Too cramped?
Are you serious???
Zhou Muyan looked around at the workspace of his studio.
How was this cramped? Didn't most companies look like this?
Each person had a single desk—wasn't it the same everywhere else?
Moreover, since Tianhuo Studio had its own building, they actually had more space than other companies, with desks spaced relatively generously.
Calling this cramped? You must be blind…
Huang Sibo understood immediately.
The issue wasn't that Tianhuo Studio's desks were cramped, but rather that Tengda's were ridiculously spacious!
What kind of normal company would set up desks like Tengda did? Not even real estate companies did that!
But after having worked at Tengda for so long, everyone was already accustomed to their spacious working conditions. Looking at Tianhuo Studio's environment now was simply dispiriting.
The group quickly became listless, utterly uninterested.
They looked like people who lived their entire lives in seaside villas, being shown around by an enthusiastic salesperson who excitedly described an ordinary three-bedroom apartment as "luxurious." They felt nothing…
Their dreams were shattered!
Initially, everyone had high expectations of Tianhuo Studio—but seeing it now, it was just average!
The desks were cramped.
The computers were mediocre, and even the design team didn't have dual monitors.
Placing a few snacks on the table somehow qualified as a "snack area."
The "entertainment room" had just one tiny TV—what was this, charity for beggars?
Moreover, mandatory 996 overtime without pay!
This was supposed to be a first-rate domestic gaming company???
Compared to Tengda, it was way behind!
The feeling was akin to running into your first love years later, only to realize she had become completely out-of-shape and turned into a dull, middle-aged woman.
Then you glance at your wife and realize—wow, why is my wife so much prettier?!
Sure enough, President Pei was the best boss in the world, bar none!
Forget these wild thoughts. The best plan was clearly to hug President Pei's thighs tightly and follow him loyally for life!
...
After Zhou Muyan had awkwardly boasted for some time, even he felt embarrassed. Seeing everyone's visibly indifferent reactions, he lost interest in continuing his bragging.
"Alright, let's move forward. We've arranged a session to share successful experiences—this way, please."
The group entered a large internal conference room inside Tianhuo Studio.
Today's itinerary was entirely coordinated between Assistant Xin and the staff here, including a studio tour and sharing successful experiences.
Assistant Xin had arranged everything according to a typical company exchange format. After all, Tengda's people had traveled a long way; it wouldn't be appropriate to leave after just viewing the building exterior.
Since the purpose was exchanging knowledge, of course, it was essential to mutually share successful experiences; otherwise, the trip would be meaningless.
Tengda brought over twenty people, and Tianhuo Studio also arranged around twenty staff members to join. Each side prepared designated speakers for experience sharing.
The first to speak was Sun Xi, who had previously welcomed them. He was the lead designer of a major MMORPG project within Tianhuo Studio.
Sun Xi first warmly welcomed President Pei and the others who had traveled from afar. Everyone applauded enthusiastically, creating a lively atmosphere.
Then, Sun Xi began presenting the successful experience of the MMORPG he was currently leading.
Pei Qian held a small notebook, listening attentively, nodding occasionally as his pen kept moving across the paper.
After a while, he'd drawn a turtle.
Then a bit later, he added a mouse and a duck…
He couldn't understand a single thing!
To make matters worse, Pei Qian was seated in the front row, so falling asleep wasn't an option.
Sun Xi's speech wasn't particularly complicated—Huang Sibo and the others could follow along easily. However, it was filled with professional terminology and various English abbreviations. Pei Qian could only vaguely guess from Sun Xi's gestures and expressions that this game was extremely impressive, but as for exactly how impressive, he had absolutely no clue.
Soon, Sun Xi concluded his talk. Pei Qian, who was nearly dozing off, suddenly perked up, leading the applause energetically.
Next was Tengda's turn.
Courtesy required reciprocation—since the other side had shared their success, Tengda naturally had to do the same.
Huang Sibo represented Tengda to share the successful experience behind "Ghost General." As "Ocean Fortress" wasn't finished yet, and it was unclear if it would succeed, it obviously wasn't suitable for discussion at this stage.
Strictly speaking, Pei Qian should have been the one sharing the successful experience, since "Ghost General" was entirely made by him.
However, Pei Qian resolutely refused this suggestion. Firstly, he didn't want to go on stage, and secondly, even he couldn't clearly explain how exactly "Ghost General" had succeeded...
So, when Assistant Xin informed Pei Qian about this part of the itinerary, he immediately passed the task to Huang Sibo at lightning speed, instructing him to casually talk through it and get it over with.
Huang Sibo stepped onto the stage amidst applause.
"First, let me clarify that I did not directly participate in the development of 'Ghost General'. This game was entirely created by President Pei from start to finish. However, after joining Tengda, I've carefully studied the game and believe I have a decent understanding of it. I've also grasped a bit of President Pei's artistic vision."
"President Pei, if I say anything inaccurate, please correct me immediately."
"In my opinion, there are three main reasons behind the success of 'Ghost General'."
"Firstly, the pursuit of excellence in game quality and bold artistic style!"
"As far as I know, President Pei invested over half the initial funding directly into purchasing art resources. Moreover, he daringly hired an unknown rookie artist. The epic Ink-and-Oil painting style of 'Ghost General' immediately resonated with players. This success stems from President Pei's visionary foresight and exceptional aesthetic judgment!"
"President Pei made 'Ghost General' a huge hit, and simultaneously launched Ruan Guangjian's career as a distinctive new artist, achieving a true win-win situation..."
"Secondly, ethical and fair in-app purchases!"
"All in-game spending in 'Ghost General' totals only 40 yuan, a stark contrast to other card games like 'Cute Three Kingdoms'. Such a fair and player-friendly monetization approach earned immense respect and appreciation from players. This low-profit, high-volume s trategy led to outstanding sales and reputation."
"Thirdly, a uniquely innovative promotion method!"
"Since all the funds had gone into development, 'Ghost General' had no budget for marketing. President Pei ingeniously utilized Weibo marketing, making the game hugely popular in artist circles first, before naturally spreading into gaming communities. This strategy achieved phenomenal marketing results..."
"I personally believe this is a textbook example of successful viral marketing, which are worthy of repeated study!"
Huang Sibo spoke confidently and clearly, fully prepared.
Although he hadn't directly asked Pei Qian about the details behind "Ghost General," he pieced together information from online game reviews, browsed through Weibo posts by Ruan Guangjian and others, and considered Pei Qian's personality and design style...
With this information, he could reconstruct the whole picture pretty accurately.
During his explanation, he frequently glanced towards Pei Qian.
President Pei smiled and nodded frequently.
As expected, my analysis was correct!
Huang Sibo felt extremely proud. Although he hadn't personally participated in the development of "Ghost General," being able to accurately deduce President Pei's original design intentions was already remarkable. It indicated he was gradually catching up to President Pei's level!
Meanwhile, Pei Qian nodded along, silently amazed to himself:
That sounded really good. But why wasn't I aware that I had such profound ideas back then...
In the audience, Sun Xi, Zhou Muyan, and the other Tianhuo Studio staff listened attentively and took detailed notes.
Zhou Muyan couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Indeed, heroes emerge from the young!
Although President Pei appeared very young, his courage was incredible!
Investing all available funds into development without leaving a cent for marketing, bravely hiring an unknown artist, introducing a completely new art style, fundamentally changing the traditional revenue model of card-based mobile games...
This wasn't something an ordinary game designer would dare to attempt!
This man was ruthless. Wasn't he worried about losing everything?
Sure enough, he was probably a rich second-generation kid—otherwise, how could he calmly take such a big risk?
Was this... the legendary difference in mindset? Carrying immense responsibility as lightly as if it were nothing, facing failure as calmly as breathing...
Zhou Muyan's imagination ran wild, and his respect for Pei Qian rose significantly.
Soon, Huang Sibo finished speaking, prompting another enthusiastic round of applause!
Pei Qian distinctly felt numerous respectful, admiring eyes turned towards him.
Those were the gazes reserved for true genius!
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind spending $5 monthly to see till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 92: A Small Lie[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/losing-money-to-129248702[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1399284?view=expanded[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1399284?view=expanded
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/losing-money-to-129248702
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/losing-money-to-129248702
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1399284?view=expanded