Agreed to make bad games, What the Hell is Titan Fall 44

“Excuse me for a moment.”

A lightbulb flickered on in沈妙妙’s mind. It felt like she had found a new direction in life.

She gave the other game developers a apologetic nod and stepped out of the crowd, heading for the restroom.

She closed the door, shut the lid, and locked it.

Click!

Finally, peace and quiet.

沈妙妙 sat down on the toilet lid and let out a sigh of relief.

She needed a quiet space to think.

Perfect!

Just now, the other developers’ foolish questions had given her a brand new idea!

First, sensory pods were basically a surefire path to bankruptcy for small game companies like theirs.

Buying a sensory pod game development engine would be a hefty expense.

沈妙妙 didn’t know the exact amount, but she had heard that using a mature sensory pod game engine would cost hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, per quarter!

Investing money!

Secondly, making a sensory pod game wasn’t something a couple of people could just whip up.

The project was huge, requiring a team of dozens to complete.

More money!

Finally, the current market share for sensory pod games was mostly dominated by big companies.

So, to secure a foothold in the market, they would have to match those big companies in every aspect.

Which still meant… pouring money in!

In short, entering the sensory pod market would require a massive investment right from the start.

A few hundred thousand, a million, or even tens of millions!

The worst part?

This wasn’t money that was guaranteed to come back.

On the contrary, smaller companies who took the plunge would likely lose everything.

Just like the developer asking questions earlier.

She wanted this!

沈妙妙 nodded repeatedly.

This was a classic lose-lose situation!

Perfect for me!

Of course, if it was that simple,沈妙妙 wouldn’t have had to retreat to the bathroom to think.

Yes.

Besides her interest in entering the sensory pod market, 沈妙妙 had also gained inspiration from another foolish question.

This time, it was about the “horror game” genre.

You see, the current market was dominated by only a few major game genres.

The types of games suitable for sensory pods were even fewer.

Horror games were rare even on regular platforms, let alone sensory pods.

Anyone who’d taken a basic market economics course knew this:

If a product disappears from the market, it likely means one thing:

No one’s buying it.

No market, no profit, so no one bothers to make it.

Hmm…!!!

Sitting on the toilet lid,沈妙妙’s expression turned subtle.

A money-burning, potentially unprofitable market.

Combined with a niche genre that had no market.

Oh boy.

Isn’t this the perfect recipe for disaster?

沈妙妙 couldn’t help but get excited.

If this flop was successful, it would be a major flop!

Even with conservative investment, she would need at least a couple of million!

Even if she invested only a million and lost half of it!

“That’s still five million!…”

The thought made her whisper excitedly, her large eyes shining.

I’m such a genius!

Thinking of the fifty yuan bill she had framed, 沈妙妙 clenched her fist. Don’t worry, Fifty! I’ll reach new heights!

…

Golden Wind had gained a lot from this development festival exchange event.

Inspired by the other developers’ “collective brainstorming,”沈妙妙 had come up with a new money-losing idea in the bathroom.

Meanwhile,顾晟 had achieved his goal of discussing sensory pods with many fellow game designers at the event.

Through these conversations, he learned that sensory pod technology had actually been around for ten years in this world.

But back then, it was extremely expensive and had limited compatibility, making it only available to high-end users.

A few years ago, after collaborative research by several top electronics brands worldwide, sensory pods finally reached a technological breakthrough in mass production, allowing them to transition from high-end to mid-range markets.

As market penetration grew, the electronic information resources compatible with sensory pods experienced an explosion.

Watching movies, streaming shows, education, shopping, gaming, relaxation… all became accessible through sensory pods.

Realizing the opportunity, major game companies jumped in.

And in this capital-fueled frenzy, the game formats for sensory pods gradually solidified:

Shooting, racing, and sports – the three big genres, “guns, cars, and balls,” were dominating the world.

Other game genres, like visual novels, card games, and rhythm games, occasionally popped up, but they failed to make a splash.

No horror games?

After learning all this,顾晟 was surprised.

His experience told him that sensory pods and horror games were a perfect match.

Yet, for some reason, this seemingly perfect pairing had no market in this world.

顾晟 kept this question in mind, ready to ask陆边 and 大江 for a detailed explanation later.

So, this “intelligence gathering” mission was a complete success.

Those were his personal gains.

But the gains for the company were even greater.

With the game media reports starting to pour in.

The day after the event!

顾晟 and沈妙妙 became the hottest figures in the domestic gaming scene!

“The Real Newcomer! Golden Wind’s Lead Designer is Surprisingly Young!”

“Shocking! The Creator of Three Blockbuster Games is Still Studying!”

“Young? Naive? Unveiling the True Power of Golden Wind’s CEO!”

“This Exchange Event Showcased the Real Rising Stars in the Gaming World!”

“…”

Various reports flooded the internet, along with an avalanche of comments from players!

‘Holy crap! 顾晟 is the same age as me!’

‘Doesn’t it make you feel ashamed saying that?’

‘My review is: kkrj’

‘So, this is the champion of fancy tricks, he’s even kinda cute.’

‘Honestly, I always thought the designer of something as abstract as “Who’s the Dad” would be pretty abstract themselves. Turns out Shengzi Ge is pretty sunshine-y.’

‘Definitely a sunshine-y, cheerful boy.’

‘I can’t believe Shengzi Ge is so young.’

‘Well, they’re called rising stars for a reason.’

‘Speaking of Golden Wind’s president… so cute! A bit adorable, huh?’

‘Hahaha, “cute” is a good way to put it. You mean the twin buns?’

‘Gotta say, she kinda looks like Ou Ba.’

‘Man, you’re being harsh! It’s Na Zha, not Ou Ba! Hahaha!’

‘Get a grip! How dare you mock my Ou Zong!’

‘Actually, don’t let me stop you, Ou Zong’s dad is basically the Tota Heavenly King level in the business world.’

‘…’

Comments streamed across the screen, and顾晟, half-reclined in his boss’s chair, watched with amusement.

He grabbed a handful of potato chips, threw them in his mouth, then gulped down a Coke. Feeling great!

Just as he was enjoying himself!

Click.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

楚轻舟 peeked in and looked at顾晟: “Director Gu, are you free? Shen wants to talk to you about the new project.”

(End of chapter)

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