Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Billionaire
The game Billionaire was not originally created by William White. In fact, he bought the adaptation rights for the game.
Its predecessor was a game called Monopoly, developed in 1904. Although it appeared simple, it had many tricks, and without some business strategy, you wouldn't play the game well.
Decades passed, and while the initial enthusiasm of players had waned, it was no longer something people were obsessed over.
However, what does it mean to have over 500 million players worldwide?
William White's visit to Legendary World this time was primarily to check on the progress of this game.
Other ideas could be postponed; there was no need to rush them onto the shelves. Offering too much to consumers at once could lead to choice paralysis.
But Billionaire could not be delayed. This game was peculiar. When the economy was booming, its audience was limited. However, whenever the economy became strange or poor, this game, which was all the rage decades ago, would resurface for people to mull over.
The computer version game launched by Legendary World was not just a simple copy. Times had changed, and the formerly significant components like the water company and power plant needed to be reduced in importance.
Designing this game required not only considering the game background but also financial rules. However, you couldn't make it too complicated; if playing a game required a manual, no one would play it.
"So, have you tried it internally?"
"Sir, this is the most popular computer game in the company right now."
"Hmm, not bad. We need to expand the playtest group and organize a Monopoly tournament. Let the winners form a team."
"Alright, sir, I'll organize it right away."
"Hype up this topic a bit. If playing games could make money, wouldn't that drive people crazy?"
William White certainly did not guess wrong. When talking about the most familiar board games, card games come first, followed by Monopoly.
Monopoly has been a much-loved intellectual game in America for decades.
...
The Legendary World tournament quickly stirred up huge waves with a level of excitement that even the initiator was dumbfounded by.
"William, why didn't you tell me about this big move? I'm pretty good at Monopoly."
"Big move, my foot. The champion only gets 200,000 dollars, and the regional champions get just 50,000. Who would have thought this would happen?"
"Hey, didn't you design this?"
"It wasn't a design. Barry Diller just complained about getting dizzy from doing American Idol. Now suddenly there's this, and he's having a headache."
"Wouldn't the ratings not be very high?"
"Yeah, I thought so too, but Barry Diller thinks it's promising."
"Is that okay?"
"Heh, I don't know either. Since my team is interested, let's just go with the flow."
William White really didn't expect it. He couldn't remember this game being very popular. Generally, it should have been just a lukewarm game, unclear as to why this was happening.
To be honest, he was somewhat anxious. What if the game went off course, losing popularity? If it didn't sell well, he'd become a laughingstock.
He had many ideas, but even if it failed, it wouldn't impact the overall situation much. The game of Billionaire wasn't a one-time thing, so even if a couple of versions didn't sell well, it wouldn't have much impact.
With this wave of promotion, it seemed hard not to make money from this game.
...
The only ones feeling troubled were the Japanese, who discovered their train of thought couldn't keep up with the rhythm.
The impact extended beyond the game industry. Since it was a PC game, a bunch of enthusiastic folks immediately started hyping it, claiming their PCs were the most suitable for gaming.
Today's big boss was indeed lucky. Nowadays, Silicon Valley was developing rapidly, filling the gaps left by other industries. Essentially, he was just picking up a wallet someone else dropped.
Wall Street elites didn't expect a game to stir such a storm. Without seeing it with their own eyes, they'd never have believed it.
A bunch of IT-related stocks surged, leaving everyone baffled. Could there really be such a big impact?
"William, could you give a heads up before making such a big move next time?"
"George, would you believe me if I said this was an accident?"
"Come on, you're not serious, are you?"
"Do I need to lie to you? Dang it, I wasn't even prepared beforehand. Now the tournament is all over the place. Why are so many people signing up?"
"Are you serious?"
"The software was ready; I just wasn't sure if the players had any opinions. I originally budgeted 2 million dollars, but now I can't keep it under 10 million. What do you think?"
"Is that so? Some folks think your game fits well with the current situation."
"Heh, what does the current situation have to do with Elephants? However, since you said that, I can go along with it."
"Haha, it's settled then."
With more participants, there's more room for showing off. An intellectual game for all to enjoy feels quite highbrow.
William White was busy as a bee, and his female confidantes were losing their composure. They were merely teasing him, but he actually ran off. That wasn't what they intended.
Unfortunately, this time he genuinely planned to live a quieter life. Health was very important. If he messed around now, he might need the little blue pill at forty, which wasn't a good thing.
*****
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