QQ Games on AIM: Another Penguin Aims for the Casual Market

If you’re still an AOL Instant Messenger user, you may have been a bit perplexed by the “QQ games” application offered with the latest update last fall. The name may not be very prominent here yet, but China-based Tencent’s QQ brand is absolutely huge in its native country. Games, music downloads, and China’s most popular instant messaging service all rolled into one - QQ is omnipresent.

As an English teacher in Hebei Province last year, I always had an icebreaker with new students: “What computer games do you like?” Sure, some of the middle school kids would sometimes mention Counter-Strike, but I’d invariably hear QQ mentioned in some capacity. After class, I’d cycle by the electronics market and see dozens of signs featuring Tencent’s signature winking penguin logo. Hell, even the convenient mart near my apartment sold QQ themed snack foods and lip balm. And now the phenomenon is on our shores, albeit in a limited capacity.

For a Bomberman knock-off, it's not half bad...

I don’t want to mislead anyone here – what’s being offered through AIM is just an introduction to what’s available in China. Right now, we’ve got a handful of card games, a few PopCap-esque puzzle clones, and a fun Bomberman derivative called Bubble Arena. Not bad for an introduction maybe, but Chinese gamers are playing through Tencent MMORPGs like QQ Sanguo.

More significantly, players are able to customize their QQ avatars with designer clothing and in-game items, a feature not available in the U.S. build. The online monetary system uses coins that became popular enough to have an adverse effect on the Chinese market. Western publishers so far have avoided this nickel-and-dime pricing model, though big names like EA’s Battlefield series may challenge this perception later this year. (If you’re interested in the worst excesses of these micro-transactions, you should consult this fascinating essay).

However, despite a somewhat quiet reception early on (a few thousand players online at a time based on my hands-on impressions), AIM’s Buddy List allows for a built-in player network that could increase popularity by word-of-mouth. The games tend to skew towards casual and younger players, the same audience that made Club Penguin a huge hit.

It remains to be seen whether or not Tencent and AOL are able to capitalize on the service’s potential. I’d argue that the initial offerings have enough mainstream appeal, and another partnership with Mochi Media ensures that Tencent will be able to continually cater to Western tastes. Snack foods may be out of the question, but don’t be surprised if this cute application gains serious momentum throughout 2009.

Maybe Tencent can cash in on America's love of penguins.