America: The Godfather of Game Development

Chapter 407 The King of Simulation: A Breakthrough in Popularity

This is actually quite strange.

Whether it's SimCity or Gods Must Be Crazy, GAMENOVA has provided ample promotional resources.

However, their initial releases didn't have the explosive success of Theme Hospital.

Is it due to the influence of Game Nova?

However, the developer listed for this project is still Bullfrog Studio.

In the GAMENOVA office.

This place is unusually lively today.

Not only Will, Canheim, and Magic Cow, who are directly involved in this matter, but even the usually laid-back Sid came over.

For no other reason than to see the data in this report.

"So tall??"

Upon seeing the data Sam pulled up, Sid exclaimed in surprise, looking at the others in disbelief.

Although Lin Lixin was involved in the entire project, this alone is enough to prove its exceptional quality.

11 sets!

Yes, this number is indeed not high, and it's not even as good as the initial launch numbers for SimCity.

Selling 11 copies in a week—if this were a console game, Gamenova might as well disband and go their separate ways.

But—this is a PC game!

"Are you sure the data is accurate? There aren't that many NeXT-STEP systems actually installed right now, are there?"

Sid's first reaction was that the data was calculated incorrectly.

Unlike the other developers present, Sid has been in the gaming industry for much longer.

Before joining GAMENOVA, he was already a successful independent game developer.

He was perfectly clear about the sales figures that should be displayed on each platform and their corresponding significance.

11 sets —

To meet the deadline and also to promote the newly released Hermes laptop, Theme Hospital is currently only available for the NeXT-STEP system.

MS-DOS and Windows cannot run this game at all, and Apple's Macintosh and Appletl are not even capable of running it.

As for Amiga from Conmao and ST from Atari, it's even less likely that they would be transplanted and adapted separately.

In other words, the actual effective market for this game was only Jobs' workstation and the recently released Hermes.

It doesn't represent the complete PC gaming market; rather, it represents only the tip of the iceberg of the gaming market.

Admittedly, the emergence of global information networks has helped NeXT reach a wider audience to some extent.

But compared to the widespread availability of IBM compatible machines, it can only be considered a luxury toy for a niche group.

Needless to say, the Hermes, a high-end machine that costs nearly two thousand dollars, is even more expensive.

How many units are installed in the entire United States?

Hermes' weekly production capacity is less than 10,000 units.

"The data is correct. I have compiled and compared data from several different sources."

Sam shook his head.

Although he also thought the number was outrageous, it was something he had compiled himself and was very clear about its authenticity.

After repeatedly comparing data from GAMENOVA's first-party sales channels, Dell's direct sales channels, major partner stores, and magazine statistics, the minimum value was finally taken, which is this 11 sets.

"My God—"

Sid slapped his forehead, his worldview completely reshaped.

The current number of NeXT-STEP system installations is difficult to quantify due to the large amount of data and the chaotic nature of the data, but it is estimated to be no more than 50.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of people here are drawn by its website building function.

Will stared silently at the number 11, his expression complex, unsure whether he was satisfied or not.

As for Bullfrog Studio's Magic Bull —

He's completely hyped.

If he weren't currently in GAMENOVA and needed to maintain his composure, he would have gone completely insane right now.

"What's going on here? Why is everyone stuck in this traffic jam?"

Lin Lixin pushed open the door and walked in, immediately noticing the cramped state of the room.

"Lin, it's selling like hotcakes! Theme Hospital sold 11 copies last week!"

Sam offered an explanation.

Judging from everyone's expressions, Lin Lixin understood what was going on.

He laughed heartily.

"This is just the beginning. Buckle up! Our goal is 5 million units. The current number is still affected by the number of installations. Otherwise, we could easily reach 1 million units."

Lin Lixin was holding a newly published copy of "Electronic Games," which had just been delivered to his door.

Unlike authoritative media outlets that tend to have conservative ratings, Electronic Games, after all, is a protégé of GAMENOVA and has never lacked prestige.

After the early incident where arrogance led to a collective backlash from readers, the Electronic Games editorial team has long since learned its lesson.

Stay calm and patient. Even if it seems unclear at first glance, you should still work through it thoroughly before making any decisions.

【ElectronicGames Monthly】

[Work: Theme Hospital]

Developers: Bullfrog Studio & Gamenova

Publisher: GAMENOVA

【OVERALL: 9.5/10】

[The absolute king of simulation games!]

[Editor S][10/10]:

Theme Hospital has successfully transformed an extremely boring and even depressing subject into this year's most addictive computer game!

[Editor J] [9/10]:

[Please, don't let patients die in the hallway! These damn corpses are preventing me from making money! Ahem—okay, I have to admit, this is the most interesting simulation management game I've ever seen. The only downside might be that it starts to become a bit repetitive in the mid-to-late game.]

[Editor C] [10/10]:

GAMENOVA has proven that simulation games don't have to be serious. They cleverly combine resource management, spatial planning, and a uniquely British humor, creating a lighthearted yet sophisticated experience—a stroke of genius!

[Editor W][8/10]:

[The game boasts a rich amount of content, yet its tutorial curve is excellent, with virtually no learning curve. However, as the game progresses, the level of chaos increases, which somewhat diminishes its strategic depth. Nevertheless, it remains one of the best simulation management games in recent years.]

A high score, as expected.

The increased difficulty and repetition in the later stages did lead to some criticism and point deductions, but overall, the merits outweigh the flaws.

Even Lin Lixin could see through their comments the vomiting patients or infectious diseases vomiting in the hospital corridors.

"This is the effect we wanted, and it can be considered a breakthrough."

Lin Lixin smiled and tossed the magazine aside.

If a game is limited to its own small audience, it is actually very difficult to generate a large enough volume of traffic.

Those potential players hidden outside the market are also customers that need to be won over.

"Will, what do you think are the differences between this game and SimCity?"

"Hmm—the clever choice of subject matter, the unique comedic effect of dark humor?"

Will thought for a moment and gave his answer.

SimCity has no such design at all; from the very beginning, it was designed to be realistic.

It's not a particularly easy game; a slight mistake can cause your painstakingly built city to collapse.

"That's true, but more importantly—Theme Hospital isn't actually a simulation management game in the strict sense."

"It's a light-hearted management game." The core of the game is actually a dark comedy; failure doesn't have negative consequences, but rather becomes part of the fun.

Will pondered for a few moments.

He followed the project's progress throughout and was well aware of what Lin Lixin meant.

These seemingly random numbers are actually the result of their hard work and dedication over several days.

The goal is to allow players to maintain strategic depth without being driven by pressure, leading to intense fatigue and frustration.

Contrary to intuition, this game is actually more fun the worse it is managed.

Seeing patients vomiting in a chain reaction in the hospital was strangely funny.

In particular, after the patient dies, a Grim Reaper with a scythe will emerge from underground and take him away.

Some dead people become ghosts that wander around the hospital and sabotage business.

There were no failures, it was all for the sake of the show!

In this era where hardcore and cool games are the main themes, most manufacturers don't dare to actually make a funny game.

Theme Hospital pioneered this approach.

This strong sense of contrast, coupled with its meticulously designed ease of use, is the real reason why Theme Hospital has become such a hit.

There are no short videos, no live streaming platforms, and not even social media.

In this era of limited information and a slow pace of entertainment, a hilarious game full of entertainment value can achieve phenomenal viral spread through word of mouth.

You don't even need words to describe it; a picture is enough.

A Michael Jackson imitator tilting at a 45-degree angle against gravity in the psychiatric ward, a patient with swelling disorder whose head was punctured, and a patient with dysphagia whose tongue resembles Lickitung from Pokémon —

"To put it simply, it's actually a spectator game. Even if you don't play it, it's fun just to watch."

This design is often seen in later games such as Planet Coaster, Planet Zoo, and of course, The Sims.

Even if the player does nothing, the character will move around in the environment you have set up according to its own AI settings.

Will pondered Lin Lixin's words carefully and nodded slightly.

Just as the bullfrog learned a lot from Will, this project also taught Will many valuable things.

"Hehe, summarize your project experience carefully. Next year is a big year for PC games, and I have prepared a lot of simulation game projects for you."

Lin Lixin patted Will on the shoulder.

Hermes' ambitions extend far beyond simply seizing the PC market.

It contains a genuine 32-bit processor chip and a 32-bit display chip.

This is forcing the Wintel camp to follow suit across the board.

When configurations evolve to this level, developing games on PCs is no longer a difficult task.

After removing the overhead of the operating system, various miscellaneous expenses, and architectural differences, Hermes is comparable to, or even slightly better than, 16-bit NX.

Some projects that were unsuitable in the past, or whose configurations were simply insufficient, can now be gradually brought out.

"Lin, I have something to say."

It wasn't Will who spoke, but Sid who had been waiting nearby.

"Hey, what a coincidence! I also need to talk to you about something."

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