Started as a comics editor

Chapter 254 This is good, this is good, let's have one!

Chapter 254 This is good, this is good, let's get one, let's get one!

Avalon.

Zhang Mingyuan stood in front of the whiteboard, his marker already covering the third board, the densely packed diagrams and text almost completely filling the blank space.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but his eyes were unusually focused.

Zhang Mingyuan stared at these familiar symbols, his fingers unconsciously tracing patterns in the air, as if recalling a structure long etched into his muscle memory.

"Rendering pipeline, physics system, animation state machine, resource manager..."

He muttered to himself, then his gaze gradually focused as he looked at everyone: "That's about it. We don't need to start the game engine from scratch; we just need to reimplement it."

Upon hearing this, the team members exchanged glances.

Equally confident.

Because they all come from EasyGame, they are very familiar with every line of logic in the original engine.

"Now that I think about it, I feel that some of these features are not really necessary."

And this time.

An engineer looked at the whiteboard, stroked his chin, and suddenly said, "We at EasyGame have been too focused on being big and comprehensive, but what we're building isn't a commercial engine."

"really."

Zhang Mingyuan nodded in agreement: "And you guys have seen that notebook too, right? The boss also felt that there was no need to pursue something big and comprehensive."

Hear this.

The other engineers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Then one of the engineers couldn't help but ask, "Was that really the suggestion from the company's boss?"

"Ah."

Zhang Mingyuan gave a clear answer: "It was indeed given by the boss, and didn't she come by before?"

The other engineers seemed to realize something, their expressions a mix of strangeness and... amazement.

Tang Yao did indeed visit the location of the engine team once.

After all, it wouldn't be right to just ignore them after recruiting them, so she made an appearance and happened to run into them discussing engine reconstruction, so she participated in the discussion briefly.

Many engineers have a very deep impression of that excessively young boss.

She's not only beautiful and young, but she also has such a deep understanding of game engines.

Even these veteran engineers felt they benefited greatly from it.

It's really hard not to be impressed.

"Let's not talk about this for now."

Seeing that the team members were lost in thought, Zhang Mingyuan gently tapped the table to bring them back to their senses: "I believe you have also seen Avalon's sincerity. The salary and support have not been reduced, and the boss is someone who understands and is willing to support self-developed game engines."

She even understands the strengths and weaknesses of game engines better than we do, and she's willing to launch two 3D games and develop our own engine together. You could say this is the best platform for us to realize our ambitions, better than other big companies, and even better than EasyGame.

Putting everything else aside, even for our own sake... whether it's ambition, profit, or fame, we can't be sloppy.

Let's hear your thoughts.

"..."

The engineers immediately snapped out of their daze and straightened their expressions.

Because that is indeed the case.

If, at the beginning, apart from Zhang Mingyuan, others still had some reservations about this newly emerging company in the gaming industry...

As time went on, the relevant support measures were implemented.

Their worries were finally relieved.

Just as Zhang Mingyuan said.

This seems to be... the best platform in China right now.

Other major game companies wouldn't start two single-player games just for a game engine.

But Avalon dares to do it.

Not only do they dare.

They were also given full support.

Whether it's to live up to this support or to stay in Avalon for a long time.

They all have to produce results.

Moreover, their layoffs by Yiyou and the destruction of five years of hard work are indeed a source of resentment.

After a brief silence, the engineer who had just spoken spoke first: "Actually, I think that instead of completely replicating the game engine we made at EasyGame, we should simplify things from the ruins."

Zhang Mingyuan looked at the engineer: "Subtraction?"

"Correct."

The engineer nodded: "When we were at EasyGame, we initially referenced commercial game engines. We were too focused on being comprehensive because our goals were too ambitious. We didn't know what games EasyGame would be making in the future, so we crammed in every feature to try and be all-encompassing."

But Tang Yao... that is, the boss, has made it clear that she is not pursuing this, at least not at this stage. Judging from her words, she seems to want us to become Avalon's most suitable tool.

Moreover, after five years, our initial ideas for EasyGame now seem somewhat naive. However, back then, the game engine was already too bloated to be changed. Now that we can start over, we might as well simplify things.

After thinking about it for a moment, Zhang Mingyuan felt that it made sense: "Then what do you think we should do?"

"Let's start by developing and improving the features of our two current game projects. We'll build the overall architecture first, including the core modules, scripting system, editor, plugins, and so on. Then, we'll improve the features that the game currently needs."

The engineer thought for a moment and slowly said, "For example, Left 4 Dead is currently facing some technical bottlenecks, such as performance issues when there are large numbers of zombies on screen at the same time. The solution proposed by the boss is a dynamic batch merging scheme. This optimization technology is very interesting. It reduces the burden on the CPU to send commands to the GPU by merging the rendering operations of multiple small movable objects using the same material into a single drawing call."

This was a completely unexpected direction, so we added this optimization technique to the existing framework.

"I think this plan is feasible."

Another engineer nodded in agreement: "For example, dynamic shadows would consume too much performance if we used the global illumination scheme of a general engine, and not all hardware can handle it."

"Actually, I have a lot of new ideas for rendering optimization, but it's not easy to implement them on Egame. For example, reducing drawing calls, simplifying shader calculations, reducing complex lighting and material effects, and using LOD to use low-detail models for distant objects to reduce the rendering burden."

"Physics can also be optimized; unnecessary collision detection can be reduced entirely by setting up a physics layer."

"I also have a lot of new ideas for the memory module that I'm in charge of."

"..."

obviously.

Their five years at Easy Travel were not wasted.

Technical expertise and experience are things that require a lot of money and time to acquire.

Perhaps Tang Yao could hire professional technicians by spending a lot of money.

But it's definitely not possible to be like them, starting all over again with complete confidence, even 'rebuilding on the ruins and starting to subtract'...

can only say.

Their addition, combined with Tang Yao's memories from her previous life, brought them together.

This instantly gave Avalon a technological foundation.

Listening to the engineers below, Zhang Mingyuan quickly made a decision: "Then let's build the framework first! Then we'll optimize and develop the two games currently being developed by the company, while maintaining communication with the development team... Well, let's go and invite the heads of the two development project teams over now."

Let's discuss it again. Xiao Li will go and ask him."

"Row."

Xiao Li immediately got up and went outside.

After watching him leave, Zhang Mingyuan briefly recalled the game engine he had developed for EasyGame... it was indeed somewhat bloated.

Perhaps starting over would have resulted in something even better.

As for the difficulty of redoing.

It's actually not that big.

Because his team was completely taken over by Avalon.

However, there's a problem...

"By the way, do you think cross-platform support needs to be implemented?"

Game engines enable one-time development and multi-platform deployment.

This is called a cross-platform architecture.

Most mainstream commercial engines currently support cross-platform compatibility.

This is a necessity for most major manufacturers. Releasing a game on multiple platforms can significantly enhance its market influence and commercial value. Releasing the same game on multiple platforms can create a brand effect and improve the game's popularity and reputation.

Seeing the same game promoted and advertised on different platforms will deepen players' impression of the game, thus increasing the likelihood of downloading and purchasing it.

Meanwhile, cross-platform games can also diversify their revenue streams through in-app purchases, advertising, and other means, bringing more income sources to game developers.

However, cross-platform compatibility is not a simple matter; it requires overcoming challenges such as differences in technology, user experience, and market strategies across different platforms.

In Tang Yao's previous life, Unity enabled cross-platform development through virtual machine and middleware technologies, unified APIs and functional interfaces, cross-platform packaging and publishing tools, and unified resource management and loading mechanisms.

These technologies and tools enable developers to build, publish, and run games more efficiently on different platforms.

But don't be fooled by the fact that it's only a short sentence.

It's really not easy to achieve.

“I think we need to consider it. I’ve looked at the plans for those two games, and the boss’s ambitions are clearly quite large…”

"I also think that it's obvious they want to release content on multiple platforms and achieve instant fame."

"..."

Most engineers felt it was necessary.

And just then.

The heads of the two project teams also came over.

Zhang Mingyuan looked at the two of them and asked them a question.

"If possible, of course, multiple platforms!"

Li Zhongzhi immediately said, "Such a great game! Not just for PC! The other two console versions are also the best! After all, the overseas game market is still dominated by consoles."

Then another person in charge realized what was happening and chimed in.

In short, that's it.

This is good, this is good, let's get one, let's get one.

Zhang Mingyuan pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Let's discuss it..."

soon.

A heated discussion then broke out in the conference room.

……

at the same time.

Tang Yao was unaware of what was happening in the conference room; she was actually very busy.

After all, she had quite a few things to deal with.

Comics, FGO scripts, Hearthstone overseas releases, ANF strategy development, a whole bunch of other miscellaneous things.

So she was unaware that the engine team and development team had already begun to race towards multi-platform compatibility.

It's fortunate that Tang Yao wasn't there, otherwise she would probably be completely confused.

Ambition?

Multiple platforms?
When did I ever say the game would be released on multiple platforms?!
She just wanted to test the waters on the PC!
But it's clear that Zhang Mingyuan, Li Zhongzhi, and others have begun to take initiative...

"No, where did Si Jinliang go?"

Tang Yao finished working on the week's drafts for "Chainsaw Man" and found Li Xue there as well, immediately complaining. She had looked for her several times but couldn't find her.

She also wanted to ask about the situation under the legend.

"..."

the other side.

Li Xue, holding her cup, stiffened upon hearing this, then turned her head and said with a blush, "Actually, Tang Yao, I forgot to tell you... you forgot something."

"Huh? What's the matter?"

Tang Yao tilted her head.

"Didn't ANF host a Hearthstone tournament? Si Jinliang was the commentator."

Li Xue explained, "He's still explaining..."

"..."

Tang Yao's expression froze.

Yes!

No wonder I haven't seen many people these past few days!

She immediately opened her browser...

really.

The ANF homepage still features news about Hearthstone tournaments.

But the finals are coming up soon.

Yes.

This event lasted a long time because Cai Quan, the person in charge of ANF, discovered that... the event was really popular!
Perhaps it's because Hearthstone is such a fun game, and card games have a larger audience than expected, plus the online tournament format with live streaming is quite novel.

This, coupled with various meme culture.

Therefore, both ANF and the game benefited greatly during the event.

The audience kept asking what game it was, while the players came to watch the competition because of its reputation.

The number of ANF users and players is increasing rapidly.

Cai Quan then slightly adjusted and lengthened the competition format.

Tang Yao knew about this.

Just be.

She forgot about Si Jinliang's guest commentary...

Tang Yao glanced at the comments and found that there were many more Hearthstone videos, including those related to tournaments and those showing off amazing plays. The comments section was also filled with many memes she didn't recognize... and even videos of players.

can only say.

It makes sense that Egame will lay off a large number of employees and then shift its focus to mobile games.

Lately, Avalon has really been in the spotlight!
Tang Yao said softly, "...This popularity is really good."

"Yes."

Li Xue handed the cup to Tang Yao and said, "The Hearthstone project team is going crazy. They keep saying that the player growth is terrifying. This month's revenue might even surpass the revenue of the first month after the server launch."

"Huh? That high?"

"Yes, because the number of viewers for the event has exceeded 800 million."

"800? Wait... how many users does ANF have now?"

"Just a moment."

Li Xue left a message, then rummaged through the desktop and found a document, which she handed to Tang Yao.

Tang Yao glanced at it briefly, then looked bewildered.

ANF's monthly active users have exceeded 7500 million.

The growth rate curve is even more outrageous!
Brush it!
It shot straight into the sky!
ANF is a pretty big game!

Do not!
They could just pack up and go public to raise money.

Because ANF has moved from a niche anime community to the early stages of breaking into the mainstream.

"How can the growth rate be so fast?"

Tang Yao was somewhat taken aback.

Because she's been busy with gaming lately, she hasn't really been paying attention to ANF.

In her mind, ANF is currently just a tool website for Avalon.

but now……

what?
"..."

Upon hearing this, Li Xue looked at the beautiful girl in front of her with a complicated expression: "The comics section, the crazy purchase of anime series, the live streaming, the games section, the competitions... You've done so much lately, which one of them wasn't a celebration for all users on the site? Which one of them didn't break into the mainstream and attract a large number of people who came because of your reputation?"

Chainsaw Man attracted a large number of comic book readers, the anime attracted a large number of core anime fans, the live stream attracted many viewers interested in live streams featuring anime girls, and the games, needless to say, attracted a large number of external players with three games...

Meanwhile, UGC content creators aren't fools; they've all realized ANF's rapid growth and have begun migrating there in droves, bringing with them a large influx of viewers from mainstream video websites...

As far as I know, many mainstream video websites that had previously abandoned UGC content are now starting to support creators again, simply because ANF is developing too fast.

Considering all factors, 7500 million isn't really a lot.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yao thought back for a moment and realized it was true.

It's dark under the lamp.

She has always used ANF as a tool website.

I've gotten used to using it as a tool.

Accidentally.

It seems they've turned a tool into a major website...

Moreover, the path to success is completely different from that of mainstream video websites.

They rely on expensive copyrighted content, and their revenue mainly comes from advertising.

While ANF also has copyrighted content, it mainly consists of comics, games, animations, and UGC content, and its revenue primarily comes from joint operations.

Thinking of this, Tang Yao asked curiously, "Has this attracted a lot of attention?"

"Of course, investors have been paying attention for a long time and have expressed their intention to acquire the company."

Li Xue nodded: "Because of the success of 'Fantasy Journey to the West,' more manufacturers have contacted ANF recently, wanting to co-operate with ANF on games. This will foreseeably bring huge profits to the website. Currently, ANF's valuation alone is already close to 10 billion. Cai Quan's side is already extremely busy."

And this isn't even the limit... Do you remember the software you used for live streaming? Kang Ming has made some improvements and provided it to ANF. ANF has already started evaluating the launch of the live streaming section.

The proposal has been submitted; would you like to take a look?

“…Not for now.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Yao shook her head slightly, somewhat enlightened.

obviously.

Avalon has grown to a certain point, and is even showing signs of becoming a behemoth.

It's simply impossible for her to oversee and manage all the development of the numerous businesses under her umbrella all by herself.

For example, she paid no attention to the things Li Xue mentioned...

no way.

Human energy is limited.

Her recent focus has been on games.

This situation is unlikely to improve much going forward, as Avalon will only grow larger and larger, and there will be more and more issues to deal with.

Think of this.

Tang Yao couldn't help but show a thoughtful expression... Did she need to change her pattern of paying attention to and helping with everything?

Because in this situation, it's absolutely impossible for her to have the energy to attend to everything.

They want to meddle in everything.

I'm tired, but I won't say it.

It can also easily limit the initiative of other staff members.

of course.

This requires corresponding management measures, and the entire company structure also needs to be adjusted...

Ok……

Tang Yao fell into deep thought and quickly made a decision, then began to talk to Li Xue about it.

Li Xue listened quietly.

soon.

Tang Yao then briefly explained her thoughts.

After listening, Li Xue looked at Tang Yao's fair and beautiful face and chuckled, "That's how it should be. You have too much responsibility now. How can you be perfect in every aspect and do everything yourself? Otherwise, what am I for? You just need to focus on game-related matters from now on... I'll take care of everything else."

Tang Yao scratched her cheek a little embarrassedly, then sighed, "Mainly because I don't have much experience."

After all, who could have predicted that?

Why is Avalon developing so quickly?

"From now on, you should focus on the gaming business. If you want to know about other areas you are interested in, or if you have any ideas, you can ask me directly."

Li Xue said softly, "Avalon's core business is, in essence, games, and ANF has been able to develop so rapidly because of Avalon... and the core of Avalon's game business is you. As long as Avalon's game business is thriving, any problems in other businesses will be minor issues, and I will keep an eye on them."

"Understood, I'll leave things to you from now on, Miss Li."

Tang Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

ANF was developing rapidly, and she was unaware of it, so she reminded Tang Yao.

Her energy is indeed limited.

It's time to make a choice.

And choosing... is actually very easy.

After all, she had brought Miss Li, the person she trusted most, to this day.

Think of this.

Tang Yao gently shook her head, dispelling any other unnecessary thoughts.

She plans to focus her energy on games from now on.

As for other aspects, we will keep an eye on them and intervene when necessary.

This also lays the groundwork for the company to shift from 'founder-driven' to 'system-driven' in the future.