it has become the object of crazy touting.

And it's not flattery in the general sense, it's simply advocacy without a lower limit and without a bottom line.

Huang Jing already claims to be half a fan, but she is still a little ashamed to see some media/self-media's remarks about kneeling and licking Lin Hui.

Huang Jing was flipping through "Gao Wan Ku Criticism" today.

She found that "Gaowan Kuping", a relatively professional software evaluation column in China, is all about GRAY FOREST:

"Hello, everyone, I am the 'ku/review/jun' you are familiar with, in this issue we will talk about the minimalist design of the software.

Software designers often flaunt the simple design style of minimalism.

But is the simple design style of minimalism really so easy to achieve overnight?
It is not difficult to find out by looking at the design concept of the software. In fact, the simple design of software minimalism has three enemies:

- configuration files, redundant parameters, and a large number of complex interfaces. "

“Most minimalist designers have minimalist design concepts in minimalist style in mind.

However, it is limited by configuration files, redundant parameters, and a large number of complex interfaces.

People who claim to be minimal design often create software that doesn't do what they claim.

In particular, many large Vs that have always advertised a simple design have an astonishingly high redundant configuration of their software.

When looking through the 'XXXX×' software developed by a well-known 'simple designer', our team unexpectedly found that 90% of its configurations are redundant.

Although from an engineering point of view, it is necessary to maintain a certain degree of redundancy in software design.

But 90% redundant configuration is really too much.

'Cool/Comment/Jun' didn't know what the simple design pursued by the simple designer was.

Give 'cool/review/jun' I feel that even the famous minimalist designer loves configuration very much in his bones.

In the view of 'Ku/Review/Jun', if it is not for the designers who are obsessed with configuration when creating software, they think that more configuration items mean that the software is more powerful and the scope of application is wider..."

"'Cool/Comment/Jun' is hard to imagine how a piece of software can come up with 90% redundant configuration.

It wasn't until I checked the design details of the 'XXXX×' software by the famous software engineer 'Cool/Comment/Jun' that I realized the reason why there are so many redundant configurations in the software. "

"A certain software engineer is working on the configure file of the 'XXXX×' software, often listing hundreds of configuration items.

But do we really need so many configuration items?
Not necessarily, under normal circumstances, we need the default values.What is default?Because the software designer thinks that these are the most optimal and most likely to be selected configurations, since they are the optimal configurations, why do we have to change them?

Another example is that a certain software engineer is working on the parameter setting of the 'XXXX×' software..."

"..."

After a few paragraphs of hatred, "Gaowan Kuping" immediately said without surprise:

"Minimalism's minimalist design style is not so much a philosophy as it is a capability.

Blindly pursuing minimalist design without the corresponding overall planning ability will only bring shame upon oneself.

The designer of software like 'XXXX×' is obviously this type.

Although from the perspective of 'Ku/Ping/Jun', there are many speculators who are the designer of the software 'XXXX×' and speculators who are very similar to 'XX' who are just playing minimalist gimmicks. , but the majority of minimalist software lovers don't need to be pessimistic.

There are still pure minimalist designers in our country.

Yes, that's right, I said GRAY FOREST.
The game "T-rex's Journey" recently created by GRAY FOREST is a representative of the typical minimalist style...

How should I say this game, although it plays like that, it is unremarkable.

But from a designer's point of view, I think the game "T-rex's Journey" is a typical post-modern minimalist style.

Why do you say that, let’s see the detailed analysis of 'Ku/Comment/Jun'..."

It can make the 'cool/commentary/jun' who has always been known for his aloofness kneel and lick so unscrupulously.

Huang Jing was very curious about how Gray Forest did this?
Is it the power of money, or is there a py transaction behind it.

Or it has nothing to do with behind-the-scenes transactions.

Is it all because of the strong appeal and charisma possessed by GRAY FOREST?
In this regard, not only Huang Jing is trying to find the reason, but many people are also highly curious.

Curiosity is curiosity, but these seem to be unimportant.

The important thing is that the game "T-rex's Journey" met success again and created a miracle.

The reason why Lin Hui has created a miracle is because Lin Hui's success this time is in addition to his outstanding performance in the market.

There are also many unusual meanings.

Among the few games that Lin Hui has produced in the past, only "2048", "FLAPPPY BIRD" and "HILL CCLIMB RACING" can be called global hits

As for the game "HILL CLIMB RACING" because of a series of transfer agreements, it will not have much to do with Lin Hui in the future.

In other words, only "2048" and "FLAPPPY BIRD" are truly global games that are still in the hands of Lin Hui. .

The overseas buyout price of the two is only 1 US dollar.

Because of such a situation, many overseas game analysts/reviewers believe that Gray Forest will maintain the initial price of $1 for a long time in the future.

Unless Lin Hui produces a game of the level of "HILL CLIMB RACING", even if Gray Forest develops a new game, I am afraid that it can only gain a foothold in the $1 price range.

He didn't expect Lin Hui to show his ability to get involved in higher-priced buyout games so quickly.

You must know that monetization through the game buyout system seems more attractive.

But more than half of the buyout games in the app store are priced at 6 yuan, or 1 US dollar.

Not many games cost $3 or more.

Judging from the strength of Lin Hui's ability to get involved in higher-priced buyout games.

Huang Jing feels that Lin Hui can reach a very high level even if he only focuses on the field of independent game production.

Judging from Huang Jing's understanding of Lin Hui.

Lin Hui's ideal is quite ambitious.

Huang Jing knew that Lin Hui's goal was far from being limited by the small world of games.

Huang Jing is also well aware of this.

Huang Jing is also looking forward to Lin Hui's ability to go to a wider world in the future.

What could be more fulfilling than witnessing the growth of a future great person to the altar?
The phrase "climbing to the altar" undoubtedly has a strong divine color in its literal sense.

But Huang Jing didn't think her idea was exaggerated.

Although it is not very clear what position Lin Hui has achieved in the field of algorithms.

But Huang Jing is still very clear about Lin Hui's status in terms of games.

It can be said that in fact Lin Hui is already a "sacred god" in the field of domestic game development.

Especially in the opening of lightweight games, Lin Hui is now in a detached position.

Even if Lin Hui is willing to play a guest role as a prophet, it is estimated that his "prophecy" will make many developers get on board without thinking.

But Lin Hui never seemed interested in prophesying anything.

Rather than "appearing great", Lin Hui seems to want to "become great".

Speaking of which, what does Lin Hui look like in the eyes of developers?

Although Lin Hui made a bunch of small games such as "2048" and "FLAPPPY BIRD" in the past, making crazy money.

But this does not mean that Lin Hui has robbed other developers of their money.

On the contrary, judging from the research of Apple's marketing department.

When Lin Hui released the game, the total revenue of the app store games in the same period was more.

In other words, when Lin Hui released the game, the "big market" was even bigger in the same period.

If measured in this way, it can be said that Lin Hui is the one who makes the cake of the big industry in a sense.

Lin Hui has proved to domestic game developers almost by himself that the road of independent game development is not only feasible.

And can go very far.

The most important thing is that the appearance of Lin Hui seems to "prove" that the threshold for independent game development is not high.

Uh... Although Huang Jing knows that Lin Hui's strength is far beyond what ordinary high school graduates can match.

But not everyone can understand the detailed process of Lin Hui's fortune, and some details are even more unknown.

After all, Lin Hui's rise was too fast, and the route of his rise was too unimaginable.

All in all, Lin Hui's past achievements will only be seen by those who don't know the inside story:
——After graduating from high school, a certain small game was boring and tinkered with a few small games, and it immediately became a hit, and it took tens of millions of dollars.

Drawing such a conclusion will no doubt fuel the interest of some investors or related technologists.

(End of this chapter)