Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Aren't You Going to Eat Something?
At that moment, Alex Parker's phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, he realized it was one of his close friends from university, Zack Johnson.
"Hello?"
Zack's familiar, carefree voice came through the phone, "Alex, you're really something, winning the game design competition? You didn't even tell us! That's not cool, man!"
Alex chuckled, "I just got settled. There were too many things going on. How did you find out?"
Zack replied, "How could I not know? You're famous now! Your video from the competition, where you argued with the judge, has gone viral!"
Alex was speechless, "What?"
Zack said, "Check it out yourself. By the way, are you free tonight? We haven't had a proper get-together since graduation. Now that you're a recognized game designer and have that experience store, you owe us a treat!"
Alex laughed, "Sure, my treat. Bring along Ethan, too."
Zack agreed, "Alright, it's settled then. I'll pick up Ethan and come to your experience store. Let's meet at 4 PM. Don't be late."
Alex replied, "Got it. See you then."
In his parallel world memories, Alex had two very close friends from university, Zack Johnson and Ethan Brown. The three weren't from the same major, but all ended up in the gaming industry.
Zack was a rich second-generation kid whose family was involved in traditional businesses. Alex wasn't clear on the specifics, but he knew Zack wasn't short of money.
However, Zack wasn't a game designer. He ran his own studio focusing on game guilds, providing services like boosting, gold farming, and game channel promotions.
The company wasn't large, but it paid its employees well. All of its employees were top gamers, and those who couldn't play well wouldn't be hired.
These employees could be seen as Zack's gaming buddies. The other work was secondary, and no one cared if the company was profitable; Zack was just doing it for fun.
Recently, Alex heard Zack was considering starting a gaming club, but the investment was too significant, so he had yet to decide.
Zack had no airs about him, entirely unlike the stereotypical rich kid, always thinking about gaming. During university, he often hung out at internet cafes with Alex and Ethan, who frequently joked that Zack had "the life of a rich kid but the heart of a commoner."
On the other hand, Ethan was like Alex, a game designer. He had earned his D-level designer certification almost immediately after graduation and was currently focused on developing his indie game.
Among the three, Alex majored in literature, Zack in finance, and Ethan was the only one who graduated with a game design degree.
The trio met in a university gaming club and maintained a close relationship in their first year. They were among Alex's few good friends in this world.
...
Around noon, Alex walked around the nearby area to familiarize himself with the surroundings of the experience store. He found a small restaurant, went in, and ordered a meal.
While eating, he pulled out his phone to check the news.
Sure enough, many media outlets were reporting on the game design competition, with plenty of comments.
"Game Design Competition Ends: Who Won the $30,000 Prize and Experience Store?"
"A Magical Bird Wins the Game Design Competition!"
"Audience Reaction: The Most Frustrating Game Ever?"
"700 Audience Members Logged 350 Hours: This Game Is Addictive!"
"Judge's Outburst: Can This Even Be Called a Game?!"
"Flappy Bird Designer: Judge Lacks Objectivity"
"Cooper Network Founder Praises This Little Game to the Skies"
Alex skimmed through the news, which mainly recreated the competition's scenes. Still, the media focused on the argument between Steven Harris and himself, using it as a gimmick to hype the topic.
There were videos from the competition, with Harris's critical remarks and Alex's final statements being replayed frequently, generating a lot of buzz.
Alex didn't mind; media hype was good for him. The more players knew him, the lower the user acquisition cost for his future games, saving on marketing expenses.
In this era of the attention economy, the more information available, the more precious users' attention becomes. Two games of similar quality could yield vastly different results based on the amount of pre-release buzz and attention each received.
If you had a fanbase of 5,000 dedicated followers, they could sustain you through various monetization methods, whether through online stores, game channels, or other means.
Alex noticed an exclusive interview with Steven Harris by a game media outlet.
In the video, Harris looked displeased, saying, "My comments to Alex were meant as advice from someone with experience, but he took it as an insult. Ridiculous."
"My stance remains the same: the gaming industry requires sincerity and depth. Alex won't go far. I predict his next game won't sell more than 10,000 units in its first month."
Alex smiled. Harris was stubborn, refusing to admit defeat regardless of the criticism he faced.
Alex silently opened his Twitter.
His account was verified, and after becoming a D-level designer and competition champion, the information had been updated.
He retweeted the interview and added a comment: "Aren't you going to eat something?" tagging a few gaming media accounts.
If Harris wanted to make a fuss, Alex was ready to play along!
Soon, Alex's Twitter blew up!
Several gaming media accounts noticed Alex's response and sensed a big story brewing, so they quickly retweeted it.
Game News Network, Skyline Network, Micro-Info Gaming Channel, and even a senior executive from Infinite Entertainment retweeted it!
As a result, a large number of players noticed Alex's tweet!
"Alex Parker? Is this the competition winner?"
"Is this the real him?"
"Definitely; look at the verified badge."
"Wow, what's going on? Are they going head-to-head?"
"I like his attitude!"
"What does he mean by 'Aren't you going to eat something?' What's Harris supposed to eat?"
"...Are you guys new to the internet?"
The comments on Alex's tweet exploded with activity.
Alex's "Aren't you going to eat something?" was a reference to a popular internet meme where people would make bold predictions and then add, "If I'm wrong, I'll eat..." followed by something outlandish. It was a challenge to Harris: "You say my next game won't sell 10,000 units in the first month. If it does, what will you eat?"
Soon, the tweet's retweets and replies skyrocketed, hitting one hundred, then three hundred, then five hundred!
Enthusiastic users even started tagging Steven Harris, escalating the situation.
Alex was much calmer than Harris, not letting it get to him. He didn't mind the hype; it could only benefit his next game by increasing attention.
Quickly, Harris responded with a single word: "Nonsense!"
Alex laughed; Harris clearly wasn't willing to bet.
The comments were filled with disappointed users and those trying to stir things up further, encouraging Harris to make a bet, even something like eating a keyboard or mouse.
Harris decided to ignore the situation entirely and didn't reply again.
Alex chuckled and put his phone away. For him, it was just a small episode, not worth dwelling on.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone