Chapter 79: Creating Happiness with Heart
The next day.
Han Lu arrived at the experience store right on time.
She looked like a fairly quiet girl, not too old either, around twenty-five or twenty-six.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Chen Mo." Han Lu extended her hand, and Chen Mo shook it.
"Let's find a slightly quieter place." Chen Mo led Han Lu up to his workspace on the second floor.
As soon as the two went upstairs, Su Jinyu, Jia Peng, and the others all looked toward the stairwell.
"Who's that girl?" Jia Peng asked.
Su Jinyu said, "Seems like a reporter from a gaming channel, here to interview the boss."
Jia Peng exclaimed in surprise, "Interview the boss? My god, is the boss already that famous?"
Everyone: "Scary! Feels like the boss is about to blow up!"
...
In the workspace.
Chen Mo poured Han Lu a glass of water, and the two sat down on the sofa.
Han Lu said, "You've probably been pretty busy lately. Thank you for taking the time out for this exclusive interview."
Chen Mo shook his head: "Not busy at all. I've been resting recently."
Han Lu coughed dryly twice: "Uh, well, okay."
How does this guy not know how to keep a conversation going! Chen Mo had already stumped Han Lu on her first interview question.
Chen Mo said, "It's fine, don't be nervous. It's just a casual chat, right?"
Han Lu was speechless. What the hell? Am I interviewing you, or are you interviewing me!
Han Lu thought for a moment: "Alright, then where should we start..."
"Let's start with *I Am MT*. We all know the game's results were excellent—23 million in first-month revenue—and you became well-known throughout the gaming circle because of it. So, when you first planned this game, did you expect it to make so much money?"
Chen Mo nodded: "Yeah, I knew."
Han Lu: "???"
This wasn't matching the script she had in mind!
Normally, when faced with this question, most game designers would say something like "I actually didn't expect it" blah blah blah, because the gaming industry is full of uncertainty, and no one can be sure their game will be a hit.
But Chen Mo just flat-out said he knew *I Am MT* would make that much money?
What bullshit!
The first question already hit a serious snag, and Han Lu felt a headache coming on. She was starting to realize that Chen Mo's thought process seemed a bit different from ordinary people.
"Then, can you tell me how you predicted that? Or rather, why were you so confident in this game?"
Han Lu's second question was improvised on the spot. After asking it, she let out a long breath, thinking to herself, *Thank goodness I'm a professional journalist with solid skills. My on-the-spot adaptability is just perfect.*
Chen Mo said, "Actually, my creed in designing games is 'Creating Happiness with Heart.' Being able to make such an excellent game comes down to three aspects."
"First, my passion for games."
"Second, my sincerity toward the players."
"Third, my persistence in chasing my dreams."
"If there's anything else, it's a little bit of luck."
"So I felt this game would be a hit."
Han Lu's eyes widened slightly. She couldn't believe those words came out of Chen Mo's mouth.
What the hell? Passion? Sincerity? Persistence?
Is this the designer who made *I Am MT* talking?
These are all empty platitudes! If making good games only required passion, sincerity, and persistence, wouldn't the number of good games in the world have exploded by now?
Besides, Han Lu had done her homework. She had played *I Am MT*. What the hell did it have to do with "passion, sincerity, and persistence"!
Was he showing passion through cash-grabbing, and sincerity through money-pit mechanics?!
Watching Chen Mo spout nonsense with a straight face, Han Lu felt her interview was in serious trouble.
This was Chen Mo's exact quote. Should she write it or not?
If she didn't write it, how would she finish the article?
If she wrote it, who among the players would believe it! She felt that if she wrote this, readers would question the intelligence of both the journalist and the editor!
Han Lu rubbed her temples, composed herself, and said, "Okay, let's change the subject. What do you think about *I Am MT*'s low rating of around 7 points on the app stores?"
Chen Mo said, "Well, I think that's pretty normal. Since the game is free to download, it's inevitable that competitors would maliciously smear it. They download the game at no cost, so giving it a one-star rating is easy for them."
"That's why it breaks my heart. I worked so hard to develop such a conscientious free game, only to have it maliciously smeared by competitors. This was a game that could have scored over 9 points, but now it's stuck around 7. How should I put it? I feel deeply pained!"
"I think the official app stores should seriously crack down on this behavior and give *I Am MT* the justice it deserves!"
Han Lu was dumbfounded again.
Was that competitors maliciously smearing it? Those were angry players leaving bad reviews!
Did Chen Mo not know that? How could he not! He was blatantly lying through his teeth!
Han Lu held her forehead. She had originally wanted to do an in-depth, explosive interview, but Chen Mo's verbal jabs had her completely disoriented, barely able to find north!
Han Lu thought for a moment: "So, I heard that in *I Am MT*, there's a card called 'Big Sister' that sells for 2,000 yuan. Many game critics say this has seriously affected the game's fairness. How do you view this?"
Chen Mo said, "Oh, about rare cards, it's basically like stamp collecting. You know stamp collecting, right? Some rare stamps cost thousands, or even tens of thousands. Right? Similarly, *I Am MT* has a collection element. Some wealthy players spend money to complete their card album. I see that as recognition of the game."
Han Lu asked, "So you're saying you don't think *I Am MT* is an unfair game at all?"
Chen Mo shook his head: "That's not a great question. Look, there's no absolutely fair game in the world. In some games, if you spend more time, you're stronger. Or if you have better skills, you're stronger. Or if you're luckier, you're stronger. Or if you have better connections, you're stronger... Games themselves are like small worlds. It's hard for people to be absolutely equal. So, yes, I admit *I Am MT* is an unfair game."
"Uh..."
Han Lu was a bit confused. She felt like she had gotten tangled up in Chen Mo's logic and forgotten what she originally wanted to ask.
After two minutes of not figuring it out, Han Lu flipped through her little notebook and decided to move on to the next topic.
"Actually, I did some simple homework before coming here. One thing that surprised me was the amount players spent in *I Am MT*. According to professionals, the number of paying players might account for about 10% of the total player base, and their average spending is around 200 yuan."
"You know, most mobile games with a one-time purchase model only cost about 10 to 50 yuan. Yet these players spent up to 200 yuan on *I Am MT*. Why is that? What aspect of this game attracts them to spend so much money?"