Chapter 490: The First Lesson
“Quite a few people have shown up. I’m pleased.”
Chen Mo looked at the audience below with satisfaction and said, “First, let me introduce myself to all the students. My name is Chen Mo, the designer of *League of Legends* and *Overwatch*. Most of you here should already know me, so I won’t say much more. Saying too much might make it seem like I’m showing off.”
A burst of laughter erupted from the audience. This kind of self-praise was quite original. This Chen Mo really was just like in his live streams, always fond of cracking witty remarks.
Once the laughter gradually subsided, Chen Mo continued, “First of all, I’d like to thank the Game Committee and the leaders of the Game Design program at World Number One University for letting me teach this course. I’m truly honored.”
“Today is the first lesson. Let’s briefly talk about the course itself. It’s called ‘Game Industry Outlook,’ which means summarizing the past development experience of the gaming industry and looking ahead to its future prospects.”
“As for some past experiences, you’ve already covered them last semester, so I won’t repeat them. Right now, we can say it’s an era where mobile games, PC games, and VR games coexist. As for the future… it might be the age of virtual games, or it might not be. That’s a key point we’ll explore in later lessons.”
“Of course, according to current general understanding, the future will definitely be dominated by virtual games. Since virtual games can outperform mobile and PC in every aspect of experience, many people believe that with continuous technological development and the popularization of VR game pods, VR games will inevitably replace mobile and PC as humanity’s primary and most high-end form of entertainment, becoming the mainstream game genre.”
“Regarding this viewpoint, I’d first like to hear your thoughts. Are there any students who want to speak up?”
The students below responded enthusiastically, raising their hands one after another.
Chen Mo pointed to a girl with glasses in the front row. “You go ahead.”
The girl with glasses stood up. “Hello, Teacher Chen Mo! I think this is an obvious fact. VR games outperform mobile and PC in every aspect. Although VR games aren’t very widespread in the country right now, that’s mainly due to the cost of VR equipment.”
“Currently, a VR game pod costs anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. For the average income level in this country, that’s way too expensive. But in the future, if we could enter a virtual world using just a VR headset or even a pair of VR glasses? Or if the price of VR game pods drops significantly, down to a few thousand, the same price as a PC, then VR games will definitely squeeze the living space out of PC games. So I believe the future will be dominated by VR games.”
Chen Mo nodded, then pointed to a chubby boy in the middle row.
The boy stood up. “I think in the future, VR game pods will definitely become mainstream, but PC and mobile should still have some room to survive. Unless something like virtual glasses or headsets that integrate mobile and PC functions appears. Until then, VR games won’t be able to completely unify the entire gaming market.”
“But given our current level of technological development, that day is still far off. So the coexistence of mobile, PC, and VR will persist for a long time.”
Chen Mo called on a few more students.
Everyone expressed their opinions, but the overall idea was similar. They all believed that virtual games becoming mainstream was just a matter of time.
Before virtual games completely unify the market, other gaming platforms, including mobile and PC, won’t suffer a fatal blow, but they won’t thrive either.
Chen Mo nodded. This viewpoint basically represented the current mainstream opinion.
Chen Mo said, “This is what I want to talk about today. I have a different take on this.”
“Are games really completely limited by platforms? I don’t think so. A truly good game is a good game no matter what platform it’s on. It might even save a platform because of that game.”
The students blinked. This was a novel and unconventional statement.
A student below asked, “Teacher Chen Mo, are you talking about *League of Legends*?”
When Chen Mo said this, many people’s first thought was *League of Legends*. Before *League of Legends*, PC games were completely suppressed by VR games. But the explosive popularity of *League of Legends* caught many off guard. Its popularity even surpassed many VR games on the market.
Moreover, *League of Legends* couldn’t be adapted into a VR game, which made many realize that VR wasn’t all-powerful.
Chen Mo nodded. “*League of Legends* is just one example. In fact, there are still many gaps in the domestic gaming market. VR games can’t fully cover these gaps.”
A student asked, “Teacher Chen Mo, what gaps are you referring to?”
Chen Mo replied, “Games are a form of expression, while devices are a medium. VR game pods are just one medium. They have advantages but also disadvantages. They can’t meet everyone’s needs. For a simple example, handheld consoles still have room to survive even now. It’s just that no one is making them.”
Everyone was stunned.
Handheld consoles?
In this parallel world, handheld consoles had existed. So-called handheld consoles were essentially portable gaming devices, mainly characterized by being playable in your hands.
But handheld consoles in this world never fully developed and quickly disappeared. Because technology advanced rapidly, and with the improvement of tech levels, smartphones became widespread, and handheld consoles were completely replaced by mobile games.
Indeed, handheld consoles and mobile phones had a high degree of functional overlap. In the eyes of designers in this world, most functions of a handheld console could be realized on a phone. So why spend extra money to buy a handheld console?
Thus, after hearing Chen Mo’s statement, everyone was a bit surprised. Handheld consoles were considered an obsolete gaming medium, a fact widely acknowledged in the gaming industry.
Several lecturers and professors in the back row frowned. What was going on? How could Chen Mo make such a basic mistake?
A bolder student raised his hand and said, “Teacher Chen Mo, are you sure handheld consoles still have room to survive in this era? Handheld consoles and mobile phones have highly overlapping functions. Anything a handheld console can do, a phone can do. So why buy a handheld console? It doesn’t make sense.”
Chen Mo smiled. “Because the handheld console I’m talking about isn’t the kind you’re imagining. You’re all picturing a handheld console as a phone that can’t make calls or install other software, right?”
The students exchanged glances. What difference did that make?
Wasn’t a handheld console just a device that couldn’t install other software or make calls? What else set it apart from a phone?
Chen Mo said, “Imagine this: suppose there’s a handheld console where you can play open-world games. It has real joysticks and real buttons, offering better feel than a phone’s virtual joystick. It’s very convenient, and you can play it anytime, anywhere. How many people do you think would buy it?”
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