Chương 6: C6: Game completion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Days passed.
I finished the last CG illustration and the corresponding audio and subtitle editing.
As I looked at the game source file generated on the computer, a wave of excitement and relief washed over me: "It's done finally!"
"It's over" I muse.
"So, are you looking for a domestic game publishing company now?" Ruan Ningxue asked, excitement evident in her voice.
After all, this was her first game project, where she was involved from start to finish. This project was our work as we both worked hard to complete it over the past month.
Well, even though she hadn't earned a dime from me for her work. The experience itself is valuable. But she surely doesn't need it.
"No." I shook my head gently.
"Huh?" She was a little surprised. A question mark over her head like those quest NPC.
Even though she wasn't deeply involved in game development, she knew I could be considered an independent game producer at this point. (the success of the game will be determined on release. No need to develop arrogance)
Similar to drawing comics, writing novels, or making movies, isn't it normal to look for publishing houses or film distributors? (to market and distribute)
"Games are different. It's not like it's a domestic platform game; it's going on an overseas official platform," I explained.
"Though you can connect domestically as well, it's just that the market for this type of game—like the 18R theme of *Magic Mirror*—is pretty niche, and platforms tend to prefer international distribution." (It's a gentlemen's game and gentlemen all over the world should enjoy it)
"Then why did you make this type of game?" Ruan Ningxue asked, puzzled. It almost sounded like the game would be doomed before it even launched.
Even if that were the case, it would mean~ I would become her assistant afterward.
But, truth be told, after spending a month working together, her perspective would have changed a bit. She had come to see the game industry as more interesting than she initially thought. Plus, she had worked hard on this project and really wanted to see it succeed.
"I've got a plan for *Magic Mirror*'s future. You just wait, Senior Sister. When the time comes, I'll give you a big red envelope!" I said with a slight smile. (Mc loves to brag)
"Alright then, I'll wait for that." She looked at me, confused but trusting, and nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a certain neighbourhood, in a certain city.
A woman in a white shirt and jeans leaned against the door of Ruan Ningxue's house. (what a laid-back girl?)
"Xiaoxue, are you seriously thinking about helping me? With your art and my game design skills, we could definitely make a name for ourselves in the industry!" Yang Xin said confidently, setting down the juice she had in hand.
Looking at her in high spirits, I began to understand the feelings Chen Xu must have had when I threw proposals at him like machine gun bullets. I had been dubious before, but after spending time in the world of game development, it started to make sense. It started to feel like a perfect path.
"Sister Xin, I'm not trying to discourage you, but haven't you already developed three games? And it seems all of them lost money, right?" Xue said, rolling her eyes. ;´༎ຶ ਊ ༎ຶ`;
Xue thought ~ I didn't know much about games before, but after spending time working with Chen Xu on game development, I gained a basic understanding. I realized Yang Xin, who always bragged about her game development skills, hadn't even made a game that broke even. (Xin has been thoroughly examined like a science specimen by Xue)
"Next time, it'll be a big hit! As long as Xiaoxue is on board!" Yang Xin insisted, promising big like every dreamer.
"Come on, didn't Uncle Yang and Sister Xin agree they wouldn't fund you after the start-up capital runs out? So, what's the plan?" I asked, sitting on the sofa and eyeing her sceptically.
"Well… By the way, Xiaoxue, how's your apprentice's game going? Have you found a publisher yet? I could introduce one!" Yang Xin said with a cough, quickly changing the topic. (Is Xin a middle girl?)
"No need for this. Chen Xu said he would go online directly on the official overseas platform and not bother with a domestic game publisher." I shook my head, remembering what I had asked Chen Xu before.
"Not looking for a publisher? That's a huge disadvantage. There's no third-party platform for resource promotion, and everything relies on the official platform's new game recommendations. Unless the quality explodes, it's hard to stand out." Yang Xin said, speaking from experiences of her three failures.
"But Sister Xin, Chen Xu mentioned there are no similar new games in the library, and he uploaded it on an overseas platform," I recalled parts of the conversation I had with Chen Xu yesterday.
"No new games in the library? An overseas platform? 18R content!? No wonder he's relying on you, but as a junior, you probably didn't realize. It's hard for a simple adult game to really take off." Yang Xin seemed to instantly grasp the game's nature from what I said.
Even if some games are *ahem* violent, as long as they're not overly excessive, the official platform still lists them as new games under recommendations.
But instead of going for a domestic platform, he chose an overseas one, and with no new games in the library, it's probably an 18R game.
"No way! Chen Xu must have his own plan, right? And 'Magic Mirror' isn't just a basic adult game; it actually has rich plot content." I thought back to Chen Xu's confident demeanour, feeling uncertain. (Rich content in an 18R game!)
"Am I wrong? You mentioned your apprentice's art skills are on par with yours, didn't you? When he came to you, he hoped to rely on art as a selling point, but a game can't succeed on art alone. As for the content? What kind of deep content can an 18R game have?" (Just check out some of NLT media games)
"This is the opinion of a professional game producer, mind you! And without a publisher or a library listing, the game won't make waves unless he runs large-scale ads himself. Otherwise, it's likely to go unnoticed." Yang Xin delivered her harsh judgment confidently. (don't take her seriously, just remember she got 3f)
(ノ ゜Д゜)ノ ︵ ┻━┻
"Then, Sister Xin, do you think the game's sales could surpass 50,000?" I asked, half in hope, half in doubt.
"Impossible!" Although Yang Xin hadn't seen the game I helped with, she seemed sure of her prediction.
໒( ⊡ _ ⊡ )७
Based on the facts—an indie game with a small budget, no publisher, an adult theme, only two developers, and one of them was a former manga artist who outsourced parts of the game—it was clear to her that success was unlikely.
There are lots of potential users for 18R games—after all, everyone has their interests—but competition in that genre is fierce.
How could a combination like this create a successful game?
Having developed three failed games herself, Yang Xin knew how tough the industry was.
ʕ TᴥT ʔ
"Although 50,000 is a stretch, with the game priced cheaply and your art skills, you might manage to sell 10,000 copies. If the quality holds up, that's not too bad—you wouldn't lose money at least."
"From a risk perspective, 18R games have lower stakes." Yang Xin softened her tone, trying to comfort me.
"This is still coming from a professional gamer," she added, after a brief pause.
"Okay," I muttered, still worried, having little knowledge about the gaming industry.
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