Started as a comics editor

Chapter 264

No!

After all that buildup!

He pooped a huge lump!?

I've been waiting for this for ages, and this is what you show me?
Shen Lun stared at the screen, his finger hovering over the mouse wheel, not moving for a long time.

The forum was filled with discussion threads about "Dungeon Fighter Online".

And what about the posts about "Eight Doors"?
Shen Lun flipped through it.

zero.

No one even criticized them.

—Nobody even dares to criticize me!
Shen Lun's temples throbbed, and his mind was buzzing, as if he had been hit in the face with a blunt object.

So what the hell is this "Dungeon & Fighter" thing?! Where did it even come from?!
and many more.

Shen Lun suddenly remembered the post that had just flashed by, his face stiffened, and he scrolled up the page.

No way?
Probably not?
He simply didn't want to believe it.

But the post won't disappear.

and so.

He still found the post.

[Avalon is making a PC game?!]

"..."

Upon seeing this post, Shen Lun's mind raced—

But my body betrayed me and clicked into the post.

"Avalon is making PC games? That's unbelievable! And it's so darkly humorous! They started the mobile game trend, and their mobile games are popular! But now they've suddenly turned to making PC games! Most importantly! Judging from the trailer, they seem serious! Both the concept and the gameplay in the trailer are very interesting, and I'm tempted to play."

"Actually, there were signs all along. Hearthstone is not a mobile game in the traditional sense. The dual-platform login clearly shows that Avalon has no intention of abandoning PC players. They are very clear-headed."

"That's exactly how it should be! Mobile games do make money, but there are plenty of PC game players too! Lately, it's all mobile games, we can't even see a single PC game. Now that we've finally found a PC game that looks interesting, I'll definitely support it!"

"Interesting. The world-building and gameplay feel quite unique. It's like Avalon has been preparing for this for a while now."

"So you're saying Avalon has led its competitors astray?"

"..."

See the last sentence.

Shen Lun's blood pressure suddenly rose.

—How the hell did a PC game suddenly pop up?!

Has Avalon really gone off to make PC games?
Is this reasonable?

This is completely unreasonable!
Why did they suddenly change their tune? And why did it generate such a huge amount of discussion?
He had just spoken with Ji Zhuo and was still confidently waiting for the explosive popularity brought by the "highest level of traffic support".

The results of it?
Despite Blue River Technology's massive investment of resources, "Eight Doors" didn't even make a splash, and was completely overshadowed by the promotional video for "Dungeon & Fighter"!
No.

This isn't even a backdrop!
Even more ironically—

Avalon didn't even spend any money on featured placements!
They simply put a promotional video on their own game assistant app, and then players spontaneously started discussing it, which immediately flooded the entire forum!
And it's a PC game?

what is this?
Shen Lun went to great lengths to scheme and plot against the channels, but Avalon didn't even bother to enter the battlefield and just blew up the house from the outside?

"..."

Shen Lun took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then downloaded Avalon Game Assistant, finding the page for "Dungeon & Fighter".

Let's begin to carefully evaluate this new game that Avalon has just revealed.

The more he looked, the uglier his expression became.

—PC game.

—Side-scrolling fighting game.

— It adopts the style and features of home console and arcade 2D fighting games.

—A grand game world view.

They're actually making a PC game!

And it looks like it's extremely well-made!

Shen Lun suddenly remembered what he had said not long ago—Avalon was out of the game.

Looking back now, it all seems like a joke!

He initially thought that Avalon's first-mover advantage would ultimately be no match for market forces.
The competition in the mobile game market is no longer dominated by Avalon; it has returned to a competition between Nine Clouds and EasyGame.

But in the end... Avalon is out!
As if they disdained continuing in the mobile game market, they actually switched to making PC games!?
And it's still so popular?

what is this?
Stealing someone's house?

A sudden change of track!?

Damn me!
"."

Shen Lun was on the verge of a breakdown. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down, then returned to the forum and started checking the posts.

He already knew what Avalon had done.

But he still didn't understand! Why was it so popular?

This is simply unreasonable!

Even a PC game developed by Avalon couldn't possibly garner this much attention in such a short time!

soon.

Two hours passed.

Shen Lun swallowed hard, moistening his dry, sore throat, his face filled with disbelief.

absurd.

It's ridiculous!

The reason why Avalon, the game "Dungeon Fighter Online", has generated such a high level of discussion in such a short period of time is that...

main reason.

It's a mobile game!
Because lately, mobile games are everywhere, and there's news about them all.

Even if the gaming market undergoes a transformation, it still takes time. The reason why mobile games are so popular recently is ultimately because Avalon's mobile games are just too excellent...

and then.

They're from Jiuxiao and Yiyou... and the app store is stirring things up.

...It has forcefully brought the entire mobile game market to a position that does not belong to it at this stage.

Many online game users have not yet accepted mobile games, or rather, they are not ready to accept mobile games.

Therefore, a large number of PC game players are actually indifferent to mobile games.

But the emergence of app stores directly threw them off the boat!
And also at this time.

Avalon took the opposite approach and directly announced a new PC game.

It's not some unknown small studio, but a pioneer that originally made mobile games, which has now moved on to making PC games, a rare find these days... and the quality seems quite high.

Whether you call it revenge or it simply hits the sweet spot for these PC game players, it's all up to them.

Anyway.

Many PC game players, as if to show their support, all emerged from their lurking state.

Then they showered Dungeon Fighter Online with praise, acting as if they couldn't wait to play it!

This, coupled with the recent popularity of Avalon Game Assistant and the chaos in app stores, has once again boosted the popularity of "Dungeon & Fighter".

In the end, it turned out like this.

To some extent.

The statement that Avalon led his peers astray is not wrong.

"..."

Shen Lun realized this, his lips twitched twice, and then he suddenly smiled with relief... no, damn it, he laughed in anger!

what is this?
And what's even more troublesome is!
Shen Lun noticed that as the game "Dungeon Fighter Online" was mentioned more and more, Avalon Game Assistant was also frequently mentioned!

Although they have no idea how many users their software has attracted.

But looking at the sheer volume of posts in their community, Shen Lun couldn't help but wonder – is their software really incapable of succeeding?
Shen Lun looked at the screen full of discussions about "Dungeon Fighter Online".

I suddenly felt very anxious.

I felt helpless when I watched the live stream and saw Tang Yao present three new games.

That feeling of utter helplessness, of being completely outmatched, resurfaced in my mind.

This, coupled with the cooperation with Blue River Technology, ultimately failed to make any waves.

...Shen Lun became even more anxious.

And just then.

The phone rang suddenly.

Shen Lun slowly turned his head and glanced at his phone. When he saw who was calling, he snapped out of his daze, grabbed his phone, and answered the call.

Ji Zhuo's laughter rang out: "Hahaha, President Shen, how about it? Have you witnessed the benefits that the highest level of traffic support brings to Jiuxiao?"

Shen Lun remained silent for a moment upon hearing this, but a surge of anxiety immediately prompted him to sweet-talk: "I'll see your mother! Check the forum!!!"

……

the next day.

Early in the morning. Blue River Technology.

The lounge was filled with smoke.

The ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts.

Ji Zhuo stared at the continuously soaring popularity data of "Dungeon & Fighter" on his laptop screen, looking at the numerous posts on the screen, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

It's not surprising that there are no posts about "Eight Doors".

He doesn't care either.

But even... there was no discussion about Blue River Technology's app store adopting a new advertising model.

He was very unhappy that there wasn't even a chance to scold him.

the other two sides.

Jin Feng of Yiyou and Shen Lun of Jiuxiao exchanged a glance, both seeing the same anxiety and resentment in each other's eyes.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Shen Lun spoke first, saying, "The first-day revenue of 'Eight Doors' was less than half of what we expected, which is far from what you promised. President Ji, shouldn't you explain this?"

Ji Zhuo shook his head, giving an irrelevant answer: "Mobile games are the future. The PC game market has shrunk. Avalon is going backwards."

"The problem is that players don't think that way."

Shen Lun pointed to the laptop: "Dungeon & Fighter is quite popular."

"It's just following the crowd, or perhaps it's sentimentality at play."

Ji Zhuo withdrew his gaze from the laptop, organized his thoughts, and said, "Mobile games are the real blue ocean. Avalon is gambling, betting that players will pay for nostalgia, but business principles don't lie—the convenience and fragmented nature of mobile games are irreversible!"

"PC games are shrinking, and Avalon is going against the trend."

"Their games are popular now simply because they've tapped into players' nostalgia. How many people do you think will actually play these games, and how many will actually spend money on them?"

"You mean..."

Jin Feng's eyes lit up slightly: "Is the popularity of 'Dungeon Fighter Online' just temporary?"

"It's definitely temporary. Once this wave of nostalgia wears off, players will eventually return to mobile games."

Shen Lun frowned and said, "But the players' reaction is indeed..."

"Illusion".

Ji Zhuo interrupted, "Think about it, who are these people discussing 'Dungeon & Fighter' now? They're a bunch of PC game veterans who've been left behind by the times! The real growth market is in mobile games, in the new generation of players who have never played PC games before! Weren't you guys in the PC game business before?"

Currently, the two largest game companies in China are your two companies, and 80% of PC game players are playing your games!

Don't you know what's going on?
Have you forgotten? Why did you choose to switch gears? Why did you choose to make mobile games?!

Upon hearing this, Jin Feng and Shen Lun seemed to be deep in thought.

"Let me be blunt, most of the players discussing this right now probably won't actually play this game! And even if they do, they'll likely give up after a short while!"

Ji Zhuo said confidently, "What era are we living in now? Still making PC games, and 2D PC games at that? Ask yourselves, if you received a 2D PC game proposal right now, would you approve it?"

...It seems that's really the case.

Jin Feng and Shen Lun gradually calmed down.

After all.

Avalon's rise was so rapid that it left a shadow on them.

"Do you understand now? So there's no need to panic at all, it's a small matter!"

"And you are not without countermeasures!"

"When Dungeon & Fighter goes into open beta, all you need to do is make some moves with your PC games, like releasing some expansion packs, and play on nostalgia! Avalon is good at making mobile games, but when it comes to PC games, do you really think you can beat established companies like yours that have been working on PC games for over ten years?"

Ji Zhuo shook his head: "Dungeon Fighter Online is doomed to fail! Just watch!!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Jin Feng and Shen Lun exchanged a glance, their eyes suddenly lighting up.

……

And at the same time.

Avalon.

The harbinger of good news... no, the harbinger of good news, the mature and elegant Li Xue, appeared in Tang Yao's office right on time.

"Tang Yao, did you see that?"

Today, Li Xue was still dressed in a smart black business suit. The fitted suit accentuated her perfect waistline, and her shapely knee-length pencil skirt hugged her curves. Her long, shapely legs were clad in high heels, and her whole body exuded a fatal allure unique to mature women.

Mature.JPG.

Anyway, during this period of time.

After Tang Yao moved into her own office, she finally understood why so many people liked beautiful secretaries.

Don’t say anything else.

They are indeed pleasing to the eye.

Especially when you're usually engrossed in your work and can't see anyone, suddenly a beautiful figure appears before your eyes.

The feeling was immediately different.

Even just looking at it can help you relax.

What's more, my Miss Li is exceptionally capable.

—This is an adjective.

It means having the ability.

Tang Yao looked up from behind the monitor, temporarily putting aside her work as she thought, and looked at Li Xue with her snow-white chin in her hand, replying, "Yes, I saw it."

"That's really amazing."

Li Xue said softly, "I checked the forum, and there are posts discussing 'Dungeon Fighter Online' everywhere."

"I saw it too."

Tang Yao released her chin and looked at the screen: "But it's too early to be happy now. Most of these players are just following the crowd. It's just that we're making PC games, which suits their tastes. I think there aren't many players who are really interested right now."

"Ok?"

Li Xue was taken aback by his words, then frowned slightly: "...Aren't there many players who are truly interested?"

"You'll see when you get there."

Tang Yao extended her hand to Li Xue.

Li Xue grasped Tang Yao's hand, took a few steps forward, and came to Tang Yao's side.

Tang Yao held the mouse in her other hand and showed the opened post to Li Xue: "Look...aren't there far more people discussing our development of a PC game than discussing the game itself?"

Li Xue glanced at it, then a serious look slowly appeared in her beautiful eyes: "It really is..."

"Right."

Tang Yao gently squeezed Li Xue's fair and delicate hand and casually said, "So the current hype, in the end, is partly because Avalon, a pioneering mobile game company, does have a gimmick to go and make pure PC games, and partly because PC game players are dissatisfied with the status quo, plus the recent chaos in the app store..."

They were actually using our work on "Dungeon & Fighter" as a bargaining chip to mock EA Games and 99game, which are now shifting their focus to mobile games.

Look, here's a perfect example.

Li Xue looked over.

[Haha, Avalon's making PC games now! EasyPlay and 99game! Look what you're up to!]

"..."

Li Xue frowned again, feeling the kneading pressure in her hands. She turned and inserted her slender fingers between Tang Yao's fingers, interlocking them tightly to prevent Tang Yao from moving. At the same time, she asked, "Then we..."

"don’t worry."

Tang Yao smiled and said, "It's only for this moment."

"now?"

"Before the game's public beta, they're naturally focused on all sorts of random things, but I'm confident that after the public beta, their focus will shift to the game itself! After all... this is a game that brings the arcade into the online world, and lets all players squeeze into 'one arcade'!"

Tang Yao chuckled and said, "Just wait and see, Miss Li."

"..."

Looking at Tang Yao's beautiful smile on her fair face, Li Xue couldn't help but smile back, immediately feeling relieved: "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"so……"

Tang Yao took Li Xue's hand and briefly explained a few things.

Li Xue nodded gently, then released Tang Yao's hand: "Then I'll go now..."

"and many more."

Tang Yao grabbed her arm and teased, "You've come all this way, take a stroll before you leave."

"why?"

Li Xue was amused.

Tang Yao straightened her back slightly and said confidently, "The boss wants to see."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Li Xue rolled her eyes at Tang Yao, but still turned around in front of her once.

Her graceful figure is charming, and she exudes allure as the spring breeze caresses the willows.

Tang Yao reached out and touched her snow-white chin, unable to suppress a smile, feeling as if she had come back to life.