Noon.
A call from Fat Sis came in.
Zhang Ye had just finished his lunch at the cafeteria and took the elevator upstairs. Seeing his Central TV Department 1 colleagues looking at him like he was the plague and whispering to each other with their heads lowered, Zhang Ye did not bat an eyelid and ignored them. When he reached his floor, he got out of the elevator alone and answered the call.
Zhang Ye: "Fat Sis."
When Fat Sis spoke, the way she addressed Zhang Ye was different from before. It was getting more and more casual. "Zhang'er, the demo version of our game has caused a big stir!"
Zhang Ye laughed and said: "Ha, I saw it."
Fat Sis was in high spirits. "The domestic media are all promoting our game for free. It's really because you're so popular. Whenever you're involved in anything, those reporters and media outlets all seem to be on steroids! The netizens and gamers are really giving you face. When they heard that the game was designed by you, they were all very supportive! In the past, Big Sis didn't know how many fans you had, but now that I see it, it turns out that you have so many fans! "
Zhang Ye: "It's all because everyone is giving me face."
Fat Sis: "The game will be officially released in three days' time!"
Zhang Ye: "Alright, I've been waiting for that day."
Fat Sis: "Everyone in the company is waiting for it too! What do you expect the sales to be like? "
Zhang Ye: "How are we going to release it?"
Fat Sis: "For the company's last game, we took the traditional route by releasing a legal CD. In the end, we made a huge loss, so let's not talk about it anymore. D * mn, we definitely can't do the same thing this time. I can tell that the CD sales are going downhill. Nowadays, it's the world of the internet. This time, Plants vs. Zombies will be released through the online download model. The download will be free, and the first three levels will be free, but if you want to continue playing, you'll have to register and purchase a serial number. We've been hesitating over the pricing for a long time, but we feel that a range of five to fifteen RMB is more suitable. We haven't decided on the exact price yet, so I'd like to hear your opinion."
Zhang Ye gave it some thought and said: "Then let's make it 5 RMB. If the threshold is too high, it will hurt the popularity of the game. Let's lay down the foundation first? With the popularity of the game, we'll have plenty of ways to make money in the future. "
"Eh, you mean that there's still Plants vs. Zombies 2?"
"Of course."
"Hahaha! Alright! "
"Let's not be too optimistic. Everything is still uncertain."
"I understand. Now that everything is ready, all that's left is this final shiver! The company is putting all of its capital on the line to pay off the loan. If Plants vs Zombies doesn't sell well, then the company will shut down! "
"F * ck, that's not necessary, Fat Sis!"
"I know. Let's prepare for the worst! Of course, I've already prepared for the best, haha! "
After hanging up, Zhang Ye went back to his office and sat down with his legs crossed. He went through everything that had happened in his mind. Overall, he was still quite optimistic. Regarding Plants vs. Zombies, Zhang Ye had an unshakable and absolute confidence in it. He clearly knew that this game was ahead of all the other puzzle games in this world and had already gained the recognition of the market in his previous world. But even though it was a good game, the sales figures could not be copied. This world also had its own rules, so there were still some differences.
For example, the sales model.
For example, the starting country.
For example, the charging model.
Both worlds had their differences. Zhang Ye could only guarantee that he would be able to replicate 95% of the original Plants vs. Zombies from his previous world, but he couldn't possibly replicate the distribution model and region of his previous world. He didn't have the qualifications to do so anyway. This was a game created by a foreigner, so he couldn't possibly allow it to be released overseas in this world, could he? As such, Zhang Ye could only do what he needed to do and leave the rest to the market!
Zhang Ye undoubtedly placed a lot of importance on this crossover and could not afford to make any mistakes. After being frozen by Central TV Department 1 for so many days, his popularity had already started to stagnate. Right now, he could only rely on Plants vs. Zombies to boost his popularity! At the B-list celebrity level, the competition was obviously not something that an outsider could imagine. B-list celebrities were already well-known by the people. Almost half of the country's population would recognize them or know their names. This was a level where the public already had a solid base of support, so the unpredictability was even greater. Who knew if a B-list celebrity's acting skills would suddenly explode with a movie with a box office earnings of more than 1 billion RMB? Their popularity would definitely soar. This was not a strange thing at all and was a common occurrence. Zhang Ye naturally knew about this and also understood the principle of not advancing but instead retreating. What was the competition for in the entertainment industry? To put it bluntly, it was a competition for popularity. Zhang Ye could not allow himself to stay where he was!
… …
On Weibo.
A group of haters suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Their words were not directed at Zhang Ye, but were all directed at Plants vs. Zombies!
"Are they all blind? What's so fun about this game! "
"I can tell just by looking at the graphics. What trash!"
"Plants fighting zombies? How nonsensical! "
"Only a retard would play such a game!"
"If this game's sales can exceed 500,000 RMB, I'll jump off a building!"
"Haha, you're thinking too much. 500,000 RMB? It's already not bad if it reaches 200,000 RMB! Don't think that the demo version has been praised to the skies by the media and gaming magazines. When it's time to buy it, not many people will buy it! Even if they want to play it, they'll have to wait for the pirated version to be cracked before downloading it! "
There were many disputes when people were popular, and it was the same for games.
Quite a number of Plants vs. Zombies supporters immediately retaliated. The two groups of people started scolding each other!
… …
While it was bustling online, other places were not quiet either.
For example, in the entertainment industry, many industry insiders were also paying attention to this matter. There were all sorts of discussions going on in private.
"I don't even know what to say anymore!"
"Why did this fellow start making games again?"
"I've never seen such a frivolous celebrity before. He doesn't play by the rules at all!"
"Hur hur, I've finally figured it out. Zhang Ye's main occupation is that he doesn't have a proper occupation. Ever since last year, I can't tell what Zhang Ye's main occupation is anymore! But then again … this Plants vs. Zombies is really fun! Zhang Ye might have offended people, but he is indeed capable. I have to admit that! "
… …
The gaming world was also filled with voices.
"Zhang Ye is a big shot celebrity, so why is he trying to snatch our jobs?"
"Who knows what this fellow is thinking!"
"This game has such a good reputation, but the sales figures might not be that optimistic. Right now, the domestic games industry is weak, especially puzzle games. They're just getting started, so even though everyone has put a lot of hats on Plants vs. Zombies and put a lot of expectations on it, the domestic gaming market is just like that. Pirated versions are rampant and foreign games are taking over the market on a large scale. Wanting to rely on a domestic puzzle game to stand out? Difficult! As difficult as ascending to the heavens! "
"That's true, but I'm afraid the sales figures won't be too high."
"But it's still a good momentum. At least we have a good puzzle game in our country now. Even if they lose, they'll still be doing a good job. Even if they lose, it'll still be a glorious loss!"
"Right, someone has to give a good start to our domestic games! Even if they lose! "
"Let's wait for the day they go on sale. Let's wish them the best of luck!"
"The sales figures might not necessarily be that bad. Perhaps our domestic games can really create a miracle this time! Who says that our domestic games will never be as good as foreign games? "
There were also unfriendly voices towards Plants vs. Zombies in the gaming world, but the vast majority of the industry still supported and supported it. There were even a few game company CEOs and game designers who publicly Liked and reposted Plants vs. Zombies on Weibo. It was very rare that Zhang Ye's crossover this time did not attract any criticism or doubt from his peers in the gaming world. Instead, countless people in the gaming world sent their blessings to him!
The reason was very simple. In the current domestic gaming market, domestic games were not the mainstream and only occupied about a quarter of the market share. The rest of the market share had already been invaded by foreign games. Those who were narrow-minded might think that Zhang Ye was trying to steal their jobs, but those who were a little smarter knew that this was not the time for the domestic game companies to fight amongst themselves. With just a quarter of the market share, what was there to fight for? Even if they won, so what? What they were trying to do now was snatch the market share from the foreigners. Zhang Ye had come out with an amazing puzzle game, and this was also a way for them to expand the market for their domestic games. It was also a way for all the domestic game manufacturers to expand the pie!
This battle wasn't just about Zhang Ye alone.
This battle was also about the battle between domestic games and foreign games!
The layman just watched for the excitement, while the expert knew the ropes. Almost all of his peers in the gaming world had played the demo version of Plants vs. Zombies at least once, and some of them had even studied it over a dozen times. Although it was only a demo version and no one had the chance to see what the official version looked like, just this tip of the iceberg was enough to give these gaming industry peers a shot in the arm. If they had to come up with a game that could compete with the foreigners in terms of creativity, graphics, gameplay, and many other aspects, then there was no doubt that only Plants vs. Zombies would be able to compete with it. As such, everyone in the gaming world had very high expectations for it. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the day of the game's release!
They wanted to see what kind of results the legendary Zhang Ye would be able to deliver when he crossed over to their gaming industry once again!
Their peers were waiting to see!
The media fanned the flames!
The gamers rubbed their palms together!
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Plants vs. Zombies ushered in the day of its release!
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
