"'Towards Death and Life,' a letter from the deceased to the living."
"Highly recomnded, a thousand years of solitude, just for your arrival."
"Fun, no explanation needed."
"The only downside of the ga is that it's actually a horror ga, well, it's a bit short, which is indeed quite terrifying."
"Alpha, my daughter!"
"Upstairs, you're my father-in-law!"
"Get lost! You cyber copper-refining addict!"
"Get lost! Alpha is over a thousand years older than us!"
"The ga creator Fang Cheng is undoubtedly a genius, but he also displays a unique and unmatched bad taste. 'The Forest's Second Son' already showed his talent in scene construction, and 'Towards Death and Life' showcases his excellence in storytelling. However, the forr's na is tragic, and the latter's genre is a disaster. But if you ask , the more of such wickedly talented geniuses, the better."
Fang Cheng lay in bed, looking at the reviews on the Steam platform, feeling a bit incredulous.
Tens of thousands of recomndations pushed the ga into the "overwhelmingly positive" category, indicating that most players found the ga to be very enjoyable.
The Steam platform even gave it a special small section, which was like free promotion.
But...
What he intended to make was clearly a horror ga!
The massive creatures should have brought an indescribable sense of oppression, the helpless climbing process should have been filled with danger and suffocation, and frequent failure should have made the players frustrated.
So why...
What made you think the ga is therapeutic and the characters are cute?
Is it really that hard to have a unified understanding of what's fun?
Just as Fang Cheng was pondering with a frown, a phone call ca in.
Seeing that it was from Mr. Shen, Fang Cheng answered the call and then heard Mr. Shen's excited voice.
"Fang Cheng, you really did it!"
"Mr. Shen, I..."
"I thought you wanted to make a horror ga, but it turned out to be a platform-jumping ga. You do have a sense of humor, but don't do it like this next ti."
"I really..."
"You can't waste your talent; let that idiot KongKong who lacks vision go to hell. A guy who's only thinking about money has no right to manage a genius like you. I'm planning to persuade Tianyi to set up a new studio, and you'll be the producer."
"But..."
"Don't want to go? Oh, I get it, working for soone else really isn't cool. How about this, I'll help you apply for an office, and you can start your own studio. I still have so influence and can help you get an interest-free loan, as support for newcors. It doesn't matter if you can't pay it back; I'll cover for you."
"..."
"Hire a few more people, go for a big one. And don't make free gas anymore; you need to charge for gas."
Fang Cheng finally got a chance to speak and quickly asked, "Why should I charge money?"
Even through the phone, Fang Cheng could sense the other person's confusion.
Half a minute later, Mr. Shen finally said, "You can't dig soone else's road."
After Mr. Shen's explanation, Fang Cheng finally understood.
Gas, actually, are quite a money burner.
Even if AI technology has advanced a great deal, art requires money to burn, programming requires money to burn, planning and the trial-and-error costs of developing a gaplay also an burning cash.
So people can run on passion, but most ga developers see gas as a job, and normal instances of "free" don't threaten their livelihood.
But Fang Cheng was an exception.
The super high quality of his gas would impact the gaming market and form an unhealthy effect.
When a new ga appeared, others would point to Fang Cheng's ga and say, "It's not as fun as the free ga, and you have the nerve to charge money?"
While so trashy gas might thus leave the market, over ninety percent of ga developers would be ruined by this, ultimately a catastrophic blow to the gaming industry.
"Too clear a water holds no fish, and too keen an observation has no followers. The sa applies to making gas, a bit of bubble is healthy, do you understand?"
"I understand," Fang Cheng agreed wholeheartedly.
No wonder the older generation of ga developers were so impressive, they saw the principles of economics so clearly.
And Mr. Shen was all about efficiency in handling affairs. It wasn't long before he had arranged a eting at the bank for Fang Cheng, and within half an hour, a no-interest loan of five hundred thousand had been deposited into his account.
Not wanting to put too much pressure on Fang Cheng, Mr. Shen did not give money directly but applied for a loan instead.
This was not only a reflection of the ntor-disciple relationship but also the expectation of the older generation of ga developers for the new generation.
Furthermore, Mr. Shen also got Fang Cheng an office space rent-free for two years. Coincidentally, the location of the office was just opposite Kongkong Studio of Tianyi, close enough that one could simply look up to see the other.
Embarrassed about this arrangent, Mr. Shen called Fang Cheng and said that if he disliked it, they could change it, no need to be polite.
But Fang Cheng didn't mind and declined the offer.
The office space was ready to use; although Fang Cheng ntioned he didn't need an entire floor, Mr. Shen insisted it was free and to just use it first.
The computers were also from Mr. Shen's previous studio. The batch was eighty percent new, and while it was said to be a loan, it was essentially a gift—and even included a bunch of gaming desks and chairs. In essence, Fang Cheng got a studio without spending a di.
Even though he was an Immortal, Fang Cheng still felt the gift from Mr. Shen was too generous.
Unable to think of a way to repay him, Fang Cheng simply cultivated a batch of Spirit Grass, packaged it into tea leaves, and sent them to Mr. Shen, then sincerely asked, "Mr. Shen, is there anyone you dislike and want to get back at? If they're truly vile, it's not like I can't just take them out for you, and it'll be as if nothing happened."
Mr. Shen burst into laughter imdiately and patted Fang Cheng's shoulder, saying, "I didn't expect you to have such a sense of humor, kid. Don't overthink it, I have my own selfish reasons."
"How about two, then?"
"Alright, enough joking. Ga developnt is on the wane dostically; many gas can only cater to niche markets or sell nostalgia, it's frustrating to watch. Though we're only in our forties, our way of thinking has solidified, and we have grown too cautious to make moves. Now seeing such a promising young talent as you, it's only right that I nurture you a bit."
"Mr. Shen, to be honest, I still don't really understand why gas are fun."
"I don't get it either; who can claim to have completely grasped the essence of gas? Gas are truly an art form—you never know when or how your ga will touch soone's heart and make them feel that it's fun. Anyway, don't put too much pressure on yourself, just stick to your own path and find your own way."
"...Thank you."
After expressing his heartfelt gratitude, Fang Cheng brought out his tea leaves and said to Mr. Shen, "I didn't bring any other gifts for the visit, but these tea leaves are cultivated by ; I hope you will accept them. Drinking a little every day will strengthen the body and even help with hair loss."
"You grew these yourself... Well, then I won't hold back. Hair loss and such don't matter."
After seeing Fang Cheng out, Mr. Shen took out the tea leaves from the jar and took a sniff beneath his nose, imdiately feeling the fragrance wafting through the air.
He brewed a little with hot water and saw the cup fill with vibrant green tea, as if the entirety of springti had been captured in it.
After taking a sip, the lingering taste left Mr. Shen sighing with satisfaction, "This is really good stuff."
Not sure if it was just his imagination, but after finishing a cup of tea, Mr. Shen felt refreshed and clear-headed, even his remaining hair seed to have gained a shine.
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