Title: “Genshin Impact Animated, Enhancing the IP’s Appeal”
Recently, the project team of Genshin Impact under miHoYo announced that it has officially launched the animated project in collaboration with Ufotable (Dishonored Table), a renowned Japanese animation production company behind hits like “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.” This marks the beginning of an animated version of Genshin Impact, which has been online for nearly two years. Ufotable is well-known for producing high-quality anime series.
A representative from Genshin Impact stated that the animated project will continue to uphold the high-quality content standards of the game, and efforts are being made to accelerate the project’s development.
In a special preview episode, Genshin Impact revealed the concept video for the animated project, which has garnered over four million views on Bilibili.
The production of anime is a long and costly process, often considered a high-risk, low-reward venture. However, miHoYo’s decision to animate Genshin Impact, how will it perform financially? “miHoYo will not pursue profitability with this animated project, but it does not mean that the project cannot be profitable. Ultimately, it will depend on the scale of investment and commercial strategy,” noted Li Xu Hua, a senior analyst at iResearch, a cultural consumption industry analysis firm, to Caixin.
After its global release, Genshin Impact generated a ten-billion-dollar revenue in just 171 days on mobile devices, without including expenditures through third-party Android stores. The company took another 195 days to reach a second ten-billion-dollar milestone and 185 days for the third, averaging 10 billion dollars in revenue every six months. This makes Genshin Impact one of the most successful mobile games in history.
Can Genshin Impact’s revenue support the significant investment needed for future animated production and release? Using “League of Legends: Spartacus” as an example, a game-to-anime project that took six years from the initial concept in 2015 to its premiere in 2021, with substantial investments in manpower, resources, and finances. In October 2021, Riot Games spent over $14 million on advertising to promote the “Spartacus” anime series. This figure alone does not include production costs.
Nonetheless, “Spartacus” proved to be a successful venture for Riot Games, with the series topping the Netflix global rankings in its debut month and ranking among the top ten in 52 countries and regions for three consecutive weeks. It also achieved a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. After its release in China, the animated series has frequently appeared on Weibo’s trending list and been praised by players as “the pinnacle of game-to-anime adaptations,” increasing awareness and interest in League of Legends.
Li Xu Hua believes that compared to action games, RPGs like Genshin Impact have a stronger narrative and a solid foundation for creating IP content, making them adaptable. This animated version of Genshin Impact is not produced by miHoYo itself, but in collaboration with Ufotable. Li Xu Hua stated that miHoYo is a game company, and while animation intersects with games, they are fundamentally different production lines. Not only miHoYo, but most domestic game companies outsource their animated content to specialized animation studios.
He believes that miHoYo is primarily interested in Ufotable’s production capabilities. Ufotable is renowned for its high-quality animated films, including “Demon Slayer: Infinity Train,” which grossed over $500 million worldwide and topped the box office in 2020. Other notable works by Ufotable include “Fate/Zero,” “Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works,” and “Hotaru no Haka The X.”
“Ufotable stepping in, at least in terms of animation, is impressive,” a player commented on the animated concept video on Bilibili.
All for the IP. The animated version of Genshin Impact is aimed at enriching the IP’s content and influence. As long as the IP maintains a robust vitality, there are still many ways to make money. Since its launch on September 28, 2020, Genshin Impact has become one of the most successful