On the evening of October 20, Shih Yuzhu, Chairman of Giant Network, made remarks for the 20th anniversary of the "Journey" IP. He pointed out that in the past two years, "the growth in player numbers far exceeds the growth in revenue," which he considers to be the most satisfactory aspect of the team's efforts, indicating that they are moving in the right direction. Overall, he rated the team's performance and the product an 80 out of 100 and urged the team to focus on young players, successfully navigating the three key aspects of "playability, fun, and longevity."

Shih Yuzhu believes that a game should not overly focus on revenue; instead, it should prioritize player numbers and the gaming experience. This was his request to the team upon returning to frontline development at the end of 2022. "The growth in 'Journey' player numbers in the past two years far exceeds revenue growth, which shows that our team has done quite well in the past few years. However, to make the game more enjoyable, I believe they still have a long way to go. The core of this is three points: first, playability; second, fun; third, longevity."

First, playability. In the history of "Journey," too many features were previously piled into the game, making it difficult for many veteran players. There should be a reduction in less frequently used features to simplify the game, particularly for younger players born after 2000, who are unlikely to engage with games that are not sufficiently easy to play.

Second, fun. The focus should be on polishing the core gameplay. There has been progress in the past two years, but substantial room for improvement remains.

Third, longevity. It is easy for a game to become boring after a short time, thus making it critically important to encourage continued engagement. This involves enhancing player interactions, competitive dynamics, and randomness, ensuring that content and gameplay methods vary from day to day, creating different experiences within the same game mechanics that still require further refinement.

Regarding young players, Shih Yuzhu emphasized the necessity of discussing with the development team the importance of prioritizing this demographic and suggested three concrete optimization strategies.

First is art style; young players and veteran players have different perceptions of art styles, and finding a balance in this aspect is crucial. Second is simplicity; with the fast-paced lives of young people today, overly complex games become unplayable. The game should be accessible, akin to a straightforward version, allowing players to jump in smoothly without needing guidance. Third, the interests of young players differ from those of veterans, which necessitates thorough communication with players to optimize aspects such as rules, features, and gameplay duration.

Reflecting on the performance of "Journey" over the past two years, Shih Yuzhu rated it: "I think it deserves an 80, with 60 being the passing mark. An 80 is quite good, but I still deducted 20 points, as I believe there is significant room for improvement in the future."

Looking back at the challenges over the 20 years of "Journey" and its recent resurgence, Shih Yuzhu stated, "In the next 20 years, I hope our game not only survives but thrives. I firmly believe that even without waiting for 20 years, we will see significant improvements in gameplay in the coming years, and our player base will grow tremendously. Ultimately, whether a game is enjoyable depends on the collaboration between developers and players, striving for another great achievement soon." He also expressed that he would participate in the game to experience new versions or products that "Journey" may launch in the future, to gather player feedback.