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HNX CEO Han Ji-hoon has published a book titled "Your Game Is Already Failing," drawing on his 28-year career in the industry. Han, who previously held leadership roles at Netmarble and Com2uS, argues that many games are destined to fail at the business planning stage due to flawed structural design rather than market conditions.
Han emphasizes that successful titles like "Monster Taming," "Magu Magu 2013," and "Seven Knights 2" were not merely lucky hits. Instead, they were built on solid foundations, including accessible entry points for new users, effective social structures, and monetization models integrated into the core gameplay loop from the start.
The author identifies common pitfalls, such as copying successful genres without understanding their underlying mechanics, ignoring poor test metrics, and failing to define clear exit criteria. He notes that even experienced teams often fall into these traps by relying on outdated formulas or failing to adapt to global preferences for fair monetization and shorter, high-impact experiences.
To remain competitive in an era dominated by short-form content, Han suggests that developers must prioritize onboarding and design games that offer immediate, compelling experiences. He advocates for shifting the focus from high-spending minority users to broader audiences and utilizing AI to accelerate decision-making, while maintaining human oversight to diagnose structural issues.
