Volume 3: Taking Roots 2016 Chapter 677 Turn-Based Game
In Hangzhou, inside a Su-style garden-style mansion, there are small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, and bright sunshine, which is very pleasant.
In the small courtyard, an old man and a young man sat opposite each other, drinking tea and chatting. They were having a very pleasant conversation. Who else could it be but Zhou Dongsheng and Ding Sanshi?
"You really have a Midas touch. In just half a year, a project that was originally difficult to raise funds has already gone through the third round of financing through your hands, right?"
Ding Sanshi sat chubby on the chair, slapped his thigh and exclaimed with great joy.
After all, under Zhou Dongsheng's introduction, Ding Sanshi is also one of the many investors in Mobike. It can be said that this shared bicycle is bearing a weight that its life cannot bear.
Since he was willing to invest, in addition to Zhou Dongsheng's reasons, it was more because he was optimistic about Mobike itself. After all, it was an investment of real money. Although Ding Sanshi was rich, he would not waste tens of millions of US dollars.
He just didn't expect that such a shared bicycle could run so fast. Not long after he completed the investment, Mobike had completed two more rounds of financing in the blink of an eye.
Even the shared bicycle industry has swept across the country in a blink of an eye, becoming the new darling of capital, with countless players flocking to it.
Ding Sanshi, who has a wide social circle, has naturally seen a lot of related news in his circle. He never thought that he, who has never liked to follow the trend, would unknowingly get on this train that is ahead of the times.
After these two rounds of financing, the investment in Mobike has easily doubled in value. The speed at which it makes money is indeed no slower than that from games.
Thinking of this, Ding Sanshi couldn't help but feel more and more moved by the magical power of this young man in front of him. The more he came into contact with him and the more things he witnessed, the more he felt that Zhou Dongsheng's talent was beyond words.
"I didn't really pay attention to it, I just thought Pokémon GO was interesting, so I followed the trend and organized a marketing campaign. I didn't expect the effect to be so good. As one of the investors, shouldn't Pokémon GO show some appreciation? Just add some money to the prize pool."
Zhou Dongsheng said with a chuckle.
"I knew you wouldn't come here for no reason, so you come here to ask for money, right? But it's just a small matter, there's no need to ask you to come here in person, right?" Ding Sanshi teased indifferently.
"Of course, if you, Brother Ding, have to personally handle such a small matter, it would be too embarrassing. I just mentioned it casually." Zhou Dongsheng laughed.
After chatting for a while, Ding Sanshi suddenly remembered something and became interested. He leaned over and said, "By the way, have you ever played the mobile game that our Pig Factory is testing?"
Zhou Dongsheng thought about it and the correct answer came to his mind. What else could it be other than the famous mobile game "Onmyoji"?
This masterpiece, representing Zhuchang's mobile games, continues Zhuchang's consistent style in terminal games and firmly occupies a place in the mobile game field.
There are countless heart-breaking stories circulating in the world of players. At the same time, zhuchang also developed the moba mobile game Ping An Jing based on Yanyangshu, which is comparable to Honor of Kings.
Although it did not reach the height of the latter, it undoubtedly further enriched the value of this IP. When it comes to operating IP, Zhuchang always has its own unique operational ideas.
"Yes, of course I have." After thinking of the answer, Zhou Dongsheng answered without hesitation.
"How is it?" Ding Sanshi asked the question out of curiosity. Perhaps it was because Zhou Dongsheng had too much metaphysical elements that made Ding Sanshi a little interested.
"I can only describe it in two words: it will be a hit!" Zhou Dongsheng said confidently.
"Isn't it just a polite remark?" Such a decisive answer made Ding Sanshi dissatisfied, and he asked back.
"Of course not. The mobile game market is now in a stage of flourishing and competing for beauty. In the field of MOBA mobile games, Tencent's King of Glory is now leading the way. It is nothing more than replicating the success of the PC game in mobile games."
"When it comes to MOBA games, Tencent does have a unique advantage, but when it comes to turn-based games, there is no doubt that QQ is the undisputed king in this field."
"After all, when it comes to the vitality of turn-based games, who else can be like Fantasy Westward Journey, which has turned itself into a living fossil of online games? Now, whether it is a PC game or a mobile game, it is still standing firm and creating new glories."
"Although Onmyoji has a new skin, it is still a turn-based game in essence. Isn't this our company's strength? Moreover, under the new theme, we can create a lot of highly playable content..."
Zhou Dongsheng is just bragging with his eyes closed. After all, if he can't even understand the answers he copied, there's no way he, Zhou Dongsheng, can have a face-to-face conversation with Ding Sanshi, right?
Perhaps because Zhou Dongsheng's praise touched his heart, Ding Sanshi nodded with satisfaction, "Okay, I agree with this. Tencent is the only one that dominates MOBA right now, but for turn-based games, that's naturally our QQ Group's world..."
Turn-based... Zhou Dongsheng muttered to himself. Speaking of this gameplay, Zhou Dongsheng naturally thought of the game type of Auto Chess.
The origin of this game type is somewhat similar to the birth of DOTA, both of which come from player-customized maps. Because of its interesting gameplay and novel mechanisms, it is sought after by many players.
Thus, step by step, he ascended to the altar.
And when it becomes popular all over the world as a type of game, the question of whether its gameplay is copyrighted naturally becomes a Rashomon, whether it is moba, chicken eating, or auto chess.
In the end, they all became gameplays that various companies competed to favor, and there was no essential difference. Instead, what was most interesting was to innovate on the basis of the gameplay and bring more unique games to the players.
The gameplay of Auto Chess itself is not independent and must be filled with corresponding content. Whether it is the bonds or the characteristics of the chess pieces, these are what truly determine the charm of the gameplay of Auto Chess itself.
This may also be the reason why the auto chess game Teamfight Tactics can surpass its predecessor. In the operation of its own IP, Riot Games's dedication does give people a postmodern Blizzard-like sense of deja vu.
Zhou Dongsheng had almost forgotten about the auto chess game, but then Ding Sanshi reminded him of it. He immediately felt that if he applied this gameplay to Onmyoji, it would be quite playable.
It's not just Onmyoji. Even if this gameplay is copied to Cai Haoyu and used on Honkai Impact 3rd, it seems that it can also derive good Auto Chess content!
Thinking of this, Zhou Dongsheng suddenly felt itchy. The heart of Jiang Liuer, who had once reached the top master in Teamfight Tactics, began to stir, and he was already playing the chicken game.
But the world of martial arts is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and worldly wisdom. It’s time to play some chess and take care of your health, right?
"Since the turn-based system is the trump card of Zhuchang, I believe that Brother Ding's understanding of turn-based games is definitely better than mine. It just so happens that I have an idea for a turn-based gameplay..."
Zhou Dongsheng said excitedly, and Ding Sanshi also became more excited. "Oh? You have another idea? Tell me about it."
"Brother Ding, do you like playing chess?" Zhou Dongsheng smiled mysteriously and then began to tell the story.
As Zhou Dongsheng gave his in-depth and easy-to-understand explanation, the expression on Ding Sanshi's face became more and more exciting. As the head of the pig factory, he is also a practitioner with a deep understanding of turn-based games.
Ding Sanshi quickly and keenly captured the unique charm behind this gameplay mechanism from Zhou Dongsheng's simple words.
It seems to be just a simple combination of chess pieces + bonds, but precisely because it is simple enough, it is easier to produce ever-changing combinations and is highly playable. Most national-level chess and card games have this feature.
Whether it is chess, Go, which is known as the last bastion of human wisdom, or poker, the gameplay itself is not complicated. It is easy to get started but difficult to master.
This is true even for Gobang.
This is the unique charm of simple gameplay itself, which gives people a sense of ease and that I can do it. And with this simple entry-level gameplay, it quickly accumulates a large audience and forms a basic base.
The gameplay itself has an extremely high upper limit and a sufficient basic audience, so it will naturally cultivate an advanced group of high-level players in a continuous manner, with progressive levels and clear grades.
This is the characteristic of traditional chess and card games. Only then did Ding Sanshi understand why Zhou Dongsheng asked him whether he liked playing chess.
Because the "auto chess" that Zhou Dongsheng mentioned is a new way of playing derived from traditional chess and cards, Ding Sanshi just thought about it casually and felt that this way of playing has great potential.
"You kid, you not only have a golden hand, but what's with your brain? How come you keep coming up with so many golden ideas one after another? Every Auto Chess idea you come up with is extraordinary!"
Ding Sanshi patted Zhou Dongsheng on the shoulder and said sincerely.
"Hey, isn't it Brother Ding who inspired me? Speaking of turn-based games, this just happened to come to mind. Do you think this model is promising? Develop another mobile game based on Onmyoji?"
“If it really doesn’t work, I think you can give Fantasy Westward Journey a try…” Zhou Dongsheng said with a chuckle.
You know what, when it comes to chess pieces and bonds, the content system accumulated by Fantasy Westward Journey over the years is definitely not in vain. If you simply simplify it and come up with a system, it is enough to support an auto chess game.
"Fantasy Westward Journey isn't that good, but you can try Onmyoji. The gameplay may not be as exciting as PUBG, but the potential of casual games is unmatched by any other game!"
Ding Sanshi pondered for a moment and said very seriously that after all, the simpler the game, the wider the audience will be. This is why some small games and traditional chess and card games can be so popular and stand out on their own.
Not all players can maintain their enthusiasm and continue to explore new continents, especially when their edges have been worn away by life and their passion has burned out, they just want to find a spiritual haven to rest for a while.
At this time, casual games are the destination for this type of players.
Compared with the hits of big-budget games, there are also many phenomenal hits created by casual games, such as Jump Jump and Yanglegeyang, which PUA-ed all players on the Internet, are among the best.
The costs of big-budget games and casual games are not on the same level, but the impact they can create is sometimes incomparable to the former.
After all, the biggest advantage of casual games is that they are suitable for people of all ages, both men and women, and target audiences of all ages.
Perhaps the most representative work among them is "Happy Match 3", a masterpiece that even old mothers can't stop playing.
"You kid, you really don't hide your talent at all. You just casually said such a valuable idea? I copied you, don't you have any way to deal with it?"
Ding Sanshi said something as if to give a reminder.
Zhou Dongsheng shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Brother Ding, just take it if you want. Compared with our friendship, this thing is nothing. What's more, it's just a gameplay. I have plenty of it."
After saying that, he pointed to his head in a very pretentious manner, as if there really was a treasure bag inside.
It's no wonder that Ding Sanshi falls for this. Confidence without strength will often make people think you are arrogant. But when you have enough achievements to support it, no matter how arrogant you are, others will say that you have the capital to be arrogant.
This is obviously the case with Zhou Dongsheng now. For a young man in his early twenties, he has already achieved such success. It is not excessive to be so young and energetic.
"You, come and save up a project later. After all, I took advantage of you a lot on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. I didn't expect that you could easily accomplish what the Pig Factory has always wanted."
Ding Sanshi never expected that the opportunity he gave to the young people would actually become an opportunity for the pig factory to achieve greater success.
"PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" has become a global hit. As one of the investors, EBay has been able to hold its head high. Compared with the three generals in the hands of Tencent, EBay is finally no longer in a situation where it is alone.
At least with the game "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds", QQ has achieved a rare comeback, especially when the "H1Z1" that Tencent has been promoting has also gone silent...
This means that at present, the game "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" is still the only one that stands out in this small piece of land. Even if other companies want to imitate and create this globally popular gameplay, it will still take some time.
This time difference is enough for this game to make a lot of money, not to mention that "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" has already started the competition process and continues to shine in the e-sports arena.
This also successfully allowed QQ Group to get involved in the e-sports field. Previously, even if QQ Group wanted to get involved in e-sports, it suffered from the fact that it did not have suitable projects to develop and could only watch Tencent make money.
Now, a game called "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" has helped the pig factory solve two major problems at once.
Perhaps the only drawback is that this game is not owned by QQ, but fortunately QQ is not owned by Tencent either.
"Brother Ding, what are you talking about? If there is no technical support from Pig Factory, the game will definitely not be so complete, right?" Zhou Dongsheng said politely.
"I have a hunch..." Ding Sanshi suddenly changed the subject and said seriously.
"At this year's Wuzhen dinner, I'm afraid you will be the protagonist." Ding Sanshi said sincerely.
At the age of eighteen, at a dinner party in Wuzhen, I stood like a lackey...
But this year, the situation has clearly reversed.
…
