Chapter 430: Heated Discussion
“Please don’t push! Line up in an orderly fashion, one at a time! Due to the high number of people wanting to try it out, each player is currently limited to ten minutes of experience time in the VR game pods. Please be courteous and take turns…”
Several staff members were working extremely hard to maintain order, but there was no helping it—Thunderbolt Interactive’s booth was completely packed. Those inside the VR game pods didn’t want to come out, while those outside were impatiently waiting in line, eager to get in. The crowd kept growing.
Forced into a corner, these VR game pods had to be put on a time limit. Even so, many people felt they hadn’t had their fill. After stepping out of the pods, they’d circle around outside, trying to sneak back in for another round.
Plenty of players who couldn’t squeeze in were gathered around the stage, shouting at Chen Mo from a distance.
“When’s *Overwatch* coming out—no, I mean, going online?”
“Is it really completely free? So it can be installed on any VR game pod?”
“Chen Mo, I’m your fan! Can you let me try it out first, please?!”
“What about us poor folks who can’t afford a VR game pod?”
With the players this enthusiastic, Chen Mo couldn’t just play dead. He answered them one by one.
“It’s coming soon. We’re in the final optimization phase now. It should be online around early February. Testing? No, no, no—my games don’t have testing phases. Everything that goes online is a finished product.”
“That’s right, completely free. Once it’s online, you can install it and play as much as you want.”
“If you want to try it, get in line quickly. I can’t give you special treatment in front of everyone.”
“It’s fine, really. Once the game goes online, everyone can play it. Why rush these few days?”
“Can’t afford a VR game pod… buddy, I seriously advise you to save up first. Real life matters more. Don’t keep obsessing over playing games. Of course, if you really want one, go participate in the Thunderbolt card game tournaments—they give away game pods…”
Chen Mo usually kept a low profile and didn’t stream. Aside from occasionally posting on Weibo, he rarely interacted with players. So for many people, getting a chance to see Chen Mo in person was quite rare.
Now that there was an opportunity to chat with Chen Mo on the spot, a bunch of audience members crowded over, asking questions one after another, turning a perfectly good game exhibition into a massive press conference.
…
By the end of the entire day’s exhibition, Chen Mo was completely exhausted.
The main reason was that the players were just too enthusiastic. Even when it was time to close the venue, these players simply refused to leave.
The exhibition lasted three days. Over those three days, the popularity of Thunderbolt Interactive’s booth kept rising, eventually becoming the hottest booth at the entire exhibition, even overshadowing Imperial Dynasty Interactive and Zen Interactive!
Moreover, the crowd grew larger each day. By the end, it had gotten to the point where many players took one look at the entrance of the exhibition hall and turned back in dismay.
As the exhibition continued to heat up, news of Chen Mo’s new game, *Overwatch*, quickly spread online, instantly igniting the entire gaming circle.
…
A designer chat group.
“Who’s at the YouPlay exhibition? Has anyone tried Chen Mo’s new game?”
“Are you talking about *Overwatch*? Seems like a lot of people are mentioning it. How is it?”
“Didn’t get to play it—too many people! But from the on-site trial videos, the game looks pretty good. Chen Mo’s usual standard!”
“Yeah, it seems like an FPS game, but with MOBA elements added in!”
“I heard it’s a free game.”
“Again? Does he want to replicate *League of Legends*’ success on the VR platform? What ambition!”
“But wasn’t it already established that first-person MOBAs can’t be done?!”
“That’s not it! A VR MOBA definitely can’t be done, but an FPS with skills… ah, I can’t explain it well. I can only say that while similar ideas have come up before, no one has ever actually pulled it off.”
“What’s with Chen Mo’s pace? The *League of Legends* World Finals just wrapped up, and he’s already making another new game?”
“I guess we just don’t understand the world of the greats. If I were the designer of *League of Legends*, I’d be content to live off that one game for the rest of my life. Why bother making anything else?”
“…So that’s why you’re a nobody, and Chen Mo is the big shot.”
“Wait, I suddenly have a bad feeling. Chen Mo choosing this time to release a new game feels like he’s up to something. Could it be for this year’s big award—Game of the Year?”
“Game of the Year?! No way, this game doesn’t seem like the kind that has championship potential.”
“But think about it—Chen Mo has already swept most of the PC awards this year with *League of Legends*. Why would he bother releasing a new game a few months early to steal his own game’s thunder?”
“Maybe it’s like *League of Legends*, using the Spring Festival holiday for marketing? I heard last year, Chen Mo spent the Spring Festival in the imperial capital just to promote *League of Legends*.”
“It’s different now. Last year was the platform war—he was trying to grab users for the Thunderbolt Game Platform. This year? The platform war is already over. *League of Legends* is a huge hit, and the Thunderbolt Game Platform’s dominance is set. He doesn’t need to rush. In my opinion, he’s definitely aiming for the Game of the Year award before the Spring Festival.”
“…Scary! Has that day finally come?”
…
On the forums.
“Chen Mo said the new game *Overwatch* is completely free! There’s a good chance the VR platform will also see a dominant competitive game like *League of Legends*!”
“Completely free? Nice, that’s Chen Mo’s usual style!”
“…Come on, can Chen Mo really lose money? Why does he seem so generous?”
“How is he not generous? If it were other game companies, it would be a buy-to-play model plus premium services. Selling a VR game for six or seven hundred yuan would already be considered cheap. Chen Mo just waves his hand and waives the entry fee for everyone. That’s what you call a big move!”
“Exactly. If this were really more profitable, wouldn’t other VR game companies be stupid not to go completely free? Clearly, only Chen Mo has the confidence to do this!”
“This game looks amazing from the trial videos. So cool, I can’t help but want to play it.”
“Chen Mo’s ambitions are huge!”
“I think everyone shouldn’t be blindly optimistic. *League of Legends*’ success on PC was phenomenal, but there were many factors involved. Mainly, there weren’t any strong competitors on PC, and MOBA games were completely groundbreaking. With the right time, place, and people, *League of Legends* was able to succeed. But FPS games on the VR platform have been around for a while. It’s way too hard for *Overwatch* to completely dominate!”
“Hard or not, that’s not for us to decide. Let’s just sit back and watch. I think even if *Overwatch* doesn’t reach the level of dominance *League of Legends* has on PC, it definitely won’t be bad!”
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