Capítulo 16: Chapter 16: Lacking a Spark
At four in the afternoon, a red Ferrari pulled up in front of the experience store.
Zack Johnson emerged from the car and looked at the store's entrance. "Wow! This place is huge. Alex really hit the jackpot."
Ethan Brown rolled his eyes. "You have several stores bigger than this at home."
Zack replied, "Those belong to my parents. This one Alex earned himself. It's different. Let's go inside and check it out."
The two called Alex, waiting for him to open the door.
Zack was dressed casually in a white T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. If he hadn't just gotten out of a Ferrari, no one would believe he was a rich kid.
Despite wearing expensive clothes, Zack always managed to make them look like cheap streetwear.
On the other hand, Ethan dressed more formally in a short-sleeve shirt and slacks. His calm demeanour made him seem reliable.
The door opened.
"Come on in," Alex welcomed them inside.
Zack walked around the first floor, checking out the setup. "This place is pretty cool, Alex. From now on, we'll call you the internet café owner."
Alex laughed. "Don't joke around. This is a legit experience store."
Ethan looked around enviously. "Did the organizers provide all this? It's really nice. I still don't have my own experience store."
Alex said, "You should enter a competition."
Ethan chuckled. "I've tried, but winning is tough. The audience has quirky tastes. The last time I entered, my game was good quality, but the audience didn't appreciate it, so I only got second place. It's frustrating."
The three of them chatted briefly before heading to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
There were only three of them, so they didn't order much. Despite Zack's wealth, he wasn't picky about food. They ordered five dishes and two bottles of beer, chatting as they ate.
"Zack, how's your studio doing?" Alex asked.
Zack took a bite of his food. "It's the same as always. I never expected it to make money. It's just for fun. When I encounter tough opponents in games, I call my team to gang up on them."
Ethan shook his head. "That's pathetic."
Zack retorted, "What else am I supposed to do? I pay them to be my backup."
Alex teased, "So you rule the games, huh?"
Zack shook his head. "Actually, I've been really frustrated lately."
Alex asked, "Why? Did someone bully you in a game?"
Zack replied, "It's the new VR game from abroad, 'Earth Online.' I've been playing it, and it's driving me crazy."
Alex asked, "What's wrong with it?"
Zack ranted, "The game designer must be insane! Everyone starts on the street with $500, and you must work just like in real life!"
"I play games to escape real life, not to simulate it! And you can't even spend money to boost your character."
"The worst part is people keep picking fights with you. If you hit them, the police arrest you. I wanted to call my team, but they spawned in different cities and had to take trains to meet up!"
Alex laughed. "That's too realistic."
Ethan was impressed. "Foreign designers are amazing. They can make a game like that?"
Zack was indignant. "Sure, it's impressive, but I think the designer is nuts. Why make a game that frustrates players? With that technology, they could make something better."
Alex said, "It does seem pointless to simulate real life in a game."
Zack continued, "And there's nowhere to spend money in the game. You have to earn everything yourself. They crack down on trading, too, banning accounts for it. It's so frustrating."
Alex smiled. "Don't worry. I'll make a game where you can buy power-ups. You'll love it."
Zack laughed. "Really, Alex? I'll be the first to spend $1000 on it!"
Alex chuckled. "For $1000, I can guarantee you'll die with a bit of dignity in the game."
"What?" Zack was surprised. "Isn't $1000 enough? The 'Earth Online' beta access only costs around $500."
Alex sipped his tea. "You'll see."
Ethan steered the conversation back. "Zack, what's your studio's main business now? How many players do you have?"
Zack thought for a moment. "We don't manage guilds directly. The guild leaders have the players. We're just the middlemen."
Ethan asked, "How many guild leaders do you know? Can you help me get users for my game?"
Zack said, "It depends on how many you need. I know about a dozen guild leaders with a few thousand players combined. It won't be enough to sustain your game, but it can help boost the numbers."
Ethan sighed. "Promoting indie games is tough. They're niche, and channels don't give them much exposure."
Zack suggested, "Why not just list it on the app store?"
Ethan shook his head. "Listing it on the app store isn't enough. No one will notice it."
Zack thought for a moment. "I'll see what I can do to help promote it. At least make the stats look good. Alex, any suggestions?"
Alex said, "I haven't seen your game yet."
Ethan handed him his phone. "Take a look. It's about 80% complete."
Alex played the indie game for five minutes, quickly understanding its strengths and weaknesses.
It was a side-scrolling action game set in medieval Europe, featuring a clichéd knight-saving-the-princess plot with a dragon boss battle.
It was decent by D-level standards but lacked a standout feature. Although it had good elements, getting players to pay for it would be difficult. Even at $10, players would hesitate.
Alex thought for a moment and said, "I think you might be approaching this the wrong way."
Ethan asked, "What do you mean?"
Alex explained, "Your positioning is off. You're making an indie game, but that doesn't mean it has to be niche. You should broaden your target audience."
Zack scratched his head. "Explain that, Alex."
Alex said, "You've put effort into every aspect, but you're aiming too narrowly. You're targeting a small group of players who like this genre, but there aren't enough of them to support your game's sales."
Ethan was puzzled. "But isn't designing a game about meeting the target audience's needs?"
Alex continued, "Yes, but you must widen your target audience. Simply put, you must make more people want to play your game."
Ethan asked, "How do I do that?"
Alex replied, "It's simple. Find a unique selling point."
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