Summary of Conference Call Records Industry Overview: Gaming Industry Key Points - **Market Dynamics**: The gaming industry is experiencing a shift with mid-tier companies performing well in mini-programs and overseas markets due to lower costs and technical requirements. In contrast, leading companies are facing challenges in transformation due to high costs and complex processes. It is anticipated that by the end of 2026 or 2027, these leading companies will leverage their technological advantages to capture market share with higher quality products [1][2][3]. - **Product Delays**: Major gaming companies have delayed the release of several products originally scheduled for the first half of 2025 due to changes in player preferences and the rise of new game genres. This has led to a reassessment of R&D investments to capture market share in the latter half of the year [1][3][4]. - **Mobile Market Competition**: The competition in the mobile game publishing and operation sector has slowed down in the first half of 2025, with increased costs in a saturated market. Companies are shifting towards private traffic strategies to maintain user engagement and reduce costs [5]. - **User Demographics**: Changes in user age demographics are influencing game genre preferences. Younger users prioritize fairness and freedom, leading to increased customer acquisition costs for traditional games. Games emphasizing fair competition and content, such as "Soda Car" games, are gaining popularity [6]. - **Domestic Two-Dimensional Market**: The domestic two-dimensional market is polarized, with leading products attracting significant user bases while mid-tier products struggle to survive. High-quality and innovative experiences are essential for development, as smaller productions face challenges in gaining market recognition [7][11]. - **Overseas SLG Market**: Companies like Yuanqu and Jiangyu have successfully navigated the overseas SLG market by innovating and focusing on niche segments, surpassing the 10 million user threshold. The challenge remains to attract non-SLG users, as only 30% of users have previously engaged with SLG games [8][9][10]. - **High Investment Trends**: The trend towards high-investment, high-quality products is creating barriers for smaller companies. While some can match investment levels, they struggle with gameplay differentiation, leading to a reliance on quality to outperform competitors [12]. - **Mini-Game Market**: The mini-game market is growing rapidly, but profitability remains low due to high platform costs and user retention challenges. Companies are exploring new business models to adapt to changing user expectations [13]. - **Regulatory Environment**: The normalization of licensing policies has stabilized time and cost expectations, promoting healthier industry development. This stability encourages the production of high-quality cultural products and supports their international expansion [19]. - **Emerging Game Trends**: The end-game market is witnessing a steady rise, driven by high-quality domestic single-player games and independent games. The emergence of interactive film games is also noted, although success rates in this area are low [16][17][18]. Additional Insights - **Community Engagement**: TapTap has become a significant player in the market, benefiting from user migration and changing demographics, with a 50%-60% share in new user acquisition for projects launched [2][15]. - **Market Risks**: Certain games, such as a tomb-raiding themed game, show growth potential but face risks due to content similarities and competition. The need for innovation and differentiation is critical for maintaining market position [21][22]. - **Military Simulation Games**: The potential for military-themed games like "World of Tanks" is limited due to their aging user base and gameplay. Without innovation, these games may struggle to attract new users [23]. This summary encapsulates the key insights and trends within the gaming industry as discussed in the conference call records, highlighting both opportunities and challenges faced by companies in this dynamic market.

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the articles highlights the growth and significance of Shanghai's gaming and esports industries, with overall sales revenue reaching 83.283 billion yuan in the first half of the year, marking a year-on-year increase of 10.8% [1] - Domestic sales revenue accounted for 68.737 billion yuan, growing by 10.73%, while overseas sales revenue reached 14.546 billion yuan, increasing by 11.12% [1] - The esports sector contributed an additional revenue of 3.254 billion yuan, with esports live streaming and event revenues leading the nation at 2.122 billion yuan and 0.507 billion yuan respectively [1] Group 2 - Shanghai's gaming industry is characterized by strong spillover effects, with technological innovations benefiting traditional sectors such as healthcare and industrial design through applications like VR/AR and AI [2] - The city hosts a high number of gaming-related events, including exhibitions and international esports competitions, which significantly boost local economic activity [2] - Shanghai's overseas gaming sales outpace national averages due to factors like the globalization of original game IPs and long-term operations of outbound games [2] Group 3 - In the esports domain, Shanghai's esports event revenue reached 0.508 billion yuan, representing a slight increase of 1.69% year-on-year, capturing 46.91% of the national esports event revenue [3] - The revenue of Shanghai's esports clubs was 0.385 billion yuan, accounting for 42.94% of the national total, with 15 clubs making it to the top 50 revenue-generating esports clubs [3] - Shanghai leads in the number of esports media-related companies, with 41 firms, significantly surpassing the second-ranked city [3] Group 4 - The future growth of the gaming industry is increasingly tied to globalization, as domestic user growth rates are stagnating while overseas markets, particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America, continue to expand rapidly [4] - The market is shifting from supply-driven to demand-driven, with significant growth in the "female-oriented" gaming segment, which is projected to reach 8 billion yuan, reflecting a 124.1% year-on-year increase [4] - The revenue from mini-program games in China is expected to reach 39.836 billion yuan in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 182.3% from 2022 to 2024 [4][5]

Core Insights - The article discusses the rise of mini-program games in social media, particularly focusing on their addictive nature and advertising strategies [2][10][12] - It highlights the significant revenue growth in the mini-program gaming market, with a reported income of 398.36 billion yuan, marking a 99.18% year-on-year increase [14][15] Industry Overview - The mini-program gaming sector has seen a substantial increase in the number of games and advertising creativity, with an estimated 21,900 games participating in advertising campaigns in 2024 [14] - The market for mini-program games is characterized by low-cost, easy-to-create advertisements, with image ads making up 55.9% and video ads 44.1% of total ad content [14] Revenue and Monetization - The mini-program gaming market's revenue reached 398.36 billion yuan, with the sector experiencing rapid growth for three consecutive years [14] - The game "Endless Winter" has generated a total revenue of 2.25 billion USD globally, showcasing the potential for high earnings in this segment [15] Advertising Strategies - The article notes that the primary customer acquisition method for mini-program games is through advertising, with a focus on creative and engaging ad content to attract users [14][15] - The cost of acquiring a paying user for light casual games has reached approximately 98 yuan, with some games like "Endless Winter" seeing costs as high as 4,000 yuan [15][16] User Engagement - Mini-program games are designed for quick engagement, allowing users to play without installation, making them suitable for fragmented time [9][10] - The article emphasizes that the gaming experience is often more about the engagement with ads than actual gameplay, with users frequently encountering ads that do not match the gameplay experience [6][12]

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Accumulate" [1] Core Views - The company reported a revenue of 1.38 billion yuan for 2024, a year-on-year decrease of 15.71%, and a net profit attributable to the parent company of 46.72 million yuan, down 33.60% year-on-year [2] - The company plans to distribute a cash dividend of 0.5 yuan per 10 shares (tax included) [2] - The gaming market in China reached a historical high in 2024, with actual sales revenue of 325.78 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.53% [5] - The company has been actively reducing costs and enhancing efficiency, with key products entering the public testing phase [4] Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In 2024, the company's daily chemical business gross margin was 40.03%, an increase of 1.80 percentage points year-on-year, while the gaming business gross margin was 57.91%, a decrease of 11.59 percentage points year-on-year [3] - The operating cash flow net amount was 165 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 138.45% [3] - The company adjusted its revenue forecasts for 2025-2027 to 1.62 billion, 1.87 billion, and 2.09 billion yuan respectively [6] Business Development - The company has focused on developing mobile games and has successfully launched several mini-program games that have performed well in the market [4] - The company has a robust product pipeline and plans to launch products at the right time as they mature [4] Market Outlook - The self-developed overseas market achieved actual sales revenue of 18.557 billion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 13.39% [5] - The company is expected to benefit from the growth of the gaming market due to its strong product reserves and cost-reduction strategies [5]

4月24日，巨人网络集团股份有限公司（002558 SZ，以下简称"巨人网络")对外发布了其2024年年度报告，公司受小程序游戏业务爆 发增长等因素影响，净利润同比增长三成。同时，自上市以来，公司将连续9年进行分红。 巨人网络方面介绍，"征途"IP赛道成熟产品实现用户扩圈，小程序游戏取得突破。爆款新游戏《王者征途》自2024年2月上线小程序 平台以来，成功引入超2500万新增用户，全年贡献流水6亿元。《原始征途》小程序游戏在2025年1月正式开启买量投放，也贡献可 观的增量流水。休闲竞技品类《球球大作战》在去年实现了流水显著增长，核心用户留存创近年新高， ARPU及付费渗透率同比大 幅提高，单月流水创五年新高。《球球大作战》小程序版本全年累计注册用户达到300多万，DAU达到20万，为APP端积累了大量潜 在用户。 此外，太空狼人杀手游《太空杀》充分利用IP联动进行破圈，维持了其在该品类的领跑地位，海外版《Super Sus》2024年 收入同比增长超过50%，巩固了其作为东南亚及南美地区社交推理头部游戏品牌的地位，并稳步向美国和欧洲拓展。 | 报告显示，2024年公司实现营业收入29.23亿元，与2023年 ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the decline in cultural engagement among contemporary internet users, highlighting the rise of simple and addictive mini-games that occupy users' fragmented time, leading to a cycle of temporary engagement and eventual abandonment [2][72]. Group 1: Mini-Games Popularity - Mini-games like "抓大鹅" and "羊了个羊" have seen a decline in social relevance, yet simpler games are emerging and gaining traction among users [4][9]. - Users are increasingly drawn to these games due to their straightforward mechanics and the ability to play in short bursts, making them ideal for filling fragmented time [17][18]. - The average user encounters numerous new games daily, increasing the likelihood of finding one that captures their interest [13][60]. Group 2: Game Mechanics and User Engagement - The simplicity of gameplay in these mini-games allows for easy onboarding, which is a significant factor in their appeal [32][35]. - Many games follow familiar templates, making it easy for users to transition between different titles without a steep learning curve [49][50]. - Game developers often replicate successful mechanics and aesthetics to create new titles, ensuring a steady stream of content that keeps users engaged [54][56]. Group 3: Revenue Generation - The mini-game market in China is projected to generate approximately 398.36 billion yuan in 2024, reflecting a 99.18% year-on-year growth [59]. - Most casual mini-games do not incorporate in-app purchases, relying instead on ad revenue generated from user engagement [61][62]. - The revenue model is heavily dependent on user activity, with a typical user generating about 0.05 yuan in ad revenue, necessitating high daily active users for profitability [65][66]. Group 4: Market Dynamics - The lifecycle of mini-games is short, with developers often creating a matrix of games to replace those that lose popularity [66][70]. - The production logic for these games mirrors that of short video content, focusing on rapid development and quick monetization through advertising [68][69]. - Users exhibit low loyalty to any single game, often switching between titles based on immediate interest, which aligns with the transient nature of modern entertainment consumption [70][71].