Chapter 166: I’ll Just Quietly Watch You Show Off 16/17
Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, “Oh, this game, like 'I Am MT,' is also a reflection of 'creating happiness with heart.' I think the success of 'Onmyoji' wouldn’t have been possible without the players’ support. Clearly, players are increasingly able to appreciate the happiness I create for them.”
Han Lu’s mouth twitched slightly. Sure enough, Chen Mo was still the same as before—hard to deal with!
But Han Lu wasn’t flustered; she had come prepared.
“Some players say this game places too much emphasis on probability, making it very unfriendly to those with bad luck. What’s your take on that?”
Chen Mo said, “Oh, it’s like this. I think 'Onmyoji' is actually fairer than 'I Am MT.'”
Han Lu: “???”
She was stunned. What did he mean? A game that demands so much spending, and you have the nerve to call it fair?
Chen Mo noticed her confusion and explained, “Look, in 'I Am MT,' spending money makes you stronger, giving whales an absolute advantage over free-to-play players. But in 'Onmyoji,' even whales who spend money don’t necessarily get stronger, and free players who don’t spend a cent might still pull an SSR. As long as you put in the effort, a free player can beat a whale. Doesn’t that prove 'Onmyoji' is a fairer game?”
Han Lu’s eyes widened. She vaguely felt something was off, but she couldn’t seem to refute it.
How did Chen Mo’s words actually sound kind of reasonable?
She quickly banished that thought from her mind, thought for a moment, and decided to change the angle.
“There were rumors that after 'Onmyoji' became a huge hit, you gave each of your three assistants an 18-month year-end bonus. Is that true?”
Chen Mo said, “Oh, I need to clarify that. That’s not true.”
Han Lu nodded. “Yeah, I thought it sounded a bit far-fetched. If it were five or six months, I might believe it.”
Chen Mo paused, then added, “Actually, it’s easy to tell it’s fake because it’s not even the end of the year yet. What I actually gave out was a quarterly bonus.”
Han Lu was utterly shocked. “What? An 18-month bonus as a quarterly bonus?”
Chen Mo nodded. “Right. As everyone knows, at Thunderbolt Interactive, we always uphold the philosophy of 'creating happiness with heart.' I want every employee to design games with passion. Money isn’t really that important; what binds us together is our ideals, our love for games.”
“This bonus is mainly to ensure their basic living expenses. After all, life in the capital is so stressful, and working with me on games is pretty tough…”
Before Chen Mo could finish, Han Lu was already on her knees. What the hell? An 18-month bonus as a quarterly bonus? Just to cover basic living expenses?
Han Lu exclaimed in shock, “I have to ask—are you hiring? Like, someone from a top university?”
Chen Mo said, “Well, I’m not really short on assistants at the moment…”
Han Lu: “I’d even sweep the floor!”
Chen Mo chuckled. “Maybe there’ll be a recruitment plan soon, but the exact timing hasn’t been decided.”
Han Lu nodded. “Ahem, alright. Let’s move on to the next topic.”
“As everyone knows, you’re now the most profitable mobile game designer in the country. So, what’s your take on ‘making money’? Do you have some unique secret?”
Chen Mo said, “Oh, this. Well, it’s not like I make games just for the money. Earning money is just a side effect, you know?”
Han Lu was baffled. “A side effect?”
Chen Mo nodded. “Exactly. Actually, making games is about bringing happiness to players, creating value for society, and pursuing art. A lot of the time, I don’t make money—I lose money.”
Han Lu was stunned. “You? Lose money?”
Wasn’t that ridiculous? 'Onmyoji' was raking in 200 million a month, and you’re saying you lose money?
Lying through your teeth! Let’s see how you spin this one!
Chen Mo explained, “You don’t believe me? Look at 'Onmyoji.' I give players jade every now and then—during holidays, with version updates—and it’s always a hundred or two hundred jade. That’s all money.”
“Players even say, ‘Get rich, rely on maintenance.’ That shows the players are profiting.”
“Think about it. If I give each player a hundred or two hundred jade a day, and 'Onmyoji' has millions of active players, how much money am I giving away daily?”
“A quick calculation shows it’s astronomical!”
“So, you see, a lot of free players who don’t like spending money are actually making a huge profit from 'Onmyoji.' Getting such a rare SSR for free—isn’t that a huge win?”
Han Lu was dumbfounded, wearing an expression that screamed, “I’ll just quietly watch you show off.”
Clearly, she couldn’t find a breakthrough with 'Onmyoji,' so she decided to switch games.
“Actually, you’ve also moved into PC games, right? And you’ve developed two very successful titles: 'Warcraft' and 'The Legend of the Martial Heroes,' both top-tier in their respective fields.”
“So, I’d like to ask, why did you choose a buy-to-play model for these two games instead of the free-to-play model like 'Onmyoji'?”
Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, “If the players strongly demand it, it’s not impossible…”
Han Lu quickly raised a hand to stop him. “Stop! Stop! I mean, this is fine as it is!”
Han Lu broke out in a cold sweat. If Chen Mo actually turned 'Warcraft' into a pay-to-win item shop game, the players would curse her to death.
Chen Mo said, “Actually, technically, there’s no difficulty. If the players really insist…”
Han Lu hurriedly said, “No player would insist on something like that. Please stop right there!”
Chen Mo nodded. “Alright.”
Han Lu wiped the sweat from her forehead. “So, Mr. Chen Mo, what are your thoughts on the future of card-based mobile games? As everyone knows, 'I Am MT' pioneered the card game genre, leading other designers to imitate it. Do you think after 'Onmyoji,' there will be so many designers copying—uh, I mean, learning from it?”
Chen Mo thought for a moment. “I think there will still be some designers who are tempted by the 'Onmyoji' model and want to borrow from it. But I sincerely advise everyone: the card game market is only so big. 'Onmyoji' is a fat guy, and there’s basically no room left for anyone else.”
Han Lu was shocked. This Chen Mo really had some nerve! He was basically saying he’d cornered the entire card game market, and everyone else should step aside?
It felt like he was declaring war on all card game designers!
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