Started as a comics editor

Chapter 267: You’re lame if you fool around

Yan Yun had just spoken when...

The air in Shen Lun's office seemed to freeze.

"What did you say—our game's online player count has dropped!?"

then.

Shen Lun's voice suddenly rose eight octaves: "How much has it dropped? Which game?"

Yan Yun swallowed hard and, forcing a smile, reported, "Several pillar PC games have been affected, with some games experiencing a drop in online players of about 20%..."

"Twenty percent..."

Shen Lun's eyes widened, then he abruptly stood up and began pacing anxiously around the office, his suit jacket hem fluttering with each step, muttering to himself, "This is impossible. How could a pixelated 2D game steal so many of our players? Impossible... impossible!"

Yan Yun lowered her head, not daring to reply.

But Shen Lun continued talking.

Suddenly, he glared at Yan Yun and asked, "Why?"

"for……"

Yan Yun was taken aback upon hearing this, then hesitated for a moment before speaking, "President Shen, the industry is discussing this matter... As for the specific reasons, some analysts believe that the success of 'Dungeon & Fighter' is not accidental; it accurately captured the player group aged 20-35."

"Get to the point!" Shen Lun interrupted impatiently.

Yan Yun quickly sped up his speech: "Simply put, they grasped two key points. First, the market lacks truly fun side-scrolling fighting online games; second, they are targeting the 'arcade generation' who have spending power but are ignored by mainstream game companies."

He glanced at Shen Lun's expression and continued, "Dungeon Fighter Online, as a rare 2D side-scrolling online game on the market, has a retro pixel art style that brings back the feeling of playing arcade games for many players... Moreover, most people who have played it say that in terms of the sense of impact and the smoothness of skill combos, this game is the king of its genre..."

"..."

After listening, Shen Lun's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Are they crazy? What era are we living in?!"

Yan Yun didn't dare to reply, and could only smile bitterly to herself: "..."

What could he say.

Those are the players' bread and butter. If players want to relive the retro vibe, what can game developers do?
Shen Lun clearly wasn't expecting an answer; he was just venting his emotions: "What do we do now? Our mobile game plan has only just begun, and we can't afford to lose our core PC game business!"

Yan Yun fell silent again.

Shen Lun became even more irritated!

No!

There is no such thing!
what is this! ?

I was just getting ready to make a name for myself in the mobile game industry! My house got robbed?

Why did Avalon choose to develop PC games? And why were they so successful?

Shen Lun had seen online games that were so popular that they could even erode the market share of other PC games.

rather say.

Jiuxiao once made a game like this!

But what was the environment like back then, and what is it like now?

So who exactly are they?
How do you understand players so well!
Shen Lun grew angrier and angrier, and even felt a little wronged!
Avalon! Have you guys forgotten that you pioneered the mobile game market?!

How could you do this?!

What the fuck...

Shen Lun felt like he was about to explode.

He quickly took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Now was not the time to lose his temper, nor was it the time to feel wronged. He had to come up with a solution as soon as possible.

The office fell silent.

After a long silence, Shen Lun took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Convene an immediate high-level meeting. I need all project managers in the meeting room within half an hour! Also..."

He paused, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Contact the gaming media outlets we've invested in; it's time to put them to use!"

at the same time.

On the other hand, Yiyou wasn't much better off.

rather say.

E-Games was more affected because it also had several other 2D side-scrolling games that were generating good revenue.

Jin Feng sat in his seat, looking at the report in his hand, his mouth slightly agape, feeling only absurdity, utter absurdity.

He stared at the report in his hand for a long time before slowly raising his head and asking, "A PC game? A PC game can reach this level in a week?"

"Correct."

The assistant's expression was somewhat complicated: "Although there are some discrepancies in this data, the difference shouldn't be too significant... The marketing department even sent someone to check out the nearby internet cafes. At first, only one or two people were playing 'Dungeon & Fighter,' but later they discovered that the number of players was increasing every day..."

As for the reasons, some analysts believe that the success of "Dungeon & Fighter" is not accidental...

He repeated the conclusion that Yan Yun had stated.

But after hearing this, Jin Feng immediately shook his head and said decisively, "No! It's definitely not that simple! The number of online players for our two side-scrolling 2D games has been halved!! Even many players who spent more than that amount and assumed they wouldn't easily quit have abandoned their accounts!!"

The assistant fell silent.

Jin Feng thought for a moment, then said nothing more. Instead, he put down the documents in his hand, picked up the mouse, opened the Avalon website, and started downloading the game!
He wants to try it out for himself!
soon.

Jin Feng has finished downloading the game.

He created a Ghost Swordsman character and followed the tutorial step by step.

At first, he looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze, his fingers mechanically pressing the keyboard.

But gradually—

His brow furrowed, but his movements became increasingly fluid.

The assistant stood there bewildered for nearly an hour, but finally couldn't take it anymore and quietly took his leave.

in the office.

The sound of keyboard clicks continued unabated.

More than two hours later.

Jin Feng stared intently at the computer screen, his fingers tapping faster and faster on the keyboard.

on the screen.

He controlled the Ghost Swordsman to unleash a gorgeous combo, launching the monster into the air before following up with 'Ghost Slash' and finishing with 'Uppercut', the whole process flowing smoothly.

Three hours have passed by now...

His character has reached level 15.

During this time, he tried all the basic skills and even figured out a few simple combos.

When the system prompted that 'fatigue points have been exhausted,' Jin Feng instinctively wanted to click to buy an event fatigue potion.

"!?"

But last minute.

Jin Feng's finger hovered above the mouse, then suddenly froze.

He reacted suddenly.

What are you doing?
Playing games...?
I……

Jin Feng suddenly stood up, looked at the screen with a look of utter disbelief, and then began pacing back and forth in the office.

He suddenly understood! He understood why his friends who had spent tens of thousands of yuan on the game would abandon their accounts, and why the young people in internet cafes were so crazy about it.

Because he was a little tipsy!

Three hours ago, he was still the high and mighty president of the game company.

But as he played, he became addicted to the game, just like a teenager with an internet addiction...

Jin Feng couldn't find the right words to describe this game; twenty years of industry experience seemed so pale and powerless at this moment.

A perfect numerical system? A reasonable game pace? Just the right amount of positive feedback?

It seems to touch on everything.

The game itself is not complicated, but those seemingly simple designs, when combined, form the most deadly addictive cycle.

It's so addictive that players can't stop playing it.

Jin Feng slowly stopped walking, then looked at the screen with a gloomy expression, picked up the phone on the table and called his assistant again.

As a game industry professional with twenty years of experience, he knows all too well what a phenomenal game means—it can not only capture the market, but even redefine players' tastes.

PC games are also the core of Yiyou's business!

Countermeasures.

He needs a solution.

"Immediately summon the core planners, numerical and combat system managers of 'Legend of Mir 2' and 'Dragon's Fury' to the conference room within half an hour."

……

the next day.

Avalon.

The gracious older sister is back with more good news.

"Yao! Latest data!"

Li Xue walked into Tang Yao's office carrying a stack of documents, a rare blush of excitement on her face: "Dungeon & Fighter's concurrent online player count has surpassed 110 million! And it hasn't even been a week! The retention rate is also frighteningly high, still at 68% today!!"

Tang Yao looked up from the screen and gazed at the beautiful and dignified older woman walking gracefully towards her. A smile graced her stunning face: "Hmm, a little better than expected."

"Is this considered better?"

Li Xue, carrying the documents, came to Tang Yao's side. Her beautiful face was exceptionally bright. She said gently, "The industry is in an uproar. It's said that Jiuxiao held an emergency meeting because the number of online players for many of their PC games is declining!"

Although Li Xue herself rarely plays Avalon games, especially as Avalon's affairs increase.

But that didn't stop her from being genuinely happy for Tang Yao.

Tang Yao laughed and said, "Isn't that normal?"

Li Xue said helplessly, "Normal...what's normal about it? Yu Lili was so happy that she promised to do a street dance for the project team tonight."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yao's beautiful eyes lit up instantly: "Street dance? What time? Where is it performed?"

"..."

She watched helplessly as her boss instantly switched from being the creator of a gaming empire to a girl who loved watching the drama unfold.

Li Xue was somewhat amused and exasperated. She gently placed the file on the table, then looked into Tang Yao's bright, beautiful eyes and softly asked, "Did you already foresee that this game would be a success?"

"A little bit."

Although Tang Yao was still very curious about street dance... she suppressed her curiosity for the time being when she heard Li Xue's serious question and replied, "However, it is indeed a bit beyond my expectations that they have gained a foothold so quickly and even unleashed such enormous energy."

That was indeed unexpected.

It can only be said that the territory is large and the player base is large.

And it's quite a coincidence. Recently, app stores have, to some extent, triggered a backlash from many players, which, combined with Avalon's initial success in mobile games and its sudden shift towards PC games, is surprising...

In short.

Let's go through all sorts of unexpected twists and turns.

Although Avalon doesn't have a social media presence as large as Tencent's, Dungeon Fighter Online has still achieved incredible success.

Think of this.

Tang Yao couldn't help but look at the screen again.

Li Xue noticed Tang Yao's gaze and looked over as well, discovering that the 'Wanderers' online game section was open on the screen.

And the posts in this section... right now are all about "Dungeon Fighter Online".

[This game is so much fun! Holy crap! I never expected it to be this good! I've already created my fourth alt account, so many characters! And each character can specialize in four different classes! Each class has its own unique style and skills! This is insane! So awesome!]

[Instantly addictive! Amazing! A 2D online game can't believe it's this good!! The Gunslinger is so much fun! The Mechanic focuses on wide-area burst damage! The Ranger is all about flashy and cool skills! I still have so many classes I haven't tried! I want to try them all!]

[Tears welling up! It brought back memories of the arcade! I played all night, and I almost wore out the keyboard!]

[I got a purple item! Guys!!!]

[Seeking advice on Sword Master combos!!]

Unbelievable! I really never expected that Avalon could be so amazing as a PC game. Different characters not only have different appearances, but also different attributes, skills, and development paths. This is completely different from the popular MMO games nowadays.

It's hard to imagine that such a diverse range of career options comes from a company known for its mobile games.

Not to mention they also balanced the relationships between different professions, as well as the relationship between professions and the monster system.

At the same time, the numerical balance is incredibly powerful, and the positive feedback mechanism is nothing short of an art.

I can only say that it's absolutely amazing!
Avalon has now officially joined the ranks of top-tier game developers, alongside companies like 99Games... Don't argue, they have a ton of mobile games under their belt, and now their PC games are doing so well too. To reach this level in such a short time, which other game company besides Avalon could do it?

Wow, the weather's changed so much in just a few days... What game is "Dungeon Fighter Online"?

【…】

Li Xue leaned closer, looking at the enthusiastic comments from the players, and exclaimed, "They're really popular... Yao, was that long comment's analysis accurate?"

"more or less."

Tang Yao nodded: "Although it's a bit one-sided, it's not a problem."

Actually, putting aside those sentimental factors...

Essentially, a game is a process in which players gain pleasure by controlling game characters and game events to achieve certain accomplishments.

Therefore, how to achieve achievements, when to achieve achievements, and what achievements to achieve... in layman's terms, the setting of a positive feedback mechanism is the core issue that a game needs to consider the most.

If achievements are too easy to obtain, players will inevitably find them boring.

However, if achievements are too difficult to obtain, they will wear down the player's patience and interest.

Dungeon Fighter Online has managed to strike a good balance.

For example, if you ask these players now what makes the game "Dungeon Fighter Online" so fun, their answers might vary widely—"the thrill of grinding," "getting loot," "cool skills," "mowing down enemies," "using skills like in an arcade game."

Some of these provide instant feedback, such as skill activation and cool skill effects, while others provide delayed feedback, such as equipment drops upon clearing a dungeon.

It is this constant stream of positive feedback, varying in difficulty, that makes this game 'fun'!

Players may have different opinions on what makes something good.

But these are all part of the game's feedback mechanism.

Whether it's a profession, a skill, or a gameplay style...

In Tang Yao's previous life, Dungeon & Fighter had been running for over ten years. Many people had studied the reasons for its popularity, and most importantly, the game had a very clear development path and player reviews for reference.

During the production process.

During the process of writing the project plan.

Tang Yao extensively referenced the changes and player reviews from various previous versions of the game.

So essentially!

The game "Dungeon & Fighter" featured here is a culmination of Tang Yao's more than ten years of experience in game operation and countless player feedback!
Although it's a parallel world, the players here haven't mutated!

Over a decade of hard work!! The result of millions of player feedback votes!!! It would be strange if it weren't popular!!!

This is the main reason why this game has achieved such great success!
This is also why Tang Yao said, "As long as it's fun, that's enough!"

This is also why Jiuxiao and Yiyou couldn't figure it out no matter how hard they racked their brains.

no way.

After all, Tang Yao is cheating... no, Tang Yao's existence is just too overpowered.

of course.

The game's rapid rise to popularity and its explosive success were indeed somewhat beyond Tang Yao's expectations...

"Ok?"

Li Xue suddenly uttered a questioning sound.

"what happened?"

Tang Yao snapped out of her reverie and looked at the older sister who was so close to her that her face was practically touching hers.

"Look at this."

Li Xue extended her slender finger and pointed at the screen.

Tang Yao followed her finger and clicked on a post.

[Reprinted: In-depth analysis of the hidden concerns and sustainability dilemmas behind the popularity of "Dungeon & Fighter"]

The success of Dungeon & Fighter largely depends on its accurate appeal to the nostalgia of the "arcade generation" of players. However, nostalgia is a double-edged sword. It can generate popularity in the short term, but its audience is relatively fixed and older.

How can it attract a new generation of young players who have never played arcade games before? Does relying solely on retro pixel art and combo-based gameplay offer sufficient universality and long-term appeal? Once the nostalgia factor wears off, does *Dungeon & Fighter* possess the ability to continuously innovate to retain users? Currently, its core framework seems to offer limited support in this regard.

in addition……】

It was a long article, full of rambling thoughts, but the core message was only one thing: DNF is doomed.

This was reposted by a player.

The source appears to be an article published by a gaming media outlet.

Li Xue frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure: "This article... seems to be an objective analysis, but in reality it is full of denigration and alarmist remarks, especially the part questioning the fairness of paid content and its ability to attract new players. It is clearly trying to stir up trouble, and the timing and angle of its release are too deliberate."

"That's normal. It's good that no one came to water the money tree."

Tang Yao glanced at the seemingly angry older sister, smiled lightly, and spoke with a relaxed and confident tone, as if she had just read a boring little advertisement: "The enthusiasm and real feedback from the players are the best response to us, and the most powerful slap in the face to this paid article. Let them spend money to buy space to sing its praises. We just need to focus on doing our own thing—continuously optimizing the game experience, launching new content, and protecting this 'fun' aspect."

"Shouldn't we just ignore it?"

"Don't worry about it, trust me, Miss Li, it won't have any impact."

Tang Yao stretched and leaned back in her chair, her beautiful face regaining its lively anticipation: "Instead of worrying about that, Miss Li, why don't you tell me when Lili is going to start street dancing?"

"Fool……"

Li Xue bent down slightly, relieved upon hearing this, and at the same time couldn't help but chuckle. She pretended to be angry and leaned closer, gently rubbing her cheek against Tang Yao's delicate face.

Tang Yao's soft face contorted, but she didn't flinch. She simply reached out and pinched Li Xue's waist: "What? Can't I look?"

"No."

"Okay, Li Xue, do you believe I'll let you jump?"

"I can dance for you, but only if you wear a skirt for me..."

"Damn, how do you still remember! Have you forgotten that we even went to the hot springs together? We've seen each other completely naked... Why are you so concerned about the skirt?"

"Well... if we take a bath together and take everything off, even without wearing skirts, that's fine too."

"I! I'll let you have it right now..."

"Hey...haha...Yao...no...I was wrong...buttons..."

obviously.

What happened next had nothing to do with the game anymore.

……

It turns out.

Tang Yao's prediction was absolutely correct.

Shen Lun's massive investment in a campaign to predict the downfall of the country was like a stone thrown into the deep sea, failing to even create a decent ripple.

Next.

Contrary to the predictions of those 'in-depth analysis' articles, the online player curve of "Dungeon & Fighter" has not peaked and declined or encountered a bottleneck. Instead, it continues to surge upwards with an almost overbearing momentum!

Ten days after launch.

The game reached a peak of 120 million concurrent online users! Server queue numbers hit a new record.

Day 15 since launch.

The peak concurrent online users exceeded 135 million! The discussion about DNF on major game forums and social media has not only not diminished, but has intensified, with derivative class guides, combo tutorials, equipment matching, and even character fan creations springing up like mushrooms after rain.

What's even more alarming is that player activity, average daily playtime, and number of dungeon runs have not decreased due to the extended game launch time and repetitive dungeon runs. On the contrary, they have continued to rise as players explore different classes, pursue higher difficulty dungeons, and participate in the newly opened "Duel Arena" PVP!
miracle!

develop to the end.

Throughout the entire gaming industry, everyone had only one thought—this is fucking a miracle!

Avalon!
A company that started with mobile games, with an outdated 2D pixel-style PC game, managed to break through market prejudices and create a miracle that left the entire industry speechless, all while the narrative of PC games declining and mobile games dominating was rampant!

Jiuxiao Games, Shen Lun's office.

The atmosphere was oppressive, like the silence before a storm.

Shen Lun stared intently at the latest data report in front of him, his face ashen.

The glaring red line on the screen, representing the number of online players in DNF, was like a red-hot branding iron, burning his retina and his heart.

He spent a lot of money and used all the media resources he could influence to launch a massive campaign to badmouth Dungeon & Fighter, claiming it was "technically outdated," "has monotonous gameplay," "has exhausted its appeal," and "has a worrying future."

He believed that this cold water from public opinion would at least dampen the enthusiasm of some players and at least slightly suppress the game "Dungeon & Fighter".

But what about the results?

As a result, amidst the overwhelming pessimism, DNF, like a spring that had been suppressed to the extreme, rebounded with even greater force and astonishing speed!
The number of players hasn't decreased; in fact, it's increasing! Discussion volume has risen instead of falling!
Those 'professional analyses' he instructed to issue were as fragile as a piece of waste paper in the face of players' spontaneous and enthusiastic recommendations and genuine experience sharing.

"Why...why is this happening?!"

Shen Lun slowly put down the report, looking utterly bewildered: "Could it be that I was wrong? PC games... PC games are the future???"

His proud business acumen and the cognitive system he had built up over twenty years of hard work in the gaming industry were completely shattered at this moment by the unreasonable popularity of "Dungeon & Fighter".

this moment.

He began to doubt himself.

He began to doubt the market.

He even began to doubt whether he had actually... chosen the right track.

...suddenly he became lame.

(End of this chapter)