TecRah

Wen Feng Min

Editor Liu Shiwu

Through the three legs of film, television, animation and games to cover, continue to develop and operate the Immortal Sword and Wonderland IP.

In the second half of this year, Immortal Sword and Wonderful Warrior IP once again became the focus of discussion in the industry.

Firstly, in September this year, China Handy Games completed the acquisition of the copyright of Fairy Sword and Wonderful Warrior IP except for mainland China, officially obtaining the global copyright of the IP Then, in the recently held Fairy Sword World Players’ Meetings, Xiao Jian, Chairman and CEO of China Handy Games, and Yao Zhuangxian, father of the Fairy Sword, disclosed the news of a new stand-alone game that had been in the planning stage since the beginning of the year, which triggered a lot of hot debates among numerous indica fans of the Fairy Sword This week, the Fairy Sword IP’s other game, Fairy Sword IV, was repositioned in a single-player version. This week, another single-player game fairy sword IP reset version released a new pilot PV, quickly on the major platforms hot search, the video all-platform playback volume also easily exceeded 1 million.

In relevant interviews, Xiao Jian has proposed that under the market trend of cross-border development, film and television, gamification and amplification of IP value, China Handy Games will cover the three legs of film and television, animation and games, and continue to develop and operate the strategy of Immortal Sword IP. Judging from the results so far, this national-level IP, which is about to celebrate its maiden year, still maintains strong vitality and influence.

With the official launch of Xian Jian World, the first open-world RPG product of the Immortal Sword IP prepared by China Handy Games, as well as the release of film, animation, and other derivative works of the Immortal Sword IP in cooperation with major head manufacturers, the Immortal Sword IP will usher in another big year at the 30th anniversary point. The attention of players gained through the reset version of Immortal Sword IV may also form a linkage effect with the World of Immortal Sword and the new stand-alone game, helping China Handy Games to break through in the PC and console game market.

Immortal Sword and Wonderful Warrior IV Remake PV Screenshot

Immortal Sword IP in the new 30 years, seeking changes in positive continuity

In the recently held Xian Jian world player meeting, Xian Jian IP revealed the planning of the new standalone biography, will be from the Xian Jian one reset version and a brand new standalone work 2 choose 1 to set up a project. Yao Zhuangxian introduced, the immortal sword one remake will use the latest technology to reinterpretation of the classic plot and the other will be presented in the form of a new series of trilogy, with the same protagonist to complete a complete adventure across the three works, presenting the immortal sword IP a more complete story. The decision on which direction to take in the future will be made after collecting feedback from the Indians.

As the director of Immortal Sword IP, Yao Zhuangxian said that Immortal Sword IP has a timetable that covers all the generations of Immortal Sword works. Yao and his team will ensure that the worldview, plot and character settings continue in the official works, film and TV animation spin-offs, as well as the related licensed works, which ensures that all the characters can follow the original settings, and also gives more possible directions for the development of the story in the future. World of Sword and Sword Art Online and the new stand-alone titles will follow this same principle to make Sword Art Online the best it can be for its fans.

But at the same time, Xian Jian IP is also actively seeking change in the face of the development of the times and the environment. According to Yao Zhuangxian, one of the most important factors in the continued attraction of Immortal Sword to users is the classical romantic emotional elements unique to the Immortal Sword IP. Romance never goes out of fashion, but the rhythm of delivering romance will be very different from 20 or 30 years ago. Immortal sword IP will keep up with the times while maintaining a positive outlook. Nowadays, the Chinese animation industry is developing rapidly, with excellent Chinese animations such as Douluo Mainland, Doubao Cangdao, Assassin 567, etc., and the Immortal Sword IP is also working with excellent partners to produce an animated episode version of Immortal Sword and Wonderful Warrior III. The story of Immortal Sword will be introduced to the animation users by optimizing the old storyline in an animated way to win over the users of the animation era.

At the same time, Yao Zhuangxian also said that open-world games emphasize player autonomy and the mode of non-linear plot development, which is also very attractive to young users nowadays.

World of Immortal Sword will shoulder the mission of carrying forward the Immortal Sword IP.

As the first open-world RPG of the Immortal Sword IP, World of Immortal Sword is, in the opinion of China Handy, a gameplay vehicle that can integrate the worldview of Immortal Sword and the people and events of Immortal Sword through the generations, and can be expanded and extended over a long period of time. According to reports, World of Immortal Sword is positioned as a strategic project within China Tourism Games, playing a role in the development of the Immortal Sword IP. It will take over from the nine main works of the Immortal Sword IP, and organize the development of Immortal Sword and Wonderful Warrior across thousands of years of history, linking up the storylines of previous generations of the game Backward, it will pave the way for the new main works of the Immortal Sword IP, and lead to the next single-player work. At the same time, some of the popular gameplay in the world of Immortal Sword, such as flying with a sword and exploring the open world, will also be combined and applied in the new single-player game.

By open-worldizing the Immortal Sword IP, China Handy has created a distinctive and highly recognizable work for the Immortal Sword IP. The World of Immortal Sword is built around the romantic and beautiful panorama of Jiangnan, the majestic Shushan Mountain, the mysterious Miaojiang, and other areas, constituting a seamless 384-square-kilometer open world, and integrating the profound Chinese traditional cultural content, fully demonstrating the oriental culture’s fantastical aesthetics and romantic sentiments. Combined with the worldview of the Immortal Sword IP, the production team has established the core concept that everything has its own spirit. Players will encounter a wide variety of living creatures with different habits in the game, and explore the romantic fantasy world of the East in the company of the classic characters of Immortal Sword and the brand-new original characters.

The classic Spirit System of the Immortal Sword IP has been upgraded with the open-world, high-freedom experience. Players will be able to take in Imperial Spirits that not only provide strong support in exploration and puzzle solving, but also play a pivotal role in the battle system. World of Immortal Sword in the first version will be the depth of the Royal Spirit and the character binding, the cooperation between the two and the effect of the link will be exponentially increased. The influence of the Imperial Spirit will be on a par with that of the character in the game.

For example, when the player controls the character to perform a combo, the Royal Spirit will be able to automatically judge and release the most suitable auxiliary skills based on the rhythm of the combo and the character’s state, such as releasing the skill to stun the enemy to interrupt the powerful attack at the key point of Wang Xiaohu’s multi-stage combo, or increasing the shield for Zhao Ling’er and so on to provide a more comfortable output environment. This experience of real-time adjustment according to the battle situation, will greatly enhance the battle strategy and sense of tension. Meanwhile, with the addition of more classic characters from the Immortal Sword IP, more strategic combinations will be derived between the card angles with different five spirit attributes and the Royal Spirit.

During non-combat, the interaction between the Royal Spirit and the character also makes the experience of the Royal Spirit system richer. For example, the Spirit will react differently according to the character’s behavior. When the character cultivates a special technique, the Spirit may provide unique cultivation advice When the character explores a mysterious relic, the Spirit will use its own ability to help the character deal with danger or discover treasure.

Meanwhile, each of the elf races in the big world will have advancement, which may start as a small lotus flower and gradually mutate into 1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage as the cultivation time goes by. For some races with more powerful energy, there will even be a fourth order. The race of goblins will also migrate according to weather, plot, seasons, and other factors. Spirits will have deep backgrounds and rich personal stories, and even have their own ecosystems and habitats. The World of Immortal Swords is expected to debut with nearly 100 different types of spirits, expanding to over 200 in a short period of time, and will continue to expand in the future.

Instead of being traditional game props that only operate on command, spirits are powerful catalysts and drivers that have their own consciousness, grow with the player, and are deeply involved in the product’s exploration and puzzle narrative. By differentiating the gameplay of Immortal Paru, World of Immortal Sword has successfully found its footing in the Paru-like craze that has emerged in the past two years.

Moreover, from the official release of World of Immortal Swords, the game has been committed to creating a more immersive and freer experience in the development of Sword Casting. World of Immortal Swords has a unique design approach from the early heartstream experience to the later in-depth content cycle.

In the pre-production process, the production team will adopt a sense of immortal opening and good experience, to adapt to the current users for the pursuit of product quality. Leaving the first impression of the oriental romantic fantasy world. According to the official introduction, the game will add a wonderful show inside the pre-process. Players can open a super high specification Boss battle with classic characters of past generations. At the same time Royal Spirit combat Royal sword flight Immortal sword narrative and other most core content will also be displayed to the players in the early stage, so that players first contact and accept, produce a stronger perception of the immortal sword flavor, for the subsequent exploration of the paving.

In terms of freedom, the production team has also opened up a very diverse range of options. The different types of player groups currently on the market are subdivided to a minimum. In the world of immortal sword in the first version of the main plot Three-dimensional one branch line and other content will be adjusted for players to freely choose the plot card mode, so that players can according to their own preferences and interests, free to choose to experience different chapters of the plot, or free to explore in the world Take pictures.

Moreover, the single-player and multi-player experience of World of Immortal Sword supports free switching, so that single-player players, multi-player players, and even users with strong interest in both single-player and multi-player will be able to get a customized gaming experience in the World of Immortal Sword. The multiplayer gameplay will also be more daring and out-of-the-box, in keeping with the worldview of Immortal Sword.

It is also worth noting that China Mobile is determined to invest heavily in the development of World of Immortal Sword, not only to fulfill the long-time wish of Immortal Sword fans, allowing users to experience the charm of the Immortal Sword IP in an immersive way, and to accompany Immortal Sword fans and gamers for a long time. At the same time, it also has a far-reaching significance for the company’s own development and the layout of the Immortal Sword IP plan. The successful launch of World of Immortal Sword is an important milestone for the company, as it signifies that the company is moving towards the level of a first-tier self-research team in the fields of game development, customization of engine tools, and AI large model technology, among other high-precision fields. This is an important milestone for the company to realize a better accumulation of R&D talents, development pipeline and cutting-edge technologies. Through the dual drive of content innovation and technological innovation, it lays a solid foundation for future new projects of Immortal Sword IP.

China Handy Games is taking the Immortal Sword IP towards rejuvenation and globalization.

In a recent interview, Xiao Jian, Chairman and CEO of China Handy Games, also shared with the public China Handy Games’ plans for the rejuvenation and globalization of the Immortal Sword IP, and introduced the layout of the future development of the Immortal Sword IP. As a classic IP with 30 years of experience, Xiao Jian believes that Immortal Sword IP should actively explore how to better serve the existing fans, and at the same time, expand the young group.

At the same time, China hand swim in the sea business has been laid out for many years. Since 2014, the company has launched a number of overseas products one after another, and at present, overseas revenue accounts for about 10 percent of the company’s overall revenue. In September this year, China Handy Games completed the acquisition of the global copyright of Immortal Sword IP, which will help the unified planning and globalization of Immortal Sword IP. World of Immortal Sword, as a strategic game developed by China Handy Games’ own IP, will be launched overseas after its successful launch in China. The company hopes that World of Immortal Sword, as a high-quality open world game, will allow more overseas players to experience the fun of the game and the charm of the Immortal Sword IP. In the future, China Handy Games also plans to join hands with professional partners in different countries and regions to develop in-depth localization cooperation with them in terms of film, television, games and derivatives of the Immortal Sword IP, so as to further expand the influence of the Immortal Sword IP in overseas regions.

Summary

In the evolution of the gaming industry, some classic IPs have gradually faded out of players’ view due to their failure to keep up with market changes, but the recent popularity of the Immortal Sword IP has proved that the IP still has a strong vitality. The reason for this is that a good IP requires long-lasting content management, innovation, and keeping up with the times, not only retaining the original classic elements, but also combining them with the needs of the current users. In this regard, from the long-term IP development strategy layout revealed by Xiao Jian, it seems to have been premeditated for a long time.

The history of the acquisition of the Immortal Sword IP by China Mobile can be divided into three main stages.

Acquisition of 51 shares of Beijing Softstar in 2018

On April 25, 2018, China Mobile acquired 51 shares of Beijing Softstar for RMB 213 million, becoming the controlling shareholder of the company.

Acquisition of the remaining 49 shares and mainland interests in 2021

On August 5, 2021, China Mobile further acquired the remaining 49 shares of Beijing Softstar and all the interests of the Immortal Sword and Warrior IP in Mainland China for RMB641.84 billion, completing the acquisition of the remaining 49 shares of Beijing Softstar and the interests of the Immortal Sword and Warrior IP in Mainland China.

2024 Acquisition of global IP except for Mainland China

Finally, on September 11, 2024, China Mobile, through its wholly-owned subsidiary SuperNova Overseas Limited, acquired all of the intellectual property rights of Legend of the Immortal Sword and Warrior worldwide except in Mainland China for a total transaction amount of approximately NT$500 million, or approximately RMB11.2 billion, of which the amount of the Legend of the Immortal Sword and Warrior overseas rights transaction consisted of RMB18.3 million and RMB38 million of newly issued common stock of China Mobile. The transaction amount for the overseas rights of Immortal Sword and Warrior included RMB 18.3 million and 38 million newly issued ordinary shares of China Handy Games, totaling nearly NT$200 million or RMB 44.86 million. Thus, China Handy Games has successfully acquired the global rights to Legend of the Immortal Sword and Warrior.

Through these three acquisitions over a period of six years, China Handy Games has gradually completed the acquisition of global rights and interests in the IP of Legend of the Immortal Sword, further consolidating its competitiveness in the IP game field and laying the foundation for the globalization of the IP of Immortal Sword.

At present, China Handy Games has 128 IP reserves, including 60 licensed IPs and 68 owned IPs. In terms of IP operation, the company has accumulated a rich and mature methodology. As the Immortal Sword IP is about to enter a new 30-year period, we believe that China Handy will make a concerted effort to bring back the youthful memories of Immortal Sword fans around the world through the three-pronged approach of film, TV, animation and games, and enable more new users to experience the charm of the Immortal Sword IP in a holistic manner.

Perhaps in the near future, we will see a series of long-term plans for the unification and integration of the Immortal Sword IP, which will attract more young audiences to become fans, promote the continuous expansion of the ecological value of the Immortal Sword IP, further expand the influence of the Immortal Sword IP, enhance the company’s competitiveness in the market, and carry out the original intention and mission of the Immortal Sword IP for the inheritance of the Chinese culture and its dissemination around the globe.

Follow 36Krypton Games to get the QR code of the game exchange group.