Republic of Gamers：How to Grow Amid the Esports Boom 玩家国度：电竞热潮中如何借势生长

01 The Booming Esports Industry

如火如荼的电竞行业

On September 23, 2023, the Hangzhou Asian Games commenced. Do you know which event was the most popular?

Table tennis? Diving? Or... soccer?

None of them!

2023年9月23号，杭州亚运会召开了。你知道哪个项目最火爆吗？

乒乓球？跳水？还是……足球？

都不是！

?

During the ticketing period for the Asian Games, esports was the only event that required a lottery to purchase tickets.

In 2018, at the Jakarta Asian Games, esports debuted as an exhibition event. This time, in Hangzhou, esports will officially be included as a medal event, with seven gold medals to be awarded.

Esports is rapidly becoming a trendy cultural symbol and a new global social language among young audiences. It embodies the spirit of sportsmanship—commitment, perseverance, and determination. With its digital nature and influence over its audience, esports has become an important platform for promoting sports and facilitating cultural exchange.

本次亚运会的购票期间，电子竞技才是唯一需要报名抽签购买的比赛项目。

2018年的雅加达亚运会上，电竞第一次作为表演项目亮相亚运大家庭。此次杭州亚运会上，电竞将首次作为正式项目，并产生7枚金牌。

电竞流行文化正成为年轻用户圈层的潮流文化符号、新的全球化社交语言。电竞的背后蕴含着全力以赴、坚持到底、不言放弃的体育精神，也以其数字化特征和用户影响力，成为体育运动推广和文化交流的重要载体。

The rise of esports would not have been possible without the support of various esports hardware brands. Although these brands continually iterate their products to provide players with the best gaming experience, they still face challenges in breaking into the esports scene and changing consumers' traditional perceptions.

As the esports wave gains momentum, how can the esports hardware industry capitalize on this trend and grow?

One brand has been making strides in esports, becoming the first to bravely pioneer in this industry: Republic of Gamers.

而电竞热潮离不开众多电竞硬件品牌的努力。

虽然电竞硬件品牌方不断迭代产品，为玩家们提供绝佳的游戏体验，但距离自身在电竞圈内成功“破圈”，改变消费者固有的刻板印象还有一定的差距。

随着电竞浪潮的到来，电竞硬件行业又该如何借势增长？

有这样一个品牌，正一步步朝着电竞方向探索，成为行业内第一个勇于“吃螃蟹”的人。

它就是ROG玩家国度。

02 Republic of Gamers: Creating a Gaming Legacy

打造电竞信仰的ROG玩家国度

ROG (Republic of Gamers) is ASUS's professional gaming brand, founded in 2006, dedicated to providing players with professional, efficient, and high-quality gaming equipment. Its product lines span motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktops, monitors, audio devices, network equipment, and gaming peripherals.

ROG是华硕旗下的专业电竞品牌，创立于2006年，致力于为玩家提供专业、高效、优质的电竞装备。产品线跨越主板、显卡、笔记本、台式机、显示器、音频设备、网络设备及电竞周边等。

?

As a premium product line, ROG focuses on user experience, creating computers that meet the extreme performance and aesthetic demands of overclocking enthusiasts and gaming fans. As a result, it has become the choice of esports champions.

With the growth of esports, ROG has been building its own esports ecosystem, including hosting the Stardust League and establishing the RW Esports Club, providing grassroots players and professional athletes with a platform to pursue their championship dreams.

在产品方面，作为高端产品线的ROG以用户体验为根本出发点，打造的电脑产品满足了超频狂人和游戏狂热者们对极致性能和极致外观的需求，因此成为了电竞冠军们的选择。

随着电竞潮流的到来，ROG也一直在致力于打造属于自己的电竞生态，例如举办星途联赛，创立RW电竞俱乐部，为有潜力的草根玩家和职业选手提供专业平台，实现冠军之梦。

ROG's commitment to the gaming theme, both in its products and branding efforts, has garnered a loyal fan base, making ROG a "faith" in the eyes of its users.

However, as times change, consumers are increasingly focusing on comprehensive service experiences, looking for the embodiment of esports spirit rather than just the performance of products.

ROG围绕电竞主题，在产品和品牌上所付出的努力，让ROG聚集了一批忠实的粉丝，成为用户眼中的“信仰”。

但是，随着时代的发展，消费者越来越关注综合的服务体验，渴望电竞精神的体现，而不是单一的产品的性能。

As a disruptor in the industry, how should ROG build an offline store experience that embodies the esports spirit to meet users' expectations for esports and their loyalty to ROG?

作为行业的破局者，ROG应该如何打造具备电竞精神的线下门店体验，回应用户对于电竞精神和ROG信仰的期待呢？

Facing this challenge, the ROG team partnered with CBi China Bridge to explore experience upgrades from a holistic perspective using service design methods.

带着这样的问题，ROG团队找到桥中，开始通过服务设计的方法，以全局观的视角探索体验升级之路。

?

03 What Does Faith Mean to Gamers?

信仰对玩家意味着什么？

?

To identify points for upgrading, understanding the users is essential.

Why do users visit the store?

What does their loyalty to ROG specifically represent?

Apart from purchasing computers, what emotional value can the store provide?

In the research phase, CBi China Bridge interviewed ROG's department heads, store managers, and actual users. Based on the brand’s development direction, current store services, and users' real purchasing experiences and potential needs, the service journey was reviewed. This analysis clarified the specific manifestations of “faith.”

要想找到升级的突破点，必须先了解用户。

用户为什么要逛店？

用户对ROG的信仰的具体表现是什么？

?除了购买电脑，门店还能为用户提供什么样的情绪价值？

在研究阶段，桥中团队访谈了ROG相关部门负责人，门店店长和真实用户。

基于品牌的发展方向，门店服务的现状，以及用户的实际购买体验和潜在需求，对现有服务旅程进行了梳理，层层剥茧，明确了“信仰”的具体表现形式。

?

Faith could be the pride of saving up to buy your first computer;

信仰，可以是通过自己努力攒钱买的第一台电脑；

?

It could be the joy of discussing favorite games and setup tips with like-minded friends or staff;

信仰，可以是和志同道合的朋友/店员交流喜欢的游戏和装机心得；

?

?

Or it could be the thrill of seeing the computer you built light up for the first time…

信仰，可以是看到自己选配的主机点亮的华丽瞬间……

?

For gamers, loyalty to ROG symbolizes their passion for esports and is the first step towards their dreams.

For users, ROG stores become an important gateway into esports.

What role does the store service play at this moment?

For buyers, purchasing ROG products is a crowning moment—a highlight where their faith is realized. Thus, there must be a strong sense of ceremony during the unboxing and inspection at the store.

For potential customers, visiting the store is like a pilgrimage—getting the chance to touch a computer model used by esports champions, watch match streams with friends, or chat with staff about setup tips, making them feel proud.

玩家对ROG的信仰，是热衷于电竞的体现，是踏入梦想的第一步；

对于用户来说，ROG门店成为了他们接触电竞的重要窗口，

此时的门店服务扮演了什么样的角色呢？

对于买家，买ROG就是信仰被实现的高光时刻和加冕时刻，

因此，在门店下单开箱验机的时候需要充分的仪式感；

而对于还没购买的潜在用户，去逛店是去朝圣的，

哪怕是摸一下电竞冠军同款电脑，和伙伴一起观看比赛直播，和店员交流装机心得，都让其倍感骄傲。

?

Interestingly, the needs of buyers and bystanders are complementary!

Bystanders want to witness the unveiling of new devices, envisioning their future selves; buyers want others to witness their highlight moment.

Imagine when you purchase your dream bag, car, or home, and a crowd gathers to witness the moment. It’s priceless, isn’t it?

Users provide each other with emotional value, and if we can build an experience around this, it will create a win-win scenario for the brand.

Through these insights, we visualized the users' "faith" and mapped out issues and opportunities for improvement across the pre-sale, sale, and post-sale stages, clearly defining the experience keywords for "fueling faith." This laid the foundation for building services that strengthen ROG's unique sense of "faith."

而最有趣的点在于：

买家和围观者的需求是相辅相成的！

围观者希望能看到新机器的点亮，憧憬未来的自己；

买家也希望能有更多人来见证自己的高光时刻。

试想，当你买到梦想的包包，梦想的车，理想的家……那么多人围着你见证了这一时刻，你是不是觉得这一刻价值千金！

用户之间互相提供了情绪价值，如果能由此打造体验，更是能为品牌创造了双赢。

通过洞察，我们将用户的“信仰”具像化，梳理成售前，售中，售后各个阶段的问题和提升机会点，明确了“为信仰充值”的体验关键词，以此奠定了基础，致力于通过打造服务，强化ROG品牌独有的“信仰感”。

?

04 Faith Must Be Realized From a Holistic Perspective

信仰，要从全局观视角实现

?

Through user insights, we have visualized what "faith" means to users and how it manifests in their journey. But how should we design services to bring this faith to life?

Using service design, we can innovate services from a holistic perspective, examining user needs comprehensively and uncovering their root causes. By co-creating solutions, we ensure they meet the needs of all stakeholders involved.

In many cases, the shortcomings in store operations are not due to a lack of effort from staff but rather insufficient support from the backend.

通过用户洞察，我们将用户心中的“信仰”具象化体现在用户旅程中，那么我们应该如何服务打造来实现呢？

?通过服务设计，我们可以从全局观的视角进行服务创新，由表及里地对用户的需求从整体进行审视，挖掘其背后原因，通过共创的方式让最终的解决方案符合各利益方的需求。

门店实际运营时的各种不足之处，很多时候都暗含了未被满足的潜在需求。

这并不是店员不想去做好，而可能是由于后台未给予足够支持所造成。

?

Take the example of DIY computer builds in ROG stores:

If improvements were made based on traditional thinking, the advantages of DIY might gradually be lost, diluting the brand's unique appeal.

By using a service design approach, we employed a top-down view to develop a series of service concepts that emphasize the enjoyment of DIY builds. For example, setting up dedicated transparent assembly areas in stores, providing professional assembly personnel, and holding launch ceremonies ensure a complete service journey—from pre-sale consultation and configuration selection to in-store assembly and post-sale maintenance services—delivering an exceptional experience for users and enhancing the brand's impact.

What's worth noting is that the new DIY user journey not only meets buyers' expectations for ROG services but also enhances the experience of passersby who witness the product launch ceremonies in the store.

在ROG的服务中，以DIY主机产品的体验为例：

如果按固有思维进行改进，DIY的优势会逐渐被掩盖，品牌的特点将被淡化。

通过服务设计的方法，我们运用了顶层思维进行审视，从而设计出了以享受DIY乐趣为主打的一系列服务概念。

例如，在门店设立专属透明装机区，配备专业的装机人员，举办开机仪式等方式，保证了从售前咨询选配，售中装机交付，售后维修服务，全流程都能为用户提供绝佳的服务，从而提升品牌的影响力。

值得一提的是，

全新的DIY用户旅程，不仅能满足买家对ROG服务的期待。在整个围观开机仪式的过程中，还巧妙地提升了逛店的路人体验。

Beyond the DIY journey, there are many other opportunities for improvement, such as digitized pre-sale experiences and added-value post-sale services.

Through co-creation, we integrated the needs of key departments, including store managers, terminal operations, product, and brand design. After aligning on the current status and opportunities, the team collaborated to design future service enhancements based on the existing user journey.

除了DIY旅程之外，还有很多其他的提升机会点，例如数字化的售前体验，配套售后增值服务等。

通过共创，我们整合了来自经销商店长代表，终端运营部门，产品部门，品牌设计部门等核心部门的诉求。

在共识了现状和机会点后，团队基于现有用户旅程，共同打造未来服务提升点。

?With the involvement of all departments, both the brand's vision and the operational challenges faced by frontline staff were fully communicated, discussed, and aligned upon. This foundation allowed stores to develop commercially valuable service innovations, ensuring a balance of interests for all parties and creating a customer-centric service journey that establishes a true business loop.

有了各个部门的参与，无论是品牌方的品牌愿景，还是前台员工的运营痛点，都被充分地交流、讨论、达到共识。

门店也在此基础上，打造出了具有实际商业价值的服务创新点，保证了各方利益的平衡，打造令用户满意的服务旅程，实现真正的商业闭环。

05 Bringing Faith Into Reality

成果落地，信仰照进现实

?

In summary, sales and user experience are not mutually exclusive but are complementary.

Through service design, ROG not only ensures sales performance but also provides users with a unique experience and enhances its brand image.

????????? By conducting user insights, ROG identified core pain points and gains for its customers, understanding their true needs when visiting the store while maintaining the brand's trendy and cool characteristics.

总而言之，销量和体验不是互斥的，而是相辅相成的。

通过服务设计，既能保证门店销售，又能为用户提供独特体验，还能提升品牌形象。

?——通过用户洞察的方式，ROG挖掘了品牌用户的核心痛点与爽点，理解用户逛店的真实需求，维持品牌潮酷特性；

?By co-creating and clarifying the perspectives of all stakeholders, ROG has developed a standardized service process for over 100 stores nationwide.

——通过共创厘清各利益相关方的想法，为ROG全国百余家门店提供全套标准化服务流程；

?Using service design, ROG has set a benchmark for the industry, accelerating the transformation of the esports sector towards new retail.

——通过服务设计的方式，ROG树立了行业服务标杆，加快电竞行业向新零售方向转型步伐。

Numerous innovative concepts, such as transparent DIY assembly experiences, personalized customization, and comprehensive after-sales services, are being gradually implemented in stores.

众多创新概念，如透明装机体验，个性化定制，安心售后等概念，后续也在门店也在逐步落地。

?

In 2023, this project was nominated by Shanghai Design 100+ (click for more details) and shortlisted for the annual outstanding design case award in the industry.

For ROG, the journey of service design has only just begun.

By continuously iterating and leveraging service design, the brand can keep enhancing user experiences, ensuring a steady stream of improvements for its users.

May ROG continue to ride the esports wave, gathering the faith of its gamers and forging ahead!

2023年度，本项目被上海设计100+（点击查看更多）提名，并喜获行业年度优秀设计案例入围奖。

对于ROG来说，服务设计之旅才刚刚开始。

在落地过程中，以服务设计为抓手持续迭代，品牌才能源源不断为用户升级体验。

愿在电竞的浪潮中，ROG能汇聚玩家的信仰，继续乘风破浪！

?

06 What Role Should Your Store Play? 你的门店应该扮演一个什么样的角色？

?

Typically, when a brand decides to upgrade its physical stores, the first focus is often on creating a visually appealing style. However, users visit stores primarily for the experience, not just the visuals. While attractive visuals may draw users in, they don’t necessarily guarantee a good experience.

通常，一个品牌决定升级自己的线下门店时，第一时间考虑的是如何打造更有“逼格”的视觉风格，但用户逛店的核心需求是体验，而不是视觉。视觉也许可以吸引用户进店，但未必能带给用户好的体验。

?

What are users really looking for when they visit stores?

Is it novelty? Convenience? Status? Relaxation?

Or is it something else entirely?

ROG discovered that its users visit the store as a form of pilgrimage, a moment of coronation, and to recharge their faith.

So, why do your users visit your store?

What role does your store play for them?

What is the relationship between your store and its customers?

What needs does your store service fulfill for them?

用户逛店，逛的到底是什么？

是新奇？是便利？是地位？是放松？

还是别的什么？

ROG发现他们的用户逛店就是在朝圣，在加冕，在给信仰充值。

那么，你的用户为什么来逛店？

对于你的用户来说，你的门店扮演着什么样的角色？

你的门店跟用户之间的关系到底是什么？

你的门店的服务满足了他们什么样的需求？

CBi China Bridge believes:

By following a scientific methodology and centering on user needs, brands can systematically and continuously enhance the experience, ensuring that your "experience store" truly delivers an experiential feel, and that your brand remains competitive. Are you ready?

桥中相信： 遵循科学的方法论，以用户需求为中心，才能系统化地持续提升体验，才能让你的“体验店”拥有“体验感”，才能让你的品牌保持竞争力。 你做好准备了吗？

Contact Us：[email protected]