Chapter 1 If it Succeeds

If the market reaction to the DoubtVR glasses was lukewarm at launch, causing everyone to sweat, the VR glasses and games' reversal has now dispelled all concerns.

It wasn't just a success, but even more successful than expected!

In fact, in the beginning, most people only expected to create a successful VR glasses that could rival mainstream foreign VR devices.

Many even thought that the niche VR market meant these glasses probably wouldn't make money; raising Chi Xing Studio's profile would be a good outcome.

But now, it's clear that making money isn't a problem at all!

Based on current market feedback, DoubtVR's popularity should last at least a year. During this time, continuous sales of VR glasses, combined with in-game purchases, will not only recover costs but also generate significant profits!

Moreover, having reached this point, everyone's primary concern is no longer money, but something even more important.

Historical significance!

If, as Teacher Qiao said, DoubtVR and *Animal Island* can usher in the era of VR gaming, then in future game history, when mentioning "the first commercially successful product that was welcomed by the mainstream player base, mass-produced, and established VR game production standards," Chi Xing Studio's name will inevitably be mentioned.

Such glory is far more important than money!

In recent days, it's been noticeable that DoubtVR glasses and *Animal Island* have rapidly heated up the previously niche VR industry.

Various media outlets are reporting extensively, and major forums are buzzing with discussion. Predictably, more companies will emerge to make VR devices and develop VR games.

A brand-new opportunity has emerged, and countless people are eager to ride this wave.

This situation is expected to continue for a long time.

This also means that Chi Xing Studio has achieved a perfect start, and the future prospects are bright!

In fact, even without the backing of Tengda Group and Shenhua Group, Chi Xing Studio's current achievements would make it easy to sell itself to a large company at a very high premium.

For an ordinary entrepreneur, reaching this point would be considered the pinnacle of life.

Cai Jiadong was particularly moved.

He used to be a lead designer himself, but he always felt that completing a project was incredibly difficult.

There were always too many constraints; this wasn't allowed, that wasn't allowed, many ideas couldn't be realized, and the final products never fully satisfied him.

But after joining Chi Xing Studio, he realized, was it really this simple?

Things that were completely impossible in other companies seemed to become natural here.

He only needed to do his job step by step, and such a huge achievement was easily accomplished?

It even felt surreal.

Of course, the primary credit for this undeniable success undoubtedly belongs to President Pei.

After joining Chi Xing Studio, Cai Jiadong deeply realized how important it is to have a good leader and an excellent helmsman!

Looking back now, it might seem that the success of DoubtVR glasses and *Animal Island* was inevitable.

But Cai Jiadong, who personally participated in the project's launch, knew very well that many choices seemed very risky at the time. It was President Pei who overcame all opposition and ultimately finalized the product's ideal form.

If they had followed the previous conservative plan, then even if these VR glasses were successful, they wouldn't have reached this level.

Therefore, the most valuable things about President Pei are his deep insight into the industry and his indomitable courage.

This made Cai Jiadong exclaim that, indeed, all success is not accidental.

The other employees of Chi Xing Studio had similar thoughts to Cai Jiadong.

It feels so good to win effortlessly!

However, seeing the expressions of Ye Zhizhou and Wang Xiaobin, Cai Jiadong knew that he was making a fuss over nothing. This was just President Pei's basic operation.

When there were minor problems with the promotional plan before, he had been worried, but Lin Wan, Ye Zhizhou, and Wang Xiaobin and the others didn't show any signs of worry at all, which shows the difference in their levels of understanding.

This unconditional trust in President Pei is probably the biggest difference between them!

"But… why does it feel like General Manager Lin doesn't seem that happy?"

Cai Jiadong was a little puzzled.

If it were at his original company, the boss would probably be so happy that they would disappear, and the entire company would definitely fall into a semi-vacation state.

The project was a success, they were making big money, so why work so hard and be so miserable?

First, give everyone a vacation, then come back and slack off for two or three months, do something casually, fix some bugs in the game, make some new versions, wouldn't that be great?

But Lin Wan didn't have much of a happy expression; instead, she seemed to have something on her mind.

"Lao Cai, come to the meeting room for a moment. I have something to discuss with you," Lin Wan walked over and said in a low voice.

Cai Jiadong quickly nodded, "Okay, General Manager Lin."

The two of them went to the meeting room one after the other and sat down.

Lin Wan frowned, lost in thought, not speaking immediately.

Cai Jiadong waited for a while and asked, "General Manager Lin, didn't our VR glasses and games have great success? Why do you still look so worried?"

Lin Wan was silent for a while before letting out a soft sigh and saying, "I never understood why President Pei always frowned after each successful project. Now I finally understand President Pei's feelings a little bit."

"Before, although I was also the head of Shang Yang Games, President Pei was still above me, so I felt very secure. But now, Chi Xing Studio is supposed to operate independently in name, and we can't ask President Pei for too much help anymore. I suddenly feel a lot of pressure."

"The success Chi Xing Studio has achieved far exceeds our original expectations, which means we must demand higher standards from ourselves. If the next game we make disappoints the players, that would be completely unacceptable."

Cai Jiadong suddenly understood.

So that's the reason!

After working at Tengda for a long time, one will naturally worry about the future, like President Pei "worrying about the world before others do."

But thinking about it, it's normal for General Manager Lin to have such thoughts.

The success of the DoubtVR glasses, although the result of the joint efforts of various departments and all employees, is ultimately due to President Pei's guidance and Shang Yang Games' help.

If President Pei hadn't overcome all opposition, adding a budget and finalizing the direction of the game, repeatedly polishing and modifying various details of the game, it would never have been possible to achieve the current level.

But Shang Yang Games can't keep helping forever; they also have game development tasks. President Pei is so busy that he may not be able to guide the new games every time.

So, can Chi Xing Studio carry the new project independently without Shang Yang Games' help?

This is a very severe test.

*Animal Island* itself is a casual game with online gameplay, so its lifespan is relatively long. Therefore, there is no need to release too much DLC or update content in the later stages.

Soon, Chi Xing Studio will face a choice: should they continue to maintain *Animal Island* and collect easy money, or should they start a new project as soon as possible?

With General Manager Lin's personality, she will definitely choose the latter without hesitation.

But starting a new project on the basis of the success of *Animal Island* is itself a very risky thing.

Cai Jiadong asked, "General Manager Lin, are you worried about the new project?"

Lin Wan nodded, "Yes, I have no idea at all right now."

Cai Jiadong thought for a while and comforted her, "There's no need to rush this too much, right? Take two or three months to settle down, think about it slowly, there's still plenty of time."

Lin Wan immediately shook her head, "That won't work."

"President Pei always has the next project in mind when a project is just successful. Only by having such long-term thinking can he coordinate various projects, plan strategies, and keep everything under control."

"Although I can't reach President Pei's level yet, I must try to make the transition between the two projects seamless."

"Time is precious, and we can't delay."

"What I'm mainly struggling with now is, should we continue to make VR games?"

Cai Jiadong was stunned, "Of course we should continue to make VR games! Why not?"

Lin Wan's idea surprised him greatly.

Chi Xing Studio has just made a name for itself with DoubtVR and *Animal Island*. Now the VR glasses are selling well. As long as they continue to release VR games and maintain the existing quality, they can continue this success.

Why are they planning to stop making VR games at this time?

Lin Wan explained, "Actually, Chi Xing Studio didn't plan to go in the direction of VR games at the beginning. It was President Pei who suggested it, and we thought it was feasible, so we tried it."

"Although it was successful, I've been thinking about it and feel that VR is not a long-term solution after all."

"The key is, I just called Lao Song and chatted with him briefly."

"He said that the technology of VR glasses may not have much development in the next two or three years."

"Lao Song is a professional, and what he says is very credible."

"VR glasses are different from mobile phones. The various new technologies of mobile phones are applied and mass-produced quickly, and the product form a year later can be roughly estimated. For example, now, technologies such as folding screens and under-screen cameras have begun to emerge, and it is expected that they will be officially mass-produced in the next year or two."

"But the situation of VR glasses is different. Lao Song said that unless there is an unexpected technological breakthrough, the resolution of VR glasses in the next two or three years will remain at the current level, and it is difficult to have a significant improvement."

"In other words, VR is likely to be stagnant for a period of time in the future."

"The success of DoubtVR glasses can be said to be choosing the right time, and making a product that integrates the best of current technology when the market has not realized the potential of VR games."

"But if VR doesn't make significant progress for a long time in the future, then the popularity of the entire VR industry will only get lower and lower. Continuing to work hard with VR is not a wise move."

"It's better to make a few conventional games and wait and see. There's no need to put all the eggs in one uncertain future."

Cai Jiadong nodded. That makes sense.

If the VR industry will also develop rapidly in the future and technology continues to break through, then putting all the eggs in VR is of course a natural choice.

But what if the VR industry becomes colder and worse in the future?

Then, stubbornly focusing on VR would be very uneconomical.

This question really stumped Cai Jiadong.

How easy is it to understand the future of an industry?

Cai Jiadong was silent for a long time and said, "General Manager Lin, this question is embarrassing me. How would I know?"

"Why don't we ask President Pei..."