Chapter 2: Rich Game Content, Healthy and Uplifting Theme, Showcasing Traditional Chinese Culture, Edutainment
IV. Rewards
After the end of this quarter, a review committee composed of the Game and Virtual Reality Technology Committee will evaluate the games. There will be one first prize, three second prizes, five third prizes, and several excellence awards.
Winning designers will receive certificates, and the winning games will receive a one-month recommendation slot on the official app store.
The signature was "Game and Virtual Reality Technology Committee," and the date was yesterday.
Chen Mo's mouth twitched slightly.
Wasn't this just a straightforward official document?
Even the punctuation reeked of bureaucratic jargon!
And what the hell was the "Game and Virtual Reality Technology Committee"? In Chen Mo's previous life, there was no such department at all!
Previously, Chen Mo had only used the editor to make games. He had never really paid attention to the relationship between the editor, the app store, and the relevant authorities.
After looking it up online, Chen Mo suddenly understood.
This "Game and Virtual Reality Technology Committee," abbreviated as "Game Committee," was indeed a legitimate government department under the Ministry of Culture, with significant authority. Basically, the entire gaming industry was under its jurisdiction.
As for why this department existed?
The emergence of virtual reality technology made every country realize its development potential. To give a simple example, soldiers could conduct live combat training in a VR world, which was both safe and cost-effective.
Virtual reality technology could be used not only for games but also had immeasurable value in other fields.
However, to build a complete virtual reality world using the editor, it ultimately had to be done by designers.
Thus, the "Game Committee" came into being.
This world placed such importance on the gaming industry not out of some "artistic consideration," but because the gaming industry would promote the development of virtual reality technology, which could play a huge role in various fields.
As a result, the status of designers rose accordingly.
The Game Committee represented the relevant national authorities. They gathered the country's top researchers to create the Fantasy World Editor for designers to use, established a rating mechanism to help designers grow, and eventually enter the VR game field to create virtual reality games.
As for the official app store, it was also affiliated with the Game Committee. Twenty percent of the revenue from games on the store was handed over to the Game Committee for daily expenses and research funding.
At this point, Chen Mo understood.
Why did Lin Mao tell him to take this seriously? Because this event was organized by the Game Committee! This was a legitimate government department.
If the game was well-made and the authorities promoted it, it might even make the news. Wouldn't that skyrocket his fame?
"Really won't let me take a break."
Chen Mo had originally planned to rest for a couple of days, but work came knocking so quickly.
The time for this event seemed ample, but it was only one quarter, meaning three months! In other words, Chen Mo had to make a game related to traditional Chinese culture within three months, and it had to be of high quality, meeting the requirements of the Game Committee judges.
Since he was participating in the competition, he was definitely aiming for first place.
"A Chinese-style game? And it has to be edutainment?"
Chen Mo had a few Chinese-style games in mind, but he hadn't decided which one to make. After some thought, he decided to meet Lin Mao first and talk it over.
...
At a barbecue joint, Chen Mo and Lin Mao were eating skewers.
They hadn't seen each other for a while. Chen Mo had been busy with game development recently and had little free time. This meeting was a chance to chat casually, essentially to relax and de-stress.
Lin Mao asked, "Did you see that announcement?"
Chen Mo nodded. "Yeah, I saw it. But I haven't quite figured out what game to make yet."
Lin Mao said, "No rush, take your time. Actually, this event isn't mandatory. If you have your own plans, you don't have to participate. After all, your strength lies in Western fantasy. If you don't think you can make a Chinese-style game well enough to rank, there's no need to go through the trouble."
Chen Mo picked up a skewer of tendon from the table. "I really want to work on this theme. Since I entered the industry, the games I've made have mostly been Western fantasy-related. I haven't made a single Chinese-style game yet."
Lin Mao said, "If you want to do it, that's even better. It would be great if you could get a ranking. The recommendation slot is secondary; the main thing is to get noticed by the people at the Game Committee. That's more important."
Chen Mo was stunned. "Huh? That's the most important thing?"
Lin Mao said, "What did you think? The entire gaming industry is under their control. Of course, I'm not saying we should worry about offending them, and there's no need to. But if you can get their attention or even their recognition, it would be incredibly important for your future development."
Chen Mo nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. Then I need to prepare well and aim for the first prize."
Lin Mao waved his hand. "Don't count on first prize. Getting second or third prize would be good enough."
Chen Mo asked in confusion, "Why?"
Lin Mao said, "Don't get me wrong. I'm not doubting your ability. It's the time. This event only lasts three months, meaning you have to finish the game in three months."
Chen Mo nodded. "Yeah, but aren't the others also working within three months?"
Lin Mao shook his head. "Of course not! Big companies like Imperial Dynasty Interactive and Zen Intent Interactive have insiders with inside information. They knew about this one or two months ago. They have a whole one to two months more development time than you. How can you compete?"
Chen Mo was shocked. "What the hell? That's allowed?"
Lin Mao said, "Hey, why wouldn't it be? This news isn't some secret within the Game Committee. As long as you know someone, getting a hint isn't hard. Only designers like us find out after the announcement is made."
Chen Mo said in frustration, "Unbelievable. Is there any fairness in this event?"
Lin Mao said, "There's nothing you can do about it. It's basically an unspoken rule in the industry. Everyone knows it. If we could develop to the level of Imperial Dynasty or Zen Intent, we could play the same game. For now? We just have to take it easy."
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