Top of the big era

Baokai has many games, and even Zhou Buqi, a non-game enthusiast, knows about seven or eight of them. However, casual games are casual games after all, and their ability to make money is very limited.

Today's Baokai's main profit model is selling genuine game software.

For example, "Bejeweled" has sold approximately 5 million units worldwide through the sale of DVD game discs and the purchase of genuine activation codes, creating sales of US$100 million!

Yes, the market price of a casual game like "Jewel Puzzle" is US$19.99.

However, game publishing expenses are also high.

It's just like a Hollywood movie.

Movies have production, promotion and distribution links. During the distribution process, distribution channels must be given a share. During the distribution process of "Jeweled Puzzle", it also needs to give a share to many distribution companies scattered around the world, which is basically a 50-50 split.

This industry status quo dictates that Baokai must be integrated into a large company.

In the previous life, EA completed the acquisition of Baokai for US$750 million after studying the market for two years. The big reason is that large companies have more complete distribution channels covering the world.

By mastering the distribution channels, you can greatly reduce costs and obtain higher returns.

Just like Zhou Buqi's "Purple Star Global" project, the core of the project is Universal Pictures. The content provider must be integrated into the channel provider to reduce expenses and increase profits.

In contrast, Ziweixing has more powerful platform resources than EA!

Although Ziweixing is not a game company, it is an Internet giant and will develop its business all over the world. More importantly, in the era of mobile Internet, the logic of the game has changed!

In the PC Internet era, game manufacturers have to advertise on major websites, and then cooperate with many game publishing companies to help them distribute their games.

Because most game companies are game production companies, their strength is making games. Publishing games and making games are completely two different logics.

To publish a game, you need to purchase a large number of servers and build a complete broadband system and operating environment to ensure the smooth operation of the game...

For example, if Pokai wants to publish "Bejeweled" in Germany, it must first recruit a group of IT staff in Germany, then purchase basic equipment, translate the game into German culture, and then promote and sell it.

If we don't find a third-party game publishing company for help, Baokai will have to play the game on our own... which would be a huge investment. Such a large investment just for a casual game is really not worth it.

But these are Ziweixing’s strengths!

The traditional marketing method of advertising games is really backward. The best methods are targeted marketing and friend marketing. That is, promotion is based on the player's preferences and the player's social friends. Whatever friends are playing, it is easy to encourage them to play too.

The best integration area for casual games is social interaction.

This is a mutually reinforcing relationship.

Just like Friends and Farm.

All in all, Baokai is a very good game production studio.

But this is just a small company.

There is a lot of revenue, but the money is divided between advertisers and publishers, and the profit is very limited. In the past three years, the average annual profit was only US$6.5 million.

In an era where games are becoming more and more Internet-based, Baokai may be reluctant to join the giants, but it is also a path that has to be chosen.

EA is interested, and so is Ziweixing.

Who to choose?

Zhou Buqi is very confident about this.

I had two contacts with the founders of Baokai, and I deeply felt their enthusiasm for games. They had a two-hour meal and talked about games from beginning to end.

Zhou Buqi proposed an acquisition intention, but did not discuss the money in detail.

After giving the other party a few months to evaluate and think, he assigned the task to Don Mattrick and returned to Los Angeles.

Entering August, the weather is unusually hot.

Ning Yaxian was about to give birth, and her parents came over to wait for the birth of their new granddaughter.

That night, Zhou Buqi went to talk to his father. After being scolded, he finally cleared the border and went to find Ning Yaxian happily.

"Where's Xinxin?"

"We are going crazy outside with Wanran and the others. Don't we want to learn how to swim?"

Ning Yaxian has been a bit lazy recently, lying on the bed reading a book, looking more and more demure and elegant.

Zhou Buqi sat beside the bed and leaned over to take a look, "What are you looking at?"

Ning Yaxian pursed her lips and said, "Novel."

Zhou Buqi went over and took a look.

Damn, English novels.

Among the people in the family, only Ning Yaxian, Ning Lu, Senior Sister Zhen Yu and Sister Bao can read original English novels.

"What kind of book is this?"

"The Lord of the Rings."

"Isn't that a children's book?"

Ning Yaxian nodded gently, her face filled with maternal glory, "Well, let's read it first and save it for future use."

Zhou Buqi put his arm around her shoulders and asked in a low voice, "How is Auntie doing lately? Are you still adapting to life here?"

Ning Yaxian smiled half-heartedly, "What do you think? My mother is a traditional woman. If it's just me and Yameng, it will be over after we figure it out. But now this situation..."

Zhou Buqi said: "Isn't my mother here? Let my mother go shopping with her. Go shopping."

"It doesn't matter, you don't have to worry about these things."

"Well, by the way, I just talked to my dad."

"what?"

"The child in your belly can take your surname after birth."

"Ah?" Ning Yaxian was surprised, "My last name is me? Why?"

Zhou Buqi said seriously: "Xinxin's surname is Ning. The other children are all surnamed Zhou. It's okay when she's young. But what will she think when she grows up? She still has to make plans early."

Ning Yaxian's eyes turned red, "Have you been scolded?"

She understands the family atmosphere of the Zhou family very well, and there has been a strong sense of machismo since her grandfather's generation. Zhou Buqi is a bit better. In the older generation, women were not allowed to participate in discussions of family matters.

If you give birth to a child whose surname is not Zhou, isn't that the same as rebellion?

Zhou Buqi said nonchalantly: "Just get scolded. I'm used to it. Us adults... well, it has nothing to do with you. It's my fault. I can't let my children bear it."

"Bah!" Ning Yaxian snorted and rolled her eyes at him, "Don't talk nonsense, how come you have done something wrong? Everything you do is right. No matter what, I support you."

Zhou Buqi stretched out his arms, held her plump body in his arms, and said softly: "Anyway, we can't let Xinxin suffer any injustice in the future, and we can't let her feel isolated. The world is getting worse day by day, and we have to pay attention to our children." It’s mentally healthy, especially for a family like ours.”

Ning Yaxian tilted her head and snuggled into his arms with a happy look on her face, "Then you can't have my last name. The child I gave you should have the last name Zhou."

"This is inappropriate."

"The baby in my belly is named Ning, what about Yameng? In the future, there will be Baoshan, Wu Yu and others, won't they also all be named Zhou? When the time comes, our two little babies will be named Ning. It will not be easy. be isolated?"

"What should we do?"

"Change Xinxin's surname."

"ah?"

Now it was Zhou Buqi's turn to be surprised.

Ning Yaxian said: "While the child is still young, if you want to change it, change it quickly."

"This..." Zhou Buqi hesitated, "Is this appropriate?"

"It's appropriate, um..." Ning Yaxian glanced at him meaningfully, "Changing your surname to Zhou will help you get rid of some unwanted thoughts."

"What do you mean?"

Zhou Buqi raised his eyebrows.

Ning Yaxian said jokingly: "What's going on with you and your Aunt Xue?"

"What's going on? Nothing happened!"

"Really not?"

"It's not there in the first place." Zhou Buqi was a little angry, "If it is there, it is there, and if it is not, it is not there. What is there to hide? Aunt Xue told me last time that you always carry a gun and a stick. This is terrible. No, you should be more careful in the future. Aunt Xue and I are innocent, I have never touched her."

Ning Yaxian pursed her lips and smiled: "You haven't touched it, not even touched it a few times?"

"No!"

Zhou Buqi was categorical and felt insulted.

Depend on!

My own woman, how dare you doubt your own character? I won’t beat you up when you give birth to your child!

Ning Yaxian raised her lips, "Even if you haven't touched it, you should have some thoughts about it, right?"

Zhou Buqi said sternly: "A saint's deeds have no regard for his heart. What's wrong with having some thoughts? Even in front of Sister Bao, I dare to admit it. But innocence means innocence. Aunt Xue and I are abiding by ethics."

Ning Yaxian sighed softly, "You, don't I understand?"

Zhou Buqi was slightly startled, "What do you mean?"

Ning Yaxian nestled in his arms, gently hooked her arms around his waist, and said softly: "Master, let Xinxin change her surname to Zhou. From now on, she will be called Zhou Xinxin, and she will be your biological daughter."

"I treated her as my own daughter... huh?" Zhou Buqi reacted suddenly, "Damn! Ning Yaxian, what do you mean by this? I think you deserve a beating?"

Ning Yaxian bit her lip and raised her head to look at him, "Even if I get beaten, I will still say it."

Zhou Buqi said angrily: "Wait until you give birth to the child, and see if I don't take care of you!"

Ning Yaxian's tone was slightly pleading, and she said softly: "Yameng and I followed you together. We are both willing, and we live happily. But Xinxin... no matter what happens between you and Aunt Xue in the future. How about it, but this kind of thing can't happen to my daughter, it's really not good. Let's not play with it, okay?"

Zhou Buqi was going crazy, "I think you have prenatal depression? What are you thinking about?"

"is it okay?"

"Originally, it was nothing... OK, OK, OK, if you want to change your surname, then change it. Xinxin will have my last name from now on. I originally felt sorry for you and wanted my child to have your last name. But you are good, thinking that I am... ...Forget it, no one is allowed to mention these things in the future. It’s inexplicable that you dare to doubt my character! No, when you give birth to the child, I will give you a beating when I find an opportunity."

Zhou Buqi is very angry.

That's it for Aunt Xue. He did have some thoughts in this regard, but he just didn't act on it. But what happened to Xinxin? And you have developed... I think you, Ning Yaxian, worked in Japan for too long and were deeply influenced by Japanese culture, right?

baffling!

No, she must be beaten!

Ning Yaxian's face turned red. She leaned over and whispered in his ear: "You are the head of the family and everything to me. I will be happy even if you get beaten. I will listen to you in everything."

Zhou Buqi looked up to the sky and sighed.

well!

She is also a coquettish and vying for favor, look at Ning Yaxian, she is much better than Sun Wanran, Ning Lu, Feng Muer, Yang Mi, Jiang Bingjie, Li Xinwan and so on.