Chapter 149: First Prize
Soon, the other players also discovered that the popularity of *Wulin Heroes* hadn’t declined at all—it was steadily rising!
Take *Sword of Heartfelt Longing*, for example. Most players bought that game for its story. Once they finished the narrative, very few chose to play it a second time.
But *Wulin Heroes* was different. Its branching storylines were so numerous that playing it three or four times still wouldn’t let you experience everything. And even setting the story aside, its combat system was incredibly replayable.
Sword techniques, blade techniques, fist and palm strikes, hidden weapons… The martial arts paths in *Wulin Heroes* were divided into many schools. Combined with different talents and specialized skills, the complexity of the combinations was immense!
Most of the players who got stuck were blocked right at the beginning. Anyone who managed to push through almost invariably went back for a second or third playthrough, at least to complete both the righteous and evil endings.
On the forums, many people were posting discussions: martial arts schools, story flows, specialized skills, strategy guides… There was so much to talk about in this game—ten times more than *Sword of Heartfelt Longing*!
Soon, the first-month sales figures for this batch of Chinese-style games came out.
The highly anticipated *Sword of Heartfelt Longing* sold 320,000 copies in its first month. That number was actually quite respectable for a domestic single-player game.
As for *Wulin Heroes*, its first-month sales exceeded 400,000 copies!
In truth, this number wasn’t all that impressive. In terms of sales, it couldn’t even match *Plants vs. Zombies*, let alone reach the level of *Warcraft*. In terms of revenue, its first-month turnover was lower than the mobile game *I Am MT*.
But for a domestic single-player game, especially a wuxia-themed one, this figure was actually quite good. After all, it was a niche genre, and there was an element of fulfilling a political task behind it. This sales number already represented the highest standard for domestic wuxia single-player games!
More importantly, this game showed players the infinite possibilities of Chinese-style games. Domestic single-player games didn’t have to rely solely on selling stories; they could also be sandbox-style, with highly complex gameplay. The only limit was the designer’s imagination.
…
Soon, gaming media began publishing articles.
*“The Top Contender for First Prize? Who Can Rival *Wulin Heroes*?”*
*“A Wuxia Game That Can’t Fully Present the Martial World? This Game Did It!”*
*“Player Reviews: A High-Freedom Wuxia World!”*
*“Game Review: Tough to Start, Rich in Content, Unbeatable Creativity!”*
*“Chen Mo, Always Skilled at Western Fantasy, Proves He Can Master Chinese Style Too!”*
Of course, many gaming outlets were also hyping up *Sword of Heartfelt Longing*. But in comparison, those articles felt far weaker, endlessly repeating how touching the story was while having nothing substantial to say about the gameplay.
Finally, when the Game Committee’s announcement revealed the final results of this Chinese-style game themed event, everything was settled.
*Wulin Heroes* was awarded first prize, while *Sword of Heartfelt Longing* had to settle for second place.
Although the Game Committee’s official documents didn’t express any specific stance, this outcome was widely expected and served as a final verdict. It was essentially official recognition that *Wulin Heroes* was the best Chinese-style wuxia game on the market—bar none.
Along with the results, an appreciation article for *Wulin Heroes* was posted on the homepage of the game editor.
“For a long time, domestic single-player games have been trapped in the ‘fight monsters, level up, progress the story’ model, which has already tired players out. Yet designers have been unwilling to innovate in gameplay, instead focusing only on story and graphics, turning domestic single-player games—especially xianxia titles—into embroidered pillows with no substance.”
“But *Wulin Heroes* has completely changed this model. Its greatest feature lies in ‘freedom.’ Players can determine their attributes and martial arts through cultivation, and even choose between righteous or evil paths. This level of freedom is something no other domestic game has achieved.”
“Although this game still has many flaws, such as a high barrier to entry and weak guidance, these don’t detract from its success. It remains the best wuxia-themed single-player game on the current market—without exception.”
“Perhaps domestic designers should all learn something from *Wulin Heroes*: focus on designing gameplay, rather than just swapping out stories and calling it a new game.”
This appreciation article essentially served as the Game Committee’s final word, cementing *Wulin Heroes*’ position in domestic single-player gaming while also taking a subtle jab at games like *Sword of Heartfelt Longing*, which prioritized story and graphics while neglecting gameplay.
In the end, thanks to *Wulin Heroes*, Chen Mo successfully won first prize in this event, greatly boosting his recognition within the gaming industry!
…
Experience Store.
Su Jinyu exclaimed in surprise, “Boss, look! *Wulin Heroes* has been featured on the official app store’s homepage recommendation slot!”
Chen Mo took a look. Sure enough, *Wulin Heroes* had been placed in the best recommendation slot on the official app store’s homepage for a week.
The impact of this slot on sales was secondary; its main effect was significantly raising Chen Mo’s profile.
Additionally, the Game Committee had sent over the certificate yesterday, inscribed with “First Prize in the Traditional Culture Themed Game Activity Season,” along with a trophy. Both were officially issued and very formal.
Since it was a fairly prestigious trophy, Chen Mo had Su Jinyu place it on the bookshelf in the experience store, clearing a special spot for it.
Su Jinyu remarked, “Back when Boss was making *Wulin Heroes*, a lot of people were skeptical, thinking it was too risky. But look now—whether it’s sales or expert reviews, *Wulin Heroes* has been a huge success!”
Zheng Hongxi added, “I was actually worried at first too, afraid players wouldn’t accept this model. But it seems I was overthinking it.”
Chen Mo smiled but said nothing.
In truth, he had been very confident about *Wulin Heroes* and had long anticipated this outcome.
As a game that sold itself on its story, *Sword of Heartfelt Longing*’s narrative quality didn’t come close to that of *The Legend of Sword and Fairy I*; it was merely decent at best.
How could a game with only a pretty exterior and no substance compare to a classic like *Wulin Heroes*, which could keep players engaged for six or seven years?
In the previous world, the development of domestic games had suffered severe setbacks. The reasons were complex—piracy, players’ spending habits, game developers, and the market itself.
But regardless of the causes, the end result was that domestic single-player games nearly vanished. Game companies drifted further and further down the path of pay-to-win games, and even companies with ample funding and technology were unwilling to develop single-player titles anymore. It was, without a doubt, a tragedy.
Chen Mo chose to create *Wulin Heroes* because he wanted the players of this world to experience this unique wuxia game and to give domestic single-player game designers a little inspiration.