Chapter 1266 One Dares to Assign, One Dares to Accept

Sun Xi nodded, "I see, I understand."

"But I have another question, which is the price of the skins."

"Like President Pei said, we can charge for skins, so why not set the price a little higher? *Traces of Bullets 2* doesn't compete with GOG. It's not strange for skins of two different game types to have different prices."

"The player base for *Traces of Bullets 2* as an FPS game is already small. If the skin price is low, the profit will naturally be low. What if sales don't pick up? Wouldn't that lead to a vicious cycle?"

"I think it's better to set the skin price high at the beginning. If the profit situation is relatively optimistic, and then slowly discount and lower the price, it can also stimulate consumption, and it's more secure."

Pei Qian: "..."

Good heavens, it seems that people outside are not so easily fooled.

Although the people in the Tengda games department are also very professional, they generally trust President Pei too much, so even if they have questions, they won't ask too much, but will think for themselves.

The people at Tianhuo Studio obviously have much sharper questions.

But this small problem is obviously not enough to stump Pei Qian.

He could even fool an old senior in the game industry like Old Man He An, so taking care of a few young people is a piece of cake, right?

After thinking for a while, Pei Qian said, "In my opinion, this is a chicken-or-egg problem."

"Players say: If you sell the skins cheaper, I'll buy more."

"Game companies say: You buy more first, and then I'll discount the skins."

"No one wants to give in first, so this leads to a dead cycle."

"If, as you said, we sell at a high price first, and then slowly discount it, then I ask you: If the skins sell well at a high price, will you be willing to discount them greatly? If you discount, will you give a 50%, 30%, or even lower discount? I'm afraid you'll only give an 80% or 70% discount to fool people."

"If the skins don't sell well, won't discounting them make the skin price seem too high, making the players gloat and even less likely to buy them?"

"So, your idea is very optimistic and beautiful, but the actual operability is not strong."

"If some things are not done at the beginning, then the difficulty of doing them halfway is unimaginable."

"As for the game group problem..."

"This is also a chicken-or-egg problem."

"If a game is not attractive enough to players, then naturally there will be fewer players; if there are fewer players, the game's income will be low, and there will be no money for subsequent updates, and the game's appeal to players will further decline."

"Over time, this is a vicious cycle."

"Therefore, it's either success or failure. Since we're going to do it, we have to do it to the best of our ability. We have to lower the price at the beginning, so that players feel embarrassed if they don't spend money, and make them feel that not buying such cheap skins is not human, in order to form a virtuous cycle!"

Pei Qian's expression was quite serious, and he conquered everyone with his aura.

Sun Xi nodded, he had nothing to say.

President Pei meant that although there are not many players now, as long as *Traces of Bullets 2* is good enough and conscientious enough, there will always be more players in the future.

This belongs to things that will happen in the future, and no one can judge accurately, so it can't be denied.

Otherwise, wouldn't that be badmouthing themselves?

The game hasn't been released yet, and they're already considering what to do if no players come to play. That's too discouraging.

Therefore, in this direction, the topic also stopped.

Zhou Muyan coughed lightly, "Well, then the charging model will be set like this."

"However, I think Longyu Group should have some complaints about this charging model..."

Cheap skin prices are obviously not conducive to making money for Longyu Group.

Tianhuo Studio is a research and development company, and Longyu Group is an operating company. Obviously, the operating company cares more about this.

Pei Qian chuckled, "Why care so much about their ideas? We can't let the operating company do the pricing of the game. It's like taking a dried fish to ask a cat if it wants to eat it. There's only one answer."

The goal of the operating company is, to put it nicely, "to operate the game better," and to put it bluntly, "to make more money."

These two statements seem the same on the surface, but in actual operation, they often produce a big deviation, getting closer and closer to the latter, and farther and farther away from the former.

Zhou Muyan nodded and silently gave President Pei a thumbs up.

As expected of a great game producer like President Pei, he can completely ignore the opinions of the operators.

Even President Pei himself has unparalleled skills in operation, so why bother considering what Longyu Group thinks? GOG being able to beat IOI to the ground is enough to explain the problem.

"Okay, then the charging model problem has also been solved, and what remains is the art style."

"President Pei, what kind of art style do you think is more appropriate?"

Pei Qian smiled slightly, "Let's hear everyone's opinions first."

Zhou Muyan looked at Sun Xi again.

Sun Xi pondered for a moment and said, "The success of *Fortress at Sea* lies in the relatively exaggerated and cool appearance of epic weapons such as the Fire Kirin and Barrett. It can be seen that most players say they want realism, but they will be 'hooked' after adding special effects."

"I think we have to work hard in this direction, and make it more exaggerated and cooler."

Designers, including Zhou Muyan, nodded.

This is what they analyzed when summarizing the failure experience of *Traces of Bullets*, and it can be said to be the consensus within Tianhuo Studio.

However, at this moment, a voice said faintly, "Is that so? I think there's nothing wrong with weapons being more low-key, simple, and realistic."

Everyone turned their heads in unison and found that it was President Pei who was speaking.

Silence fell in the conference room.

It felt like... had the roles been reversed?

Shouldn't Tengda be frantically telling them about the successful experience of *Fortress at Sea*, and then Tianhuo Studio said that they should stick to their own ideas?

Why was it the other way around?

Now it has become that Tianhuo Studio is desperately trying to follow the successful experience of *Fortress at Sea*, but President Pei is constantly denying it.

It was outrageous!

Sun Xi tentatively asked, "President Pei, you mean that we plan to make money by selling skins, and then the gun skins are made low-key, simple, and realistic..."

Pei Qian nodded, "What's wrong? I think being low-key, simple, and realistic doesn't conflict with being good-looking and unique."

Everyone fell silent again.

Good heavens, you said all the right and wrong things!

President Pei's words reminded everyone of those unscrupulous Party A's who open their mouths and ask for "colorful black" and "brilliantly colored white," directly giving a contradictory request. Anyway, no matter what it looks like in the end, they can find fault with Party B.

Zhou Muyan sighed, "President Pei, you are really doing whatever you want because you have Great Master Ruan..."

"Can you lend us Great Master Ruan for two days? I think only he can handle this kind of request."

Let Ruan Guangjian draw it?

How could that work!

Pei Qian immediately shook his head, "Ruan Guangjian may not be able to get away, Tengda also has a lot of projects to give him."

"Besides, doesn't Tianhuo Studio have its own original artists and modelers? There's no need to go far away. I think the artists here are also very good."

Zhou Muyan was a little helpless, "But they are only good at doing assigned essays!"

The artists at Tianhuo Studio basically create strictly according to the needs of the designers and are already used to this working mode.

To give a broad concept directly, and then let the artists play freely?

It was too difficult for them.

Ruan Guangjian belongs to the type who designs independently from the beginning, and has cooperated with Tengda for so long, so his skills in controlling the art style are not comparable to ordinary artists.

Pei Qian smiled slightly, "There's always a first time for everything."

"I think the artists at Tianhuo Studio are all very good. Since you've been working together for so long, they are all trustworthy. Let them try it boldly, and maybe there will be some bright effects."

Zhou Muyan and the designers looked at each other, and they all saw similar expressions on each other's faces.

President Pei, do you think everyone is Great Master Ruan?

We really don't trust the level of the artists in our company!

The requirements are already very clear, but it is still easy to argue. If they are allowed to design freely, wouldn't they argue even more?

But they can't say this directly, otherwise, the art director will go crazy.

If the art team collectively protests to them, they really can't handle it.

So everyone looked at me, and I looked at you, and no one spoke.

Pei Qian was just what he wanted.

Since you have no problems, then I'm going to slip away!

He looked at Min Jingchao, "How is it, do you have a general idea?"

Pei Qian didn't want to say too much, because too much talk is bound to give something away.

What if there are contradictions in the back?

Therefore, as long as Min Jingchao says it's almost done, he will slip away immediately.

Min Jingchao looked at the contents of his notebook, recalled the "President Pei's Intent Analysis Method" and Hu Xianbin's previous design experience, and said, "Well... I have a little bit of an idea."

Hearing this sentence, Pei Qian immediately stood up, "Okay, then that's all!"

"Let's dismiss the meeting first, and wait for Min Jingchao to come up with the game's general plan in two days, and then I'll assign tasks to you."

"President Zhou, you can decide on the executive chief planner of the *Traces of Bullets 2* project slowly. If you can't make up your mind, you can discuss it with Min Jingchao."

Zhou Muyan was stunned, and this series of words made him feel sincerely confused.

What? The meeting is over?

Nothing has been decided at all!

After discussing until now, they only know that the feel of this game is similar to *Traces of Bullets*, the charging model sells skins, and the art style is also "simple, realistic, and unique"...

Even the prototype of the game has not been determined yet.

As for the executive chief planner to assist Min Jingchao, there is no clue at all.

Zhou Muyan originally wanted these designers to come and listen, offer opinions at the meeting, and see who is more confident in this project and whose resume is more suitable, and then arrange for them to do it.

As a result, these designers are just like him, listening in silence.

They didn't even find a chance to speak, and the meeting was over.

These people must also be confused and have no idea how to do this project. It's useless to ask them.

Everyone looked at Min Jingchao in unison.

The meaning is very clear: It's okay if we didn't understand, but if you didn't understand, quickly keep President Pei here!

After all, you are the main designer, and you will have to develop this game in the future.

However, Min Jingchao nodded, "Okay, President Pei, I think it's almost done too."

"..." Everyone fell silent in unison.

This kind of superior-subordinate relationship is amazing.

One dares to assign tasks, and one dares to accept tasks!

Isn't this too rash!

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ps. The extra chapter was squeezed out with a lot of effort a few days ago. It has a total of 6,000 words, and I am personally very satisfied with it. Students who haven't read it yet must not miss it~