ByteDance Enters 'Second Phase' of Video Gaming Business; New Head of Nuverse Unit Says Focus is on 'Fun Games'
ByteDance has named Zhang Yunfan as the new president of its video gaming division, Nuverse. This move underscores ByteDance's development into the gaming business. Zhang and Hua prioritise long-term goals and the creation of "fun games".
This announcement comes just weeks after ByteDance sold its third developer studio to a Tencent Holdings-backed organisation. Zhang, who recently became CEO of Shanghai-based Moonton Technology, will report to Hua Wei, who heads ByteDance's human resources department.
The move at Nuverse underlines ByteDance's push into the video game business, which has struggled owing to economic downturns and regulatory pressures. The corporation was obliged to reduce its employment and liquidate assets, indicating a big exit from the industry. However, Zhang and Hua's internal letter indicated that ByteDance's video gaming company is currently in its "second phase."
According to Chinese media site GameLook, Zhang and Hua underlined the company's long-term objectives and pledged to be more patient in product development and operations. They also emphasised the need of generating "fun games" and stated that management will actively monitor daily active users and the profitability of future titles.
In recent months, ByteDance has taken significant steps in the gaming business. In May, the business agreed to sell C4Games studio, which created the popular mobile game Red Alert Online, to a subsidiary of China Ruyi Holdings for 259 million yuan. Additionally, Tencent's LightSpeed Studios absorbed a video game project previously owned by ByteDance's Gravity Studio and an open-world project from ByteDance's Jiangnan Studio.
Last November, ByteDance announced plans to shut down most unreleased game projects and sell rights to at least two Nuverse titles, Crystal of Atlan and Earth: Revival.
ByteDance appoints Zhang Yunfan as the new head of its video gaming unit, Nuverse
The move reflects ByteDance's expansion into the gaming industry
Zhang and Hua emphasise long-term goals and focus on creating "fun games"
Source: SCMP