Chapter 8: Is That Your Reason for Grinding Scores?
Lin Hai’s remarks were much more slippery, clearly trying not to offend either side. In truth, he didn’t have a particularly clear stance either.
The audience began to murmur among themselves.
Shi Huazhe’s words had indeed had some effect. A senior designer so unequivocally opposing a work, and with well-reasoned arguments, made many in the audience waver. They too began to doubt whether such a game was really worth recommending.
Lin Hai’s statement seemed fair, but it was essentially useless. The audience would forget what he said the moment they turned their heads, while Shi Huazhe’s words would stick in their minds.
Chen Mo breathed a slight sigh of relief.
If Lin Hai had jumped in to oppose “Flappy Bird” as well, his situation would have been very awkward. Two judges’ attitudes were enough to sway a large portion of the audience. Lin Hai taking a neutral stance was neither good nor bad.
Still, he couldn’t let his guard down.
It was the youngest judge, Qiu Hengyang’s, turn. With one judge firmly opposed and one neutral, his stance would, to some extent, determine the game’s fate.
Qiu Hengyang turned on his microphone and, after a moment of contemplation, said, “Regarding this game, I actually have a different view from Teacher Shi Huazhe.”
Chen Mo was taken aback. What, this guy was going to speak up for him? Could his insight be more unique than the other two, allowing him to see the special qualities of this game?
Shi Huazhe also looked incredulous, staring at Qiu Hengyang, eager to hear what he had to say.
Qiu Hengyang continued, “Before knowing the live data, I was planning to give this game an eight out of ten. But after learning the live data, I think it deserves a nine. Of course, this score is in comparison with the other nineteen games.”
“In other words, this first place is well-deserved.”
The audience erupted in an uproar!
What the hell? A nine? On a hundred-point scale?
Judging by Qiu Hengyang’s tone and expression, it was clearly a nine out of ten.
Among the audience, many loved playing “Flappy Bird,” but even they knew the game was crudely made. A seven would be generous, but a nine? That was too exaggerated, right?
Qiu Hengyang ignored the audience’s surprise and continued, “Don’t find it strange. This is the difference in perspective between a professional game designer and an ordinary player.”
“What you see is a simple-styled, single-mechanic mini-game, but what I see is a meticulously designed, forward-thinking work of sincerity!”
“Why do I say that? Please let me explain.”
The audience was captivated by Qiu Hengyang. Many were curious how he would justify hyping the game up so much.
This competition was being live-streamed and recorded. If Qiu Hengyang talked nonsense, he would lose face in the gaming circle!
Qiu Hengyang said, “Next, I’m going to ask you all a few questions. You don’t need to answer; just think about them silently.”
“First question: You all say the art style is crude. Let me ask you—do you really think the bird is ugly? Or do you find it a bit silly and cute? Isn’t the way it flies and the way it crashes to death kind of amusing?”
“Second question: Has anyone roughly calculated the bird’s natural falling speed? Or how high it flies upward with a tap?”
“Third question: Why does the game restart immediately with a single tap after a game over? Why does this simple little game have a leaderboard and online functionality?”
“Fourth question: Did anyone notice the ad banner on the game over screen?”
“Think about these questions carefully.”
After finishing, Qiu Hengyang deliberately turned off his microphone, giving the audience a few minutes to ponder.
The audience immediately started discussing.
These people were all gaming enthusiasts, naturally interested in the intricacies of game design and fond of analysis. Plus, most of them were addicted to “Flappy Bird,” so Qiu Hengyang’s questions got them thinking.
Chen Mo was a bit surprised. Qiu Hengyang’s questions essentially hit all the key points of the game, which Chen Mo found remarkable.
After all, in this world, game design concepts were very backward and full of prejudice.
Clearly, Qiu Hengyang was no ordinary person. He could set aside bias and seriously study the factors behind a game’s success, rather than crudely attributing it to “luck” or similar reasons. In Chen Mo’s view, this was the most crucial quality for a game designer.
Based on this alone, Chen Mo had no doubt that if Qiu Hengyang were thrown into his previous life, he would still be an outstanding game designer.
Qiu Hengyang felt the audience had thought enough and continued, “You should have a vague sense of it by now. Congratulations, you’ve taken the first step. Welcome to the realm of a designer’s thinking.”
“First question: Is this game’s art style really that bad?”
“Look at this bird. What’s your first impression? Dumb? Cute? Silly? Clueless? Notice, this is a pixel art style. The lines and colors used for the bird are very simple, but big eyes, a sausage mouth, and small wings directly create a silly bird image. That’s not easy to achieve.”
“Moreover, the bird’s image perfectly matches the game’s content. The bird’s stupidity effectively dilutes the frustration of failure, even making you feel like it’s the bird’s fault, not yours, right?”
As soon as Qiu Hengyang finished, laughter erupted in the hall.
Qiu Hengyang continued, “Second question: Why did I ask about the bird’s falling speed and flight height after a tap? Simple—these are two key numerical elements that directly determine the game’s difficulty.”
“If the falling speed is too fast and the ascent too high, the game becomes extremely hard, and most people’s scores won’t exceed double digits. Then the frustration would be intense, and most people wouldn’t play for long.”
“But if it’s the opposite? The game becomes too easy. Most people could score dozens of points, and soon they’d realize the game is boring and tedious, quickly giving up.”
“So, in my view, this game’s numerical design is very clever. It perfectly balances this point, making the game hard and punishing, so most people can’t get high scores, but it gives you just enough hope to keep trying with a sense of luck.”
“Third question: The designer deliberately made the game over screen simple. A single tap restarts the game, cutting out unnecessary steps so you can quickly start a new round. Through constant repetition, you become numb to the game over, even losing track of time.”
“As for the online and ranking features, in my opinion, they are the finishing touch of this game. Without online functionality, its data would be a third of what it is now, or even less.”
“Why? Because in this kind of game, only comparison gives your score meaning. Otherwise, even if you grind a high score, what’s the point if you can’t show it off to others?”
“When I say show off, I don’t mean passing your phone around. It’s about displaying it directly on the leaderboard to everyone who’s played the game—‘Look how good I am!’ How many of you here have grinded scores like I have?”
A large number of audience members raised their hands.
Qiu Hengyang nodded. “That’s what I mean. The online and ranking features are the finishing touch of this game!”
A front-row audience member shouted, “Teacher Qiu, is that your reason for grinding a score of 39 and signing your own name?”
The hall burst into laughter.