Chapter 11: The Most Important Quality of a Game Designer
The host also noticed the barb in Shi Huazhe's words and, fearing trouble, quickly said, "Alright, thank you for your advice, Teacher Shi. I'm sure contestant Chen Mo will remember the wisdom of his elder. Now, let's move on..."
Before the host could finish, Chen Mo had already brought the microphone to his lips: "I disagree with your view."
The host was stunned. Shi Huazhe was dumbfounded!
Qiu Hengyang and Lin Hai also looked utterly surprised.
What was this? Was the contestant about to go head-to-head with the judge?
The host was a bit flustered, but he couldn't stop Chen Mo from speaking. He had no choice but to brace himself and listen to what Chen Mo had to say.
"Watch your words. This is live," the host whispered to Chen Mo without using the microphone.
Chen Mo ignored the host and spoke into the mic: "Ladies and gentlemen, when you played *Flappy Bird* and achieved your highest score ever, were you happy? If you were happy, raise your hand."
The audience paused for a moment, then more than half of them raised their hands.
"When your rank on the leaderboard went up, were you happy? If you were happy, raise your hand."
Again, more than half raised their hands, slightly fewer than before, but still a significant number.
"When you played with friends and scored higher than them, were you happy? If you were happy, raise your hand."
This time, even more people raised their hands—most of the audience.
"After failing, did you choose to give up or try again? If you chose to give up, raise your hand."
Almost no one raised their hands.
"You tried many more times. If you felt those attempts were meaningless, raise your hand."
A few audience members raised their hands, but after glancing around, they put them back down.
Chen Mo continued: "Clearly, the audience believes my game brought them joy."
"The role of a game is to stir the player's emotions. Sometimes negative emotions can blind you, but think about it: if a game only brought you negative feelings, would you keep playing it?"
Many in the audience shook their heads.
Chen Mo went on: "Any game you keep playing is one that brings you happiness. Unless you're a masochist."
The venue erupted in laughter.
Chen Mo looked at Shi Huazhe: "Just because you can't appreciate the fun in this game doesn't mean it doesn't exist. On the contrary, my players think it's an enjoyable game. It didn't capture so many players solely by triggering negative emotions."
Shi Huazhe's mouth twitched slightly.
Chen Mo continued: "I believe the most important quality for a designer is objectivity—being able to look at any game impartially, even if you don't like it yourself. That's what makes a qualified designer."
"A food critic who doesn't like spicy food goes to a Sichuan restaurant and gives it the lowest score every time. Is he a qualified food critic?"
"Similarly, if you call a game garbage just because you don't like it, what's the difference between you and that food critic who hates Sichuan cuisine?"
"I'm done. Thank you."
Chen Mo shoved the microphone into the host's hand and turned to walk off the stage.
He had no time to waste arguing with Shi Huazhe.
"You..."
Shi Huazhe's eyes widened in anger, and he nearly slammed the table and stood up.
Lin Hai, sitting next to him, quickly pulled him back: "He's just a clueless kid. Don't stoop to his level."
Shi Huazhe's face turned red with fury, but in the end, he didn't explode. It wasn't that he didn't want to—it was that he couldn't think of a retort to Chen Mo's words!
Chen Mo had gotten the audience to raise their hands and used the food critic analogy, crafting a flawless argument. Aside from being deliberately obtuse, Shi Huazhe had no way to counter it.
Qiu Hengyang couldn't help but smile. He hadn't expected Chen Mo to shut Shi Huazhe down so decisively and cleanly!
Just now, Chen Mo had spoken on stage with smooth words and clear logic—how was he like a novice game designer? He was even more polished than some seasoned veterans who had hosted countless press conferences!
Moreover, the way Chen Mo looked at Shi Huazhe—calling it a "look of pity for an idiot" might be too harsh, but it was basically like an adult watching a child throw a tantrum.
This shocked Qiu Hengyang. He realized with surprise that this guy seemed to have more depth than he'd imagined?
Qiu Hengyang stood up and followed Chen Mo off the stage.
...
Chen Mo couldn't be bothered with how the host would clean up the mess. He had already secured first place and gotten everything he wanted.
As soon as he stepped off stage, Qiu Hengyang caught up to him.
"Mr. Chen Mo," Qiu Hengyang said, approaching him.
Chen Mo was a bit surprised: "Hello, is there something you need?"
Qiu Hengyang said, "It's like this: I really admire your work. I'd like to ask if you'd be willing to join Hengyou Network as my assistant. Of course, the compensation will be generous."
Chen Mo shook his head: "I appreciate the offer, but I have my own plans."
Qiu Hengyang nodded. He caught the implication in Chen Mo's words—clearly, this was someone unlikely to work under someone else. He would probably start his own company and develop his own games.
"Alright, I wish you all the best. I hope we'll have a chance to collaborate in the future," Qiu Hengyang said.
Chen Mo nodded: "Good. I hope so too."
They shook hands. Qiu Hengyang didn't say much more, exchanged contact information, and left.
For others, this might have been a very tempting offer, but for Chen Mo, it held no appeal at all.
Even if the CEO of a giant like Dizhao Interactive Entertainment personally invited him to be their lead designer, he wouldn't go. Working under someone else always meant being constrained, and Chen Mo didn't like having anyone hold him back when designing games.
Soon, Chen Mo found the competition staff.
The staff member said, "We've recorded your account. The 300,000 yuan in development funds should be deposited within two to three business days. Please remember to check."
"Also, here's the key to the experience store. Make a note of the address. A dedicated staff member will come to help you set it up. If you have any issues, just call me. You're free to decide the layout, but the budget is limited. We can discuss the details later."
Chen Mo nodded: "Alright, got it. Thanks."
After that, everything was just formalities. Once the handover was complete, Chen Mo hailed a taxi and left the competition venue.
It was too hot, and Chen Mo was still in his formal wear. The thought of squeezing onto a bus or subway was a pain, and since he'd just won 300,000 yuan, he figured he'd splurge a little!
The traffic wasn't too bad. About half an hour later, Chen Mo returned to the hotel where he'd been staying.
Back in his room, he stripped off his formal clothes, changed into a T-shirt and shorts, and started packing his luggage.
Chen Mo's place in the capital was outside the Fifth Ring Road, far from here—nearly an hour by subway. Unfortunately, rent in the capital was too expensive; he couldn't afford a place near the Third Ring.
But now that he had the experience store, he could cancel the lease on his old apartment.
He didn't have much luggage—one suitcase was enough to fit everything, including his laptop. Chen Mo packed up, checked out of the hotel, and took a taxi straight to the experience store, planning to check out the place first.