NetEase's upcoming third-person shooter, Once Human, boasts over 15 million global pre-registrations, a significant achievement highlighted by its Steam Next Fest success. However, a closer look reveals a fascinating contrast between its mobile and PC performance. While pre-registrations are impressive, only 300,000 represent Steam wishlists. This disparity underscores the challenges of achieving comparable visibility and player acquisition on PC compared to mobile platforms, particularly given NetEase's established mobile-centric history and the game's initially PC-focused release strategy.
Despite this, Once Human's Steam Next Fest participation attracted a substantial number of demo players, showcasing its considerable appeal. The situation highlights the inherent differences between the mobile and PC gaming landscapes, with mobile continuing to enjoy a larger, more readily accessible audience.
NetEase's PC-first approach isn't inherently flawed, but this data undeniably points to a significant difference in reach and discoverability between the two platforms. Even a major developer like NetEase encounters challenges in replicating its mobile success on PC.
For players eagerly awaiting Once Human's release, exploring our curated lists of top mobile games for 2024 and highly anticipated mobile titles offers an engaging interim solution. These lists highlight the best and most promising mobile games currently available and on the horizon.