Started as a comics editor

Chapter 241 Ignition
In fact, watching esports competitions has a higher barrier to entry compared to watching traditional sports competitions.

Simply put, a game needs to gain the approval of players before it can be further developed into an esports phenomenon.

Basically, there are no examples of niche games becoming popular through tournaments.

That's really unlikely.

Because the essence of esports is an attention economy that stems from games, not magic that creates popularity out of thin air.

According to Shen Lun, the fact that Hearthstone dared to hold tournaments before its open beta wasn't because Avalon and ANF genuinely hoped that tournaments would make the game a hit; rather, they were using tournaments to create a false sense of consensus!

Esports is not a savior for niche games, but it can be an amplifier for popular games!
By launching the tournament ahead of schedule, they are essentially telling the market: "This game is already a hit, you just don't know it yet."

This is a form of reverse psychological suggestion—players will assume that 'a game that can host tournaments must be good,' thus lowering the barrier to entry for them.

After all, TCG-related events are very well-developed... Players research how to build decks, buy cards in card shops, play against, communicate with, and exchange cards with like-minded people, and then form teams to participate in offline competitions. These are basically integral parts of TCG.

As the name TCG suggests, its uniqueness lies in collecting and exchanging, and the strong social drive behind it.

Although Hearthstone originated from collectible card games, it is not a TCG. The nature of online games means that it cannot be traded, only collected, making it a CCG... a game with a card collection system but no card trading system.

In essence, both have the same business model: players need to continuously buy card packs released by the official website, obtain random cards by opening packs, and then carefully build their own decks to compete against other players.

This mechanism gives the game almost unlimited scalability, allowing publishers to continuously design new cards and release new expansion packs to inject fresh blood into the game. At the same time, by cleverly designing card strength and rarity, the publishers also firmly control the game's ecosystem and balance.

When they need to boost popularity, they release powerful new cards to incentivize players to buy them.

When it is necessary to guide consumption upgrades, restricting the over-popularity of old cards forces players to update their decks.

This money-printing machine approach is also the reason why the three major TCG companies in Tang Yao's previous life were able to remain prosperous for so long.

Therefore, Shen Lun believes that Hearthstone is currently using the gimmick of esports to replicate the community gathering effect of TCGs!
After all, for card games, with the precedent of TCGs, competitive matches are indeed a good marketing tool.

Avalon could easily leverage the popularity of esports events to influence player perceptions, artificially creating the illusion of packed stadiums to attract audiences, and then adjusting card strength based on event performance to further control the spending pace, thus replicating the money-printing machine gameplay of TCGs.

As long as this step is taken successfully.

Then Hearthstone will truly become a money-printing machine!

And it's not the kind of money-printing machine that's only a flash in the pan!
While it may not be as good as traditional TCGs, it will definitely keep players happily investing time and money.

This should be left in his hands.

He does it that way too!
That's why he said...it's over.

In his view, given the current popularity of Hearthstone, this approach could actually be successful.

But actually... he was overthinking it.

The success of esports ultimately depends on whether the game can deliver on its promise of being "fun". If it's not fun, even the best esports events will become baseless, and the game experience may even backfire and damage its reputation.

For example, the Overwatch League is a prime example.

However, prioritizing esports is not a good strategy, as Tang Yao herself knows. There is actually one game that holds competitions before the game is even released.

Valve's Artifact.

then.

This game is also gone.

Shen Lun guessed that Tang Yao wanted to hold the competition partly because she wanted to replicate the community gathering effect of TCG.

But there's absolutely no such thing as reverse psychological suggestion or adjusting card strength through tournament performance.

She had never heard of any niche game becoming popular through tournaments.

Moreover, it has been proven that using competitions to determine game balance is also not feasible, as it can easily lead to the awkward situation where players feel that the development team is prioritizing competitions over the game's playability and fun.

In essence, achieving game balance is a very difficult task after considering many factors.

The reason why players often think, "These designers only care about esports," is mainly because the long-term iterative updates have exhausted the designers' creativity, and players have long since figured out the game... Simply put, they are fatigued, which is why they feel that the game serves esports events and has no fun.

But Hearthstone here is still in its infancy.

Tang Yao would never allow the project team to balance the game for the sake of the competition, let alone use the game performance to adjust the strength of the cards. If balance is needed, it will definitely be based on the overall situation.

Her main purpose in organizing the competition was to enhance the game's influence and maintain the activity of the player community.

Another goal is to further boost ANF's popularity.

As for why the competition was held before the public beta test.

Shen Lun also missed the point.

It's not that Avalon wanted to hold tournaments before the open beta, but rather that the game was very popular during the testing phase. Avalon launched its open beta early, so holding tournaments wasn't about creating hype out of thin air, but rather based on the existing player base.

The competition is the result, not the cause.

"These are the main reasons... Simply put, the most important purpose of this event is to enhance the game's influence."

"I understand... The live commentary for the match is very important. After all, it's a competition. Even though Hearthstone is relatively casual, it still has its unique charm. And judging by the game's popularity, there should be higher-level streamers to provide higher-quality entertainment."

This is how you can amplify every wonderful and interesting moment.

"Of course, this is indeed very important."

"So, Tang Yao, shouldn't we arrange for a commentator who is famous, capable, knowledgeable about card games, and popular with ANF users?"

"What, do you have a suitable candidate?"

"Yes, ANF's live stream was very popular a while ago, and the streamer is even a designer of Hearthstone..."

"...Do you want to die?"

"..."

In the conference room.

Tang Yao's voice drifted over from afar.

Wei Chi followed behind Li Xue and, having overheard the conversation in the conference room, roughly guessed what had happened and couldn't help but chuckle.

Because he has been in Avalon for some time now.

Therefore, he also learned a lot about Tang Yao, including many of her legendary deeds.

He was a firsthand witness to the live stream that happened some time ago.

And in fact.

Not only did the players outside the company enjoy the live stream, but their internal staff also loved it...

After all, outside players don't know what this 'third-rate teacher' looks and personality in real life, but they do.

Who wouldn't enjoy watching a beautiful young female boss die?

Until now.

Many people are secretly discussing that live stream.

And it is clear that Si Jinliang, the project leader of Hearthstone, is also one of them, and he has even started to smuggle in his own agenda, trying to trick Tang Yao into commentating on the tournament.

"..."

And during the brief pause when voices could be heard in the conference room.

Li Xue walked to the conference room door, knocked gently, and then pushed the door open and went inside.

Wei Chi followed closely behind.

In the conference room.

Tang Yao sat at the head of the conference room, her head down, constantly writing and drawing on a piece of paper, while Si Jinliang sat some distance away, looking at Tang Yao with a regretful expression, hesitant to speak.

"..."

Hearing footsteps, Tang Yao looked up and saw Li Xue and Wei Chi. She immediately said, "Thank you for your trouble. Please sit down. There's something I need to tell you."

"fine."

Looking at Tang Yao's beautiful and charming face, Wei Chi felt a little nervous, even though he had just been laughing outside.

After all, he's actually the kind of guy who's basically a homebody.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, then changed the subject, asking, "I heard it's about the new game...?"

"Yes, please take a look at this proposal first."

Tang Yao nodded, then handed the scribbled materials in her hand to him and Si Jinliang respectively.

Si Jinliang also temporarily gave up the idea of ​​continuing to persuade Tang Yao to act as a guest commentator, and curiously took the information that Tang Yao handed over.

then.

The two of them looked down at it together.

"Undertale, an RPG? A bullet hell game?"

I just watched the beginning.

Si Jinliang was stunned for a moment.

"You guys finish reading first."

Tang Yao didn't rush to speak, but instead gestured for the two of them to finish reading it.

The two patiently continued reading.

Tang Yao's project plan is actually quite detailed, and it's not easy to read through it all, because it often contains a lot of information, such as a game overview, gameplay mechanics, and character items.

Of course, this also includes the story background and the main plot outline.

As the two continued to explore the game, they gained a general understanding of what it was all about.

But more questions arose.

In this game, players take on the role of a human child with the ability to save/load. One day, the child falls into an underground world inhabited by an entire monster race.

They have a blood feud with humans...

With this setting, you'd think the game would be the kind where the combat is exhilarating.

However, Tang Yao specifically mentioned that the game requires each enemy to have a method that does not require killing them.

Simply put, players can use all sorts of unique and varied language to defuse confrontations, including comforting, encouraging, threatening, and even flirting.

Of course, this is on the premise that players can figure out the monster's personality through observation and dialogue.

This is very strange.

Si Jinliang and Wei Chi looked puzzled but continued watching.

In the latter half, the plot takes up a larger proportion, as the main gameplay revolves around the story and puzzle-solving.

As for the game's plot, well, it has a clever and cute feel in many places. Some of the plot text, puzzle hints, or even just reading the text can make you chuckle.

just.

slowly.

The two saw the parts of the story that were strongly connected to the gameplay.

then.

"what?"

"What the hell?"

Both of them were at about the same reading progress.

So the two of them looked up at Tang Yao almost simultaneously, and exclaimed in astonishment, "Three storylines? And there's even a massacre storyline!? It lets players kill all the NPCs? And it corrupts the players' save files!?"

"Correct."

Tang Yao nodded, roughly knowing that the two of them probably weren't in the mood to continue watching, so she explained: "The ultimate goal of this game is to let players get what they do... If they choose to treat every monster in the game kindly, then they can achieve peace; if they choose to turn their swords against each other, then they will face judgment."

Don't you think this concept is interesting?

In most games, players can save their game anytime, anywhere to change the timeline, which means that every player has the ability to rewind time and start over.

With this ability, players will definitely try other options and see what happens, such as... killing all the NPCs.

After all, for players, killing them is as simple as reloading a save; they'll come back immediately, just a bunch of data.

But what if this action comes at a price? "..."

Wei Chi and Si Jinliang were both stunned when they heard this. They looked down at the proposal in their hands and then at Tang Yao.

Neither of them had ever seen such a bold design, which went beyond the scope of traditional game reward and punishment mechanisms.

But it has to be said.

This design instantly transformed this seemingly spiritual and healing game.

What happens if a player tries to achieve a peaceful ending after their save file has been corrupted?

"It will lead to a hypocritical ending, as I will write later."

"Most players probably won't think much about this at first. But when the trial comes, they'll come to their senses and probably try to achieve a peaceful ending. Then... they might also try an extreme massacre ending."

"That's probably how it will be, damn, that idea... awesome."

Soon, the two of them couldn't wait to continue flipping through the proposal.

Then, the two discovered that this game was not just about breaking down the dimensional barrier; beneath that simple exterior, the game was actually quite complex, breaking many conventional perceptions of games.

Whether it's the way to clear the pacifist route, the real-time bullet hell dodging mixed into turn-based gameplay, or anything else, this point is evident.

So after watching it, the two looked at each other, then stared at Tang Yao in shock, and almost simultaneously uttered the same word.

"Great!"

"Great!"

"...So, are you interested?"

Tang Yao felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this, and turned to look at Si Jinliang, changing the subject: "You said you wanted to rediscover the original passion of game creators and make other types of games, so I invited you to join. Of course, it's okay if you refuse if you're not comfortable with Hearthstone."

then.

She then looked at Wei Chi: "As for you, 'Yun' is finished. I don't know your next plan, whether you want to make a sequel or a supplementary DLC... So I called you in too. After all, you are the only producer in the company with experience in making buy-to-play games. But if you have any ideas about making a sequel or DLC for 'Yun,' you can tell me."

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, *Yun* is doing very well overseas.

"I know that..."

Wei Chi didn't even think about "Yun" at that moment, and directly changed the subject, holding up the proposal in his hand: "Boss, I have a question. Will what we're doing cause some controversy?"

"Do you mean the massacre line?"

"Ah."

"Definitely, after all, it's impossible to please everyone, and every individual has their own unique perspective."

Tang Yao nodded, giving a clear answer.

After all, this raises the question of whether players can "abuse" NPCs in the game.
Some people think that this won't work, arguing that players can't clearly separate the real and virtual worlds using the power button.

The choices players make in the game and the resulting feedback will ultimately have an impact on the players themselves, just like many things in the real world—a psychological impact.

Some people, however, think that this is just a game, what feedback is there, and that making a big deal out of playing a simple game is ridiculous.

Tang Yao still remembers it to this day.

When The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released, some players were unhappy that some people didn't pull the princess back in time during the ending scene where the princess fell from a great height.

This is still a game with limitations; if the player doesn't pull the princess, she will keep falling.

What if there were no restrictions?

For example, UT allows players to freely slaughter every character, right?

Why do players feel unhappy about the fate of their game characters?

This is a very interesting question.

Of course, Tang Yao didn't think that much about it.

She's just a diligent salesperson now... trying her best to sell the game she loved in her past life to the world.

"However, although there will be controversy, this is also the purpose of the game's design, allowing players to think and interpret it from multiple perspectives based on this setting."

I thought about it.

Tang Yao added another sentence.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chi immediately showed a look of realization, then looked down at the proposal in his hand and murmured, "Indeed... If I were a player, and there was only the peace route, I might only find it remarkable. But if the genocide route were added, after I come to my senses, I'd probably cherish it and feel even more guilty. After all, beauty only reveals its preciousness when it is completely lost..."

"I'll join!"

On the other hand, Si Jinliang was less poetic and said directly, "Let me make this game! Hearthstone is on the right track! There's still some time before the next expansion! I want to make this game so I can experience it firsthand."

Of course, I'll be back to keep an eye on the new Hearthstone expansion when it's released.

"..."

Tang Yao nodded, then looked at Wei Chi.

Wei Chi didn't notice Tang Yao's gaze; he lowered his head and started flipping through the proposal in his hand again.

Some of them were lost in thought.

He remembered the phone call he had just received, and what the man who called himself Shen Lun had said.

A two million annual salary, plus a share of the profits from the next game.

Those are indeed tempting conditions.

but.

Would Jiuxiao make a game like this?

This game, which initially appears unremarkable and even employs a simple, retro pixel art style, gives the impression of being a product of a bygone era.

If I bring it up... they'll probably just tell me to get lost.

Now, Avalon's position in mobile games is no less than that of Nine Heavens in PC games, especially after the launch of three new games, including the success of "Yun" overseas.

But Tang Yao... was still willing to make this kind of game, and even added elements that went beyond the framework of the game itself, directly making players reflect on the existence of the game.

"Wei Chi."

Tang Yao's voice came through.

Wei Chi snapped out of his daze and looked at the beautiful and charming Tang Yao not far away.

Tang Yao asked curiously, "What are your thoughts?"

"..."

Wei Chi took a deep breath, then looked at Tang Yao and said solemnly, "Please let me join! I also want to make this game!"

not bad.

Thankfully, it was just a fleeting infatuation; I didn't actually go to heaven.

If we went to the highest heavens, we wouldn't be able to make such fun games! And we wouldn't see such great bosses anymore!
"Row."

Upon hearing the definite answer, Tang Yao nodded: "Then this game will be the responsibility of the two of you. However, I can't give you too much work right now. Avalon is very busy, but I will help... Also, it can't be launched yet. At least until the three new games are fully on track, you still need to keep an eye on it."

I just finished writing the proposal and was too lazy to make another trip, so I told you in advance.

Of course, it's fine if you have time to prepare in advance.

"I see."

Neither Si Jinliang nor Wei Chi had any objections to this.

Although both of them were eager to make the game immediately.

But things have their priorities.

Both of them understood this principle.

"so be it……"

Tang Yao was about to end this informal meeting.

"and many more."

Si Jinliang suddenly remembered something and called out to her, "Tang Yao, about the commentary..."

"I do not want."

Tang Yao immediately shook her head and resolutely refused: "You take on the role."

"Huh?...Me?"

"Correct."

Tang Yao nodded: "You've always liked card games, haven't you? You've played TCGs for a long time, and now you're the producer of Hearthstone. Who knows this type of game better than you?"

"I can not……"

"If that doesn't work, then find a professional commentator! But I think no one knows this game better than you, and no one can commentate better than you. After all, during the game testing phase, didn't you often explain the game to the other staff members who were watching during internal battles?"
I think it sounds pretty good.

"This……"

Si Jinliang was somewhat embarrassed.

"From 'Card Fighter' to 'Hearthstone,' you've been in charge of two card games. Now that you've finally succeeded, don't you want to witness the players' enthusiasm?"

Tang Yao gently tossed her ponytail, then pulled Li Xue along and turned to walk outside: "So it's you I've decided on! Enjoy the players' enthusiasm!"

"but……"

Si Jinliang wanted to say something more.

But Tang Yao has already left, and I don't know if it's just my imagination.

She seemed to be jogging out of the meeting room.

……

finally.

Si Jinliang decided to take on the role of commentator anyway.

Meanwhile, new games and events are progressing steadily.

As time went on and the topic gained traction, the popularity of related games soared! Especially Hearthstone!
So as soon as the competition was announced, it took off immediately!

Li Xue's judgment was correct.

At this point in time, mobile games are indeed still a completely new and untapped field.

FGO is popular and very profitable.

However, its influence remains limited to the core ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) user group and has failed to truly penetrate the mass market.

but.

When Avalon launched three new games.

Meanwhile, things started to change a bit as tournaments and related activities began to be promoted on ANF...

This blue ocean has been completely stirred up!
Except for the Nine Heavens.

Other major companies quickly realized what was happening.

then.

They just realized!
What the hell!

How did Avalon get so far away?!

Not only are all these mobile games becoming wildly popular, but one of them has even successfully gone global? And now there are even tournaments… and the hype is just ridiculously high!!

The entire gaming industry has been stunned by Avalon's recent moves and the hype surrounding their new game!

The untapped new field of mobile games was instantly ignited by Avalon!

(End of this chapter)