Inside Tencent's long-term strategy: live service, AI tools, and evergreen titles
Many column inches have been spilt questioning the wisdom of a live-service strategy. Sony gambled and lost , as did many other companies chasing the dream of steady recurring revenues, while firms like Capcom that stuck to the traditional path have emerged relatively unscathed . Read more
Tencent Games, a subsidiary of Tencent Holdings, is focused on a multi-pronged strategy that includes live service games, AI tools, and evergreen titles. Yong-yi Zhu, VP and head of operations, strategy and compliance at Tencent Games, believes that live service is the company's "holy grail" as it provides stability to studios and builds communities.
Tencent has a diverse portfolio of studios, including Miniclip, Sumo Digital, Funcom, Fat Shark, Sharkmob, 10 Chambers, and Stunlock Studios, among others. Zhu emphasizes that the key to success is ensuring that these studios are successful in their launches and that they receive appropriate support from Tencent's ecosystem. This support includes regional publishing, technical assistance, testing, backend services, and analysis.
While some studios, like Funcom, have faced challenges, such as redundancies and studio closures, Tencent continues to invest in high-quality talent and build sustainable communities long-term. The company's strategy is not limited to live service titles but also includes premium and evergreen games, with a focus on building consistency in the market.
Written by urgent.news from GamesIndustry's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
