"Gacha games are nothing new, having been around in some form for decades, but in recent years, there's been an explosion of gacha-based RPGs reaching worldwide popularity in a way they've never done before. The reasons for this are numerous, but at least one of them is the incredible success of 2020's Genshin Impact. While it came years into the gacha craze, launching on September 28, 2020, Genshin Impact broke through to audiences"
"The first reveal of Genshin Impact came in 2019, and the immediate reaction from some observers was not excitement, but fury. The game's announcement came just two years after The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched, and it was hard to overlook the similarities between the two. Both are open-world RPGs set in sprawling worlds rendered in a colorful, cartoony art style."
"That led to some attendees at the ChinaJoy convention where the reveal happened to begin impromptu protests, playing Breath of the Wild in front of the Sony booth where Genshin Impact was being displayed and giving the finger to the game's demo. One Breath of the Wild fan went as far as to smash their PlayStation 4 in front of the booth."
Gacha games have existed for decades, and recent years have seen a global surge in gacha-based RPG popularity driven largely by Genshin Impact's breakout success in 2020. HoYoverse previously found regional success with the Honkai series in Asia, but Genshin Impact reached much broader international audiences. The game's 2019 reveal provoked anger from some observers who noted strong similarities to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Protests occurred at ChinaJoy, including demonstrations playing Breath of the Wild and even a fan smashing a PlayStation 4. Pre-release criticism continued, framed by accusations of copying and elements of Sinophobia.
Read at Inverse
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]