บท 51: Waves in the community
One day of anticipation had passed, and John's decision to allow in-game currency to be exchanged for real-world money had sparked a frenzy far beyond the popularity of One Piece itself. Discussions about this new feature were spreading like wildfire, with comment sections exploding, showing thousands of new messages with every refresh.
As Olivia Su had predicted, this marked a revolution in the gaming industry.
Players were ecstatic, while rival companies were in a state of panic.
"Is he insane?"
"I'm reporting this! This is unfair competition, totally disrupting the market!"
"Exactly! In-game currency should never be allowed to convert into real money!"
"Oh, so it's fine when you rake in money, but we can't make money from the game now?"
"Serves you right! All John's games are player-friendly, while every one of your games is a cash grab!"
"By the way, @"One Piece World, come out and get wrecked. Let's see how your so-called 'authentic' One Piece holds up against this."
"@One Piece World, come take your beating! And while you're at it, return my premium ship!"
(A/N: They are referring to that pirate copy of John's game from the previous chapters.)
Meanwhile, as executives from other game companies threw a fit, their stance was obvious. They didn't want to open two-way exchanges because their revenue came from manipulating players into spending more. They couldn't comprehend how John could generate value from his games while also creating opportunities for players to earn money.
But the players? They were overjoyed. After all, who wouldn't want to make real money while playing games?
At the headquarters of Nexusplay Games, John logged into the Second World. It wasn't because he had suddenly decided to become a Pokémon trainer. No, his decision to open two-way game exchanges had upset certain powerful interests, and a special meeting was being held to address this.
John, accompanied by Michael, entered the central building of Seaside City in Second World and made his way into a spacious room with a large round conference table. Already seated around the table were various high-ranking individuals, and as soon as John walked in, all eyes turned to him.
"That's John, isn't it? Haha, my daughter loves the Pokémon you created."
"He seems unassuming, yet he's so bold!"
"Yes, such courage from such a young man."
John kept his face blank. In truth, he had no idea what kind of expression he should make. After all, he was just a gamer who happened to like creating games, and he didn't recognize any of these powerful figures.
Yet, judging by their casual remarks, they didn't seem hostile toward his revolutionary idea.
"Son, share your thoughts with Master David."
Sensing John's bewilderment, Michael subtly nudged him. His voice calm, he encouraged John to explain the situation.
John hesitated for a moment, then said, "Uh, hello, Master David. What exactly would you like to know?"
David cooper, ruler of Eastflower Province, gave a kindly smile and said, "No need to be nervous. Just tell us your thoughts on enabling the in-game currency to be converted into real money. Speak freely."
"Uh…" John took a moment to think, then said with a grin, "Would you believe me if I told you it was an accident?"
"Oh? An accident, you say? What kind of accident?"
David looked intrigued, while the other leaders at the table waited silently for John's answer.
"In truth, I didn't set out to disrupt the market," John explained. "I recently launched a game called One Piece with a massive world. My original intention was simply to introduce a monetization system so that players wouldn't complain about the lack of resources at the start."
"But I also didn't want to turn players away by asking them to pay before they'd even started playing, so I opened the option for them to convert in-game currency into real money. That way, players could have the chance to earn back the money they invested."
His explanation was a mix of truth and clever elaboration. In his past life, John had despised games that charged players before they even knew what the game was about. So, with One Piece, he had simply given players more incentive to stay engaged and have a chance to benefit financially.
"I see," David said, catching on quickly. "But can you afford to allow players to make real money from the game?"
John smiled. "It's not easy for players to make real money. The game's mechanics differ significantly from reality. I've made sure of that."
Master David seemed satisfied with this answer, moving on to a new topic. "I've heard your new game has a vast world."
"Yes, but it's just a world I imagined. It's not as grand as it sounds."
"Well, let's just say if we wanted to get involved, would you be able to offer us a discount?"
"Uh?"
John was taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation. Were these officials actually talking about joining the game?
After a moment of hesitation, John quickly replied, "Master David, you must be joking! These are real funds, and if I gave you a discount, I'd be taking a huge loss!"
He couldn't afford to discount the in-game currency exchange, not with the sums these officials might bring in.
"Haha, just pulling your leg," David chuckled, stroking his beard. "You don't need to worry."
Then, with a more serious tone, he added, "Actually, this whole exchange idea came from Adam. He suggested that we consider investing in your game because of its potential for development."
John blinked. His brother Adam had suggested this? Adam had indeed joined the game yesterday, and John now recalled that he'd plunged straight into the bustling hub of the Sabaody Archipelago.
But before John could dwell on it, Master David dropped another bombshell.
"In fact, we were planning to implement a two-way currency exchange feature in Second World ourselves. However, before we could even launch the test phase, you activated it first with your game."
"Now, we're thinking of using One Piece as a test case to see how this plays out."
John was floored. Were they seriously using his game as an official experiment now? He had unwittingly triggered a major movement in the industry.
A/N; Thanks for reading, donate some power stones for extra chapters.
Also check out my Patreon if you want extra chapters up to chapter 65: Patreon.com/AncestorX
Enjoy ✌️.
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