Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 585 The Mad Samsung

Seoul, T3 Corporation headquarters.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Mueller stared at the latest online user report, his hands trembling so much he could barely hold the document.

"133 million? It dropped by more than half in three days? Where are our players? Weren't the cheats gone?"

Faced with Mueller's questioning, the operations director stood pale-faced to the side, struggling to explain, "President, the data shows that the lost players are mainly concentrated in those regions and devices where the abnormal data was more active before, that is... those..."

“It’s those cheaters!” Minister Park said for him, sighing, “We used to think that cheaters were a cancer, and that eliminating them would retain real players. But now it seems that these cancers are precisely what keeps the game active.”

The meeting room was completely silent.

They finally realized a terrible fact: the game Audition Online, with its cool and difficult gameplay, strong vanity and competitive culture, and clan rivalry, had long formed a distorted symbiotic relationship with the Audition Elf cheat.

For many so-called core gamers, their gaming experience and social value are entirely built upon cheating.

Once stripped of its player base, the remaining real players are simply insufficient to sustain the game's popularity.

"Release the update immediately, introduce new outfits, and lower the difficulty of gameplay to try and attract these players back," Muller hurriedly shouted.

The people around didn't react much, because they all knew there were only two ways to get the player back.

The first solution is to bring back the Audition Elf cheat.

The second solution is for them to also create a cheat program.

Besides that, they have no other options, unless Microsoft and Samsung, the two giants, are willing to step in again.

However, if they were to take action, the price they would pay would be enormous, because it would be considered defying fate.

Once a game begins to decline, it's like an avalanche, very difficult to stop.

Turning around a declining game is extremely difficult.

At this moment, the atmosphere at Samsung Group headquarters was also somewhat oppressive.

The devastating defeat of Audition Online was heartbreaking for Lee Jae-yong.

They've invested a huge amount in Audition Online. In the past three months, they've invested nearly $3 million, not including support for their offline flagship store events.

Only Samsung can afford to burn through that kind of money to conduct on-the-ground promotions throughout Asia.

Although Audition Online once reached a peak of 300 million concurrent users, its revenue was unstable, fluctuating constantly.

Every rise and fall requires Samsung to continue injecting funds and resources.

But now, Audition Online, which had been so painstakingly supported, has once again collapsed.

If they want to keep Audition Online, they'll have to launch another round of ground promotions covering all of Asia.

Moreover, this time it's about getting those who left to change their minds. This involves not only doing on-the-ground promotions but also giving away real money.

Currently, many executives disagree with Samsung continuing to invest.

The marketing director cautiously said, "President, the effectiveness of offline activities is diminishing. If we want to maintain the initial momentum of the ground promotion, we need to invest heavily in prizes and more frequent events. This expense..."

Lee Jae-yong scratched his head in frustration and said, "I know the expenses are huge, but it's a price we have to pay! What about Microsoft? Are they just going to watch us pay for this all by ourselves?"

"Microsoft is embroiled in a media storm, and Johnson, who spearheaded our collaboration, has been summoned to the US headquarters. We don't know what will happen to him, and I'm afraid he won't be able to cooperate with us anytime soon," Jin Junhao said in a deep voice.

Before Kim Jun-ho could finish speaking, Lee Jae-young's secretary hurriedly walked in and whispered a few words in his ear.

Lee Jae-yong's expression changed slightly. He signaled for the meeting to be paused and quickly walked back to his office.

The video conference connected, and Microsoft Asia-Pacific President Johnson appeared on the screen. His expression was equally grim, with a resolute air of cutting off one's own arm.

"President Li, let's get straight to the point." Johnson skipped the pleasantries and said directly, "I've been temporarily relieved of my duties because of the Pandora controversy. Until headquarters sends a new president, you'll have to support Audition Online independently. However, before I step down, I will transfer all 60% of our shares in T3 to you for 15 cents."

Lee Jae-yong's pupils contracted, and he froze.

15 cents? That's practically free.

But he instantly understood what Johnson meant.

This old fellow is probably really going to retire and return to his hometown.

"Mr. Johnson, what is this...?"

"This means that Audition Online now belongs entirely to Samsung," Johnson said in a heavy tone. "In this way, you can make up for your next investment. The market for Audition Online is still very large. As long as you hold on to it, you will make back all your investment. You must do everything you can to protect it and never let it be defeated by World of Warcraft. This is not only related to Microsoft's market, but also for your own sake."

Johnson's words put Lee Jae-yong under tremendous pressure.

Johnson has dumped all responsibility and expectations on him, using the free shares to completely bind him to the war machine against Momo Group, and he is only allowed to win, not lose.

“I… understand.” Lee Jae-young took a deep breath, his eyes turning frantic. “Please also tell headquarters that Samsung will definitely do its best. We also hope they will send a new Asia-Pacific regional president as soon as possible. Only by working together can we make Audition Online an insurmountable barrier for Momo Group and World of Warcraft in Asia.”

"I will definitely report it."

After hanging up the phone, Li Zairong returned to the conference room, his gaze sweeping over all the executives present. His voice was resolute as he said, "Stop discussing expenses! From this moment on, there's no limit to the investment! I want to see Audition Online's online performance return to its peak and stabilize as quickly as possible. Use all resources! Everything!"

Samsung Digital Plaza, Gangnam District, Seoul.

The massive glass curtain wall gleamed in the summer sun, but even more intense was the surging crowd in the square.

In the square, the latest theme song from "Audition Online" was playing, with a strong rhythm and drumbeats resonating in the hearts of every young person.

A dozen rows of brand-new Samsung LCD monitors were filled with focused young men and women.

Their fingers danced wildly across the Samsung-customized keyboard, the clatter of the spacebar occasionally drowning out the music. This was a scene from Samsung's "Dance This Summer, Samsung Dance Carnival" offline event.

"Ah, I did it! I won!" A girl with chestnut hair jumped up from her seat and excitedly hugged her companion.

"Congratulations! This is your Samsung MP3 coupon. With this coupon, you can get a 5 won discount on selected MP3 models at any Samsung store!" A saleswoman dressed in a "Audition Online" character cosplay outfit handed over a beautifully made card with a sweet smile, while pointing to the mountain of prizes next to her and saying, "Everyone who participates wins a prize. The better you dance, the bigger the prize! The grand prize is the latest Samsung mobile phone!"

Inside the prize area, Samsung mobile phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, and even the latest Yepp YP series hard drive MP3 players gleamed under the lights, attracting the attention of all the young people.

The huge LED screen in the center of the square scrolls the list of winners in real time, and each time a name appears, it elicits a gasp of envy.

A steady stream of people, from teenagers to young professionals in their early twenties, were drawn in by the simple and straightforward rules of dancing for discounts and a chance to win big prizes.

Samsung has really gone all out this time, with similar bustling scenes unfolding not only in Seoul, but also in the digital hubs of almost all major Asian cities, including Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok.

Samsung's channel power was on full display at this moment.

Their flagship stores, experience stores, and even the entrances of partner distributors are plastered with large posters combining Audition Online with Samsung products: Dance to the limit, Samsung helps you play to your heart's content! Purchase designated Samsung products and the box will definitely include an Audition Online newbie pack and a premium fashion redemption code. Play Audition Online and you'll get a chance to win Samsung products!
Such deep hardware-binding promotion was extremely rare in the past.

"We must hold this ground." A marketing executive at Samsung Electronics practically roared at an internal meeting: "Microsoft has gotten itself into a mess and can't be relied on! Now we can only rely on ourselves! World of Warcraft is coming soon. If Audition Online completely collapses, our voice in the gaming industry will disappear completely. At that time, Momo Group may take the opportunity to rise!"

Samsung's marketing teams across the country worked together, and funds poured into the market like a flood.

Online advertising covered all major portals and gaming forums.

Offline, it's not just large-scale events; even small computer rooms and internet cafes on the street can receive a considerable sponsorship fee as long as they are willing to post joint posters of "Audition Online" and Samsung in prominent locations.

This frenzied and intensive financial offensive quickly began to show results.

The online player count curve for Audition Online, which had been plummeting, finally managed to break through a sliver of green amidst the overall gloom, showing signs of recovery.

Starting from 133 million, it slowly and shakily climbed upwards.

Although it's far less than the peak of 300 million, at least the trend of collapse has been stopped.

The previously empty channels on the server gradually regained popularity, and the chat scrolling speed on the public screen also increased.

A sense of relief washed over the T3 company executives, who had been feeling gloomy.

Meanwhile, across the ocean in Redmond, USA, the atmosphere at Microsoft headquarters was just like the weather in Seattle—dull and oppressive.

The public relations department's phones were ringing off the hook.

Questions, protests, and media interview requests in various languages ​​came like snowflakes.

“Mr. Johnson’s masterpiece in Asia now requires the entire group to clean up his mess!” A senior vice president slammed a stack of newspapers on the table during a crisis management meeting.

The front-page headline was shocking:

Microsoft is accused of unfair competition by using system backdoors.

Has Pandora's box been opened? The global software industry is worried about Microsoft's ultimate weapon.

The reaction from Europe was the most intense.

Several well-known software companies and industry alliances issued a public statement strongly condemning this abuse of market dominance and the undermining of fair competition, and called on the European Commission to immediately launch a new round of antitrust investigations.

“They don’t even need solid evidence. The name Pandora and those technical analyses alone are enough to cause panic!” Microsoft’s PR director said wearily, rubbing his temples. “Those bureaucrats in Brussels are just looking for a new reason to fine us.”

Microsoft held three high-level meetings in succession and finally launched a firefighting operation.

Microsoft's lobbying team and public relations consultants swarmed between Washington, Brussels, and the headquarters of major media giants.

Checkbooks were torn up one by one, and huge sums of money flowed to influential newspapers, television stations, and online media outlets.

They offered cooperation, advertising, and sponsorship in exchange for downplaying related reports or publishing commentary articles with balanced perspectives.

"We must cool this down." Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's voice came through an overseas call to the heads of every Microsoft division: "I don't care how much it costs, I just want to see good news that the public outcry has subsided."

With its massive size and accumulated wealth, Microsoft has gradually begun to suppress the negative voices.

However, once trust is broken, it takes a long time to repair, and the invisible losses have already been inflicted.

The fact that no one is speaking doesn't mean the matter is resolved.

In Asia, Samsung's massive financial injections and Microsoft's arduous efforts to contain the crisis present a stark contrast.

On one side is a bustling and lively promotional event offline.

On one hand, there's the frantic public relations maneuvering.

In less than ten days, the number of online players for "Audition Online" rebounded strongly to 270 million, and is still slowly climbing.

But behind this good news was another shocking report submitted by the finance department.

In just ten days, Samsung has invested nearly $6 million in marketing to maintain this massive pan-Asian dance extravaganza, and the daily marketing expenses are still burning through tens of millions.

However, under Lee Jae-young's almost obsessive command, Samsung's massive war machine also displayed terrifying combat power.

More funds were poured into the market, and advertisements covered every corner of television, radio, subway, and bus. The prizes for offline activities were upgraded from MP3 players and mobile phones to laptops and even cars. The revenue sharing agreements with internet cafes in various Asian countries were so generous that they were tempting. The range of Samsung products bundled for sale was also further expanded.

With an investment that can only be described as terrifying, the number of online players for "Audition Online" has finally broken the 300 million mark again.

In the streets and alleys of major Asian cities, that familiar rhythm and the sound of the spacebar being tapped once again resounded.

This time, it seems they really did hold on.

(End of this chapter)