What happens after PUBG returns?
Are you still missing PUBG? Those late-night online gaming sessions with friends to win a chicken dinner way after dinner time? Then I probably have some good news for you, we might get to enjoy PUBG real soon. But the question is, will PUBG be able to get back its crown of being the most engaging mobile game and gain a market leader position surpassing more than ever stronger competitors?
Lockdown and PUBG ban
Amidst raging enmity against China due to different geopolitical issues and privacy concerns, GOI had blocked access to 59 mobile apps on 29th June and another 118 apps on 2nd September this year, including the most popular online multiplayer game PUBG Mobile and PUBG Moblie Lite.PUBG was edging closer to half-a-billion downloads and had the most significant share of its userbase was in India(24%), followed by China(16.7%).
Though the game was designed and developed by a South Korean company named Bluehole, Chinese conglomerate Tencent holds 10% stakes in Bluehole and has developed the mobile version of the game and owns the game’s distribution rights in India. This ‘Chinese element’ in this game led to the ban.
The reappearance of the game and the possibility of an Upcoming lift on the ban
On 13th November, PUBG released a teaser on Youtube as well as their website.
A lot of excitement prevailed among the PUBG lovers. Job opening in different roles for PUBG Corp’s India wing also started appearing on LinkedIn. On 21st November, PUBG India Pvt Ltd registered itself in Ministry of Corporate Affairs of India, which confirms the speculation.
As PUBG Corp is continuously making efforts to pacify the Indian government for an unban, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) refused to make any statement on PUBG. Instead, MEITY, through its new order, has banned 43 more Chinese apps in India on 26th November. It indicates that we can be hopeful of enjoying the game real soon.
Why did PUBG become so popular?
To understand if PUBG will be able to capture the old userbase or not, we need to analyse the reason behind its immense popularity. What sets apart PUBG from other competitors like Garena Free Fire, Call of Duty Mobile?
1. Graphics: Pubg’s in-game graphics are very realistic, and are one of the most cited reasons for popularity. It uses Unreal-4 engine, which produces more life-like frames. On the contrary, major competitors like COD Mobile, Free Fire etc. use Unity engine, which leads to an arcade-like graphics.
2. Better gameplay: PUBG offers better gameplay experience than other competitors. Though games like COD has a lot more weaponry and in-game elements compared to PUBG, and Free fire has a lot of customisable character and upgrades options, PUBG wins the brownie point offering a perfect combo of all the elements.
3. Simplicity: PUBG has a reasonably simple UI, which makes is easier to understand an get accustomed to casual gamers and non-savvy users. Games like COD has a lot more effects and features, but simplistic UI sets PUBG apart.
4. Multiplayer features, zero wait time: Pubg came up with high-quality in-game voice chat feature, making separate usage of discord or similar applications obsolete. Also is there are not many friends present on the app for a player, the option of random matching with zero wait time increased engagement.
5. Slow and fair gameplay: A full-length game in PUBG lasts for 30–40 minutes, which is much more than fast-paced COD(~15–20min) and Free Fire(~14–18min), which is perfect for non-hardcore gamers, which makes the majority of online gamers segment. The algorithm also takes care of the fairness altering different attributes like blue-zone location, presence of bit etc. inside the game.
6. Online communities: The PUBG craze stirred up the idea of a gaming-focused online community. Live gameplay on streaming platforms like Youtube, Twitch bloomed exponentially. Like social media influencing(Instagram, Facebook), the concept of online gaming influencers came into reality.
7. Engaging activities and competitions: PUBG corp used to host a lot of competitions, which really attracted millennials to the concept of online gaming.
What changed after the ban?
Before going ahead with this, let’s look at this clip from TOI to understand the impact of PUBG in online gaming in India.
When PUBG got banned in India, COVID induced lockdown was already making people craving for a different source of entertainment. Online gaming was a perfect option for most of the people. And PUBG was already at the top position of popularity. Networking effect played a major role in the decision-making process while choosing a game.
But the ban of PUBG created a massive void in the space, which was mostly captured by its competitors. There was a significant surge seen in competitors’ app downloads.
According to research, after PUBG ban, 67% of the gamers expressed interest towards Call of Duty Mobile, 54% towards FreeFire, and 36% towards Fortnite, the three major players in the first-person shooter game market.
Now due to lockdown, average time spent on online gaming applications is increased from 9 hours to 13 hours, according to CMR research on online gaming. That proves the potential market has increased significantly. According to the same research, 71% of users like games in the action/adventure genre and 63% are fond of first-person shooter games, i.e. PUBG’s target market.
What happens after PUBG comes back?
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Assuming PUBG has come back, will it be able to with the market again? If you ask me, it seems to be a difficult task. Definitely possible but difficult. Why?
1. Improved competitors: With multiple patches and updates, COD and Freefire have crossed a longer path in this short timeframe. As an example, third party perspective(TPP) gameplay was a bit laggy in COD mobile, but that is fixed with t With more userbase (thanks to the ban), they have gathered more insights and improved their application in the right way. An individual who doesn’t care much about the PoDs PUBG is offering might not intend to switch back.
2. Network effect might not work: As most of the users migrated to other applications, the network effect (i.e., user inviting connections on the platform/ user coming to the platform because his/her friends are present on the platform), which actually helped PUBG grow to a behemoth in India, might not work in favor of PUBG.
3. Govt regulations and anti-Chinese sentiment: Due to China’s current geopolitical issues, people started fostering anti-China sentiment in different decision-making processes. Even after launching PUBG Corp in India, that ‘Chinese Image’ of the application can hamper its adoption rate in rural and tire 2, tire 3 cities due to apprehensions related to privacy.
4. Possible adoption of other revenue streams: To comply with local norms, PUBG corp will have to invest in different things like data centers inside the country, RnD centers, etc. To breakeven, it might have to adopt other revenue streams like pushing advertisements, etc. These changes might hamper user experiences and lead to less adoption.
5. Poor app optimization: Someone who has played PUBG earlier can clearly understand the fact that the app was poorly optimized when it comes to resources. PUBG users used to face frequent heating and battery hogging issues, which are cited as important points a user considers before adopting an application, says CMR research data.
But it is not an impossible task either. With the brand name and the point of differences like refreshing UI, 90Hz sample rate, multiple maps, user-friendly control, and UI might do the trick. At least for me, these things are good enough to come back to PUBG again.
Hope to see you soon on PUBG Mobile.
