Eggy Party

Eggy Party
English logo as of mid-2024
Developer(s)NetEase
Producer(s)kwan
Platform(s)Android, iOS
Release
  • CN: May 27, 2022
  • PHI: April 21, 2023
  • TW: June 30, 2023
  • SEA: September 8, 2023
  • WW: February 23, 2024
  • JP/KR: July 19, 2024
Genre(s)
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Eggy Party (Chinese: 蛋仔派对; pinyin: Dànzǎi Pàiduì) is a casual video game developed by NetEase. It was released for Android and iOS platforms on May 27, 2022, with a announced release for Nintendo Switch.[1][2] The game was first released in China, before releasing internationally to selected regions.[3] The game includes various forms of competitive party gameplay.[4][5]

Though the game was developed on a low budget, it was an unexpected success, reaching 30 million daily users, and was the most downloaded game in China at one point in 2023.[6]

The game is based on mechanisms such as parkour, hide and seek, and werewolf killing, and has developed multiple game modes. The game allows players to play online and sets up various interactive props. The game supports uploading user original content, which is widely regarded as one of the core gameplay aspects.[7][8]

At the game's release, it gained significant attention and received many positive reviews. The game achieved commercial success, with 47.33 million daily active users in December 2022. It has the most daily users among NetEase's games. At the 2023 China Game Innovation Contest (中国游戏创新大赛), it was one of two games to win the Best Innovative Game award,[9] and was nominated for Apple's 2023 iPad Game of the Year award.[10][11]

Gameplay

Screenshot of the game "Eggy Party"

Eggy Party is a casual competitive battle royale game.[12] The player, represented as a sphere-shaped character called "Eggy" allows players to use Eggy's skills to play the game.[13] The game uses parkour as the core gameplay element and features three different party round types: "Survival Party", "Race Party", and "Score Party". Players are scored on survival time or time to reach the finish line.[14][12] In the "Classic Mode", there are a total of 32 players and four rounds. The first players to reach the end point, enter the next round and the last players are eliminated. Players will receive items to hinder their game progress, thus balancing the gap between players.[15] During the game, players can control the Eggy to perform basic operations such as moving and jumping. Game operations such as throwing are also set up to help teammates or hinder other players. The game is equipped with items such as land mines, bowling balls, and the "Finisher". Players can use such items to promote the progress of the game.[16] There are seven independent ranks in the game's "Ranked Party", in which the player's rank can be improved.[17] In addition to the parkour gameplay, game developers have set up gamemodes based on mechanisms such as hide-and-seek and werewolf killing, integrated with the images of the Eggies.[14][16]

Eggy Party allows the uploading of user-generated content (UGC), which is generally considered to be one of the core aspects of the game. Players use the built-in editor in the game to edit scenes and maps, which are publicly publishable to the game community. Players can search for content created by other players for single player or multiplayer games.[18][19] Game developer Kwan stated that in early 2023, more than one million maps are uploaded to the game every week.[15]

Development

"Eggy Party" was developed by NetEase, and the company's CEO, Ding Lei, said the project would be in operation for at least ten years.[20] During development, the development team believed that the creation and design of user-generated content should be the focus of the game, and the team's core members have experience in developing such content. Players participated in the development and community building of the game by designing original maps.[21] Game developer Hu Lan believes that this type of map-building function is the key to the game's success, provides strong support for the number of players, enhances the social attributes of the game, and ensures player stickiness.[20] Game developer member Kwan believes that the community creators of the game are significant for the game's development, and the creativity of players as creators will promote community development.[21] NetEase Games held the first "Creator Conference" of "Eggy Party" in June 2023 and invited its original map creators to participate.[19]

The game project team has made adjustments to the map editor. To enrich the richness of map works, the team continued to add various interactive props during the development process and continued to follow up on such content in subsequent development. The logic-based writing feature of the map editor and the ability to create performances in the gameplay are the focus of development. On this basis, the developer has also designed the function of writing dialogues and performances for non-player characters so that map creation can be used to write and produce stories. The project team is trying to integrate artificial intelligence into the game to reduce repeated operations and promote increased production of user content.[21]

Release and Promotion

In July 2021, "Eggy Party" obtained a version number issued by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party and was allowed to be released in mainland China.[22][23] The game began its first closed beta test in February 2021.[24] After four tests, named the "Leading Test," "Good Friends Test," "Opening Test," and "Ultimate Test",[25][26][27][28] it was officially released in mainland China on Android and iOS platforms on May 27, 2022. It was later announced to be launched in Taiwan on June 30 in the next year in conjunction with Envoy Games.[29][30] The game appeared on NetEase's "520 Conference" on May 20, 2023, and showed the new version of the game's promotional video.[31][32] In August of the same year, the game cooperated with the Shanghai Communications Administration to use the game's character "Eggy" and the fictional character "Shou Hu Miao" to publish a comic with anti-fraud education as the theme, and carried out anti-fraud education for the social system in the game. This cooperation plan added artificial intelligence components to the game to automatically identify fraud or illegal behavior and actively intercept it.[33]

On May 8, 2023, the game collaborated with the Japanese convenience store brand Lawson and launched related catering products, accessories, figurines, and other products.[34] On May 19 of the same year, the game collaborated with the candy brand Alps and launched candy products based on the game characters.[35]

Reception

Reviews and Awards

The gaming news website GameLook believed that Eggy Party having a beautiful character design, strong physical feedback technology, and an aesthetically pleasing art style, and had occupied a part of the market among the "Generation Z" user group.[14] In another commentary article, the website pointed out that the emergence of the Eggy Party had supported the development of user-generated content in mainland China's games, promoted the development of related technologies, and provided experience for the research and development of related products.[18] Commentators Guo Su and Yan Jinyan from Game Grape believe that the gameplay is popular and has a widespread audience. At the same time, they also affirmed the game project team's technical accumulation and research and development in the game's physics engine. The two editors affirmed the game's social platform development strategy and believed that such a platform could increase players' interest in the game and produce a unique culture.[13] Yan Jinyan said in another commentary article that NetEase's offline features for map creators were successful, and the game's success depended on the popularity and development of user-generated content. Such activities promote the quality of the game and encourage participants in social activities to gain new friendships.[19]

On July 29, 2023, the game won the "Best Innovative Game Award" at the 3rd China Game Innovation Competition. The jury believed the game promoted much Chinese culture and the development and dissemination of user-generated content.[36] Some gaming media compared the game with Fall Guys and believed the two modes were similar, especially with both games having a map-making function.[16][18][20]

Popularity

"Eggy Party" received great attention and positive reviews upon its release.[37][38][39] In June 2023, the number of daily active users exceeded 30 million.[40] The game was on the iOS platform's free game list for over 40 days and achieved commercial success.[37] The game broke NetEase's record for the highest revenue and the most daily active users in 2023.[38]

Eggy Party is widely prevalent among minors in mainland China. Some minors even use adult ID cards to register and recharge a large amount of money, which also encounters the difficulties with handling refund procedures.[41] On December 8, 2023, the official website of Eggy Party stated that it further upgraded the game anti-addiction system, including full-channel access to the mechanism of activating facial recognition for high-risk groups, setting up a unique customer service entrance for minors to refund on all platforms, and launching a one-click ban on recharge and game functions. As of December 2023, "Eggy Party" processed more than 30,000 suspected minor-related refund applications, with a completion rate of 98%.[42] There are also adults over 70 who provide their identity information to their children to complete real-name registration. In April 2024, Eggy Party announced new real-name regulations for users over 70, requiring mandatory facial recognition verification during game registration and login to solve the problem of "relatives bypassing real-name authentication on behalf of minors."[43]

References

  1. ^ Baha, mut. "派對遊戲《蛋仔派對》雙平台上線 「糖果甜心」主題賽季搶先登場" [The party game "Eggman Party" is launched on dual platforms, and the "Candy Sweetheart" themed season debuts first]. 巴哈姆特電玩資訊站. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  2. ^ Sal Romano (18 June 2024). "Free-to-play party battle royale game Eggy Party coming to Switch on July 19". Gematsu. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  3. ^ "Eggy Party: Adventure Begins in Southeast Asia on September 8th". Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  4. ^ "撞走不开心！网易新游《蛋仔派对》2.6开启不限号测试！" [“I'm not happy if I get knocked away!” NetEase's new game "Egg Party" 2.6 starts unlimited testing!]. 蛋仔派对. 2021-01-30. Archived from the original on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  5. ^ "《蛋仔派对》今日公测：登录就送盲盒十连抽，海量福利别错过！" ["Egg Party" is open for public testing today: Log in to get ten consecutive draws of the blind box, don’t miss out on the massive benefits!]. 蛋仔派对. 2022-05-27. Archived from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  6. ^ Olcott, Eleanor (24 July 2023). "NetEase's 'Eggy Party' success leaves gaming rival Tencent scrambling for hits". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Form 20-F for Netease INC filed 04/27/2023" (PDF). p. 75. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2024-04-22. More recently, we drove strong revenue and user growth of Eggy Party, a casual party mobile game initially launched in the Chinese mainland in 2022, accumulating the highest daily active users of any game in our history.
  8. ^ Wenqi, Lin (2023-05-27). "网易发布11款新游戏，丁磊将押注《蛋仔派对》10年以上_手游_发布会_梦幻西游" [NetEase releases 11 new games, Ding Lei will bet on "Egg Party" for more than 10 years_Mobile Games_Press Conference_Fantasy Westward Journey]. Sohu. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  9. ^ "中国游戏创新大赛：《蛋仔派对》《崩坏：星穹铁道》获大奖" [China Game Innovation Competition: "Egg Party" and "Honkai Impact 3rd" won the grand prize]. 凤凰网 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  10. ^ "App Store Awards 2023 - Apple Developer". developer.apple.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Apple announces 2023 App Store Award finalists". The Times of India. 16 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  12. ^ a b "撞走不开心！网易新游《蛋仔派对》2.6开启不限号测试！ 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" [I'm not happy if I get knocked away! NetEase's new game "Egg Party" 2.6 starts unlimited testing! "Egg Party" new party season - Fashionable play battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  13. ^ a b "畅销榜拔升100多名，DAU破千万，网易又赌对了一个爆款？ – 游戏葡萄" [The best-selling list has risen by more than 100, and the DAU has exceeded 10 million. Has NetEase bet on another hit? – Game Grape]. 2023-09-01. Archived from the original on 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  14. ^ a b c "登顶免费榜，新游《蛋仔派对》拿捏住了这届玩家的品味 | 游戏大观 | GameLook.com.cn" [Topped the free list, the new game "Egg Party" has captured the taste of this generation of players | Game Overview|]. 2023-08-31. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  15. ^ a b "畅销榜拔升100多名，DAU破千万，网易又赌对了一个爆款？ – 游戏葡萄" [The best-selling list has risen by more than 100, and the DAU has exceeded 10 million. Has NetEase bet on another hit? – Game Grape]. youxiputao.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  16. ^ a b c "从模仿到逆袭成黑马，网易新游又火了！春节七天血赚五千万元" [From imitating to becoming a dark horse, NetEase's new game is popular again! Earned 50 million yuan in seven days during the Spring Festival]. news.17173.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  17. ^ "蛋仔派对段位等级排序 蛋仔派对段位排列介绍" [Egg Party rank ranking Egg Party rank ranking introduction]. 2023-08-31. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  18. ^ a b c "《糖豆人》《蛋仔派对》研究：UGC巨浪来临，如何搭上时代顺风车？ | 游戏大观 | GameLook.com.cn" [Research on Fall Guys and Egg Party: How to catch the wave of UGC? | Game Overview |]. 2023-06-12. Archived from the original on 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  19. ^ a b c "网易今年最大爆款背后，功劳少不了他们 – 游戏葡萄" [They are the key players behind NetEase's biggest hit this year]. 2023-08-31. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  20. ^ a b c "丁磊点赞，放话至少再做10年：聊聊网易史上最高DAU产品 – 游戏葡萄" [Ding Lei praised and promised to continue for at least another 10 years: Let’s talk about the product with the highest DAU in NetEase’s history]. youxiputao.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  21. ^ a b c "制作人首次公开演讲，网易这款最强黑马已经想好了下一步怎么走 – 游戏葡萄". youxiputao.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  22. ^ "国家新闻出版署" [State Press and Publication Administration]. 2023-09-01. Archived from the original on 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  23. ^ "7月首批版号：网易《蛋仔派对》过审，雷霆心动英雄互娱在列 – 游戏葡萄" [The first batch of game licenses in July: NetEase's "Egg Party" passed the review, Lei Ting Xindong Hero Entertainment was also included]. youxiputao.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  24. ^ "撞走不开心！网易新游《蛋仔派对》2.6开启不限号测试！ 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" [I'm not happy if I get knocked away! NetEase's new game "Egg Party" 2.6 starts unlimited testing! "Egg Party" new party season - Fashionable play battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  25. ^ "6.11领潮封测开启，全新关卡、皮肤惊喜上线！ 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" [The 6.11 closed beta test of the trend-setting game begins, with new levels and skins released! The new party season of "Egg Party" - Trendy Play Battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  26. ^ "萌蛋来袭，一起party！《蛋仔派对》好碰友测试定档9.28 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" [Cute eggs are coming, let's party together! The "Egg Party" good friend test is scheduled for September 28th. The new party season of "Egg Party" - Fashionable Play Battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  27. ^ "欢迎光临盲盒世界！《蛋仔派对》开盒测试定档 12.24 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" [Welcome to the world of blind boxes! The unboxing test of "Egg Party" is scheduled for 12.24. The new party season of "Egg Party" - Fashionable Play Battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  28. ^ "是真碰友就来《蛋仔派对》终极测试！4月28日准时开撞 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" [If you are a true friend, come to the ultimate test of "Egg Party"! The collision will start on April 28th. The new party season of "Egg Party" - Fashionable Play Battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  29. ^ "《蛋仔派对》今日公测：登录就送盲盒十连抽，海量福利别错过！ 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" ["Egg Party" is open for testing today: Log in to get 10 consecutive draws of the blind box, don't miss out on the massive benefits! "Egg Party" new party season - Fashionable Play Battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  30. ^ "派對遊戲《蛋仔派對》雙平台上線 「糖果甜心」主題賽季搶先登場 - 巴哈姆特" [The party game "Eggman Party" is launched on both platforms, and the "Candy Sweetheart" themed season debuts - Bahamut]. 2023-08-31. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  31. ^ "太空信号连接中！《蛋仔派对》全新派对季520发布会首曝，品牌宣传片重磅上线_网络游戏新闻" [Space signal is connecting! The new party season of "Egg Party" was released on May 20th, and the brand promotional video was launched]. news.17173.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  32. ^ "《蛋仔派对》全新派对季520发布会首曝，开启全新太空奇遇！" [The 520 press conference for the new party season of "Egg Party" was first revealed, opening a new space adventure!]. www.163.com. 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  33. ^ "网易游戏《蛋仔派对》携手上海市通信管理局"守沪喵"，互融互通开启创新防诈宣传实践 – 游戏葡萄" [NetEase game "Egg Party" joins hands with Shanghai Communications Administration "Shou Hu Miao" to integrate and communicate with each other to start innovative anti-fraud publicity practices]. youxiputao.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  34. ^ "蛋仔齐聚，快罗开森！《蛋仔派对》｜罗森 元气便利店欢乐开张 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" [Egg Boys gather together, let's have fun at Lawson! "Egg Boy Party"｜Lawson Yuanqi Convenience Store opens happily "Egg Boy Party" new party season - Fashionable Play Battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  35. ^ "双享贴贴，有你好棒！《蛋仔派对》｜阿尔卑斯联动甜蜜上线 《蛋仔派对》全新派对季——潮玩大作战" [Double enjoyment stickers, it’s great to have you! "Egg Party"｜Alps sweet collaboration is online "Egg Party" new party season - Fashionable play battle]. party.163.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  36. ^ "第三届中国游戏创新大赛结果揭晓：《崩坏：星穹铁道》《蛋仔派对》获大奖-上市公司-上海证券报·中国证券网" [The results of the 3rd China Game Innovation Competition were announced: "Honkai Impact 3rd" and "Egg Party" won the grand prizes - Listed Company]. company.cnstock.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  37. ^ a b "原创 | 冲上畅销Top3那一刻，它颠覆了多少游戏人的想象？ | 手游那点事" [Original | When it reached the top 3 best-selling titles, how many gamers' imaginations were overturned? | Mobile Game News]. www2.nadianshi.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  38. ^ a b "网易游戏史上最高DAU，《蛋仔派对》是如何炼成的？- DoNews" [How was "Egg Party", a game with the highest DAU in the history of NetEase games, created?]. www.donews.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  39. ^ "1月手游收入榜：《蛋仔派对》空降TOP 5，成为网易收入最高的产品 – 游戏葡萄" [Mobile game revenue rankings in January: Egg Party ranked in the top 5 and became NetEase’s highest-grossing product – Game Grape]. youxiputao.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  40. ^ "过年出圈，蛋仔派对真能玩10年？" [Going viral during the Chinese New Year, can the Egg Party really last for 10 years?]. m.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  41. ^ "9岁女孩玩《蛋仔派对》刷走超12万元，问题出在哪？-中新网" [A 9-year-old girl spent more than 120,000 yuan playing "Egg Party". What's the problem?]. www.chinanews.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  42. ^ "《蛋仔派对》推出三大"防沉迷"举措 全渠道接入人脸识别机制-中新网" ["Egg Party" launches three "anti-addiction" measures, and all channels are connected to the face recognition mechanism - China News Service]. www.chinanews.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  43. ^ "70岁老人也要游戏"防沉迷"？ 意在防止未成年人冒用__新快网" [Do 70-year-olds also need to "prevent addiction" to games? It is intended to prevent minors from using the game illegally_Xinkuai.com]. www.xkb.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-05-03.