Started as a comics editor

Chapter 295 A way out
After the TGA nomination list was released.

The players' reaction was far more enthusiastic than Avalon had anticipated.

"Avalon? Is that the Avalon I know?! The one that makes online games?! Hearthstone nominated for Game of the Year?! Holy crap! That's awesome!"

"And Undertale? It was nominated for Best Indie Game?"

"Wow……"

"That's really impressive, but is Undertale considered an indie game???"

"I also find it strange. Indie games usually refer to games developed independently by individuals or small teams, without the control of large commercial publishers, emphasizing creative freedom and non-commercial interference... Avalon seems to be somewhat related, but also seems to be completely unrelated."

"Could this be a misunderstanding? (laughs) Undertale was released before Outlast, and it really does seem like a game developed by a small team without funding from a major publisher, at least in terms of size and scale... If we disregard Hearthstone, do the TGA judges really think Avalon is just an unknown small indie studio?"

"Haha, it shouldn't be that bad, right? The judges have to do some background checks, don't they?"

"I don't think it's that bad either. In fact, whether it's a AAA game or an indie game, the definition is quite subjective. As long as a game has the spirit of indie games, it can be called an indie game. The opposite of the spirit of indie games is the commercial game mindset. The commercial game mindset judges game development as a commercial activity, that is, whether or not it makes money becomes the main standard, or even the only standard, for judging the success of a game."

This mindset isn't necessarily bad, but it can easily lead to a conservative approach in game development. For example, single-player games tend to rely on formulaic gameplay combined with stunning visuals, often referred to as AAA games, because the investment in technology is quantifiable and the risk is lower.

For online games, it's those gameplay mechanics that have been proven to be profitable, and the art assets that are immediately recognizable as appealing to the target audience.

Yiyou and Jiuxiao should understand this point well. If it is an unproven plan, it is very difficult for them to approve it internally, because it means that the risk of failure will be greatly increased.

From this perspective, Undertale is undoubtedly an indie game, because it doesn't lack the spirit of indie games at all. In fact, broadly speaking, Outlast can also be considered an indie game, because it's the kind of game that commercial game developers wouldn't dare to make.

"That makes sense... Avalon does make money, that's all online games. Lately, they've been making single-player games, and single-player games don't really have much of a commercial feel to them. One game seems to be primarily about expressing themselves, while the other is just relentlessly torturing players... But thinking about it, it's really impressive. Avalon is a company that can make high-quality commercial online games and rake in huge profits, as if every monetization point has been carefully considered. Yet, they can also make a glamorous turnaround and suddenly start making single-player games with an independent spirit, completely abandoning their familiar and deeply ingrained commercial thinking. They're just amazing."

"Perhaps this is what Avalon is all about... Making money is one thing, but it doesn't stop me from expressing myself. I make money from online games to support my single-player games!"

"No, is the person upstairs sure Avalon is making online games to support their single-player games?! Their single-player games are clearly very profitable! Look at the popularity of Outlast overseas. You don't need to go anywhere else, just go to streaming websites and see how many streams there are. Besides, their online games aren't purely focused on making money, are they? Hearthstone was even nominated for Game of the Year..."

"It really is... awesome."

"Haha, are we really discussing an online game company right now?"

"Haha, it is a bit disjointed, but to be honest, it's mainly because this company is too outrageous... I'm getting more and more interested in Avalon now. This company has reached this point in such a short time. What kind of person is their founder? How could he make such a decision, suddenly abandoning the hugely profitable mobile and online games to make single-player games, and what's even more outrageous is that he succeeded! Now I'm really looking forward to their next game."

"The boss is a beautiful girl! A beautiful girl! A beautiful girl!"

"Hahaha, you guys are so obsessed with pretty girls, aren't you? Mr. Avalon, a passionate veteran gamer, you've even changed his gender in your mouth (laughs)."

"..."

Actually, while it was indeed surprising that Avalon's game was nominated for Game of the Year, it wouldn't have caused such a stir among players.

However... this matter created a very strange chemical reaction with Avalon's own positioning.

In Tang Yao's previous life, there was an overt or covert hierarchy of contempt in the gaming world... and a similar hierarchy of contempt exists here as well.

While online games and mobile games aren't exactly at the bottom of the hierarchy, games made by commercially driven online game companies face an extremely high difficulty in gaining top-tier recognition for 'artistic merit' or 'innovation' (at least for now, that's the top tier). They are often labeled as not pure enough or too commercial.

Therefore, Avalon's situation is too dramatic and too contrasting in the eyes of players!
A company that started with commercial online games and has been consistently profitable has had its works nominated for top awards representing the highest artistic and commercial achievements in the single-player and console game fields.

Hearthstone, a service-based card game that some players consider overly commercial, and Undertale, a pixel RPG full of experimentation and independent spirit, both came from the same company and were surprisingly nominated at the same time.

It's...very strange.

They are adept at accurately grasping the pulse of the business world to make big money, and they can also almost recklessly invest resources in creating high-risk, highly creative, and unconventional single-player games, all of which have achieved great success.

This is equivalent to Tencent suddenly announcing that one of their highly profitable online games has been nominated for Game of the Year at the TGA, while an indie game developed by a small team under their umbrella, full of philosophical reflection, has been nominated for Best Indie Game. In addition, they have just released a high-profile game that redefines the horror game experience.

This doesn't seem right at all...

Although Avalon is not as big as Tencent at all... this strong sense of subversion is the core reason why domestic players have such a heated, even somewhat absurd, discussion after the initial shock.

This nomination for the annual game awards is not only an affirmation of Avalon's game quality, but also like a deep-sea bomb thrown into a calm lake, completely disrupting the inherent boundaries and stereotypes that domestic players have about online game companies, business, art, and independent spirit.

It left players confused, excited, and debating.

Then I have to admit... Avalon is a company that really doesn't play by the rules, and it always seems to succeed.

Many players no longer consider Avalon to be an online game company... They feel that it wouldn't be surprising if Avalon released any game in the future.

This shift in perception has laid an extremely fertile ground for the upcoming Left 4 Dead game – players are filled with unprecedented curiosity and anticipation about what Avalon's next game will be.

This is Avalon's biggest gain from this nomination.

Whether or not we win an award is secondary.

but.

The people most affected are not the players...

But...

"It's really amazing."

A certain company and Avalon are both located in Shanghai.

But inside a game studio on the other side of the city.

Qiu Gaoxing sat at his slightly cramped desk, the light from the screen reflecting on his somewhat tired face.

He kept refreshing the news page about the TGA nominations, watching Avalon's name shine brightly in the nomination columns for the two major awards, Game of the Year and Best Indie Game, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Envy?
Of course I'm envious!

That's the annual game awards! The world's premier gaming event! A stage that countless developers dream of!

Moreover, Avalon not only nominated, but nominated two games at once! It's already amazing enough that an online game like Hearthstone was nominated for Game of the Year, but for a pixel masterpiece like Undertale, which is full of independent spirit, to be recognized as the best indie game... It's like wearing the crowns of commercial success and artistic pursuit at the same time.

It's so enviable it's insane.

Avalon's ability to cross genres and accurately grasp the core fun, from Hearthstone to Undertale and Outlast, as well as their courage to invest resources in high-risk, unconventional single-player games, is something that Qiu Gaoxing, a fellow gamer, truly admires.

Especially Outlast... its extreme purity and terrifying experience, which seems designed to torture players, makes you realize how much market pressure the developers must have faced.

Besides envy.

Another emotion was stronger and had a greater impact on Qiu Gaoxing: a heavy sense of loss and anxiety.

He turned his gaze back to his computer screen—a project his studio had poured three years of effort into, a single-player martial arts game called "Hengdao Lima".

This game embodies the team's dreams and their love for martial arts.

However, at this moment, a lingering gloom has settled over it.

"Ugh……"

Qiu Gaoxing sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair with a slight creaking sound.

Avalon was a success, a great success.

But it also serves as a dazzling mirror, reflecting the bleakness of their future.

"How can the difference be so big?"

Qiu Gaoxing muttered to himself, his voice filled with barely concealed bitterness. They're both game companies!

But Avalon has strong financial backing! It has mature distribution channels! It has strong technological expertise! And it even has the huge prestige boost from its TGA nomination!
And what about them? They have nothing.

With only a small studio and a few dozen people, they had been tightening their belts for two years to develop the business, and their cash flow was already stretched to the limit. What troubled them the most was the sales channels.

Traditional single-player game publishing either involves finding domestic or foreign publishers to act as agents, which not only takes away a large portion of the profits but also makes them vulnerable to being controlled in terms of marketing and distribution, or they have to bite the bullet and release on various platforms (Mercury Station, PONG), but the high platform commissions and fierce competition make it almost impossible for unknown works like these to survive.

Now, it's even more complicated than that.

Even selling yourself is difficult these days!

Big companies like Yiyou and Jiuxiao are all focused on mobile games, primarily promoting their own mobile games or promising online games. They have absolutely no interest in small, niche single-player martial arts games like this one.

"How many copies of 'Holding a Sword and Standing on Horseback' will it actually sell? Will it recoup its costs? Can the team keep going?"

These thoughts weighed on Qiu Gaoxing like heavy stones, making it hard for him to breathe.

Qiu was no longer happy.

While Avalon, also a game developer, can dominate the global stage and shine brightly, they struggle with basic survival and media exposure.

Think of this.

He couldn't help but scratch his hair hard.

Just then, the office door was pushed open.

His partner and technical lead, Wang Meng, walked in, his face flushed with excitement, clearly having also seen the news about Avalon's nomination.

"Old Qiu! Did you see that? Avalon is incredibly awesome!"

Wang Meng's loud voice broke the silence of the office.

"I saw it."

Qiu Gaoxing raised his head and forced a smile: "Indeed impressive."

"It's more than just amazing, it's a huge boost to the domestic single-player game community!"

Wang Meng walked to Qiu Gaoxing's table, his face full of excitement, and said, "This proves that we're on the right track! Good games can be recognized!"

"Acknowledgment is one thing..."

Qiu Gaoxing gave a wry smile upon hearing this, then pointed to his screen: "But it has nothing to do with us now. You should think about what to do with our 'Hengdao Lima'. Even the best wine needs advertising. The distribution channels are completely blocked. We can't even find a platform for testing now. Thinking about how great Avalon is is of no use. You can't expect the judges at TGA to suddenly discover our game, can you?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Meng's excitement subsided slightly, but a strange light gleamed in his eyes: "Old Qiu, you mentioned channels... I have an idea, a bit daring, I don't know if you'd like to hear it."

Qiu Gaoxing was slightly taken aback, then sat up straight: "What are you thinking? Just say it!"

"Could we... put 'Heroic Swordsman' on Avalon Game Assistant for sale?"

Wang Meng made a startling statement: "The tests are also conducted on their platform."

"what?!"

Qiu was stunned for a moment, then almost jumped up from his chair, thinking he had misheard: "Avalon Game Assistant?! Isn't that a launcher and community platform that Avalon made for their own online games? It's full of information, guides, and events for their online games, used by players to launch the game, recharge, and socialize! They can sell our single-player games on that?! Are you kidding me!"

Qiu Gaoxing found Wang Meng's idea utterly absurd: "They make online games! That game assistant is for their online games! What's the point of putting our single-player martial arts game on it? Will players buy it? Will Avalon agree? This...this is completely irrelevant!"

Wang Meng was not deterred by Qiu Gaoxing's intense reaction. Instead, he analyzed more seriously: "Old Qiu, don't be so quick to deny it... Think about it, is Avalon still the online game company you remember?"

Speaking of which.

He pointed to the TGA nomination list on the screen: "Didn't you already see the news? Isn't Undertale a single-player game? Isn't Outlast a single-player game? They both succeeded! They themselves are making single-player games! And they've made them benchmarks! What does this show? It shows that Avalon has an understanding of single-player games, the technology, and the resources to dedicate to them! Their platform may well be able to accommodate other excellent single-player games!"

then.

Wang Meng paused, then said excitedly, "Moreover, look at the user base of Avalon Game Assistant! Because of the popularity of online games and the recently released single-player games, the installation volume of this game assistant is already one of the top in China. And it's not like the installation volume of mobile app stores. There are a huge number of potential players active on the PC side!"

If… I mean if, Avalon were willing to give us a chance, even just a display spot and a purchase entry, how much exposure would that give us? It would be far better than us fighting tooth and nail with a bunch of monsters on those big platforms, right?

Qiu Gaoxing was stunned.

Wang Meng's words, as a partner, were like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating violent ripples.

He was completely confined by his preconceived notions about online gaming platforms, and even the annual game awards failed to break this mindset.

But Wang Meng made it clear to him—Avalon had changed! Or rather, they were never just a pure online game company!
Look at the soulful pixel world and touching story of Undertale, look at the breathtaking horror atmosphere and top-notch technology of Outlast... Avalon's achievements and ambitions in the single-player game field have long exceeded the scope of a simple online game company! They even have two games nominated for The Game Awards!

If... if Avalon Game Assistant, a platform with a huge user base, were really willing to open up to third-party single-player games... it would be a godsend for struggling independent teams like theirs!

This idea is too bold, too subversive, and even a bit far-fetched.

But when Qiu thought about Avalon's unconventional actions time and time again, the impossible wall in his heart began to shake violently.

He looked at the meticulously crafted martial arts world depicted in "Holding a Sword and Riding a Horse" on the screen, and then at Avalon's dazzling name on the TGA nomination list.

An unprecedented feeling, a mixture of trepidation and immense hope, rose within him.

"Maybe... we can try?"

Qiu Gaoxing's voice was a little hoarse, but his eyes lit up. "But... how do we contact them? Would they even bother with a small studio like ours?"

But the joy didn't last long.

The practical problems are now right in front of us.

Wang Meng clenched his fist, his eyes filled with fighting spirit: "Let's give it a try! How will we know if we don't try? We'll prepare the demo and design documents for 'Hengdao Lima' and let the quality speak for itself! For 'Hengdao Lima'! For the team! And I think Avalon will definitely agree! Their boss seems to really love games! Otherwise, he wouldn't have given up online games to make single-player games! They understand what makes a good game better than we do!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Gaoxing took a deep breath, looked at Avalon's name on the screen, then at the hope of his team, and finally nodded heavily.

then.

He suddenly seemed to have thought of something and asked, "Speaking of which... what kind of person is their boss?"

"Actually, many players have been asking this question as well."

Wang Meng smiled and replied, "This year's nomination for the annual awards has brought many players' interest in Avalon to its peak. They are very curious about who led Avalon to achieve this seemingly impossible feat in such a short period of time, and they are also full of expectations for their next game."

"But I think he's probably a mature, reliable, game-loving, and seasoned veteran player."

"It's impossible for her to be a beautiful girl like those silly gamers are saying, that's too outrageous."

"Haha, these players."

Qiu smiled and shook his head, not continuing the topic, but looking at the screen again.

Avalon's success is like a lighthouse, illuminating the way and bringing an unexpected possibility.

This seemingly absurd shortcut might just be the way out they've been searching for...?
(End of this chapter)