'Genshin Impact' Creator Dives Into AI for Growth Beyond Games
HoYoverse plots a future path to reach further than its anime roots
An illustration from Genshin Impact, the first major Chinese-made mobile hit in the US.
Source: HoYoverse
For decades, Chinese video games and American gamers just didn’t mix. US audiences were receptive to all manner of weird and wonderful experiences, from Finnish Angry Birds to Japanese Pokémon, but sidestepped anything coming out of China.
That was until Genshin Impact arrived five years ago with two dozen plucky anime characters that fought monsters and took on quests. The HoYoverse production was an instant hit and went on to earn about $6.2 billion from smartphone players purchasing the chance to win alluring fighters and their magical weapons, according to data from Sensor Tower.