"As game developers adapt fiercely to survive, Com2us Platform sees another opportunity. Our goal is clear: to instill strong trust in the market that 'clients will succeed with Com2us Platform.'"
Iru Da, director of Com2us Platform's Technology Business Division, recently shared the company's business objectives in response to changes in the development environment, including artificial intelligence (AI), during an interview with Aju Economy.
Com2us Platform, a subsidiary of Com2us Holdings, is expanding its B2B portfolio by developing new businesses in cloud, system integration (SI), and AI integrated services (MaaS), following its core business of the game backend platform, Hive.
Hive began as an internal platform to support global game services for the Com2us Group. After validating common functions necessary for game services, such as login, authentication, payment, operations, and community management, Com2us Platform began external commercialization of Hive to third-party game companies in 2021. This decision was based on the belief that the global service know-how gained internally would be in demand by external game developers.
Iru Da explained, "Just as Google's Gmail started as an internal product and expanded externally, Hive also began its external opening based on validated product viability."
He noted that in the early days of external release, Hive's recognition was low, so they had to start by explaining the platform to clients. Despite having a data separation system, there were initial misunderstandings that game data or business information from the Com2us Group might leak.
Hive experienced a turning point in growth in 2022 with the introduction of cross-play functionality, which supports both mobile and PC. Iru Da stated, "MMORPG clients, who had a high demand for PC games, chose Hive because it allows for cross-play implementation with just a few lines of code, which resonated well in the market."
After five years of external commercialization, Hive's business achievements are becoming evident. According to the company, Hive is currently applied to over 250 games. This marks an increase from 112 contracted games and 86 partners at the end of the first quarter last year to 145 games and 158 partners this year.
Com2us Platform is now broadening its business into infrastructure and system integration. The experience gained from Hive's external commercialization has laid the groundwork for expanding into cloud, SI, and AI businesses.
Leveraging its global game service operation experience, Com2us Platform is expanding its cloud and SI business. Starting in 2024, it plans to supply customized infrastructure to domestic and international developers as a global partner of Tencent Cloud, responding to system construction and operational needs through SI and B2B consulting.
The experience from Hive's external commercialization is expected to create synergies in cost reduction for developers when utilizing both Hive and cloud infrastructure. According to Com2us Holdings' first-quarter data, revenue from Com2us Platform's cloud business increased by 212% year-on-year and 13% quarter-on-quarter.
Additionally, in April, the company expanded its business with the launch of AI integrated services (MaaS - Model as a Service), providing generative AI models to enterprises.
Iru Da emphasized, "Companies can freely utilize the latest generative AI models from AI firms like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic with just a single application programming interface (API) integration. This allows for immediate incorporation of AI technology into services without the substantial costs of building GPU infrastructure or navigating complex contracts with individual model providers."
He identified 'efficiency' as the core of the AI business. As the development environment changes with the proliferation of AI tools, he believes that Hive can also evolve to meet the needs of developers using AI, potentially leading to a quantum leap.
Iru Da stated, "In the AI era, a developer's competitiveness is not merely about using a lot of tokens. As AI tool usage becomes more common, the ability to consider cost efficiency and operational stability in development is becoming increasingly important."
However, challenges remain. The downturn in the gaming industry poses variables for Hive as well. Iru Da noted, "There is a polarization phenomenon in the gaming industry. Indie and mid-sized game companies are struggling with marketing competition and cost burdens." He added, "Hive is a platform that can only thrive if the games succeed, emphasizing that 'our success is tied to our clients' success.'"
* This article has been translated by AI.
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