Zhang Yuan was stunned for a moment. “Huh? Boss Pei, you’re only using this bit of money to maintain the daily operations of the GPL? I don’t think we can cover the rent and other miscellaneous expenses of that venue, right?”
Pei Qian nodded. “Of course, we can’t cover it. We can’t cover it with this amount of money anyway.”
“In the future, we can sell tickets for competitions, we can have sponsors and advertisers. There are many ways to generate profits.”
“Tengda is the organizer. Don’t always look at the small profits in front of you. You have to look far ahead. If you don’t have enough money, Tengda will pay for you first. We’ll talk about it when you earn more money in the future.”
Zhang Yuan instinctively straightened his back.
Indeed, Boss Pei had a long-term vision!
He might not be able to see much in the short term if he were to spend this sum of money, but in the long term, it would definitely improve the ecology of the entire E-Sports industry!
Actually, Pei Qian did not think too much about it. He only chose a plan with the lowest chance of making money.
There were only three ways to spend this sum of money: either spend it on the league and promote it as much as possible, or spend it all on the club and modify the training base and environment; or spend it on the cultivation system.
On the other hand, it would be very easy to quickly improve its competitiveness, enhance it’s viewership, and attract attention if one were to smash the game to a league or a club. If that happened and many sponsors were attracted to the game, they might not even be able to make it through the cycle and start generating profits.
Based on past experience, this was highly possible.
Thus, after much consideration, Pei Qian decided to focus on the cultivation system and build a budding training base for the club to support the development of GDL and internet cafe competitions. That would slow down the effectiveness and allow them to persevere.
Chapter 728 - Independent Game Designer
November 10th, Thursday…
In Beijing…
Qiu Hong looked at the address on his phone and then looked up at the old district in front of him.
The neighborhood was filled with elderly people. The neighborhood was very old and the living conditions were rather worrying. The residential buildings were also very narrow. Young people might not even want to live here, much less work here.
However, according to the address on the cell phone, there was an independent game designer here.
Qiu Hong also looked at the unit number. He followed the corridor that was filled with various psoriasis-style advertisements and climbed all the way to the sixth floor.
Qiu Hong knocked on the door after trying to determine which was unit 601 and which was 602.
Knock, knock.
A moment later, footsteps came from within. The old anti-theft door opened.
“You are… Boss Qiu?” A young man with messy hair and dark circles under his eyes asked hesitantly.
Qiu Hong nodded. “Yes, you’re Wu Zhicheng?”
Wu Zhicheng nodded. “Yes, Boss Qiu, you can call me Little Wu. Please come in.”
Wu Zhicheng stepped to one side.
Qiu Hong walked in and closed the door.
Heating would only be available in the middle of November in Beijing. There was still a week to go, so it was the coldest time right now.
After entering, Qiu Hong did not feel warm at all. Instead, he felt like there was wind blowing in through the gap in the window.
Wu Zhicheng looked like he was used to it. He dragged a chair over. “I’m sorry, Boss Qiu. I’m too messy. Please make do with it.”
Qiu Hong did not mind. He pulled a chair over and sat down.
At first, Wu Zhicheng wanted the two of them to find a cafe to chat. However, Qiu Hong insisted on coming to the place where Wu Zhicheng worked because he wanted to see the most realistic working environment and working condition.
Qiu Hong looked around.
It looked like a very small one-bedroom apartment. The living room had become Wu Zhicheng’s workroom. There was a computer desk, a computer, a messy pile of books, a game console, a small television, a small dining table… There was almost no space to step on.
The other room was Wu Zhicheng’s bedroom. Apart from the bed and the wardrobe, there were too many things. The bed was also filled with books which was equally worrying.
Wu Zhicheng felt a little awkward. He searched in the mini fridge for a long time, but all he found was Coca Cola. He wondered if Boss Qiu was used to drinking this.
Qiu Hong quickly said, “Don’t bother. Let’s get to the main topic.”
Wu Zhicheng nodded. “Alright, I’ll briefly explain my situation.”
Compared to Jiang Fan of Cherry Workspace, Wu Zhicheng’s experience was much simpler.
Jiang Fan had originally worked in a law firm. He had first created a game in his spare time and succeeded. Only then did he make up his mind to set up Cherry Workspace to start a business.
On the other hand, Wu Zhicheng worked for a period of time after graduating from university. He had a certain amount of savings. He resigned and started to work on games because he was not satisfied with his job.
Wu Zhicheng had never considered the problem of not being able to finish the game and not earning money.
In any case, if he could not take it anymore, he would look for another job.
Qiu Hong asked, “How far have you developed the game? Can I give it a try?”
Wu Zhicheng nodded. “Sure, but… the completion rate is very low. Boss Qiu, you might have to use your imagination when you play it.”
As he spoke, Wu Zhicheng turned on his computer and opened his game project on the official game editor.
Qiu Hong sat down in front of Wu Zhicheng’s computer. He looked at the dust on the keyboard and mouse, as well as the ashtray full of cigarette butts and empty Coke bottles on the computer table. He was speechless.
Wu Zhicheng quickly took out two pieces of tissue from the tissue box beside him, wiped the keyboard and mouse carefully, and then tidied up the computer desk.
“Boss Qiu, this is a mobile game. However, it can only be played on the computer at the moment. You have to use the mouse to complete the manual operation. It’s not very convenient. Please bear with it.”
Qiu Hong nodded and entered the game.
The game’s name was ‘Black Ink and Clouds’. It was a 2D landscape version of the game. It was relatively difficult. The biggest difference between this game and ordinary landscape version of the game was that it had a special way of playing. It interacted with the scenes in the game through drawing.
Players could create or erase objects in game settings by painting. This interactive experience would give players a very novel experience in special stages and Boss battles.
However… that was the ideal situation.
Many games were full of ideals, but reality was harsh.
There were two prerequisites to achieve the effect that Wu Zhicheng was looking forward to. First, every stage and every battle had to be carefully crafted. Second, there had to be an outstanding art effect.
The biggest difference between Black Ink and Clouds and the other 2D landscape versions of the game was the graphic interactive experience. However, if it was just a simple drawing and smearing, the gamers’ experience would be very boring and this game innovation would be meaningless.
A so-called game innovation must not be a simple concept but a set of rich gameplay and content.
He had to think and plan every stage and every boss’s playstyle. He had to come up with more tricks based on this playstyle to be considered successful.
What’s more, since the game was a game that focused on graphic interaction, the graphics had to be outstanding. Otherwise, the fun would be greatly reduced.
It was far from enough based on the current game completion rate.
That was nor
mal. Wu Zhicheng was a student who had just graduated not long ago. He had created the game purely out of passion. Looking at the conditions, he did not have the ability to complete the gameplay and checkpoints. At the very least, there was no solution to the art resources.
Wu Zhicheng was not good at art, and he could not afford to hire any big names on the official platform. Thus, all the resources in the game were resources gathered everywhere. It looked very unflattering.
What’s more, all the operations were done using the mouse. It was not as smooth as playing on the cell phone.
All in all, Qiu Hong’s enjoyment of the game depended on his imagination.
Qiu Hong let out a melancholic sigh.
Previously, he felt that Cherry Workspace whose capital was about to be used up and would not be able to pay their salaries soon was very in line with the Destitution Plan’s rescue conditions.
However, he realized that destitution had no end when he saw Wu Zhicheng today.
The question was, did this project meet the requirements?
Boss Pei said not to invest in those who were too reliable and unreliable.
According to normal standards, this was definitely not reliable. There was no guarantee of the design ability or level of art from an ordinary person who had no experience in developing games, developing completely out of passion.
However, Qiu Hong instinctively hoped that Wu Zhicheng would be able to obtain help. That was because Wu Zhicheng had a belief. It was this belief that made this project reliable.
“Boss Pei said that I’ll decide for myself if I’m not sure if it’s reliable or not.”
“Since that’s the case…”
Qiu Hong pondered for a long time before asking, “How much do you think this game would cost to complete?”
Wu Zhicheng was stumped. “Er… this…”
“Honestly, I don’t know either.”
“If I can get 200,000 yuan, I can hire a good artist to help me draw the game.”
“If I have another 50,000 yuan, I can use it to pay the rent first. It can last for a long time…”
Qiu Hong fell into deep thought.
Cherry Workspace had very clear plans for the completion rate, employee salary, and daily expenses.
However, for Wu Zhicheng, he had no clear concept of project planning, working period, and resource control. Naturally, he could not give a specific number.
No matter how much money he gave, he could only solve the urgent problem first and think about the rest later.
Qiu Hong was not worried that Wu Zhicheng would spend too much money. Given his conditions, he would not spend much.
The key was that without a clear plan, the project control would fall into chaos. Qiu Hong knew very well that this was a fatal factor that could cause the project to fail completely.
These independent game designers were not only lacking money, but also various other supporting areas.
For example, how to plan the development cycle, how to control the cost, how to solve the financial problems, etc. These were all very difficult problems to solve.
However, given the gaming studio’s size, it would be a waste to complete the entire set.
He couldn’t possibly ask three or four people, including the finance department and administrative department, to surround Wu Zhicheng, right? That would be ridiculous.
Qiu Hong pondered for a moment and said, “Wait a moment, I’ll make a call.”
Wu Zhicheng nodded and waited patiently.
Obviously, he knew very well that it would be too far-fetched to ask someone to invest with his conditions.
Hopefully, Boss Qiu’s leader would be kind.
Chapter 729 - Independent Game Incubation Base
At that moment, Pei Qian was having a meal at Ming House with all the club bosses of the GPL league.
The bosses of H4 Club and the other clubs who already had a place in the league were all present. They were toasting each other and it was very lively.
Lin Chang, Li Shi, and the others had already had a meal at the nameless restaurant after the auction ended. However, Pei Qian found an excuse to decline and did not go that time. Zhang Yuan was the one who hosted them.
He was mainly afraid of being hurt a second time.
However, he really could not turn down today’s meal.
Pei Qian thought about how he had to meet these bosses and get to know them. At the same time, he had to tell everyone the rules of the GPL.
What’s more, four days have passed since the auction. The chances of him being hurt again was very low. The main topic would still be focused on the GPL rules. It would be a good opportunity to meet.
This was a restaurant that Li Shi and Xue Zhebin opened together. The food here was not as good as the nameless restaurant but the place was bigger. They could book the entire place as they pleased and they would have more freedom.
Now, the rules of the GPL had been announced. The bosses chatted as they ate and discussed the rules of the GPL. It was a harmonious scene.
Li Shi looked at Boss Pei’s GPL rules and discussed the terms with Xue Zhebin.
“See, I told you so.”
“Other people would be collecting money for themselves, but Boss Pei must be collecting money for a long-term goal.”
“See, Boss Pei took our money for the GLP slots where he in fact split it into three parts: building a budding players training base for the club, supporting the development of GDL and internet cafe competitions, and maintaining the normal operations of the GPL league.”
“If it was an ordinary organizer, they would definitely use a portion of the money to run the GPL league. The rest of the money would be in their own pockets.”
“Of course, it’s understandable for the organizers to sell their slots to make money. However, this behavior is too short-sighted!”
“On the other hand, Boss Pei took the club’s money and threw it all into the league to support the lower tier of the league.”
“Those talented players can start with the ladder, then start with the internet cafe competition, then play GDL or train at the various clubs… Every step would be very solid.”
“What’s more, the standard contract allows them not to worry about being scammed. That way, talents won’t be buried.”
“Once such a system is established, it can continuously send new blood to the GPL league. It’s perfect!”
Xue Zhebin nodded repeatedly. “Indeed.”
“But, Boss Li, the money has been spent in these areas. What about publicity for the league? What about the club’s investment? These two pieces are probably lacking, right?”
“The league system is very important in the long term but we cannot ignore the most pressing problem at hand!”
Li Shi smiled slightly. “This is the difference between ordinary people and Boss Pei.”
“First level thinking: Sell the slots to make money and fill your own pockets.”
“Second level thinking: Seeing Boss Pei use this money to seek long-term benefits.”
“Third level thinking: See both long-term benefits and immediate benefits.”
“However, Boss Pei is on a higher level than that. That is because he knew very well that long-term benefits had to be achieved with money while the immediate benefits can be achieved without money!”
“Therefore, Boss Pei did not ignore the most urgent problem at hand. Instead, he prepared another solution.”
Xue Zhebin was a little confused. “Really? But how can we solve this without money?”
The GPL league had to be promoted and the club’s infrastructure had to be built. All of these required money.
Li Shi explained, “Boss Pei not only has money, but also other resources, such as reputation, trust, and attention!”
“The long-term benefits of the GPL league cannot be guaranteed with these things. For example, if we want to support GDL and train young budding talents, it would be useless even if we have attention. No one would spend m
oney on these things. Boss Pei would have to pay for it himself.”
“However, the immediate benefits of the GPL league can be made with reputation, trust, and attention!”
“The so-called immediate benefits are nothing more than the initial popularity, attention, and the construction of the club.”
“Now, let’s see what kind of group these people are.”
“There are veteran clubs in the country, veteran members of the first GOG global finals, well-known companies like Shenhua Real Estate and the Jinding Corporation, and ordinary participants like us. They might not have outstanding money and fame but they are fully supportive and cooperative with Boss Pei.”
“There’s no need for publicity at all. Just releasing this list would be enough to cover tens of millions of publicity expenses!”
“In other words, the GPL league was already popular even before it started. So what if we have more or less money for publicity?”
“What’s more, the storm between Boss Pei and the three clubs has been going on for more than half a month. On one hand, it is increasing the popularity of the GPL league. On the other hand, it is sending a very clear signal to the outside world.”
“The audience trusts Boss Pei, but the capitalist might not trust him. Many people believe that Boss Pei can create a good game, but they don’t believe that he can make a good league.”
“Through this incident, Boss Pei proved that he has absolute control over the GPL!”
“He kicked the three clubs out, true to his words. The remaining clubs will unconditionally cooperate. At the same time, Boss Pei will not make a promotion system. Instead, he will spend a huge sum of money on the bottom-tier cultivation system. That is actually a clear signal: GPL is looking at the long term!”
“The sponsors would not worry about their money being wasted when they combine with the multiple signals. They will naturally sponsor the club and the GPL league.”
“This is the brilliance of Boss Pei: On the surface, he is spending money for long-term benefits, but in reality, he is spreading a signal. This signal will earn more money and solve short-term problems.”
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