Chapter 236: Questions
The PPT flipped to the last page.
Chen Mo said, "Alright, that concludes all the content for this new game press conference. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask. I'll set aside half an hour specifically to answer everyone's questions."
After Chen Mo's patient explanations and the game demo video, the reporters had a very thorough understanding of *Minecraft*.
Hearing that it was time for questions, many reporters raised their hands eagerly.
Chen Mo picked a reporter in the front row at random. "You, sir with the glasses, go ahead."
The bespectacled reporter stood up, took the microphone from a staff member, and said, "First of all, thank you very much for the wonderful presentation. I'm very interested in this game. But I have a question: if this is a game where the main fun is 'stacking blocks,' is it appropriate to release it on the VR platform? The VR platform has relatively few teenage players—are you aware of that?"
Chen Mo nodded and said, "I understand your point. Let me put it this way: *Minecraft* is positioned as an all-ages game. We hope adults can also find the same joy in this game, so I don't see any issue with it. Alright, next—the young lady with the blonde hair."
The blonde-haired woman asked, "Hello, Mr. Chen Mo. My question is, why did you choose a game like this as your first foray into the VR field? Are you aiming to focus on the puzzle genre?"
Chen Mo shook his head. "No, as I said earlier, this is an all-ages game. My goal is to make it popular worldwide, to have every game pod equipped with *Minecraft*."
Blonde-haired woman: "?!"
Everyone showed surprised expressions. Clearly, this sounded like a pretty bold boast.
A middle-aged reporter asked, "You've designed some derivative gameplay for *Minecraft*, but compared to large-scale MMORPGs, the gameplay still seems limited. Will there be further DLC development, like with *Don't Starve*? But in principle, I think *Minecraft* is already a complete product and doesn't need additional DLC."
The reporters continued asking questions, and the scope expanded more and more. At first, most people were asking about *Minecraft*-related topics, but later, questions about *Diablo*, *Don't Starve*, and *World of Warcraft* came up. Some even wanted to know Chen Mo's next development plans.
Chen Mo answered them one by one. For questions he didn't want to answer, he simply declined to disclose anything.
Finally, Han Lu stood up.
"Hello. Recently, the VR game *Thousand Prisons*, designed by Yan Zhenyuan, an S-class designer from Imperial Dynasty Interactive Entertainment, is about to launch. There's been a lot of outside commentary suggesting that this game has, to some extent, borrowed from *Diablo*."
"My question is, do you consider this borrowing? And why did you choose this particular time to release *Minecraft*? Is it to compete with *Thousand Prisons*?"
Chen Mo smiled and said, "Whether it's borrowing or not, it doesn't really matter. When designers create games, they draw inspiration from many sources. Sometimes they subconsciously use good ideas from other games; sometimes two designers' ideas just happen to align. So, I don't really mind it."
Han Lu pressed further, "So, does that mean you chose to release *Minecraft* at the same time as *Thousand Prisons* purely by coincidence?"
Chen Mo said, "Of course not."
Han Lu was taken aback. "Huh?"
Chen Mo smiled. "Because this is my first VR game, I'm still mainly learning. But everyone can look forward to seeing which game—*Minecraft* or *Thousand Prisons*—will have higher sales and profits."
The reporters on site were all dumbfounded.
What the hell?
He was talking nicely earlier, being generous, saying he didn't mind others borrowing, and claiming he was mainly learning. But what was that last part about?
So he deliberately timed *Minecraft* to launch alongside *Thousand Prisons*, and he wants us to guess which game will sell more?
Do we even need to guess? These games aren't even on the same level! Just in terms of production difficulty, *Thousand Prisons* is leagues ahead!
There's no way *Minecraft* can beat it in sales or profits!
Many reporters were frantically taking notes. Chen Mo, at his new game press conference, openly challenging *Thousand Prisons*? That was clearly a hot topic, perfect for clickbait.
Many reporters smirked knowingly. Chen Mo was definitely stirring up hype to promote his game for free again.
Han Lu asked, "Uh, one last question: how would you evaluate *Thousand Prisons* as a game?"
Chen Mo thought for a moment. "Uh, I need to think about that for a bit."
His right hand instinctively touched the bracelet on his left wrist as he pondered for about ten seconds.
The reporters below were a bit surprised.
Normally, this was a rather provocative topic. If Chen Mo didn't want to answer, he could have simply refused, claimed he hadn't played it, or given some polite, diplomatic response. Any of those would have worked.
But Chen Mo was actually thinking seriously?
Chen Mo seemed to have organized his thoughts and said, "Ah, to be honest, I'm not really sure why you're asking this question."
"How is *Thousand Prisons*? Do you even need to ask? I think it's absolutely perfect—definitely a game that will top the bestseller charts."
"Are some of you worried that Old Yan might fail? That's not happening. What are you thinking? Think about it: Imperial Dynasty Interactive Entertainment has the best game distribution channels in the country. Old Yan himself has tons of experience. This game fills a gap in the 'grind-and-loot' VR genre. It basically has all the advantages—timing, location, and people—right? Failing is impossible."
"For the entire gaming industry this year, it's basically just Old Yan putting on a show. I think this year can be defined as the 'Year of *Thousand Prisons*,' because no other game this year will be able to compete with it."
"As for the game's sales? Let me put it this way: it's impossible for it not to be a hit. Think about it—with the support of the Imperial Dynasty game platform, there's no way it won't be popular, right?"
"Also, I've played *Thousand Prisons* myself. It's really fun and high-quality. This game will definitely be a huge success—no doubt about it."
"Alright, that's about it. We're running out of time today, so this press conference is now concluded."
With that, Chen Mo walked straight off the stage.
The reporters all looked at each other in bewilderment.
What the hell? Chen Mo, at his own new game press conference, spent a whole lot of time hyping up *Thousand Prisons*?
And he was laying it on way too thick—'all the advantages,' 'the Year of *Thousand Prisons*'?
All the reporters were completely baffled.
What was Chen Mo's angle here? Was he… trying to jinx the other game?