Chapter 141: New Guests at the Experience Store
As the days passed, many companies were quietly developing Chinese-style games, hoping to secure a good ranking through this selection.
Among these games, mobile games were the majority, PC games were fewer, and there were no VR games.
The main reason was that the time was too short—only three months in total. Even for large companies with inside information like Imperial Dynasty Interactive and Zen Interactive, they could only get a little over a month of extra development time.
Developing a large-scale VR game within this timeframe was far too difficult, or rather, completely impossible.
Moreover, this game selection was primarily for the evaluation. There was no need to spend a huge sum on a VR game just to please the judges. What if the judges didn’t like it, and the players didn’t either? Wouldn’t that be a total loss?
So, large companies opted for PC games, while smaller companies mostly chose mobile games.
Among the player community, many had learned about this news through various channels and were discussing it enthusiastically.
"Have you heard? The Game Committee recently launched a 'Chinese-Style Game Theme Season,' encouraging designers to develop more Chinese-style games during this period."
"Again? The batch of games from the last 'Anti-Japanese War Game Theme Season' hasn’t even cooled off yet!"
"Yeah, the games from that Anti-Japanese War theme season were so cringeworthy, almost on par with those ridiculous war TV dramas."
"Sigh, it’s a political task after all, everyone gets it. These games aren’t made for us to play; they’re made for the judges to see."
"But the judges’ standards are pretty decent, just a bit too highbrow."
"Exactly, the first, second, and third prizes they picked actually looked somewhat reasonable, but you can basically figure out the pattern: stick to the theme, high production quality, distinctive art style, innovative gameplay, and a good story. As long as you meet these points, you can win."
"Can’t blame them; the judges treat games as works of art."
"At least this time it’s not an Anti-Japanese War theme."
"A Chinese-style theme... feels a bit risky too. What can you even make? I feel like a ton of xianxia games are going to pop up again."
"Sigh, xianxia games have been done to death."
"I’m wondering if Zen Interactive will be predetermined to win first prize this time."
"Predetermined or not, Zen Interactive is basically a shoo-in for first prize. They have deep roots in xianxia games, and their stories are well-written."
"But I always feel like their games are missing something."
"By the way, do you think Chen Mo will participate? If he puts the same effort into making a Chinese-style game as he did with 'Warcraft,' it would be very promising!"
"Chen Mo? I don’t think so. Chen Mo specializes in Western fantasy—like 'I Am MT,' 'Lifeline,' and 'Warcraft,' all Western themes. 'Plants vs. Zombies' is also basically a Western setting. He’s never made a Chinese-style game!"
"True, it’s not his strong suit. If he forces himself to compete, it might backfire."
"But among domestic designers, there aren’t many who can give me that kind of surprise. Maybe Chen Mo can handle Chinese-style themes too?"
"That’s unlikely. Everyone has their specialty!"
"What’s the big deal? Who would’ve thought Chen Mo could make an RTS? Didn’t he still pull it off?"
"That’s a good point. Hey, if he’s preparing something, we should be able to try a demo at his experience store by now, right? I happen to live in the capital."
"Wow, man, you’re really dedicated."
"Can’t help it. I’m really interested in Chinese-style games. There are only two weeks left until the event ends. I figure if Chen Mo is making something, it should be almost done. I’ll go check it out."
"Go ahead! The folks back home are waiting for news of your triumphant return!"
...
...
Not far from the entrance of the experience store, a girl holding her phone was speaking to the screen.
"Today, we’re back with everyone’s favorite outdoor segment. Guess where I am? That’s right, here—the Thunder Game Experience Store!"
As she spoke, she aimed the camera at the store’s sign.
"Honestly, I’ve been meaning to come here for a while. After all, this is the company that made 'Warcraft,' and the store is right in the capital. It would be a shame not to visit. But mainly, I’m not a big fan of RTS games, and I’ve been busy with streaming lately, so I couldn’t find the time."
"For today’s stream, let’s check out what’s happening in the experience store. Maybe we’ll even run into Chen Mo, the designer of 'Warcraft.'"
With that, she walked into the store.
The girl’s name was Lin Xue, a well-known single-player game streamer with a huge following online.
Unlike other female streamers, she started by making videos and had a high level of education.
How high?
She was the top liberal arts student in her province, earned a bachelor’s degree from Renmin University, and a master’s from Peking University.
Logically, someone like her could easily land a job earning 20,000 to 30,000 yuan a month after graduation. But since she had already built a large following through her videos during college, Lin Xue chose to pursue streaming and self-media after graduating.
And she did it quite successfully.
It was Lin Xue who had previously mentioned online that she would visit Chen Mo’s store to check out Chinese-style games.
Stepping into the experience store, Lin Xue was a bit surprised.
So many people!
The store wasn’t big—fewer than 20 computers and 10 massage chairs—and almost all of them were occupied. There were even people chatting on the sofas nearby.
But it made sense. 'Warcraft' was still popular among RTS players, and those living near the store would come daily to play.
Luckily, Lin Xue had chosen a Tuesday afternoon, when there were relatively fewer people and some empty spots.
Lin Xue approached the front desk.
Su Jinyu, busy adjusting game content in the editor, said, "Welcome. Please swipe your ID card here."
As Lin Xue swiped her card, she sneaked a peek at Su Jinyu’s screen.
This was the first time she’d seen such a busy front desk at an experience store—juggling greeting customers and assisting with game design.
But the game on the screen caught Lin Xue’s attention.
Su Jinyu was currently adjusting some settings in the nurturing mode based on Zheng Hongxi’s script. What Lin Xue saw was a slightly chibi-style scene. From the characters’ appearances, clothing, and the setting, it looked like a martial arts-themed game.
"So they really are making a Chinese-style game! But it seems like it’s not xianxia—it’s a martial arts theme!"
Lin Xue asked, "Can I play this game now?"
Su Jinyu replied, "Oh, yes. It’s already been updated on the store’s computers. But the game isn’t fully finished yet, so there might be some unbalanced stat settings."
Lin Xue nodded. "Got it, thanks."
There was only one empty computer left in the store, so Lin Xue quickly sat down.
On her phone screen, a dense stream of comments flew by.
"Beautiful girl! The front desk beauty!"
"The front desk girl is so cute! Give us her contact info!"
"Ah Xue, show us more of the front desk girl! We want to see!"
Lin Xue was speechless. "You guys!"