A new face has appeared in the mobile game list today.

Bubble Mart's self-developed game "Dream Home" was launched today, and then topped the iOS free list. As of press time, it has broken into the top 100 best-selling places - judging from a casual game with a low krypton, this result is okay on the first day.

However, compared to its flowing water, Gyro is more interested in the bubble Mart behind it, the number one player in the trendy toy industry, why did he suddenly want to come to the game industry to get a piece of the pie.

Why make games? It is not only an initiative, but also a last resort

It is understood that at the beginning of 2019, "Dream Home" had already obtained the version number, but it was not launched until this year. It can be seen that for a long time in the past, cross-border games did not seem to be a high priority for Bubble Mart. (Or maybe the cross-border R&D process is not as smooth as imagined).

For a long time, the trendy toy industry has developed rapidly, and it is now a mature period after the outbreak. According to the "Trendy Toy Industry Development Report (2023)" jointly released by Xinhuanet and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Financial and Economic Strategy, the global market size is expected to reach US$44.8 billion in 2024.

The more mature the industry, the more it tests the brand's ability to "think of danger" and "think of change".

On the one hand, in 2022, affected by the epidemic and the cooling of the popularity of trendy toys, about 1,500 trendy toy stores will be closed, and the tail supply of the industry will be cleared (open source securities); On the other hand, even Bubble Mart, which occupies a huge market share, has to deal with the impact of opponents from all walks of life:

The traditional toy industry such as Hasbro and Mattel's expansion, BiliBili's membership purchase magic reward model, and the rise of official flagship stores for games (Genshin Impact, Love of Light and Night, etc....... Perhaps all of them have deepened the "anxiety" of Bubble Mart to a certain extent.

A few days ago, Chu Yin, President of Pop Mart China Business, revealed in an interview that the focus and channel strategy of Pop Mart China have changed dramatically in the past year.

He said that the core business has shifted from trendy toys to IP operations, and offline store expansion has also entered a state of restraint. On the whole, the trendy toy industry has gone through a period of "wild expansion", and now Pop Mart has become more cautious and its operation is more refined. In addition to blind box toys, Pop Mart is exploring the potential growth space of new businesses such as plush, games, building blocks, and cards.

From this point of view, "Dream Home" is more like a link for Bubble Mart to find room for growth, which can neither be separated from IP shaping, nor can it forget the ultimate purpose of the trendy toy business.

The logic is similar to that of the second game "selling characters".

Regarding the gameplay of "Dream Home", many people feel that this is another "dynamic forest like". Players chop trees, fish, farm, cook, and ...... on "Cloud Whale Island" Or decorate islands and rooms to make new friends (referring to characters).

But after actually getting my hands on it, I found it to be a far cry from the game experience of Kinemori.

Dream Home is more linear, with clear guidelines and mission flows. Players will have to complete their NPCs' wishlists in exchange for rewards to upgrade buildings, unlock new areas, and ultimately dress up. Even throughout the game, you can occasionally feel the inexperience of the project team: cumbersome interactions, stuttering touches, and mechanical tasks......

Task list interface

If it weren't backed by a trendy play IP, I would prefer to think of it as a "skin-changing game" that is quite dreamy and beautifully packaged. That's not to say I'm belittling it, on the contrary, because I didn't make too much of a fuss about the gameplay creativity, Dream Home has become a focused and logically consistent product.

So what's the point? It is a beautiful picture, a character who easily arouses a collecting habit, and an atmosphere of trendy play +.

I have to say that the fun and experience of the trendy play blind box and the second game gacha are probably similar. As a result, "Dream Home" can move the existing popular IP of Bubble Mart to the game almost intact, and the hidden version is equivalent to SSR (or 5-star characters or the like).

In addition, in the character development interface, it can also be seen that "Dream Home" also simply absorbs the design of the mainstream second game: repeated extraction can enhance the ability and attributes of the character; There is a friendship between the player and the character, and high levels can unlock exclusive story chapters, etc.

Since there is no combat-related gameplay (I don't see it at the moment), Dream Home combines character abilities with simulated management: some characters specialize in farming, some can increase fishing income, and some bring special buffs to the island......

For example, in the early stages of the game, I had to repeat the work on each tile without too much trouble - if I drew "MOLLY is raining", I could transform into what it looked like, and I could do it all at once.

虽然这种设计有刻意阉割玩家体验以刺激抽卡的嫌疑，但也并非不能接受。何况颜值即正义，能幻化成它们的样子近距离欣赏，本身也是一种乐趣。

如果后续能推出拍照功能就更好了

In addition, "Dream Home" also integrates many trendy cultural and creative designs to create a trendy play+ atmosphere. For example, players will get more and more stickers as they achieve the goal of collecting, and then they can DIY their own handbooks;

Or wrap the gacha interface to provide additional emotional value to the player in the form of quick divination.

The player will be given a short answer after the gacha is over

In short, if you look at "Dream Home" purely from the perspective of a game, it seems to be a little green; However, as the expansion of brand IP in new fields, its ability to focus on key points and create an atmosphere should not be underestimated.

As for whether Pop Mart can achieve the purpose of deepening the IP connotation and converting more consumers through such a product? Let's do it and see.

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