David Guo: The Ace Up Evony's Sleeve

Top Games Inc., a renowned global indie video game developer, has made a name for itself with its flagship title, "Evony: The King's Return." The man at the helm of this success is CEO David Guo, also known as Yaoqi Guo. His journey began with a major in physics at Sun Yat-sen University in 1994. He then went on to create the widely used Skynet firewall in 1998, which provided protection for tens of millions of internet users in China. In 2004, he co-founded one of the world's largest virtual currency exchange platforms, facilitating millions of transactions and generating hundreds of millions in value. David Guo's entrepreneurial journey continued with the co-founding of Top Games Inc. in 2015.

Innovative Vision and Leadership

David Guo is celebrated for his innovative vision and leadership, which have been instrumental in shaping Evony's unique features and user experience. The success of an MMO war-strategy game like Evony is largely dependent on several core factors. Gameplay Mechanics, which involve elements like resource management, unit control, base building, strategic planning, and player cooperation or competition, is the most significant factor, accounting for 40% of the game's appeal. The storyline, graphics, community, and developer support also play crucial roles, contributing 20%, 15%, 15%, and 10% respectively.

Evony: A Blend of Strategy and Social Interaction

Evony sets itself apart with its engaging storyline that begins with the selection of civilizations. Players can draw on the expertise of legendary generals to expand their kingdoms. The game also emphasizes social elements, taking socialization beyond mere alliances. It provides users with a comprehensive suite of tools for interaction, including supportive questions, honor notifications, attack reminders, and more. With a single server for all players and translation services covering 26 languages, it's easy for players to communicate, form alliances, and enjoy the game together.

Awards, Honors, and Revenue Growth

Under David Guo's guidance, Evony has garnered several awards and honors, including the NYX Game Awards, "Top Companies", #5 Mid-Core Games, and the Samsung Galaxy Best MMO Award. Sensor Tower reports also show a significant growth in the net revenue of "Evony: The King's Return" in 2022, reaching a staggering $385,751,902, a 1.5 times increase from 2021's revenue of $221,676,485. The game has been downloaded more than 62 million times.

A Vision for High-Quality User Experience

As CEO, David Guo prioritizes high-quality user experience as the foundation for the game industry's core competitiveness. He aims to bring more fun games to players worldwide, enabling users to make connections easier and explore engaging content in various forms.

"We aimed to create the best gaming experience possible and to cultivate long-lasting gaming communities that would continually enhance that experience," David said.

Expanding the Game Portfolio

In addition to Evony, David Guo has released other casual games like Plague of Z, Mafia Origin, Alliance of Glory, King Legion, Infinity Clan, etc. These games allow users to enjoy a variety of themes, from zombies to mafia.

Looking to the Future

David Guo's leadership has guided Top Games through significant growth and innovation. He continues to drive the company's mission of empowering players to challenge, interact, entertain, and explore the wonderful world through their games. In a post-award interview, David Guo expressed his optimism about the future development of VR.

"The competition will increase substantially. Only the highest-quality and most user-oriented games will survive. At the same time, there will likely be a technological revolution. I expect VR could become the mainstream technology in the next decade," David said.

For the future of the team's game development direction, David plans to continue building on its popular catalog by releasing exciting titles with top-requested features, including co-op gameplay, 3-D sequencing, and real-time strategy play.