Today started at the video game development company, Wargaming. This company began in 1998 and has been releasing free to play games since its first release in 2000. In 2010 the company released World of Tanks PC which quickly became their most popular game and Wargaming established their niche in vehicle shooter games. Since 2010 they have expanded their library to World of Warships and World of Warplanes as well as console and mobile adaptations. While at Wargaming Global Business Development Lead, Aleksandr Losevich, spoke with us about the behind the scenes of the video game industry. During this presentation I learned that in order to release a video game on the Chinese market one must partner with a Chinese company to publish and operate the game. This is required due to the strict media regulation in China and often leads to aesthetic changes to the game to better appeal to the Chinese audience. Additionally, since Wargaming exclusively releases free to play games, their revenue relies on player retention and upgrade purchases. The lack of physical product and need for storage space reduces the financial burden of the company allowing the business to provide free games and affordable upgrades while maintaining a profitable business model. Although it doesn’t seem so at first, the decision to only provide games digitally has direct connections to the supply chain. Without physical product it can be misinterpreted that Wargaming doesn’t have a supply chain. However, one of the most underappreciated vehicles of transport within the supply chain is the internet. Exchanging information over the internet has become so common that people often neglect to see the essential position it holds in the global supply chain. For a functional economy there must be many ways to transport goods, conventionally boats or trucks, but Wargaming takes a modern approach and transports goods over the internet. This allows for quick access and easy data tracking which results in a better overall experience for the customer.
After Wargaming we headed to the small mountain village of Kakopetria. Kakopetria directly translates to ‘the place of the evil rock’. This name comes from an old story about a recently married couple who were crushed by a rock during a cultural wedding tradition. This rock, seen below on the left, remains in the village and provided a sad story but a unique name. While in Kakopetria we were also able to see the Troodos Mountain range. The tallest mountain in this range is Mount Olympus at 2000 meters above sea level. It is important to note that this Mount Olympus is not the one in Greek mythology it is simply named after the original Mount Olympus in Greece. Apart from being the tallest mountain Mount Olympus is unique because it houses the only ski lodge on the island. Being the tallest mountain means that Mount Olympus is the only one with sufficient altitude to produce a snowy environment in the winter. After we explored Kakopetria we visited St. Nicholas of the Roof Church. Here our lovely tour guide, Georgia, discussed the expansive history surrounding this church, which was built in the 11th century. The church’s name includes ‘of the roof’ due to the secondary roof added to the structure to protect the more delicate tiles of the original. This secondary roof is also why you cannot see the characteristic dome of Byzantine monasteries, itis hidden underneath. Another addition to the original church was an extra room in which the women would congregate during service. While this practice is not used in the modern day it was common in the 12th century when this church was at its prime. This room was decorated in the same frescas as the rest of the church but provided the separation of genders required societal norms at the time. Our adventures in Kakopetria and at St. Nicholas of the Roof were interesting and informative. The rich history found in the very tall rocks of Troodos is fascinating.
