Chapter 175: A Toxic Game
"Happy Match" was an incredibly overpowered game. In Chen Mo's previous life, its player base even covered children under ten and middle-aged and elderly people over fifty. Just five months after its launch, its daily active users broke through ten million. Later, after further development, it even surpassed fifty million, making it a true national-level casual mobile game.
So, what exactly was the magic of this game?
In terms of gameplay, "Happy Match" didn't use time as the main difficulty like traditional match-three games. Instead, it used the number of moves as the primary challenge. This gave players plenty of time to think carefully about their next move without any need to rush.
This turned the match-three game into a true puzzle game, rather than a test of hand speed, reaction time, or eyesight.
At the same time, "Happy Match" enriched the variety of matching methods. There were line-clear special effects, area-blast special effects, and magic bird special effects. Using different special effects together would also produce special results, often achieving a full-screen clear. For players, this brought an explosive sense of satisfaction, while also greatly enhancing the fun and randomness.
In terms of scoring, "Happy Match" had perfect numerical control. Matching elements gave basic points, using special effects gave extra score bonuses, and consecutive matches gave additional score rewards. Different scores corresponded to different star ratings, making the entire game's numerical system deeper.
In terms of levels, "Happy Match"'s level design was entirely master-level. The entire game had over 1,200 levels, divided into five major categories. As the game progressed, various special levels were unlocked.
These included portals, ice blocks, golden pods, snow blocks, gift boxes, fur balls, vines, ropes, venom, silver coins, chicken coops, clouds, gems, balloons, flying saucers, rockets, octopuses, quicksand...
The constant appearance of these various special elements kept players highly interested in the game, making it hard to get bored.
Moreover, the game's level difficulty was well-balanced. Players rarely got stuck on a single level for days. They would make some progress every day, but it wouldn't be so easy that they could breeze through without any challenge.
Even the art and music had been polished countless times.
"Happy Match" had tried multiple art styles. Just the animal models alone had 36 design versions. The final art style was chosen to appeal to the vast majority of players' aesthetics, allowing it to capture the widest possible player base.
In terms of sound effects, "Happy Match" was equally outstanding. Especially the crackling sound when clearing ice blocks, which gave players an extremely strong sense of satisfaction. Some players even said that even if they couldn't clear a level for half a month, just listening to the sound of ice shattering was satisfying enough.
Moreover, when players cleared a large area, various special sound effects would follow one after another, accompanied by voice lines like "Excellent" and "Unbelievable," giving players immense psychological satisfaction.
Finally, there was the social system. "Happy Match"'s social system was very cunning. You could check your friends' progress at any time, see their highest scores on a particular level, send each other stamina, and ask for help unlocking new levels. This maximized the interaction between players, allowing the game to spread continuously among friends.
Soon, the players playing "Happy Match" were all hooked.
"Damn, I'm out of stamina."
"Come on, add me as a friend, I'll send you some stamina."
"The later levels are so interesting. How many special elements did Chen Mo make?"
"I can't stop at all!"
"The sound effects are so satisfying, especially when clearing ice blocks. I feel like I could listen to that sound all afternoon!"
"I've got nothing to do anyway. You should play too."
"I'm waiting to try out the high-level account!"
"Why bother with a high-level account? Is 'Moon Goddess's Oracle' even as fun as this?"
"Hey, wait, it's already my turn? I haven't finished this level yet. Alright, buddy behind me, you go ahead and get into the game pod."
"I haven't finished my level either!"
After all, there were too few game pods. Most people had nothing to do, and playing "Happy Match" quickly got them addicted. Many people had their turn come up, but they couldn't bear to leave their current level and didn't want to go in!
The staff from Imperial Dynasty Interactive were almost losing their minds. What the hell had Chen Mo done? Had he put a spell on the players?
How could they ignore a VR game and all be playing a mobile game instead?
Wasn't this just a match-three game? No matter how well it was made, could it really be that special?
Chen Mo's people were also dumbfounded. What was going on?
They were all playing "Happy Match" too, and they thought it was pretty fun, but they never expected the game to be this addictive. Even the people waiting in line had started playing, and they were having a blast!
Chang Xiuya praised, "The boss is really something. VR game or not, he just used a mobile game to hold the whole scene!"
Qian Kun was laughing uncontrollably. "Look at the expressions on those Imperial Dynasty Interactive staff members' faces. They're practically fuming. They prepared a VR game as their big move, and it's been completely overshadowed by a mobile game. Hilarious!"
Chen Mo came down from the stage and walked toward the Imperial Dynasty Interactive booth.
Along the way, many people were playing "Happy Match." Chen Mo walked straight up to the Imperial Dynasty Interactive booth and asked the staff, "Look at these people, completely addicted to a mobile game. The VR game pods are all empty. How about I go try one out?"
The staff were speechless. How thick-skinned could you be?
Did you have any idea of your relationship with Imperial Dynasty Interactive? How could you come over and ask? This was a blatant provocation!
But the staff certainly couldn't kick Chen Mo out. They could only force a smile. "Please don't joke. There are still so many people waiting in line."
Just then, a female cosplayer walked over. "It's fine. He's the founder of Thunderbolt Interactive after all. Just let him play. It'll give him a chance to offer some feedback on the game."
Chen Mo looked at her. This girl was dressed quite provocatively, showing off her waist and legs. Her face and figure were flawless. She seemed to have been dancing with the other girls earlier.
He glanced at her name tag. It read: Qiudao Yu.
The staff member looked a bit helpless. "Alright then, I'll arrange it for you."
Chen Mo quickly waved his hand. "No need, no need. I was just joking with you, trying to lighten the mood."
In truth, Chen Mo had no intention of trying out any VR game. He had only come over to joke around and tease the Imperial Dynasty Interactive staff.
Qiudao Yu looked Chen Mo up and down. "To be honest, Mr. Chen Mo, you're even younger than I imagined."
Chen Mo replied, "Thanks. I saw you dancing earlier. You're pretty good. How about coming to work for my company?"
The Imperial Dynasty Interactive staff were about to vomit blood. How could you just ask her to join your company? Have you no shame? And with so many people watching, you're openly poaching talent?
Qiudao Yu laughed. "My salary is pretty high, Mr. Chen Mo. You might not be able to afford me."
"Is that so?" Chen Mo thought for a moment. "Well then, sorry to bother you."
Qiudao Yu let out a "pfft" laugh. "You're really something. You didn't even ask how much it is before giving up? Doesn't seem like a very sincere invitation. Here, let's exchange contact info. If I ever really want to jump ship, I'll let you know."
Chen Mo thought about it. "Alright."
Right in front of the staff, the two of them pulled out their phones and exchanged contact information.
The staff were utterly speechless. What was this all about? These two were a perfect match in terms of shamelessness. Were they just pretending I didn't exist?
"Alright, see you around." Chen Mo waved and headed back to his own booth.
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(Book recommendation: "Naruto: Living Long Enough to See It All" by Siyang, a masterpiece not to be missed.)