TLDR;
The video discusses the rise and fall of Infold's "Infinity Nikki," a dress-up gacha game that initially found success by targeting a female audience and creating a wholesome community. However, a series of missteps, including controversial updates, monetization changes, and poor communication, led to a significant decline in player satisfaction and a community-led "girlcott." The video explores the reasons behind this downfall, including potential corporate mismanagement and a disconnect between the developers and the player base.
- Infinity Nikki initially succeeded by targeting the female demographic in the gacha game market.
- Update 1.5 introduced controversial changes, including a retconned story, increased monetization, and numerous bugs.
- The community responded with a "girlcott" and mass uninstallations due to the developers' poor communication and tone-deaf responses.
Intro [0:00]
The video introduces the concept of blue ocean versus red ocean strategies in business, using Tesla as an example of a company that created a new market (EVs). It then discusses how Infold initially appeared to create a blue ocean in the gacha game market by targeting female players with games like "Love in Deep Space" and "Infinity Nikki." The video sets the stage for exploring how "Infinity Nikki," despite its initial success and positive reception, experienced a rapid decline in ratings and reviews due to a series of missteps.
Context [4:05]
Infold has been around for over a decade, with their first game released in 2012 called Nikki Up to You, which was the first entry in the Nikki series and was also a dress-up game. In 2024, Infold released Love in Deep Space, which showed that females are as interested in gacha games as men. Love in Deep Space made over $50 million a month, surpassing games like Ginchin Impact. In 2024, the Roblox game Dressed to Impress became popular, making dress-up games mainstream. When Infinity Nikki launched in December 2024, it was a success, reaching 10 million downloads across multiple platforms. The game was free, and the gacha aspect was related to outfits. The community developed a reputation for being wholesome and generous. However, the game's revenue did not reflect its success, and red flags started appearing.
The First Mistake [7:18]
Infinity Nikki launched on Steam to attract new players due to declining revenue. The game set wishlist goals, similar to pre-registration goals in other gacha games, to incentivize players to wishlist the game on Steam. The final goal was 200,000 wishlists, which was supposed to reward players with Revelation Crystals. However, the official Infinity Nikki account changed the image, reducing the number of Resonite Crystals and removing the Revelation Crystals. The community was outraged, but after backlash, the developers gave the players 10 Revelation Crystals. This was the first instance where the developers played with the community's trust.
The "Mistakes" Keep Getting Worse [11:34]
The Steam release coincided with the 1.5 update, which included a co-op mode and a dye system. The community was excited about the dye system, and Infinity Nikki hyped it up with an event in 1.4. However, the 1.5 update changed the game's story, which was retconned. The original story was replaced with a new one that made no sense. Players were baffled by the change. The prices for outfits increased, and the endgame content reset every three weeks instead of two. The dye system was a disappointment, and players needed a new currency to unlock colors. The drop rates for different items in an outfit were not the same, and the game had dubious discounts on items. The 1.5 update made the game unplayable because of bugs.
The Community Strikes Back - #Girlcott [22:00]
The community started threatening boycotts on the Infinity Nikki official subreddit and Discord. Infold responded by banning or muting anyone who said the word "boycott." The community started using the word "girlcott." The movement spread outside of Infinity Nikki, reaching other games from Infold. The Chinese community warned new players not to download the game.
How to NOT Write an Apology - Part 1 [23:08]
Infold released an apology letter regarding version 1.5. The letter apologized for the unstable experience and game experience issues. The letter stated that the number of pieces in five-star outfits would not exceed 11 and major changes would be communicated in advance. The letter stated that the Mirror Crown Pinnacle contest would be held twice a month. The letter stated that the DIY workshop was intended to provide stylists with greater freedom in outfit design. As compensation, players would receive 10 Revelation crystals, 10 Resonide crystals, and 1,200 diamonds. The letter stated that version 1.5 marked a major milestone for Infinity Nikki.
Developer Scams & Punishes Players [30:08]
Players logged in to find that their crystal balance was in the negative. The game was bugged, and it would count players logging in twice. Players who spent money on the game couldn't log in because of the bugs. Support stated that the inability to log in resulting in rewards not being claimed was not compensible. A higher up in the support team sent another message to the player, but 12 hours later, the ticket was automatically closed.
How to NOT Write an Apology - Part 2 [32:41]
Infinity Nikki released another statement stating that version 1.5's end date would be extended to June 12th. The new weekly tasks, Starlet Pursuit, would debut in version 1.6. 360 Starllet crystals would be given to all players as compensation. The statement stated that the threads of reunion storyline's absence in this version was never intended as a removal from Infinity Nikki's narrative. Plans were underway to expand tiered cumulative top-up rewards in upcoming versions. The statement stated that they were launching a new initiative, the Mirrorand Roundt, to openly address player concerns and collaboratively explore solutions. As compensation for version 1.5 shortcomings and schedule changes, all stylists would receive diamonds as well as energy crystals every day from June 5th to June 12th totaling 960 diamonds and eight energy crystals.
Community Mass Uninstalls [37:37]
People chose to uninstall the game after seeing how tonedeaf the deaf team was. The community was riddled with people who had lost all hope. The posts about uninstalling became common on the Infinity Nikki unofficial Reddit.
Why/How The Hell Did This Happen [38:21]
The revenue for the game has been going down every month. Before the game released, the CEO of the studio revealed that Infinity Nikki was being developed by over 1,000 people. A new boss came in, and they made crazy major changes that no one ended up liking. This is maybe what's happening at Infold. Infold is aggressively recruiting in their Shanghai office. The game made an important segment of players feel like they're finally validated with a game that meant something for them.
