My game is depressing worldwide.

Around 10 a.m. the following morning.

Lin Cheng, in his studio.

Zhou Qian took a deep breath and logged into the creator backend.

I looked at the number with the mindset of winning the lottery, and then everything went black.

17.8 million.

"Tian Shuo, Zheng Yanbin, you son of a bitch..." Zhou Qian couldn't help but groan, "Isn't this a waste of my level design?"

"This number is actually quite high for the horror game genre," Yu Xiaoming comforted him.

"But this game took so much effort, and it's the game that the studio has invested the most in so far. It's not fair that it only has this many sales!" Zhou Qian said with a bitter face. "And this is based on the previous joint promotion with Vision V1."

In most cases, the first few days after a game's release see the highest sales.

How long this momentum can last depends on whether the game can break into the mainstream and what its quality is.

Based on the current sales figures for Outlast, the worst-case scenario is a small loss.

However, for Zhou Qian, who was used to winning battles, this was somewhat unacceptable.

After all, apart from iwanna, neither To the Moon nor The Invisible Guardian fully showcased his talent for level design.

They had just presented a masterpiece when it faced a sales disaster.

If it's due to quality issues, then there's nothing to say.

The problem is that it's unacceptable for competitors to sabotage things behind the scenes.

Yu Xiaoming, looking mysterious, said smugly, "Anyway, all I can tell you is that you don't need to worry about the development costs of the new work."

"What's going on? Tell me!"

"It's a secret. Of course, Brother Xuan should tell us this himself."

The mental hospital studio has no shareholders; it belongs entirely to Chen Xuan.

Yu Xiaoming is currently in a secretary-like role, not involved in front-line development, but many things have to go through him.

Therefore, his sources of information are stronger than those of others.

"Aren't you just making fun of me? If you don't tell me, I'll beat you up!"

Just as Zhou Qian was about to pounce on Chen Xuan like a hungry tiger, the studio door was pushed open and Chen Xuan walked in.

Seeing this, he quickly and steadily sat back down in his seat and asked, "Boss, aren't we going to do anything? There are still those reports online from parents. And what's the point of reporting 18+ games that require real-name registration?"

Chen Xuan looked around; all the members were there.

After the studio expanded, Outlast was the first project many new members participated in.

Although there is no concrete evidence, it is likely that Tianshuo was behind it, resulting in almost zero pre-release publicity for the game, and so far the results have not been particularly ideal.

They all looked worried, as if they wanted to ask but dared not.

"Of course we'll do it. I'm here today to inform you about this." Chen Xuan cleared his throat. "Now that Outlast has been officially released and Outlast: Trials is about to be sent out, the work at hand is done, and it's time for new moves."

Today, Xiong Xuewen is wearing a T-shirt with a pink-haired loli image printed on it, which is part of the second game merchandise.

Upon hearing this, he, who had been indifferent, immediately perked up his ears and asked with shining eyes, "Boss, are we starting production on Honkai Impact 3?"

Zhou Qian was a bit confused and quickly asked, "Brother Xuan, what I mean is, how do we save 'Escape'? Sales are bad and we're having trouble getting payments. Are we really going to start a new project? Isn't the risk too high? A broken cash flow is no joke."

Chen Xuan looked at the worried eyes and smiled, "Of course, I have good news for you. Don't worry about the company going bankrupt due to a broken cash flow, and don't worry about losing your job. Yu Xiaoming?"

Yu Xiaoming immediately stood up and coughed lightly.

"Those of you who are new to this might not know much about it, but the animated series 'Clannad,' which we co-developed with Madhouse Studios and Strangecats, is already in production and the pilot episode has received very high praise."

"As many foreign streaming platforms are actively investing in the animation industry, the first season was bought out for $4500 million outside of China. The theme song will be released soon to generate buzz for the animated series."

Upon hearing this, everyone except Chen Xuan showed a look of shock on their faces.

"Congratulations, boss! I knew it! A living person can't die from holding in their pee."

"Isn't this adapted from a novel written by the boss? The boss can even write novels?"

"That's nothing. The theme song, storyboard, character designs, and everything else were all done by the boss. That's why you think this project was launched so quickly."

"Damn, is there anything the boss can't do?"

"I won't have children," Chen Xuan chuckled lightly. "Next is the second piece of news: the studio will continue to expand to over 60 people, and the new studio location has already been chosen."

"The studio does indeed lack the ability to generate stable profits in the long term, so the second game project, Honkai Impact 3, will be launched and developed simultaneously after the studio expands."

"Among the three main components of a game—art, story, and gameplay—Xiong Xuewen, you are in charge of the art. You can unleash your talent to the fullest, but you must pay attention to character design and not let your personal preferences ruin all the characters."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Xuewen asked with dissatisfaction, "Boss, flat chests are the only way to be cute! Putting aside large breasts, don't you think flat chests give off a more youthful vibe and make you look cuter?"

Chen Xuan paused for two seconds before replying, "I can't let go."

Xiong Xuewen: ......

"Next, the third piece of news." Chen Xuan glanced at everyone in the studio with a strange expression. "Who said that the sales of 'Outlast' were disappointing?"

Upon hearing this, many people were taken aback.

Zhou Qian was even more puzzled and asked, "Brother Xuan, the sales data from domestic platforms does indeed only add up to 17.8, right? Is there a problem?"

"There's a problem, and a huge one." Chen Xuan almost facepalmed. "Our game is released simultaneously domestically and internationally, on all platforms. Don't you even look at overseas sales figures?"

foreign?

Zhou Qian was somewhat puzzled: "But how many copies can be sold overseas? Based on past experience, a few thousand copies at most."

"The theory is correct, but have you forgotten something?" Zhou Qian shook his head. "Both 'To the Moon' and 'Invisible Guardian' are only available in Chinese. The latter is even more limited to domestic game themes, and those who buy it are basically overseas players."

At this point, Zhou Qian's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open, and he was speechless.

Indeed, it was overlooked.

The spy thriller genre, which takes place during the War of Resistance against Japan, is inherently limited when it comes to games that go abroad.

But Outlast is different.

Sensory stimulation is a fundamental need in any time and space.

This game is set overseas, so why wouldn't players like such a great game?

"Damn, I'm such an idiot. Yeah, how could I forget about overseas sales? It should be at least 2 copies!"

"I'm afraid it's more than that," Yu Xiaoming reminded him cheekily. "There's something else I haven't told you. The foreign language version of 'To the Moon' was also released on the game platform last month, and the first batch of payments should be coming in soon."

"Why didn't you tell me something so important?"

"Contacting local companies for localization and handling distribution is simply part of my job," Yu Xiaoming said matter-of-factly. "Why should I explain the work that Brother Xuan assigned me to you? Besides, you didn't even ask!"

Zhou Qian: ......

"It's true, good things never come in pairs."