บท 27: A contest
"Boss, are you seriously not charging for this?"
Although it was already free to play, Olivia still looked at John in disbelief.
"Can't you see the players lining up, practically begging to hand over their money, and yet you're keeping the option off the table? If other game designers saw this, they'd lose it!"
Well, they have seen it, and they're losing their minds.
"A free game? Again?"
"I'm crying, is John going bankrupt?"
"Honey, let's charge something. Even my mom said we're going to run out of funds at this rate."
"Are you kidding me?"
"You may not believe this, but I actually made money from John's games."
"Same here! I caught a bunch of Pikachu and sold them to new players for a pretty penny!"
"Watch out, though, a Beedrill might come back for revenge."
"With all due respect, Beedrill is the strongest in the world!"
"…"
The comments began to spiral off-topic as John checked the download stats for "Minecraft." The numbers were skyrocketing, surpassing 100,000 downloads in no time.
"Fame sure has its perks," John muttered.
People loved anything John made, even if it wasn't their preferred style. As long as it had his name on it, they'd give it a shot. And since "Minecraft" was free, there was really no barrier to entry.
"Charging for games is such an outdated way to make money," John said with a smirk.
"Boss, if you don't pay us, then we're the ones losing out," Bella teased, sitting beside him with her arms folded.
"It's not like I've ever missed a paycheck," John shot back, ignoring Bella's teasing and refocusing on his computer.
"What John's making here is added value," Olivia chimed in, clearly understanding.
"Exactly. Think about it this way—if there's a Pokémon you really love, would you be willing to pay to get it?"
"Of course! I'd give up my salary for a Dragonite! Boss, help me get one!"
With the launch of Pokémon in the Dragon Kingdom, the number of Dragonite was still low, and in such high demand that entire cities were fighting over them.
"That's what I'm talking about. While the government controls Pokémon distribution, as a designer, I have insider info," John continued. "I linked Happy Farm and Pokémon with the use of berries, and instead of being mad, the government actually helped me promote it. That's how I became a ninth-level virtual game designer. All of this is added value."
"And the energy cubes? They say I came up with the recipe myself, but I've been planning that move for ages."
After spending over ten days with them, John had gotten used to this casual back-and-forth with his team.
Sarah's eyes went wide. "Boss, you're totally gaming the system! Aren't you worried the government will catch on?"
"Not really," John replied calmly, fingers flying across his keyboard. "I'm openly shearing the sheep. I'm feeding them, letting them graze, and then shearing them a little. There's nothing wrong with that."
He continued, "Besides, the energy cubes aren't that complicated. If someone else figures out the recipe, they're free to use it."
As John spoke, he sent out another message on WebNet.
[Minecraft Game Mod Contest: "Minecraft" has opened a creative workshop. All players are welcome to contribute to "Minecraft."
Download "Minecraft," create your game mod, and upload it to the creative workshop. The top mods will be judged based on downloads.
Contest runs for one month. The first-place winner will receive a $1 million prize and a mystery gift, with consolation prizes for the top 1,000 players.]
"Ding ding! Another surprise from the boss!"
"My husband's at it again!"
"What? How did this conversation get derailed?"
"What the heck, John's offering another bonus?!"
"Is this for real? The game is free, and now there's a prize pool in the millions?"
"And you're telling me 10,000 dragon coins is just a consolation prize?"
"Forget this, I'm learning how to make games. I'm taking that million bucks."
"…"
"Boss, what's the added value for this game?" Bella asked, still puzzled by John's business model.
John glanced at her, rolling his eyes slightly. "Don't get too obsessed with the money. Games are meant to be fun."
"Game mods are the heart of Minecraft. I can't do everything on my own. Instead of waiting for copycats to spring up, why not harness the power of the masses and push Minecraft to the top?"
The group fell silent, clearly contemplating the genius behind John's idea. Most game designers hoarded their creative control, but John was letting the players shape his game alongside him.
"Alright, you've all worked hard," John said. "Take a few days off to rest."
After finishing the launch for Minecraft, John decided not to give them any more tasks for now. The team had done an excellent job recreating the Minecraft world he had envisioned, and now it was time for the players' creativity to shape the rest.
"Boss, can we join the contest?" Bella asked, leaning in a little too close to John, her breath tickling his cheek.
"If you want to enter, go for it," John replied, a bit flustered by the sudden proximity.
"But don't try and cheat the system. You don't need that money, do you?"
"Who cares about the money?" Bella grinned. "I want that mystery prize! What is it, anyway? Any hints?"
John just smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out when the time comes."
A/N: Thanks for reading and donate some power stones for extra chapters.
1 extra chapter at every 100 stones or 2 extra chapters if we reach top 50.
Enjoy ✌️.
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