Chapter 816: Rapid Spread
Online, topics about "Pokémon World" and the Matrix Glasses had together become trending hot topics. Players were sharing their game experiences, explaining the basic settings of the game, and some hardcore players, relying on their own grinding and spending experience, analyzed certain battle techniques and selflessly shared them with other players.
Speaking of spending money, Chen Mo didn't actually intend to make "Pokémon World" a pay-to-win game, because the main purpose of this game was to promote the Matrix Glasses as a device. Moreover, as an MR game, "Pokémon World" encouraged everyone to go outside and collect more Pokémon, meaning "walk more to get stronger." If some wealthy players simply didn't walk and just threw money around to obtain all kinds of powerful Pokémon, that would go against the game's original intent.
Therefore, only the purchase of some basic items was opened in the shop, such as Poké Balls, Incubators, and Backpack Slots. Players could spend money to slightly compensate for the gap in grinding and luck, but if they wanted to catch better Pokémon or evolve them into stronger forms, they still had to go outside.
So, the spending level of this game was relatively friendly. Daily items had purchase limits, and Backpack Slots and Pokémon Storage had caps. Once the cap was reached, you couldn't expand further.
It was a standard "small spend brings joy, big spend is impossible" kind of game.
It could be said to be very conscientious.
However, for players without Matrix Glasses, seeing others discuss "Pokémon World" left them completely bewildered.
" 'Pokémon World' is way more fun than I imagined! This game feels absolutely addictive, truly addictive!"
"I walked until I was dead on the first day it launched... This game has really pushed my exercise levels to an all-time high!"
"Our company has a rule that everyone must walk ten kilometers a week. Before, I had to ride a shared bike every now and then to make up the numbers, but now I probably won't need to... I think my step count is definitely going to be at the top of our company..."
"Upstairs, what kind of weird company do you work for that has such a rule..."
"I work for a football club, and our boss likes sports..."
"I caught a Baby Blue Dragon. What level is that? Can any big shot tell me if this Pokémon is strong?"
"Damn, European, get the spear! How the hell did you already catch a Dragon-type Pokémon? That's so unscientific!"
"I watched Little Fatty's stream today. He was really unlucky today. Not only did he not encounter any awesome Pokémon, but even the items from the PokéStops were fewer than others? His luck is just something else! I'm dying of laughter!"
"Saw a big shot today taking three rare pets to challenge the Gym Leader. It seemed like a Baby Dragon, a Two-Headed Hellhound, and a Snorlax!"
"Holy crap, that's a genuine European right there. You can't grind out rare pets like that just by playing hard! So what happened next?"
"Next? He got completely wrecked by the Gym Leader, what else... Obviously, the current Gym Leaders aren't something we can beat. We'll probably need to play for at least another week."
"Comparing people just makes you mad... I walked all day and only got a bunch of weird junk. Their combat power is all weak as hell, but at least these Pokémon are pretty cute. I just keep them by my side, like walking a dog..."
"Upstairs, weird Pokémon might actually be rare. How do you know they're weak?"
"No shit, I sparred with a friend and got utterly destroyed by things like Vipers, Frost Wolves, and a Frying Pan!"
"Damn, there really is a Frying Pan!"
"Yeah! And it's pretty strong. Apparently, if you defeat enough Grass-type Pokémon, it can evolve into a Non-Stick Pan?? I don't know if that's true or not..."
"As someone without Matrix Glasses, I'm completely lost. I have no idea what you guys are talking about..."
"As someone who bought the Matrix Glasses Youth Edition, I'm equally lost..."
There were also some players who bought the Matrix Glasses but didn't like "Pokémon World." However, they didn't feel any aversion to the game; they even downloaded it but didn't delete it. Although they weren't interested now, seeing how popular the game was, they figured they'd keep it. Maybe they'd take it out and play it again when they had nothing to do.
As for the players who loved "Pokémon World," they were vigorously promoting it on various forums and websites, sharing their experiences with each other. Players in the same city even organized gatherings, not for outdoor outings, but for catching Pokémon in the wild...
Seeing such high popularity, many players without Matrix Glasses began to waver inside, wondering, "Is it really that fun?"
Especially those with friends who were playing, watching their friends talk every day about what Pokémon they caught today and who was the lucky one, they also felt a bit out of the loop.
If someone was absolutely determined not to use smart glasses, they naturally wouldn't spend a few thousand bucks just because of a game. But the key were those who wanted to buy smart glasses but were hesitating. "Pokémon World" was like pouring a bucket of oil on the fire.
Especially under the premise that the Matrix Glasses already had a good reputation, the stacking of multiple reasons made it even harder for many people to resist the temptation to buy.
Especially abroad, under the vigorous promotional offensive of "Pokémon World," more and more players were swayed.
"I'm still thinking about whether to buy smart glasses and which one is better, but after 'Pokémon World' came out, I'm a bit shaken. I want to buy Matrix Glasses. What do you all think?"
"For this kind of smart device, isn't it better to buy from a big company?"
"But to be honest, the quality of the Matrix Glasses is pretty good. At least everyone who bought them says there's no difference from HiSE Glasses, and they're a bit cheaper."
"The key point is... 'Pokémon World' is exclusive to the Matrix Glasses. If you want to play this game, you have to buy Matrix Glasses!"
"I gave my HiSE Glasses to my girlfriend and bought another pair of Matrix Glasses. Guess what? She got hooked on 'Pokémon World' and then snatched my Matrix Glasses away!"
"Hmm, the smart glasses from Thunderbolt Interactive should be trustworthy, right? After all, they're a well-known big game company. Even if the hardware isn't the best, it can't be that bad."
"Mainly, from now on, all of Thunderbolt Interactive's MR games will be exclusive to the Matrix Glasses. This isn't just about 'Pokémon World'!"
"Alright, you've successfully convinced me. I'll go buy the Matrix Glasses..."
...
Within a week of "Pokémon World's" launch, the sales of Matrix Glasses saw a significant increase worldwide. Domestically, they had firmly taken the leading position, even completely crushing other smart glasses brands. Abroad, their market share was also advancing by leaps and bounds, leaving many established hardware manufacturers somewhat bewildered.
Just a game? Did it really have that much power?
However, this was only the beginning. As more and more people abroad started using Matrix Glasses, the user base of Matrix Glasses continued to show a trend of expanding.
This trend basically grew synchronously with "Pokémon World." More and more people, influenced by various factors, bought Matrix Glasses, and then they all installed "Pokémon World" and became loyal players of this game. After that, even more people were influenced and started buying Matrix Glasses...