'Avatar' quietly launches new mobile game? What is so awesome about this IP-modified masterpiece?

2023, for fans of "Avatar" can probably only be described in two words - very urgent. The most important thing is of course the news that the third part of the series is scheduled to be released in 2025. After all, I just went to the theater to watch 2 last year. I can only frantically search the Internet for news about the third part, trying to find out from various interviews and settings. Clues.

At this time I discovered such an MMO mobile game with the theme of Avatar: "Avatar Reckoning", huh? What game is this?

After searching for information, I found out that the Chinese name of the game should be "Avatar: Return to Pandora". The reason why I could find the Chinese name is because this is a pure game It is a game made in China, but the game has almost no exposure in China and has only opened closed testing overseas.

It is also mentioned above that the game is made in China, so I have to mention the game’s R&D and publishing company: Zulong Entertainment. After their last game "In the Name of Shining" was launched on the Chinese server, it was officially announced that the number of reservations through all channels in mainland China reached 15 million. It dominated the free list for many days and also reached the top of the best-selling list. The excellent picture performance also Showing Zulong's high technical ability.

"Dragon Fantasy" has also achieved good results overseas

And this time "Avatar: "Return to Pandora" has become the first domestic mobile game to obtain Disney's genuine Avatar IP authorization. In contrast, Zulong, as one of the first teams in China to come into contact with and skillfully use Unreal Engine, also used Unreal Engine 4 to control it. It seems that the development of "Avatar: Return to Pandora" does not dare to be neglected, which makes me curious about the quality of the game and whether it can live up to the brand name of Avatar.

It is easy to see from the videos leaked on the Internet that "Avatar: Return to Pandora" will be a free MMO mobile game based on shooting gameplay. The player protagonist will explore this mysterious planet. Naturally Earth, an Avatar incarnation is essential. This is also a key point to give full play to the MMO attributes of this game. Rich customization of characters and character development are indispensable links, from gender, facial features details, body contours, oil paint/bioluminescence on the face and body, hairstyle, etc. The pinching options, especially the addition of face painting, are basically consistent with the ones shown in the movie, making the game more immersive.

Regarding the acquisition of equipment and weapons, in addition to those given in story missions, the PVE gameplay of the copy is also a common setting in MMO. It is not difficult to see from the internal beta screen recordings of foreign players that the game will be divided into four professions. Like the "Borderlands" and "Destiny" series, you can form a team to play the game. Different professions will each perform their own duties to challenge the dungeon and BOSS mechanism. The main fun of PVE.

At the same time, I also noticed that in addition to PVE gameplay, the game also contains PVP gameplay elements. It seems that this time Zulong wants to grab both hands, but in fact Combined with Zulong’s accumulated experience in the previous MMO work “Dragon Fantasy”, it is not difficult to imagine making a work with shooting elements based on these foundations. In fact, it is very important for Zulong to enrich its product line categories. As a strategic node, Zulong must be very cautious about the development of "Avatar: Return to Pandora".

Then the question is, is this the Avatar IP mobile platform game that players have been waiting for?

First of all, what kind of IP is Avatar? Presumably every audience who went to the cinema to watch "Avatar" back then would be deeply shocked by its industry-leading special effects and excellent script. Because of this, the movie "Avatar" achieved the highest box office in movie history after its release. This record has never been broken, and it has won countless awards. Its influence is far-reaching, even if some people have not watched "Avatar" , but will not be unfamiliar with the name Avatar. This is the gold content of Avatar IP.

In 2009, when "Avatar" premiered, director James Cameron had already told fans with practical actions that the "Avatar" IP universe was by no means just The movie is so simple, because the release date of the Avatar game is even a week or two earlier than the premiere of the movie.

But looking back over the years, how many Avatar games can really impress you? Most likely they can be counted on one hand. Compared with other IPs whose box office is not as good as its own, but whose games are endless, Avatar's derivative works in the game can be said to be quite scarce.

Thinking from another perspective, if you want to make an Avatar IP game, especially a mobile game, there are limited examples for reference. The development team has to explore many aspects by themselves, and the development difficulty can be imagined. And know.

Zulong, who is responsible for the research and development this time, has a considerable level of technology and accumulation of research and development experience. As one of the first teams to come into contact with and skillfully use Unreal Engine, it has many games under its belt. This shows Zulong’s deep cultivation of Unreal Engine.

For example, Zulong's "Under the Great Plan" not only became the first domestic SLG mobile game built with Unreal Engine 4, but the game also won the "Unreal Engine China Best of the Year" at the Unreal Engine Technology Open Day the following year. "Game Work" and became the only large-scale mobile game to win an award at that year's event; the female-oriented dress-up mobile game "In the Name of Shining" also used the Unreal 4 engine to create 300,000-sided high-precision character modeling. , the targeted research and development and introduction of multiple technologies have achieved more delicate skin, natural hair texture and realistic clothing presentation of the characters.

It can be said that Zulong has its advantages in terms of the diversity of game categories and experience in game development.

This time "Avatar: Return to Pandora", as Zulong's next mobile game integrating research and operation after "In the Name of Shining", also uses Unreal 4, which Zulong is good at. The engine is built to ensure that the team’s accumulation of technology over the years can be brought into play.

Similarly, Zulong also perfectly meets the needs of the "Avatar" series for mobile coverage. Mobile games are free to play, and the play method is more convenient, and can cover more users and more film and television fans. It is bound to attract a group of players who have never been exposed to movies to get involved in Avatar. While filling in the previous subdivisions of IP in PC games/derivatives, it will also make passers-by feel similar to Avatar’s IP.

Secondly, for fans of Avatar, the second movie "Avatar: Water Path" was released at the end of 2022, but even so, fans at that time were in violation of the "Avatar" movie's first The film has been in production for 13 years. For the third part of the movie, even if it is not postponed, according to previous intelligence, it will still be at the end of 2025. We are eager to wait for nearly 2 years. Fans' enthusiasm for IP naturally needs to be released, and IP derivative works provide such a release channel.

Refined to "Avatar: Return to Pandora", it brings a new story to Avatar fans, allowing players to personally participate in adventures on the planet Pandora with different perspectives and characters. Only IP-derived games can bring players a great taste.

In addition, the choice of shooting MMO is not only more in line with the world view of Avatar, but also the choice that is most in line with the current market environment.

In fact, judging from the current mobile game market, the MMORPG track is very crowded, and shooting mobile games are a red ocean. But if you think about it differently, the congestion of these tracks proves that the player base is huge. , if "Avatar: Return to Pandora" can obtain traffic flow, it will definitely bring market profits; at the same time, the combination of MMORPG and shooting gameplay can not only meet the needs of both types of players at the same time, but also break out of the original category. Form differentiation to gain more market space.

In addition, it is not difficult to find that the current domestic mobile game market has relatively similar aesthetics in terms of character appearance, and most products It mainly focuses on handsome guys and beautiful girls, or it is the two-dimensional and cartoon Q version. Avatar's character with big eyes, wide nose, blueberry-colored skin, and slender limbs can be said to be extremely unique. It is absolutely unique in the mobile game market and makes "Avatar: Return to Pandora" unique. take a step further on the road to transformation.

Next, in fact, the MMO plus shooting gameplay can well reflect the IP advantages of Avatar.

In the world of Avatar, the cooperation and conflict between humans, Pandora's indigenous tribes, Pandora's creatures, and the protagonist's Avatar are very consistent with the attribute selling points of both PVE and PVP, such as in the official demonstration In the video, we can see the scene of the protagonist Avatar fighting a giant machine. It can be reasonably guessed that this is the scene of Avatar fighting against the RDA troops. Combined with the player's video of fighting wild animals in the dungeon and the PVP video, it can be said that in In terms of subject matter, the IP of Avatar blends very naturally with the gameplay of a shooting MMO.

In addition, I believe that for Avatar fans, the magnificent and mysterious Pandora planet is always so desirable, with towering ancient trees, boulders suspended in the air, and plants like mimosa that close and shrink when they touch people. Swarms of soaring Banxi beasts, the familiar landscapes in these promotional films and videos must be able to evoke memories of Avatar fans, and as an MMORPG, the open map in "Avatar: Return to Pandora" can provide players with as many opportunities as possible It presents the ecological environment and unique landforms of Pandora, while allowing players to personally adventure on this land.

Not only that, in addition to the wetlands, rainforests and oceans that fans are familiar with, "Avatar: Return to Pandora", as a long-term mobile game, may also include natural landscapes and other features that have never appeared in the movie. content.

According to official news, "Avatar: Return to Pandora" will be available for pre-order on Android platforms on December 28th, and billing will be launched in 2024. In general, the billed file deletion test of mobile games is relatively close to the official public beta. Counting the two overseas internal tests, it is estimated that the game may launch a public beta in the first half of 2024.

In short, if you are interested in the IP of Avatar, or simply want to experience a shooting MMO mobile game with a unique style, then you may wish to make an appointment to see what "Avatar: Return to Pandora" can do Let us wait and see how much of a storm it will cause by relying on its own differentiation.

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