Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Outperform" rating for the company [6][7]. Core Insights - The company reported a revenue of 2.955 billion yuan for 2024, representing a year-on-year increase of 15.65%, while the net profit attributable to the parent company was 21 million yuan, down 37.66% year-on-year [6]. - The company is expected to benefit from the recovery of the PC market stimulated by national subsidies in the second half of 2024, with a focus on the performance of new products, including RTX 50 series graphics cards and AI smart glasses [6][7]. - The company has seen significant growth in its overseas business, which increased by 57.54% year-on-year, driven by partnerships with distributors in various regions [6]. Financial Data and Profit Forecast - Total revenue projections for 2025-2027 are 32.58 billion yuan, 35.74 billion yuan, and 39.28 billion yuan respectively, with adjustments made due to market conditions [7]. - The net profit forecast for the same period is 0.40 billion yuan, 0.45 billion yuan, and 0.52 billion yuan respectively, reflecting a downward adjustment due to market price wars and fluctuations in profit margins [7]. - The company’s gross margin for 2024 was 8.08%, a decrease of 0.58 percentage points year-on-year, influenced by increased competition and foreign exchange losses [6][7].

Core Viewpoint - 2024 presents both opportunities and challenges for the gaming industry, with established companies like Perfect World needing to adapt to remain competitive [1] Financial Performance - Perfect World reported a total revenue of 5.57 billion yuan in 2024, a decline of 28.50% from 7.79 billion yuan in the previous year [3] - The company incurred a net loss of 1.29 billion yuan, compared to a profit of 491 million yuan in 2023 [3] - The gaming segment, which accounts for 93% of total revenue, generated 5.18 billion yuan, down 22.32% year-on-year [3] Dividend and Shareholder Returns - Despite the losses, Perfect World plans to distribute a cash dividend of 2.3 yuan per 10 shares, totaling 437 million yuan [3] - Since 2015, the company has distributed a cumulative total of 5.49 billion yuan in dividends, representing over 60% of cumulative net profit [3] Recent Developments - The launch of "Zhu Xian World" in December 2024 is seen as a potential turning point, contributing to a revenue of 2.02 billion yuan in Q1 2025, a 52.22% increase year-on-year [7] - The gaming business in Q1 2025 achieved a revenue of 1.42 billion yuan, up 10.37% from the previous year, attributed to the success of "Zhu Xian World" [7] Project Cancellations and Losses - Several projects were canceled due to poor expected returns, resulting in a combined loss of approximately 397 million yuan [4] - The underperformance of games like "One Punch Man: World" and "Kairi's Million Arthur: Ring" led to additional losses of about 343 million yuan [4] Future Prospects - Perfect World is focusing on new game releases, having recently received approval for two new titles, "Golden Flash Knight Group" and "Lost" [8] - The anticipated game "Yihuan" is expected to be a key player in the company's transformation, with a global pre-registration of 2.8 million [9][10] Esports Strategy - The successful hosting of the Shanghai Major in 2024 has positioned Perfect World favorably in the esports sector, contributing to stable revenue from titles like "DOTA2" and "CS:GO" [12] - The esports business model is still evolving, with event revenues making up only 8.75% of the total esports market revenue [13] Conclusion - 2025 is critical for Perfect World as it seeks to maintain its core MMO offerings while breaking into new genres [14] - The success of "Zhu Xian World" provides a boost, but sustained growth will require additional successful titles and innovative strategies [14]