I Just Want Players to Save Money, They Insist on Giving Me!
Chapter 166 - 79: First Experience with Hollow Knight! Is This Game This Easy?_3

Chapter 166: Chapter 79: First Experience with Hollow Knight! Is This Game This Easy?_3

Anyway, you can’t just bash the game blindly—throw in a couple of compliments to make it all seem more authentic.

What?

If "Hollow Knight" takes off and I get held accountable by the higher-ups?

Don’t make me laugh.

We’ve had hundreds, if not dozens, of these kinds of analysis discussions over the past few years.

After every popular game release, the company conducts corresponding research and analysis.

I’ve personally led at least ten of these meetings.

Every time, my critical eye has been spot on; none of the games I deemed hopeless have ever taken off.

You really think I’ve gotten to where I am today without some solid skills, that I’m just pointlessly bashing "Hollow Knight"?

From my perspective,

"Hollow Knight" is doomed to failure, without a doubt.

At best, it will win the support of their die-hard fans.

But that amount of revenue won’t catch the attention of our board of directors.

So I have no worry that management will discover the flaws in the analysis report I’ve skimped on.

In the end, it’s a flop; how it flops no longer matters.

"Have me learn from him?"

"Ha, it would be more like him learning from me." Bao Jingbi said with a hint of scorn, putting down his pen, proudly.

————

"Alright, dear viewers, employees, hello everyone—this is Wang Laoju, live streaming the gameplay for "Hollow Knight," a new release from Number One Player Company."

No sooner had Wang Laoju opened his mouth to start the live stream than he ’Invoked’ at lightning speed and clicked straight through to the Number One Player Company’s official homepage.

In the half a year this company has been operating, they’ve been churning out games like a sow births piglets, with hit after hit emerging.

Just last month, the large-scale multiplayer FPS game "Pubg" sold 4 million copies in its first month, kicking open the doors to [Masterpiece] status.

The company has also climbed a level due to "Pubg," earning the joy of becoming an A-list game company.

Their fan base, initially only a few hundred to a thousand, now boasts over a million players just following the official website to get first-hand information!

Wang Laoju is among those followers.

He went live as soon as he got news that "Hollow Knight" was hitting the shelves.

In just a few minutes, the live chat began gathering a massive amount of viewers.

"Chairman, hello."

"Dammit, you’re early today?"

"Holy shit! The company has a new game out? Even a pig breeding team couldn’t produce this quickly..."

"Why is Baby Ke a god!"

"Less than a year, seven games... apart from "Origin of Species" which fell flat due to its small base, the rest started as hits, with "Pubg" being hailed as a [Masterpiece]. What genre is the new game?"

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Serve it up! I’m starving!!"

Amidst the buzzing discussion of the crowd in the comments,

Wang Laoju quickly clicked to download and install the game, quickly glancing at the introduction to the game type.

Action game.

Combining free-to-play single player with in-app purchases isn’t uncommon in Blue Star.

Before long, the installation was complete, and under the urging of the comments,

Wang Laoju opened the game interface.

The starting UI that greeted him was a dark, deep screen.

"Hollow Knight" in regular script appeared at the top of the screen, contrasting with the black background, the white letters bright and enhanced with fluorescent effects, radiating a faint glow.

As if it was battling against the darkness behind it.

The piano background music began to play softly at this moment, but the melody was sad and hollow, each note struck as if telling someone’s past.

Accompanied by the press of Wang Laoju’s [Start Game] button,

The starting UI gradually faded, and black text slowly emerged on the black screen.

’In the distant wilderness, your name is mentioned with a mix of awe and regret’

No one can tame our savage souls, and yet, you accepted the challenge.

Under the palest gaze, you taught us, we changed, our instincts were redeemed.

You brought to insects and beasts a world beyond their wildest dreams.

————From "Serenade of the Holy Nest," written by Teacher Monomon.’

Soon, the opening monologue’s subtitles disappeared.

The start-up CG unfolded.

In a gloomy, dark room, an object bound by multiple chains was suspended high up, sealed mid-air.

That shell resembled something from a species of arthropod insects.

But the chains that bound it seemed already worn and tattered, and the shell meant to seal something had several cracks, with orange light incessantly seeping out, as if it could be freed from its binds at any moment.

The camera then switched the angle.

The next moment, the camera pulled away.

Next to a desolate building made of snail shells, a humanoid little beetle resembling a stag beetle slowly walked at the farthest end of the frame, its white skull lacking features, save for a pair of black, hollow eye sockets.

Carrying on its back a sharp bone spike with a cold texture, a cloak enveloped its entire body, the ends tattered, fluttering in the wind, as if to signify it had wandered and endured for a long time.

After a few steps, it stopped at the edge of a steep, towering cliff.

Looking up, it silently gazed into the distance.

In this composition, the color palette was filled with oppressive grays and blacks.

Yet, in the farthest point of the vista glowed the lights of a thousand homes.

As if guiding it forward.

The next instant, the nameless little knight took a leap, jumping off the cliff.

And at this point, control over the character was handed over to the player.

Having been quiet for a long while, Wang Laoju spoke up as the CG scene ended.

"This game seems to be set in a world from the perspective of insects, and I quite like this simplistic art style,"

"It has a refreshingly clean feel to it."

While talking, the little knight had landed.

Wang Laoju, controlling the little knight, began to explore the gameplay, following the tutorial integrated into the background.

What surprised Wang Laoju was.

Although the game touted itself as action-oriented,

he had even been prepared to spend half an hour figuring out the sequence of moves.

But after a three-minute trial,

Just a few buttons.

Left and right for moving, up for interacting and talking.

Jump, hold down the jump button to leap higher, tap for a short hop.

Then there was the attack.

The little knight quickly drew the bone spike from its back and slashed forward.

And then...

That was all.

Wang Laoju was shocked.

Was the game really just chasing the ultimate in simplicity?

The screen was clean, the moves straightforward.

Placed in the category of action games known for their hardcore nature, where one couldn’t even understand the combos without memorizing a move list, this seemed somewhat inappropriate...

But since the game was already started, he’d give it a try before deciding.

Putting aside his thoughts, he looked into the camera and said,

"Alright, employees, I’ve spent 3 minutes and have already completely mastered the gameplay of this game."

"As an action game, it’s much simpler than I thought, and the moves are quite straightforward. I guess the process won’t be too lengthy, so let’s see if we can finish it in one go before ending the stream."