Chapter 736: Ten Million as a Test Run
As for "Seaside Mansion," it didn't stir up much of a commotion. The download numbers were high—after all, it was free—but the reception was merely average.
For players who had already purchased "Uncharted," this scene was essentially just the final chapter taken out and offered separately. It could be replayed, but no matter how many times you played it, there was only so much to do.
There were indeed some expandable interactive features, like interacting with the dog at home—feeding it, walking it, grooming it, and so on—all done quite realistically. But in the end, it was just a fleeting novelty.
Many people still had a ton of VR games waiting to be played in their gaming pods. Who had the leisure to spend every day in a seaside mansion feeding a dog?
Besides, VR games covered all sorts of themes—medieval castles, futuristic sci-fi warships. A mansion like this might seem very appealing compared to a real-world apartment block, but compared to in-game buildings, it fell far short.
So, most players just treated it as a bonus and didn't pay it much mind.
Some players even joked, "Chen Mo is such a good guy! Spend 2888 and get a free seaside mansion!"
There was also a small group of players who really liked this ocean-view property and even set it as the relaxation mode scene in their gaming pods, but such people were relatively few.
Regardless, the "Uncharted" theme and "Seaside Mansion" gave "Uncharted" another massive boost in popularity.
Just as "Lost Treasure" was about to officially launch, "Uncharted" conveniently popped up again, giving it a hard hit.
The last bit of buzz around "Lost Treasure" dissipated like smoke with the hot sales of the "Uncharted" theme...
...
In the experience store, Chen Mo was resting on the sofa when Li Jingsi came in from outside and sat down across from him.
"I'm exhausted," Li Jingsi said, stretching.
Chen Mo looked up with a slight smile. "All done filming?"
Li Jingsi nodded. "Done. It was more troublesome than I expected."
Chen Mo asked, "How did the photos turn out?"
Li Jingsi shrugged casually. "No idea. I just went through the motions. I'll have them send the photos over for you to see."
Chen Mo took the phone from Li Jingsi's hand. It had several promotional images on it, all of women's spring and fall clothing.
Both Li Jingsi and Li Jingshu had gone to shoot. One went for a pure and innocent vibe, the other for a mature look. And honestly, the promotional images turned out really well.
Especially Li Jingsi—she only wore a bit of light makeup, but the photos didn't need any retouching at all. They could be posted online directly.
"They look great. A professional photographer, huh? Must have cost a lot to hire you as a model?" Chen Mo handed the phone back.
Li Jingsi waved her hand dismissively. "Cost? It's my cousin's company. My older cousin and I were both dragged into it by him. No pay, just 30% shares."
Chen Mo chuckled. "30% and you're still complaining? You take 30%, your older cousin takes another 30%, and your cousin gets 40%... That's practically your own company. Your cousin is pretty generous."
Li Jingsi said, "Hey, generous? It's all family. Besides, the company is still bleeding money right now. Breaking even would be a win."
"Speaking of which, my older cousin occasionally helps him with some company stuff. Me? I can only fill in as a model once in a while."
Chen Mo nodded. "Not bad. Your cousin is pretty impressive. Just graduated and already thinking about starting his own business?"
Li Jingsi nodded. "Yeah. He's different from me. He went to school down south and has a better head for business. He started researching these things as soon as he entered college. This clothing brand he's doing now? It's basically paying fashion designers and then finding factories to manufacture. The clothes aren't high-end, but the quality is decent. The one I'm wearing is from him."
Chen Mo nodded. "That's good. Making your own brand is better than copying foreign ones. Did he get any investment?"
Li Jingsi said, "Investment? He saved up some money in college, asked the family for a bit more, scraped together a few hundred thousand, and got it started. This is it—the first batch of clothes is already made, and now he's worried about sales."
"That sounds tough." Chen Mo put the book he was holding back on the shelf. "How about I throw some money his way? What kind of good clothes can you make with just a few hundred thousand in startup capital?"
Li Jingsi quickly shook her head. "No. His business is his own thing. If you invest, it wouldn't count as his own achievement."
Chen Mo laughed. "It's fine. Isn't this company partly yours too? Just a little investment. Starting a business isn't easy. Without money, you can't do anything without holding back, and you can't do it well. Then we can hire top domestic fashion designers and use the best materials. If we're going to do it, we might as well go all out."
Li Jingsi was a bit stunned. "Where would we find top designers?"
Chen Mo said, "What's so hard about that? Just pay them, right? How much do you think is appropriate? How about we start with ten million as a test run?"
Li Jingsi: "...What the hell, ten million as a test run! No way. Even if you have money, you can't just throw it away like that."
Chen Mo said with some regret, "It's a shame I'm not some top celebrity. Otherwise, I could endorse your cousin's clothing brand. That would probably work pretty well."
Li Jingsi smiled. "Regretting it now? It's fine. You can still switch to the entertainment industry if you want. Just invest in your own movies, act in them yourself, and buy your way in."
Chen Mo laughed. "Forget it. But I do have an idea."
...
A week later, "Lost Treasure" officially launched.
As most players had expected, the delayed release of "Lost Treasure" did come with many changes, but it was all for nothing.
Even by "Lost Treasure"'s production standards, it was a rare gem in the GA game library. But unfortunately, its opponent was "Uncharted."
No matter how much it was modified, "Lost Treasure" could never reach the level of "Uncharted." Its sales were doomed to flop.
What's more, Chen Mo had already hinted that "Uncharted" would release three DLCs later, covering previous adventures like the Kingdom of Shambhala and the City of a Thousand Pillars. Players were even less inclined to buy "Lost Treasure."
They needed to save up for those three DLCs!
It could be said that from the very start of "Lost Treasure"'s promotional campaign, "Uncharted" had been dominating on all fronts.
The publicity war.
Earlier demos and release.
Overwhelming game quality and word of mouth.
GA had put in a huge effort. Just when "Lost Treasure" was starting to gain a bit of traction, "Uncharted" dropped the gaming pod theme, "Seaside Mansion," and news of three upcoming DLCs in quick succession...
GA was utterly speechless. What kind of grudge was this?!