Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 541 Corporate Image
“I’m telling the truth. You guys at Mihayou must have made a lot of money this year, right? How about we hold our annual meeting here next year? I can recommend a venue to you, with a 20% discount.”

"Come on, we don't have as much wealth as you."

Brother Dawei waved his hand. If we're talking about the two most extravagant companies in the entire Chinese gaming industry right now, it can only be Tencent and StarCraft. Other gaming companies, even if they make money, are definitely not as extravagant.

In fact, if we only consider spending money, Chu Chen's extravagant spending has become a trademark.

As the year draws to a close, major financial and technology media outlets are busy with their year-end reviews.

As this year's brightest new star, Starry Night Games is naturally a topic that cannot be ignored. Amidst the endless praise and analysis, there are always some discordant notes.

"Hidden Concerns about the Starry Sky Model: What are the Risks to the Cash Flow During Rapid Expansion?"

"How long can Chu Chen's gamble of burning money to gain market share continue?"

"From the Star Project to a global footprint, has Star's ambition exceeded the limits of its capabilities?"

Headlines like these are common in business commentary sections at the end of the year.

The reason for such comments is actually a subtle kind of jealousy. After all, StarCraft has plenty of cash and investment opportunities. Whether it's Bilibili or TITOCK, the growth in their valuations is terrifying.

Even Ubisoft, with whom they recently collaborated, is seeing its stock price rise. In this situation, if we have to nitpick, we can only say that StarCraft's expansion is too rapid and may have an impact on the future.

Moreover, most people in the industry just laugh off this kind of argument.

Anyone with even a basic understanding of the market knows that the so-called "capital chain risk" is a complete fallacy.

Starry Sky's cash flow is ridiculously healthy. Several hit games mean that even if Starry Sky does nothing in the future, it can still live off its spending for more than ten years.

Not to mention, Chu Chen seems to have a third eye; the returns on his key investments are ridiculously high.

However, on the other hand, these media outlets did play a role in attracting attention with their reports. For example, Hai Mao is actually a little worried right now.

"With such a grand annual meeting this year, I bet some scathing media outlets will come out and say it's extravagant and wasteful."

"What are you afraid of?"

Chu Chen took a sip of coconut juice and looked up at the shimmering sea.

"It's only natural for me to use the money my company earns to give benefits to my own employees."

"If they want to report on it, I'd welcome it; it'll be a free job advertisement for us."

Actually, if you really ask whether he was scared or not, then Chu Chen was a little scared.

There's a strange cycle in the Chinese internet industry: the year after a company's annual meetings are at their peak, it often starts to decline, like Alibaba and Gree back in the day.
However, upon closer examination, it's not hard to understand why these corporate annual meetings have a poor reputation; the problem lies in the format of the meetings.

These are both examples of spending money on an annual party, but different ways of spending money result in completely different effects.

Some companies invite celebrities and set up stages for their annual parties, letting employees perform. But who ultimately benefits? The boss, in fact, gets the most emotional value.

But who benefits from all of Xingchen's antics?

They are employees.

That's the difference. Ordinary people rarely empathize with the boss, but it's much easier to empathize with the employee. Moreover, food and drinks, unlike bonuses, are less likely to evoke resentment towards the wealthy. Furthermore, Chu Chen had actually thought carefully about some details throughout the annual meeting, such as the fact that no employees performed on stage.

Aside from eating and drinking, there were all sorts of games, somewhat similar to a fun sports meet organized by a school.

The only program was a special live stream featuring a torture session, and this live stream was open not only to on-site staff but also to online players.

You can even participate in the annual meeting lottery.

This whole series of arrangements is partly because Chu Chen's original vision for team building wasn't some nonsense about building team spirit; it was simply about letting employees relax.

On the other hand, it is to match the players' imagination of the stars as closely as possible.

To some extent, just as Chu Chen often labels and creates a persona for himself, he also wants to convey a relatively approachable brand image to players.

Don't underestimate these things. In the internet age, a company's public image is actually quite important, especially for Starry Sky, a company that manufactures entertainment consumer products.

An old-fashioned annual party where a bunch of employees go up on a stage to perform.

A lively and joyful annual meeting, even if it has no actual impact on the player, is perceived as completely different.

Humans are ultimately emotional beings.

As long as they present a harmonious and happy atmosphere in front of the camera, players can believe that, "Ah, this team is so harmonious and happy, no wonder they can create good works."

This is brand image.

In fact, the reason why Xingchen has such a good reputation is partly because Chu Chen has a clear understanding of these things.

You could say this is "fake," but a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Chu Chen's actions have indeed had an excellent effect over the past two years.

Xingchen's good reputation has helped it gain a significant advantage in public opinion.

For example, in the battle against Apple, players generally tend to believe in StarCraft, thinking that even though StarCraft has already made such concessions, Apple is still unwilling to back down, forcing Apple players to spend money to buy the mini-games that Android players can get for free.
~~~
As afternoon approached, the beach decorations and various game areas were almost ready.
The staff checked in in twos and threes, changed into comfortable clothes, and excitedly headed to the beach.

The air was filled with the aroma of food and the laughter of people, which mingled with the sound of waves crashing on the shore, creating a unique symphony.

However, amidst the laughter and joy, one man seemed somewhat out of place.

His name was Cheng Chenyu. He was wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts, holding a glass of juice in his hand, but he didn't drink it.

His gaze swept across the bustling area, finally settling on Chu Chen, who was sitting under a coconut tree surrounded by several people in the distance.

Cheng Chenyu was a little nervous.

The tension wasn't because of attending the annual meeting, but because he was unsure whether to go and report to Chu Chen at this time.

Logically speaking, this time is definitely not suitable for reporting work.
However, Cheng Chenyu was also worried that if he didn't take action, others might strike first, which would be troublesome.

As Starry Games has grown, it is no longer the small workshop with a few dozen people it once was. The internal pressure for promotion is also increasing for middle and senior management.

(End of this chapter)