Started as a comics editor

Chapter 301 Reputation All-in
As the time goes.

Tang Yao gradually recovered, at least she no longer had to slap her face a few times every day before going to work to force herself to get going and cheer up.

Ultimately, holiday syndrome is the inevitable friction between the innate human desire for freedom and relaxation and the rule-based, efficiency-driven operating model of modern society.

The soul lingers in the relaxed haven of the holiday, while the body has been forced to anchor in the turbulent currents of reality.

It reminds working people that they are not machines and cannot instantly and seamlessly switch modes.

This will take a little time...

Tang Yao adapted relatively quickly; in fact, she had to be quick.

There are too many things to do.

She could only forcefully suppress the emptiness and her body's protest against her work, and devote her energy to the final sprint of "Left 4 Dead".

The pressure feedback from Li Zhongzhi's team was not unfounded. The entire project team was working around the clock, repeatedly refining the underlying optimizations to achieve smooth and stable frame rates and satisfactory visual performance on both consoles and PCs with different configurations.

Meanwhile, the localization team conducted final proofreading and polishing of a massive amount of dialogue, UI, and documentation details; QA testing carried out a thorough investigation of every possible bug, from characters getting stuck in map gaps to abnormal logic of special intelligence AI, leaving no stone unturned.

Despite this pressure, Avalon still released a brand-new 15-minute gameplay demo video as planned, three weeks before the release date.

This demo video is no longer the cinematic trailer of the past, but a solid gameplay video.

It showcases a portion of the Deathcenter campaign level.

The overall impression of this presentation can be summed up in one word: exhilarating!

The smooth and exhilarating combat, the impact of shotguns blasting zombies at close range, the precise headshots from assault rifles, the whistling sound of melee weapons being swung and the effect of flesh and blood flying everywhere—all of these were done with extreme solidity. Avalon didn't seem like they were making an FPS for the first time.

He seems quite accomplished.

Besides these, the actual gameplay footage has also been officially revealed.

...Burning vehicles, swaying shadows, suddenly collapsing scaffolding, doors and windows broken by hordes of zombies—the environment is not a static backdrop, but rather full of interaction and threat.

The dim lighting, oppressive background music, the incessant screams of the infected, and the unique sound effects all combine to create a suffocating apocalyptic atmosphere.

Because Left 4 Dead and Outlast were launched around the same time, the two project teams communicated a lot. In addition, Zhang Mingyuan's engine team spared no effort... So, compared to the original versions, both Outlast and Left 4 Dead have a significantly improved visual quality.

The graphics are now definitely among the world's top tier.

It's so much better than the original version that Tang Yao remembers.

It's mainly the original game from her memory, which has been out for many, many years...

all in all.

This gameplay demo, packed with valuable information, was like a bombshell, instantly igniting the passion of gamers worldwide.

overseas.

This demo video garnered over five million views on Tube within 24 hours, and related analysis and reaction videos emerged one after another.

Players excitedly discussed special effects, the feel of weapon impact, and the environment.

Expectations were pushed to their peak.

It can only be said that Avalon has made the most of the popularity of its previous game, Outlast, overseas, as well as the popularity of the annual game awards.

This is even more true in China. Although online games and mobile games still dominate the domestic market, the vast territory and huge population have resulted in a complex player composition.

Furthermore, Avalon is consciously blurring the lines regarding the attributes of its game players.

So even though Left 4 Dead is broadly considered a single-player game.

During this period, Avalon was also the most dazzling star in the domestic game industry.

However, this has its pros and cons. The advantage is, of course, the high level of popularity, which has made Avalon famous.

As for the downsides... of course, it's that Avalon achieved such high expectations entirely by burning the reputation of its previous games.

This is an objective fact that cannot be changed by human will.

If it weren't for the explosive popularity of games like Undertale and Outlast, and if it weren't for Hearthstone and Undertale being nominated, Left 4 Dead would probably never have achieved such high popularity.

But this raises a problem: if Left 4 Dead is of poor quality, or even disappointing, it will likely wipe out the goodwill that Avalon has painstakingly built up among players.

This is similar to CDPR's cyberpunk.

This game, which had high expectations among players and was delayed several times before its release, suffered a disastrous launch.

It almost completely ruined the reputation that CD Projekt Red had built up in the Witcher series.

It took me a long time to recover.

However, the impact could not be completely eliminated.

Let's just put it that way.

If CD Projekt Red were to release another game with an incredibly interesting concept and seemingly top-tier specifications, players would be very interested, but when it comes to pre-ordering, they would inevitably have a lingering hesitation.

This is the price...

Tang Yao calls it... a word-of-mouth all-in!
Moreover, this step was reached naturally, because the game needed to be promoted and players had expectations. The two factors combined to naturally lead things to this point.

If a game company accumulates a huge amount of goodwill and brand trust from players, then players will pour all of that into the next game, making it their only outlet.

Speaking of which...

Black Myth was also somewhat propped up later on... Of course, this example is rather special.

Anyway.

Tang Yao was well aware that the game's current popularity was a double-edged sword; the higher it was praised, the harder it might fall.

Media reviews, player feedback, actual performance at launch... every aspect is important and cannot be overlooked.

And she couldn't stop... mainly because she had no experience in this area.

but.

Tang Yao is relatively good; she has confidence in the game, and having eaten and seen a lot, she is quite calm.

But as time goes by.

Other staff members also realized this.

As for this kind of all-in mode that burns through the huge player goodwill and brand trust accumulated from past games... the staff had never experienced it before.

The pressure, like a tangible lead weight, began to weigh heavily on everyone's hearts.

In particular, the Left 4 Dead project team.

They started to worry about failure.

But worrying is useless.

Whether this storm of anticipation, stirred up by Avalon itself and raging among players, will ultimately turn into a life-giving rain or a raging inferno that consumes everything, we will soon find out.

……

In addition to gameplay demos of Left 4 Dead.

on the other hand.

Yuan Yanbo's team has also achieved initial results, after several rounds of simple negotiations and communication with GP Play.

Ultimately, the AG platform's PC client application was successfully launched in overseas regions of the GP Play app store.

Tang Yao's prediction was basically accurate.

GP Play does indeed see Avalon as a valuable asset – after all, the mobile versions of FGO and Hearthstone have performed exceptionally well on their platform, with considerable user activity and willingness to pay.

However, they also believe that Avalon's current size is limited, and the AG platform's initial focus on PC game distribution and building its own game ecosystem makes it difficult to shake GP Play's dominant position on mobile devices in the short term.

So instead of tearing each other apart, it's better to let them pass first and wait and see how things develop.

They maintained a superior observational stance, retaining control over Avalon's overseas mobile game resources as a potential bargaining chip, while also being happy to see this emerging platform making waves on the PC platform.

If AG platform can achieve some results and prove its value, there may be deeper cooperation... or even acquisition.

If they fail, it will be almost harmless to them.

Therefore, AG platform officially opened its doors to ordinary overseas players in a relatively low-key manner, relying on GP Play's channels.

Western Europe.

Birmingham.

Ben Carter sat in front of his computer, staring intently at the screen. The oppressive gameplay demo of Left 4 Dead had just finished playing its last second.

He closed the Tube page with lingering interest, then eagerly opened the Avalon website.

FPS.

Cooperation is essential for survival.

Zombie theme.

These keywords, placed in Tang Yao's memories of her past life, at the point in time before she came here, probably wouldn't attract much attention.

After all, this is such an old theme...

But it's different here.

FPS games are currently very popular here, and there are also zombie games. Although cooperative survival games are a niche genre, they are not particularly rare.

But combining all three... and then struggling to survive with three teammates in an endless horde of zombies and fast-paced combat—that kind of gameplay is truly unique!
In Tang Yao's memory of her past life, it was only after the release of Left 4 Dead that this unique game genre was created.

It also brought about a classic game framework.

Many games later drew inspiration from this classic framework, such as the limited-time PVE mode in Rainbow Six Siege, the Archives of Overwatch, Warhammer: Vermintide, and so on. These games all bear some resemblance to Left 4 Dead.

The Left 4 Dead game here, judging from the trailers and gameplay demos, has left a deep impression on many FPS fans, although it hasn't quite reached the point of pioneering new gameplay yet.

But the concept does make you want to play it!
Ben Carter was one of them. He thought the game was incredibly cool! The gameplay looked so unique and fun!
He couldn't wait to rush into that zombie-infested apocalypse!

just.

He opened the Avalon website, only to find that he needed to download something called "Avalon Game" to play the game... This was the only way to access the PC digital version.

"Tsk, another platform launcher."

Ben Carter clicked the download button with practiced ease, while habitually muttering a complaint.

He doesn't like these kinds of things; he feels they just take up a lot of hard drive space.

In fact.

If there's no other way.

Most players probably wouldn't be happy to see this.

Just like in Tang Yao's past life, no one would think of downloading that damned Orange platform.

And here... recently there have been signs of this happening, with major game companies launching their own launchers. Although most of them are only serving their own games on a small scale, they are still exploring and causing inconvenience to players.

just.

Complaints are complaints.

Ben Carter still downloaded the platform.

His interest in the game overshadowed his dissatisfaction.

The temporary irreplaceability of the game Left 4 Dead became his motivation.

The AG platform installation package is small, and the installation process is quick and easy.

Soon, a client interface with a simple, even overly clean, design popped up.

Register and log in to your account.

The most prominent feature on the homepage is naturally the visually striking cover of Left 4 Dead, along with the constantly changing countdown numbers below.

Ben Carter gave a satisfied hum, pre-ordered the game without hesitation, and then explored the newly established AG platform to see if there was any new Left 4 Dead content to satisfy his craving.

But we kept exploring and figuring it out.

He discovered that... Avalon's AG platform was quite different from other launch platforms.

The game details page on the AG platform has a peculiar atmosphere.

There was no information overload or excessive hype; it simply provided the information that players cared about most.

Promotional images, trailers, system requirements, text descriptions, pricing, genres, achievement system, language support... and a rating system.

Although there are quite a few items, they are all clearly presented and address the concerns of players.

Everything is simple and straightforward.

Clean and tidy.

For example.

Ben Carter is now opening the details page for a game called Undertale.

The publisher and developer of this game is Avalon. It supports English, is a single-player pixel-style RPG with very low system requirements, and has a total of sixteen achievements.

The recent popular tags are: pixel art, healing, rich plot, multiple endings, and choice-based.

The game description is simple and clear—an RPG game where you don't have to destroy anyone.

of course.

The most eye-catching sections are the game's latest reviews and all reviews.

They all received rave reviews.

Ben Carter scrolled down and discovered that... all the games on the AG platform had their own independent rating system.

For example, recent reviews are user feedback from the past thirty days.

The full review is the complete evaluation of the game.

"interesting……"

Ben Carter murmured to himself, surprised to find that the platform was somewhat different from what he had expected.

He scrolled to the review section at the very bottom of the page, and the reviews in the default language were automatically pinned to the top.

The few selected comments at the top were surprisingly straightforward.

"I entered the game completely unprepared, with no expectations, and came out a completely different person. This game is art... Go play it, and remember not to look up any guides!"

"Forget the visuals, forget the genre, just play it! It made me laugh, made me cry, and made me think about how to treat others! Full marks!!"

"The music alone is worth the ticket price, but the story, the characters... it's unlike any RPG I've ever played, a masterpiece!"

"..."

These reviews lack flowery language, unlike those of review media outlets, but the sincere praise between the lines immediately piques one's interest.

And then I pulled it down again.

Ben Carter also saw a lot of half-baked Chinese reviews... Clearly, these weren't local reviews, since the AG platform had only been online for a short time, and most of the games were still based on domestic reviews.

See this.

By some strange twist of fate.

Ben Carter then clicked on the entry point to the exclusive community section at the bottom of the game's details page.

The scene inside also surprised him somewhat.

This community lacks the usual spam or tension; instead, it's filled with a sense of creative enthusiasm and a cautious, protective spirit.

The first rule pinned at the top of the forum emphasizes in large print: "NO SPOILERS! Respect the first-time experience!"
The comments below are all supportive, emphasizing how sacred it is to protect new players' first experience.

The popular posts are mostly exquisite pixelated fan art, in-depth story analysis, and game soundtrack adaptations performed on various instruments, ranging from piano solos to small orchestral pieces, and the quality is surprisingly high.

Of course, there's some fluff and nonsense out there.

But it seems it will be deleted very quickly.

The atmosphere of this community is warm, restrained, and full of creativity, with an almost obsessive protectiveness towards the experience of new players, which is quite different from other large forums.

It was as if everyone here was guarding a precious secret, and eagerly and cautiously inviting newcomers to uncover it themselves.

This unique atmosphere itself becomes a silent advertisement.

have to say.

Ben Carter was truly captivated.

Of course, he couldn't say whether it was because of the overall reviews of the game, the attitudes of players who had played it, or simply because he wanted to give it a try.

Anyway.

His gaze swept over the heartfelt comments and the passionate creations in the community.

"alright."

He muttered something under his breath, then moved the mouse pointer to the plain buy button: "There are still three weeks until Left 4 Dead is released... I'll just buy it as a little treat to try it out. I want to see what kind of tricks this life-changing pixelated gadget is hiding."

Tap your index finger to confirm your purchase.

Game added to library.

Sunk cost +1.

At the same time, many players who were drawn to Left 4 Dead but had never heard of Avalon before made the same choice.

AG platform has also taken its first step overseas.

……

Avalon.

Tang Yao's office.

Yuan Yanbo was reporting good news, his eyes gleaming with barely suppressed excitement: "President Tang! The AG platform has launched overseas! The results have far exceeded expectations! Sales of our old games have been revitalized!"

"what?"

Tang Yao was stunned.

Yuan Yanbo immediately handed over the report and explained, "Look... the overseas sales of Undertale, Outlast, and Hearthstone have been rising almost in sync with the pre-orders of Left 4 Dead since the day the AG platform was launched, as if pulled up by an invisible hand."

"The most typical example is Undertale."

Yuan Yanbo cited a specific example: "According to backend data, among users who purchased Left 4 Dead through the AG platform, 52% went on to browse the old game library, and 32% of them eventually made a purchase. More importantly, most of these new players who bought old games probably didn't know Avalon before—they may not have known that Avalon had these works, or they might not have been interested in these works."

"But now, driven by Left 4 Dead, people are downloading the AG platform and buying older games, and these games have very high positive reviews!"

"In addition, most players have a very high level of positive feelings towards the AG platform."

"This is fantastic! If things continue like this, our platform could really take off! If Left 4 Dead is ready to launch and succeeds, then we might be able to build our own player ecosystem!!!"

"..."

Tang Yao glanced at the report in her hand, then paused for a moment before chuckling, "Yes, as long as Left 4 Dead is released and becomes a success... then we'll see how Left 4 Dead fares."

Go all in on reputation...

Tang Yao put down the report, looked at the screen, and let out a soft sigh of relief...

(End of this chapter)