I Just Want Players to Save Money, They Insist on Giving Me!
Chapter 286 - 115: The Game Itself Goes Online!_1

Chapter 286: Chapter 115: The Game Itself Goes Online!_1

The demo for "BioShock: Infinite" was no sooner up on the shelves.

That it virtually exploded overnight—

No, within a single day!

Whether it was the thrilling gunfights, the wildly imaginative superpowers, the setting that tore through space and time, or the vibrantly lifelike Elizabeth.

Together with the uniquely engaging sky-line gameplay that ultimately presented itself before players.

Each one of these elements irresistibly captivated hordes of players.

It even led numerous frontline game streamers and reviewers to praise it after their first play, each bestowing a rating of at least 9.5!

"The only regret is that this demo is too short, ending before I could fully savor it, hence I’m withholding 0.5 points until the full game is released!"

"’Infinite’s’ spectacular show is like a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner, catering to fans whether they’re into FPS, character modeling, exploration and collection, or simply enjoy interacting with the characters. A true feast for all kinds of players!"

"I thought Number One Player would gradually fade away among the myriad of manufacturers as inspiration is finite. Yet, Mr. Ke Jin, the genius designer, has brought us a new and breathtaking gaming journey. I’m looking forward to the full game release!"

"Since only the demo is out, I can only rave about the demo. Its gaming style is the boldest and most avant-garde among all the 3D games I’ve played! And it still maintains Number One Player’s original spirit, speaking through gameplay instead of wringing out player’s wallets with heavy monetization and gambling psychological traps."

"Who leads the way in assisting? Foolish Bai empties the path! A mere 15 minutes with her, and I’ve fallen deeply for this charming and endearing female character! I’d buy this game outright just for Elizabeth. So come on, Number One Player, show us the price!"

...

The buzz around "Infinite" surged repeatedly across every major media platform!

Though topping the trending search list with just a demo might be unrealistic,

its ability to stay in the top 10 hot topics on various platforms for several days is an incredible feat for a game.

It also sparked an unprecedented craze within the gaming community.

Countless players were clamoring to get their hands on the full version of "Infinite" or, failing that, to at least open up the pre-purchase option. "We’ll buy our tickets first, then board the train!"

Despite these suggestions, Number One Player did not heed the call of gamers far and wide.

However, on the NAA forum "BioShock" section, a few enthusiasts initiated a poll.

And the outcome? Nearly 180,000 people were willing to pay in advance.

This display of trust invigorated the employees at Number One Player Company, their faces brimming with smiles they could hardly hide as they came to work each day.

The sweat and tears poured into over three months of relentless development, countless refinements to Elizabeth, and endless optimizations of every aspect of the game.

They all seemed worthwhile under the barrage of hopeful comments from players.

As the saying goes, joy for some means sorrow for others.

The buzz generated by the "Infinite" demo might have gone unnoticed by fans of other art forms, but it had Tengjing worried.

The reason other art form fans remained unaffected was that

they weren’t really into gaming and didn’t understand what the demo represented.

Plus, the competition had been fierce in recent days, with representative works from various art forms taking turns hogging the spotlight.

So seeing another one on the list was just par for the course.

They let you be the center of attention, treating you like mere muggles.

Until the day of the final awards ceremony, any such popularity is illusory.

As for why Tengjing was so anxious, the reason was simple.

Among the three giants in the domestic gaming industry—Tengjing, Netcom, Silver Brilliance—

Netcom’s main business revolved around heavy monetization online games,

where game revenue accounted for over 80% of Netcom’s game profits.

The core income from its games was built on a model where the poor play lapdogs to the rich, satisfying the latter’s desire to spend.

This was somewhat akin to the ’ingenious’ practices of many luxury brands.

A top-tier guild built with the loose change of the wealthy could probably match the total revenue contributed by all the poor guys on a server in a month.

Over at Silver Brilliance, after over 20 years of competing in the field,

the company began shifting its core business about a decade ago to focus on mobile and console gaming.

They also developed their own "Silver Wing" series of gaming consoles and phones, designed specifically for gaming.

Rather than saying Silver Brilliance made money from selling games, it was more accurate that they profited from selling exclusive gaming devices.

Their yearly sales of gaming hardware easily doubled the total revenue from their games.

Finally, let’s look at the layout of Tengjing.

Starting from a humble chat service 30 years ago,

to shifting focus to the gaming industry,

they rose to power by aggressively copying or outright buying the rights to various international games, experiencing a rapid, brash period of growth before

starting to change track.

A spin-off emerged from the original Tengjing game,

and today, the parent company of Blue Star’s Tengjing has a broad range of interests.

From chat communications, easy payment solutions, to transportation, fruits and vegetables, and other markets with a large user base, they have made investments.

You could say the parent company now resembles an investment firm, blooming and bearing fruit in multiple areas.

Of course, the influence of its subsidiary, Tengjing Game, persists.

In the gaming industry alone, Tengjing’s annual financial report last year hit a whopping 80 billion.

The revenue from its games is also very evenly distributed.

Online games account for 31%, single-player games for 28%, with mobile and console game revenues representing 34%, and the remaining being a mishmash of channel and partnership incomes.