Chapter 144: Theme Song
The playtime of *Wulin Heroes* is not fixed. If a skilled player just wants to breeze through the story, they can finish it in about thirty hours. But if a newbie wants to properly achieve a Alliance Leader ending or a Overlord ending, even with a guide, it might take over fifty hours.
Of course, if someone wants to experience all the endings and branching storylines—like those obsessive-compulsive players who insist on completing every side quest in Luoyang City before even taking a master—then the time is simply incalculable.
For someone like Lin Xue, a pure novice playing the game without any guide at all, she might have to play through it two or three times just to barely scrape out the Alliance Leader main storyline ending.
But for now, she didn't know this harsh truth yet. She was still playing with great enthusiasm, completely forgetting to go and gank Chen Mo.
...
Zen Interactive Entertainment.
Yao Yu was still busy arranging the promotional plan for *Sword Chasing the Immortal Path*.
"Right, for this CG, pick a few exciting shots and put them up. Also, the combat system—make sure to highlight some of the flashier spells. This image is too dark; take it down, or increase the saturation. And this..."
In terms of promotion, the main thing was to use promotional images and videos to spark players' interest in the game. Yao Yu was very experienced in this area, and all the tasks were arranged in an orderly manner.
Just then, his assistant walked over: "There's news about Chen Mo's new game. It's a wuxia theme!"
Yao Yu was taken aback: "Wuxia theme? So he's planning to participate in this year's selection too?"
The assistant nodded: "Definitely. Otherwise, why would he bother making a wuxia game when the genre is so weak?"
Yao Yu said: "Is there a video? Let me see it."
In truth, Yao Yu was also quite nervous. As soon as he heard Chen Mo was working on something, he felt uncertain.
If it were any other B-grade designer, Yao Yu wouldn't care at all. Let them do whatever they want, especially with a notoriously doomed wuxia theme—wasn't that just asking for failure?
But Chen Mo was different. This guy was uncanny. Everyone thought a game was impossible to make, yet he somehow pulled it off. Yao Yu couldn't afford to be careless.
The assistant handed over a phone, which showed some gameplay clips of *Wulin Heroes* that players had uploaded online.
Chen Mo hadn't restricted these clips. Even if other designers saw them, it was too late—the event deadline was almost up, and the games were already finalized. Other designers wouldn't have time to copy anything anyway.
For Yao Yu, there was even less need to copy, because *Sword Chasing the Immortal Path* had a very mature plan, and he couldn't force any changes now. He watched the clips mainly to get a sense of what Chen Mo's new game was all about.
Frowning, Yao Yu watched several clips totaling nearly ten minutes.
"A world map plus a training mode? What is this? Makes no sense." Yao Yu was a bit confused.
*Wulin Heroes* had extremely rich content. Even playing it yourself, you might not fully understand it, let alone just watching a few clips. Yao Yu watched again and roughly determined that the core competitiveness of *Wulin Heroes* lay mainly in its gameplay. As for deeper aspects, he really couldn't see much.
The assistant asked: "What do you think we should do?"
Yao Yu thought for a moment: "Apply for more promotional budget and push it everywhere! His game sells on its gameplay. With such rich content, the initial learning curve must be very high. This time, we'll fight a promotional war. We'll firmly grab the players' attention. As long as his game doesn't generate buzz, it'll spread very slowly."
The assistant nodded: "Okay, I understand!"
Although it was for the selection, game sales and player reputation were also factors the judging committee considered. If the judges thought a game was good but its sales were terrible, it would definitely affect the outcome.
Yao Yu's thinking was clear: *Wulin Heroes* had a high learning curve and many innovations, so promoting it would definitely be harder than *Sword Chasing the Immortal Path*. If he could dominate in promotion, then for him, with one side rising and the other falling, the first prize was still well within reach.
Moreover, Yao Yu knew some of Chen Mo's habits. Chen Mo didn't like spending too much money on promotion. Yao Yu was confident that as long as he could firmly occupy the early buzz, gather more praise from the player base, and boost sales, it would be a sure win.
Even if *Wulin Heroes* gained momentum later, so what? The awards would already be decided!
...
Chen Mo wasn't at the experience store today.
At the Blazing Aurora Studio, Chen Mo was chatting with Guo Feng.
"So, have you found the singer yet? If the recording doesn't satisfy me, I'm not paying," Chen Mo said.
Guo Feng chuckled: "Don't worry. We've worked together for so long; can't you trust me? But this CG you made this time is way too simple. When are you going to bring another big project like *Warcraft*?"
Chen Mo rolled his eyes: "Dream on! You've got a whole big studio; you can't rely on me to keep you afloat, right? Besides, you still haven't finished the batch of CGs for *Warcraft*!"
Guo Feng said: "Don't rush. We're working overtime on it."
Chen Mo waved his hand: "Alright, since we've worked together for so long, no need for formalities. I'm telling you, this song is pretty important for my new game. You need to take it seriously."
Guo Feng patted his chest: "Absolutely. The recording studio equipment, the band, the lead singer—all top-notch. Of course, if you're looking for some superstar, that's a bit over the top, but the lead singer I've found is first-rate. Their singing skills are definitely no problem..."
Chen Mo nodded: "Fine. The lyrics and melody are already done, and the arrangement is finished too. If the singing doesn't sound good, then I'll really have to go find a superstar to sing it."
Guo Feng said: "Alright, it's your song, you call the shots! You're not short on cash now. Hiring a superstar to sing a song is no big deal."
Chen Mo quickly waved his hand: "What's with you? You sound pretty full of yourself. Alright, stop there. Hurry up and let me hear the latest demo."
Guo Feng said: "They're recording it right now. Don't rush. It should be done pretty soon. They'll send it over quickly."
After waiting another ten-plus minutes, Guo Feng received a music file.
"Alright, it's out. Listen to it first and see if you're satisfied. If not, I'll have him sing it a few more times." Guo Feng handed the headphones to Chen Mo.
Chen Mo put on the headphones and listened a few times.
After finishing, he took off the headphones and shook his head: "No good."
Guo Feng was stunned: "No good? What's wrong?"
Chen Mo said: "Everything's wrong. Find someone else."
Guo Feng was dumbfounded. Was it really necessary to replace the person?
Guo Feng had listened to the song himself. Although he was in animation and didn't have deep knowledge of music, he had been in this industry for years and had heard countless opening and ending themes. He could still tell basic quality.
If Guo Feng had to evaluate this song, it was definitely decent. The singer's skills were solid, and the song itself was well-written. Why was Chen Mo so dissatisfied?
But since Chen Mo said it wasn't good, Guo Feng had no choice but to follow his lead.
"Alright, I'll contact them again for you."
...
Hong Kong, Huaxiang Record Company, Recording Studio.
Zhou Yifeng had been having a headache lately.
As the hottest male singer under Huaxiang Records, Zhou Yifeng's career had been going smoothly, developing quite well.
But recently, he had been troubled by his new album.
The songs for the new album were almost all ready, except for the most important title track, which still had no clear direction.
Zhou Yifeng was considered a powerhouse singer. His appearance was average, but his singing skills were outstanding, and he was a singer-songwriter, so he was very well-known in the mainland.
The problem was that singer-songwriters often faced creative block. He hadn't released any truly popular hit songs in nearly two years. He could still get by on his old songs, but that wasn't a long-term solution.
After all, the current environment was very restless. Fame came and went quickly. If you didn't release an album for a year, you might get overtaken. If your popularity faded for two consecutive years, you wouldn't be far from being forgotten.
His agent came over to him: "Yifeng, someone from the mainland is inviting you to sing. High price."
Zhou Yifeng frowned: "Didn't I say? During the preparation for the new album, turn down everything. Don't bother telling me about commercial gigs like this anymore."
The agent shook his head: "It's not a commercial gig. A game company wants a theme song. They've provided the lyrics and melody and are asking you to sing it."
Zhou Yifeng was a bit annoyed: "I don't have time either. I'm busy preparing the new album. Turn it down."
The agent hesitated for a moment, then said: "But I listened to the song. I suggest you listen to it before deciding."