Gacha.
The dreaded word that too many players have suffered from throughout the years. Gacha games such as Girls x Battle and Marvel Strike Force fell under the Pay-To-Win monetization. Others, such as Saint Seiyan and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes suffered from loading issues, crashes, and bugs. Indeed, the constant struggle of dealing with Gacha had no end.
However, one man and one small company would change the world of Gacha forever.
Genshin; Started From The Bottom
Official E3 logo. Image from twitter.com
In June 2019, E3 took place at the Los Angelos Convention Center. It was here that Hoyoverse (named Mihoyo at the time) announced their newest game: Genshin Impact. The game would contain open-world mechanics, a unique combat system, vast exploration, and more! A world unlike any other waiting to explore! Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out in their favor.
Following its announcement, attendees criticized the game claiming it to be a complete copy of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, all whilst rudely gesturing at Sony’s booth. Furthermore, an unnamed indiviual smashed their PS4 console, following the cross-play announcement. And although people were creating accounts and testing the gameplay, this was still met with severe judgement. Needless to say, Hoyoverse and Sony weren’t sitting well with their audience.
Little did this once small company realize, their shortly rejected game would become the greatest Gacha game of all time.
Gacha + Anime = Success
Nilou from Genshin Impact. Image from heypoorplayer.com
Since its initial launch date in September 2020, Genshin Impact has had a huge increase player count from 3.3 million to 8.8 million. Of course, Hoyoverse since then receded to a current player count of 4.4 million, but the game still holds to this day. Of course, this is largely due to the anime aesthetic the game possesses. From attractive women to handsome gentlemen, the character roster in the game is like a library of unique and relateable characters.
But don’t worry if you feel as though it’d be impossible to obtain any of these diverse characters. Genshin Impact also made up for this with a variety of gimmicks. Characters within the game can be unlocked through three different methods:
- Primogems
- Intertwined Fate
- Acquaint Fate
If you wish to obtain certain characters that catch your eye, in-game currency dubbed Primogems can be obtained. In order to obtain these precious gems, you’ll have to accomplish Quests, open chests, or complete challenges. Secondly, players can obtain both Interwined and Acquaint Fates by completeing specific quests, or using Stardust (Also obtained by making wishes) in the in-game shop. Then, you can have a whirl at the associated wishing banners for the released (or desired) characters. Good luck though, as Hoyoverse has their wish rate set at a 0.006% chance of obtaining 5-star characters.
With Genshin’s roster of diverse characters still growing to this day, Hoyoverse was definitely ahead of the curb.
Different Devices? No Problem!
Accessible on any of the mentioned devices. Image from gamewith.net
Over the years of development, Hoyoverse realized their biggest problem to their immerse game was availability. Therefore, in order for players to get use to gameplay without being overwhelmed, the Multiplayer feature can be unlocked at Rank 16. This would allow gamers to see all that Genshin has to offer, without the worry of being distracted.
Additionally (as mentioned above), since the game was cross-platformed, this allowed for players to communicate with others about their experience with the game across various devices. As a result, more than half the community that was once against the MMO quickly grew fond of it within a year of its release.
All in all, if it wasn’t for the effort Hoyoverse put into the production of this game, and the fanbase that followed, who knows how little Genshin Impact would last within the gaming community. But, we’d love to hear from you, our viewers! Do you play Genshin Impact? And if so, leave a comment down below sharing your experience with us.
Also, be sure to check out our Facebook page, as we keep everyone up-to-date on the latest happenings. May the wind guide you, fellow travelers! And remember, Stay Geeky!
