Chapter 861: Rapid Expansion
This 618 event indeed produced excellent results. Not only did player activity data see a significant increase, but even game sales rose.
Although it couldn't compare to the Double 11 event, this level of growth was already very noticeable.
First, the game trial event on Thunder Game Platform, which unlocked 30% of game content for players to try, was essentially a high-cost advertisement. This was especially true for those big-budget classic games, like *Uncharted*, *Assassin's Creed: Origins*, and so on. Once players experienced the brilliance of these games, it was hard for them to suppress the urge to continue playing the later storylines.
Moreover, the stacked discounts of the 618 event and the Double 11 event made it perfectly natural for players to open their wallets.
Of course, as the only game that couldn't be trialed, *Silent Hill* also became the most talked-about game during the 618 period. Along with games like *Outlast* and *Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy*, it became another milestone work in Chen Mo's "revenge on society" series...
On various live-streaming platforms, countless streamers were tormented to death by *Silent Hill*. Online, compilations of their fright reactions circulated widely, becoming a favorite topic of discussion among players.
This 618 event also greatly benefited many independent game designers on the Thunder Game Platform.
Through this event, many players began searching for designers' works on the Thunder Game Platform. Some players who reached a certain playtime threshold received a free game from that designer. But out of fondness for the designer, they would often buy their other games as well. Those who didn't meet the playtime requirement also happily made purchases.
After all, for most players, the act of spending money on games is something you don't do if it doesn't cross your mind. But once you start, it's hard to stop...
The 618 event focused all players' attention on the Thunder Game Platform, benefiting all the designers on the platform.
As for designers on other game platforms, they weren't so lucky.
Many designers from other channels suddenly realized that the influence of the Thunder Game Platform seemed to be expanding at an incredibly fast pace.
Previously, Chen Mo had relied on a powerhouse like *League of Legends* to continuously open up the market, putting in tremendous effort to build the Thunder Game Platform into one of the three major domestic game channels. But after that, it seemed like Chen Mo no longer deliberately promoted his own game platform.
He just kept releasing one high-quality game after another, focusing all his energy on development.
However, the development of the Thunder Game Platform didn't stagnate. Instead, as products like *Dark Souls*, *Uncharted*, *PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds*, and *The Last of Us* continued to carve a path and win honors in the international market, it expanded even more rapidly.
Now, the Thunder Game Platform spanned four platforms: mobile, PC, VR, and smart glasses. It could be found on almost all smart devices.
As Chen Mo's reputation in the global gaming industry continued to rise, so did the status of the Thunder Game Platform. To the point where, domestically, if someone's computer or VR gaming pod didn't have the Thunder Game Platform program installed, it was almost unthinkable.
Under these circumstances, the competition between game platforms had become uneven. The Thunder Game Platform's player base was growing larger and larger, naturally attracting more and more designers to switch to Thunder Interactive's embrace.
At first, it was a batch of independent game designers joining the Thunder Game Platform to avoid channel disputes. But now, many designers affiliated with Di Chao Interactive and Zen Interactive, especially those with strong skills and high self-regard, were also considering whether to join the Thunder Game Platform.
Many realized that Thunder Interactive had become a behemoth with even greater energy than Di Chao Interactive and Zen Interactive.
...
On Chen Mo's side, there was still plenty to keep him busy.
July was fast approaching, and the previously scheduled Game Design Competition was about to take place as planned.
This Game Design Competition was mainly aimed at recent graduates, primarily to select talented and promising graduates to enter the gaming industry.
The preliminary rounds of this competition would be held in several major cities across the country that had Thunder Game Experience Stores. The semi-finals and finals would be held in the capital, at Thunder Interactive's new headquarters in early August.
The new headquarters was almost ready for use. Chen Mo planned to move in gradually by mid-July, while simultaneously expanding the entire R&D team's scale.
Of course, the new headquarters only had the main structure of the office building basically completed. There was still a lot of follow-up work. For example, adding some personalized decorations inside the building and continuing to build various small theme parks in the themed areas outside the headquarters.
However, these tasks weren't urgent and could be done slowly.
Additionally, in terms of game development, the Abstergo project team was still continuing to develop other works in the *Assassin's Creed* series. The current development content mainly focused on the storylines related to Altaïr and Ezio.
That is, the content of *Assassin's Creed 1*, *Assassin's Creed 2*, *Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood*, and *Assassin's Creed: Revelations*.
This content was relatively large, nearly the capacity of four games. Although these works weren't strictly open-world, the story content alone was already rich enough.
Considering the high narrative coherence and strong continuity between the stories of Altaïr and Ezio, Chen Mo planned to release this part along with the modern-day storyline related to Desmond. This would give players a proper showcase of what "Assassin's Creed" truly meant.
After completing this portion of the work, the Abstergo project team would continue developing other series entries in *Assassin's Creed*, while Chen Mo would start considering new projects.
...
Players in the capital were also eagerly awaiting the official opening of the new headquarters.
Ever since news of Thunder Interactive's new headquarters broke, many players in the capital had been closely following it. Some players who lived nearby even went to the new headquarters every day, taking photos and videos, posting them online to discuss the latest progress with everyone.
By now, the exterior of the new headquarters was completely finished, and it should be officially opening soon.
Many players were itching to go. Finally, they wouldn't have to queue up to try out games!
There was no helping it. Every time Chen Mo released a new game, the experience stores would be packed to the brim. Especially the VR gaming experience area, which was a sea of people. Getting a chance to try out a new game was entirely up to luck. Many players who traveled long distances to the capital for a "pilgrimage" also found it unbearable.
The official opening of the new headquarters was essentially Chen Mo announcing to the world: At last, there is a super-giant in the domestic gaming industry standing at the pinnacle of the global gaming world!