To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 256: Chapter 169 I’m the Judge (Second update)_2

But this time, things were okay, as they were still pursuing money, but the process was normal, so there should be no problem.

Even with the addition of a Little Heavenly Way, that being didn’t seem very smart and exhibited deep desires, which did not appear problematic.

After gazing for a while, Fang Cheng withdrew his attention, feeling confident that the Dustfire could be refined further before attempting to repair the Taoist Heart.

Just as he wanted to take a closer look, a voice arose from within Fang Cheng Studio, Wang Xiaoying’s voice, “Boss, the TV ratings are out.”

The broadcast of “Who is the Champion” was already more than halfway through, nearing the final stages, with the current TV ratings having stabilized at 2.1%.

For a local station, this rating was almost unbelievably high.

The person in charge at Rong City Satellite TV would call every now and then, inquiring about when the second season of “Who is the Champion” would start filming, stating that they should just give the word beforehand and prime time would be arranged, available for use anytime they wished.

Money was not even mentioned; with such a good relationship, bringing up money seemed crude.

This program alone had revitalized a previously barren broadcast slot, and now the TV station was raking in advertising fees, with their annual bonuses already set at three months’ worth, even though the year was not yet halfway through.

Knowing the source of their profit, they were only too willing to be at the beck and call of Fang Cheng Studio, their major client, 24 hours a day.

Seeing the summary of TV ratings provided by Wang Xiaoying, Fang Cheng nodded slightly.

Previously, he hadn’t paid much attention to these reports.

However, reading reports is also a technical task. It can show what the players like, which could then be specifically researched to help in filling the gaps in his own Taoist Heart.

Moreover, learning shouldn’t be done mechanically; one must fully understand what exactly the players enjoy, to truly grasp what “fun” means.

As Fang Cheng was comparing and contemplating, a calico cat jumped onto his lap, kneaded it briefly, then curled up and comfortably began to nap.

This was a very ordinary calico cat, with a snowy white lower body and patches of black and orange fur on the upper body, looking quite adorable.

Xu Qingling, who was standing nearby, said softly, “Sanmiao, come back~”

“It’s okay, let it sleep,” Fang Cheng said with a smile, as he gently scratched Sanmiao’s chin, eliciting a series of contented purrs.

Xu Qingling watched the scene with evident envy, her mind wandering to imagine what it would be like if she herself turned into a cat.

Sanmiao was Xu Qingling’s cat, now especially proficient in doing backflips, to the point that it could be considered a talent act.

Besides backflipping, it was also particularly skilled at catching mice, killing cockroaches, and could approach mosquitoes silently, with a gentle clasp of its pink paws sealing the fate of a female mosquito.

It also knew how to water chives, remind Xiao Douzi to blink and use the toilet, and remind everyone to shut down their computers when leaving—it was essentially the eighth employee by now.

It was Fang Cheng who had requested to have Sanmiao at the studio.

Sanmiao carried a demon aura as well as spiritual energy, an intriguing combination of extraordinary substances that balanced each other, leaving just a hint that made Sanmiao somewhat different from others.

After examining it, Fang Cheng realized that on Earth there were quite a few creatures with spiritual energy and demon aura, but only Sanmiao had such an abundance and balance of both.

Knowing all this, Fang Cheng couldn’t help but admire Xu Qingling’s luck, amazed that she could find such a creature.

To observe what was going on with Sanmiao, Fang Cheng sought Xu Qingling’s opinion, and the very next day, she brought Sanmiao to the studio.

Xu Qingling had thought Sanmiao wouldn’t like it here, but to her surprise, as soon as it arrived, it knew who the boss was and clung to Fang Cheng as if he were family, refusing to leave.

Regarding this, Xu Qingling commented, “This bad cat…”

After petting Sanmiao, Fang Cheng saw that Wang Xiaoying had sent another report.

And that was about the game Tianyi and Cat Mouse Entertainment—the game “Magic Dynasty” had finally been officially released.

The game underwent extensive localization and was concurrently launched in a VR version, but the VR platform wasn’t produced by Kirin Industry, instead it was by a well-known foreign VR manufacturer called Origin Dynamics.

A long with “Magic Dynasty,” another program co-produced by Tianyi and Cat-Rat Interactive Entertainment emerged, “The Dungeon Warrior.”

Although there were suspicions of riding the hype wave, this show’s approach to activities was entirely different from “Who is the Champion.” Each episode felt like a theatrical performance, which was very much in line with foreign broadcasters’ preference for dramatization, making the audience feel like they were watching a series of small plays.

However, the show also introduced some innovations, such as inviting not only well-known domestic broadcasters but also famous broadcasters from abroad.

The program was broadcast not only domestically but also internationally.

The program’s schedule and the selection of participants showed domestic players the sincerity of the other party, and “Magic Dynasty” was also a very good and mature battle royale game. So, with the reputation and market quickly established, it became the first to reap the benefits of China’s open market, boasting first-week sales of 1.3 million copies and an online player count of 300,000.

With this precedent, other foreign game manufacturers would quickly follow suit, and the battleground scenario that concerned some in the gaming industry was about to arrive. How to survive on this brutal battlefield would depend on their own abilities.

After reading Wang Xiaoying’s related summary, Fang Cheng felt that this was also quite good.

He always felt that domestic game manufacturers seemed to place too much emphasis on the commercial aspect, failing to see what made games fun, while the unenjoyable aspects were glaringly obvious.

The entry of foreign manufacturers would prompt them to further consider the meaning of enjoyable gaming. For domestic gamers, it was a challenge as well as an opportunity.

Upon reviewing the reactions to this news, Fang Cheng saw mixed feelings within the colors of Dustfire; they were vigorous and filled with anxiety.

But amid the anxiety, a new vitality was being born, one where some gamers were gearing up to meet the challenges from overseas and ready to create games that would astonish the world.

“That’s more like it,” he said.

Pleased with the nod, Fang Cheng was about to continue working when Xu Qingling said, “Boss, Tianyi wants to discuss something with you. Do you have time now?”

“With me, why?” Fang Cheng asked, puzzled.

“They originally planned to hold an internal gaming competition, but with recruitment season approaching, many graduates have been submitting their work, and there’s quite a lot of it. So they decided to expand the scale of the competition and turn it into a public gaming contest.”

“So, they want me to enter the contest?” Fang Cheng continued to inquire.

“No, they want to know if you’re interested in being a judge.”

“Hm?”

Fang Cheng was even more confused.

After some thought, he phoned Mr. Shen to seek his opinion.

Upon receiving Fang Cheng’s call, Mr. Shen listened to the full story and then said to Fang Cheng, “Tianyi is making a friendly gesture.”

“Why?”

Mr. Shen, somewhat helplessly looking at the phone, felt that while Fang Cheng was skilled at making games, he lacked some social tact.

But with strength on his side, social tact didn’t really matter. If worst came to worst, he could just steamroll everything with a tank—crushing opposition recklessly, and if they didn’t get crushed, just roll over them again.

“Didn’t you have a bit of friction with Tianyi before?”

“When was… Oh, right. I remember now. It was pretty minor.”

Mr. Shen was at a loss for words again, and then felt a bit sorry for Tianyi.

What have you guys been reduced to? Don’t you even qualify as rivals anymore?

With a cough, Mr. Shen went on to say, “Never mind the size of that friction, Tianyi ended up in the losing end. But now, with foreign games looming threateningly, Tianyi knows that internal strife isn’t wise at this time, so they’re prepared to make amends. Inviting you to be a judge is one way of doing so; if you’d like to go, then go. If not, it doesn’t matter—either way, you have the upper hand and can do whatever you like.”

After thanking Mr. Shen and sending him some Spirit Grass, Fang Cheng pondered for a moment before saying to Xu Qingling, “Okay, agree to their request.”