Rebirth 08: Can a mobile game company also build a tech empire?

Chapter 135 New Game Begins

Ten years from now, it will be more than just a mobile phone manufacturer.

It's not just a game company.

Instead, it is a true technology giant that has mastered core technologies.

Those bottlenecks and predicaments.

The suffering of being controlled by others could perhaps be avoided.

Even if we can only avoid some of it, it's worth it.

The chip layout has come to a temporary halt.

The long conversation with Lin Bing covered a very profound range of topics.

From supply chain to chip design.

From MediaTek's turnkey model to its technological layout ten years from now.

Each topic requires a tremendous amount of effort.

-

But you have to eat one bite at a time.

One must take things one step at a time.

Chip development takes time and patience.

We need the right person; we can't rush it.

Lu Chen stood up, stretched his stiff shoulders, and walked out of the conference room.

In the office area, employees are busy at their respective workstations.

The sounds of keyboard typing, hushed conversations, and telephone ringing mingled together.

It forms a unique melody.

Since the popularity of Conquer Online 1.

The entire company entered a state of high-speed operation.

Everyone seemed to be wound up tightly.

Lu Chen walked through the office area and returned to his own office.

He had barely sat down when he called Susie over.

"Susie, call Jiang Chang over here."

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the office door.

Jiang Chang pushed the door open and came in.

His face still carried the excitement from the meeting.

"Mr. Lu, you wanted to see me?"

Lu Chen gestured for him to sit down, without saying anything.

She simply watched the young man in front of her quietly.

It started when the company was founded in 2007.

Jiang Chang stayed with him the whole time.

At that time, the company only had seven people.

They were crammed into a small office of seventy square meters.

At the most difficult time, they couldn't even pay salaries.

He was a key figure in the development of Angry Birds.

He took the lead in the Plants vs. Zombies project.

He deserves much credit for the success of Minecraft and Famine.

From a programmer who could only write code.

He grew into a capable general manager of a game company.

Jiang Chang's growth rate exceeded everyone's expectations.

"President Lu?"

Jiang Chang felt a little uneasy under their gaze and couldn't help but ask.

"What's wrong with my eyesight?"

Lu Chen smiled and looked away.

"Nothing, I just suddenly felt a bit sentimental."

"It's been more than two years since 2007, right?"

"Two years and two months," Jiang Chang blurted out.

"You remember it so clearly?"

"Of course."

Jiang Chang's tone carried a hint of reminiscence.

"In June 2008, when the company was at its worst, you mortgaged your house to pay our salaries. That day you said that ZhengTu Technology was about to take off. I thought to myself, 'Is the boss going crazy from all the excitement?'"

"And now?"

Jiang Chang grinned.

"Now I think you were right back then."

The two looked at each other and laughed.

As the laughter subsided, Lu Chen took a thick folder from the drawer and placed it on the table.

"Alright, enough with the sentimentality, let's get down to business."

Jiang Chang's gaze fell on that folder.

His eyes immediately became focused.

As the person in charge of the game development team.

He knows this process all too well.

Whenever Lu Chen takes out such a folder...

This means that a new project is about to start.

"How's Famine doing now that it's been online for over a month?"

Lu Chen did not directly introduce the new project.

Instead, they first inquired about the status of the old projects.

"very good!"

Jiang Chang immediately perked up and began to report.

"As of yesterday, the global downloads of 'Famine' have exceeded three million, with the Android version accounting for 70%. The paid conversion rate is stable at around 35%, with most of the downloads being for skins and cosmetic content. User activity is also very high, with an average daily online time of over forty minutes."

"What about user feedback?"

"The positive review rate exceeds 90%."

""

Jiang Chang knew it all like the back of his hand.

"The strategy videos on Z-Dimension have accumulated over 20 million views, and the Famine forum on Tieba has 300,000 followers. Many players say that this is the most addictive survival game they have ever played."

Lu Chen nodded.

This result was within his expectations.

The quality of "Famine" speaks for itself.

The E3 Best Game Design Award is truly prestigious.

In addition, the popularity of Conquer Online 1 and Conquer Online Z2 further boosted sales.

Three million downloads were just a natural outcome.

"very good."

Lu Chen picked up the folder on the table and handed it to Jiang Chang.

"Then we can do something more in-depth."

Jiang Chang took the folder.

The cover has four large characters printed on it.

Machinarium.

Turn to the first page and begin browsing its contents.

His expression changed from curiosity at the beginning.

It gradually turned into focus, and then into surprise.

It eventually turned into an almost obsessive obsession.

The office was quiet for almost ten minutes.

The only sound was Jiang Chang turning the pages.

Lu Chen didn't disturb him, but quietly drank her tea and waited for him to finish reading the plan.

Finally, Jiang Chang turned to the last page and slowly closed the folder.

He looked up at Lu Chen with a complex and indescribable emotion in his eyes.

"Mr. Lu, this game—"

He opened his mouth, as if organizing his thoughts.

"The style of this game is unlike any other game before."

"Go on."

Jiang Chang took a deep breath and began to sort out her feelings.

"first,"

He turned to one of the pages and pointed to the concept diagram on it.

"This completely hand-drawn picture book style, the rusty metallic texture, gears, pipes, steam, this steampunk setting is rare in the game market, and all the scenes are hand-drawn, which means the workload is huge, but the effect is absolutely stunning."

Lu Chen nodded, signaling him to continue.

"Secondly, there's the narrative style."

Jiang Chang turned a few more pages.

"The story is told entirely through animation and visuals without any dialogue. This design is bold but also clever. There are no language barriers, so players around the world can experience it without any obstacles. Moreover, if done well, this purely visual narrative can be more impactful than those lengthy dialogues."

"The puzzle design is also ingenious."

He pointed to several pages.

"These puzzles are not the kind of designs that are forced to be difficult. Instead, they are closely integrated with the scene and plot. The process of solving the puzzles is also a process of exploring the world and understanding the story. Every step is meaningful and will not make people feel that they are solving puzzles for the sake of solving puzzles."

"Most importantly," Jiang Chang paused, then looked up at Lu Chen.

"This game has a, well, how should I put it, a unique atmosphere."

He tried to describe that feeling in words.

"Desolate, yet full of life; cold, yet warm; rusty robots, dim lighting, and intricate pipes—these elements combine to create a peculiar mood. It's not the kind of game that gets your blood pumping or makes you laugh out loud, but it immerses you in it, making you want to stay in that world forever."