User blog:Adm.SilverGhost/Personal Essay : "Hey, TNK. Teitokus are Turning Away"

Tragicomic phenomenon is ongoing; In these days, I see people leaving "Kantai Collection" and jumping into new mobile game called "Azur Lane" or "Warship Girls". It's such a big sadness to see people walking away from KC.

4 years ago, there were friends who started playing KC with me. But in these days, most of those friends just moved to recently arising games.

Maybe such movement's moderate beginning was, I think, probably from the appearance of "Girls Frontline". I didn't worry this much because my friends used to play KC and GF both, not totally quit the KC away.

However, things got worse in these days and getting on my nerves. For previous 2 months, I observed my friends quit(or just clearly neglect) the KC and started to play AL.

Probably there are 2 factors on it; "KC is no longer attractive", and "Others are more attractive"

They say, "Tanaka(or Shibafu) is backstabbing and KC is getting ugly"

I was upset because I coudn't find how to disprove that. Frankly, I was also one of those thinking so.

Let's recall our memories in previous event held in February, 2018(Winter 2018 Event). The reward of clearing final stage was informed as "One of the US carriers" and many people were looking forward to seeing it.

People were cheered and awaited for the brand new illustration to be uploaded. As former US BB Iowa and CV Saratoga were drewn by Shizuma, we were expecting high-quality illustration with great beauty.

As our expectations were skyrocketed, we downfalled much harder; the illustration of the Intrepid, drewn by Shibafu.

US CV Intrepid appeared without any teaser illustration and we did burned like hell. Of course there are some people love her because she got a wonderful performance and items, and lovely voices. But let's face it; our first expression of Intrepid was insulted, humiliated, and damaged feelings due to her devastating potato illustration.

Besides, we know the "actual" Intrepid. She fought really hard to kick the japanese empire's ass and she did it well. After WW2, her service continued to save people and freedom. After her retirement, she became a museum to teach people her glorious service records and importance of the value she fought for. Her name is not as famous as USS Enterprise, but still historically honorable.

Unfortunately Shibafu humiliated her with his illustration. I don't know much beauty from potato-like illustration or modern art. However, as I'm one of the university student studying business management, I can make this clear; according to marketing studies, marketing activity is defined as "Activity to enhance the value of consumers get". But as Interpid's illustration was under people's expected value, they're failed to satisfy or overfill the cunsumers desire.

(Thank you, Tanaka, and thank you, Shibafu. Seems you guys missed that class.)

Despite of their activity was based on their ultimate goal of "make KC great again(as they're on the last event of season 1)", their works were severely claimed by its quality and poor reputation. Due to such public opinions, Shibafu and KC managements changed the former illustration with a bit of facial rearrangement.

I still remember one of my friend said when the Intrepid's illustration was released; "KC is a goner, man." I think that's when my friends started to look for replacement of KC. In opposite terms, KC started to lose fans and Teitokus.

Additionally, KC is getting harder than before in game mechanics and systems. This makes newbies hard to approach KC or grow up as fine Teitokus.

As I said before, I found that Teitokus used to play KC are turning into other competitor games. So, matters of keeping established former consumers and recruiting new consumers are both emerging; "market customer share" is the first priority for DMM and TNK.

There are many competitives around the KC and KC should fight against them to keep their share. For that, KC should attract other new games' comsumers(which is newbies of other games) into their own and make them get along with it. That's why KC's game mechanics should become much understandable or easy to grow for newbies.

We already know the KC management's decipline; let Teotokus to wander around and find out the mechanism on their own. Well, thanks for KC community websites including Fandom KC Wikia, I think letting people easy to understand has been done(althogh its formula is quite complicated). Googling should give enough informations for players.

But how about least of the guidelines or supports for new Teitokus' better growth? I think this where the newbies feeling hard to get through it.

Oldbies got massive firepowers and most of their fleet have been K2ed with maximum modernizations. They got 300000 maximum resourses and 3000 buckets too. All kind of equipments are prepared so they can hit any enemies as well as they want(if you have time and luck).

But one day when I take a look at friend - newbie teitoku's expedition lists, I found that both of tokyo express is still locked yet. "Why are those things still not released?" I asked. He said, "Lack of shipgirl level requirements and drums lol" Newbies are even in lack of shipgirls' levels and items for furthur amusement. Now he's playing Warship Girls. That was a tragedy. If KC could lower the bar for newbie teitokus, then this shouldn't need to happen.

Unfortunately, KC got a severe disadvantage; the brand image of japanese right-winged tendency. This keeps KC away from trying aggressive advertisement or starting official service abroad. In opposite term of analize, this methaphors that KC should work real hard to outstand other rival games.

Nowadays still chatting and informing new KC events for my friends by messengers, I can see my friends already turning their heels and walking away from KC. They upload screenshots of AL gameplay and discuss about AL game mechanics. Maybe what I'm missing is the times that I was with my KC friends, not great KC itself. Anyway, what I truely want to comply is, there are still lots of way to make KC great again and if DMM/TNK don't, it will fall apart.

P.S. I hope I should know others' perspectives to think about this. If you have a comment, please let me know it.