Losing Money to Become a Tycoon: Starting with Games
Chapter 463: It Was Supposed to Be a Good Day
Monday, March 21.
Pei Qian got up right on time at noon. After eating lunch, he headed to the company.
Just as he was about to enter the elevator, he suddenly remembered that today seemed to be the release day for the PC version of GOG.
So instead of pressing the button for the 16th floor, he decided to first head to the 17th floor and check on the situation with GOG PC.
Judging by the timing, the PC version had already been live for two or three hours. The initial data should already be available—enough to reveal some trends.
"GOG PC definitely can't be as successful as the mobile version."
"After all, GOG mobile became popular because the mobile gaming market was underdeveloped. Most mobile games simply couldn't compete, so it was basically a dimensionality reduction strike."
"But the PC market is different. At a higher level, there are many long-established MMORPGs and FPS games with extremely loyal player bases. At the same level, there's the veteran game Divine Revelation and the rapidly exploding overseas game IOI. And beneath those are all sorts of rising newcomers."
"With competition this fierce, GOG PC is just a newcomer. Its launch definitely can't be that good."
Pei Qian arrived at the 17th floor, and the moment he entered, Hu Xianbin immediately spotted him.
"President Pei, you're finally here!" Hu Xianbin looked extremely excited.
Pei Qian instinctively felt that something seemed wrong.
"What? You guessed I'd come?"
Hu Xianbin smiled.
"It was just a guess. After all, GOG PC's launch is going so well. You must have already expected this outcome, so there was a high chance you'd come take a look personally."
Pei Qian: "?"
The launch is going well???
Did the two of them have completely different definitions of "going well"?
It was one thing for the mobile version to succeed, but how could the PC version possibly also be doing well?
"President Pei, look!" Hu Xianbin gestured enthusiastically.
Pei Qian followed his hand toward a nearby computer monitor. On the screen were all kinds of real-time launch data for GOG PC, constantly updating.
Holy crap! The launch is actually this good?!
Pei Qian almost shouted out loud.
He had seen similar data when GOG mobile launched. But that had been a mobile project, in a market with very few real competitors. Strong numbers there were understandable.
But why were the current PC numbers even better than the mobile launch data back then?
This was completely unscientific!
Pei Qian subconsciously looked toward Hu Xianbin.
Hu Xianbin smiled confidently.
"President Pei, I knew you'd test me, so I already seriously analyzed and summarized the reasons!"
"First, although competition in the PC gaming market is intense, the number of players is still larger than mobile gaming, and there are also more players who enjoy hardcore games!"
"Second, Tengda Group has deeply cultivated the PC gaming market over the past two years. With Ocean Fortress and many single-player games serving as support, GOG PC already had a huge potential player base the moment it launched!"
"And finally—most importantly—GOG mobile and the seasonal prize money had already built up tremendous hype for GOG PC before launch!"
"Because PC and mobile accounts are fully interconnected, many mobile users immediately downloaded the PC version as soon as it became available."
"And many players who want to compete for the seasonal prize money were already waiting inside internet cafés before launch. The moment the servers opened, they rushed straight into ranked matches, fighting against time!"
"That's why GOG PC achieved such an excellent launch!"
"According to data just sent over from Moyu Internet Café, the three games Divine Revelation, the international version of IOI, and the GOG test server originally formed a three-way balance inside the cafés."
"But once GOG PC officially launched, that balance was shattered."
"GOG PC rapidly overwhelmed the other two games and became players' top choice!"
"Of course, it's still too early to declare complete victory. But the strategy of launching the mobile version first and the PC version afterward has clearly been a huge success!"
"And this is inseparable from your brilliant guidance, President Pei!"
Pei Qian looked completely bewildered.
"...I never guided you guys to make a mobile version of GOG."
Hu Xianbin nodded.
"Yes, that's right."
"It was Sister Li who insisted on making GOG's mobile and PC versions interconnected."
"But Sister Li said the reason she came up with this 'differentiated competition' strategy was because she learned it from you. Your series of classic marketing and promotional operations inspired her and changed the way she thought, which was how she came up with this method of promoting GOG PC!"
Pei Qian: "..."
So this... was a backstab from across the ocean?
Li Yada was still traveling, yet she had managed to leave behind a knife in advance...
While feeling a pain in his soul, Pei Qian also suddenly developed an inexplicable sense of crisis.
At this rate, if IOI still didn't launch its domestic server, things were going to get very bad...
No, next cycle he absolutely had to get the domestic IOI server arranged.
Otherwise, the world line would completely deviate from what he had imagined, and the consequences would be unbearable!
Pei Qian turned and left.
Hu Xianbin was already accustomed to President Pei's decisive and efficient style.
"Take care, President Pei! Feel free to visit anytime! We're always ready for inspection!"
Only after President Pei had left did Hu Xianbin stare thoughtfully at the data on the computer screen.
"I have to admit, President Pei's strategy of 'when in doubt, make a mobile version' really is a universal cure for all problems."
"Many people saw the inevitability of the mobile gaming boom as smartphones developed. But their understanding of the gaming industry itself limited their actions."
"They recognized the coming mobile trend, yet focused primarily on light and casual games."
"But President Pei is different. His simultaneous mastery of both the smartphone and gaming industries allowed him to aggressively move hardcore games onto mobile platforms. Blood War Anthem: Enhanced Edition was like this, and GOG is the same."
"Uh... although he didn't personally make the decision, it's obvious that Director Lin and Sister Li were both influenced by his line of thinking."
"So doesn't that mean that whenever we're unsure what to do, we should just make a mobile version? From now on, if a game can be adapted to mobile, then adapt it?"
"Hmm... that actually seems like a pretty good direction. The battle mode in Ocean Fortress seems especially suitable for a mobile adaptation."
"Mm, I should write that down, make bold assumptions and verify them carefully..."
...
...
Tuesday, March 22.
Feihuang Studio.
"President Pei, I still feel like not extending the screening license is a bit of a loss."
"With the quality and box office performance of our film, extending it for another month should've been standard procedure."
"Even if another month wouldn't earn that much more, no matter how low the screening rate became, making another ten or twenty million would still be nice."
Zhu Xiaoce sipped tea while continuing to mutter complaints.
Pei Qian, meanwhile, completely ignored him. He took small sips of tea, a faint smile spread across his face.
For Pei Qian, today was a good day.
A Better Tomorrow had finally finished its theatrical run!
This past month has been nothing short of a nightmare for him. He originally thought February 22 would be an auspicious day—that the movie would flop horribly the moment it was released.
Yet one month later, the film's final box office total settled at 248.62 million yuan.
The last-minute boost from Journey of the Flying Star had caused the already dying A Better Tomorrow to suddenly sit bolt upright from its sickbed, like a final flash of life before death, stubbornly hacking out nearly twenty million more at the box office.
After conversion, the production team's revenue share would be around 83 million yuan.
The film's investment cost had only been 30 million.
Which was why, more than a week ago, when Zhu Xiaoce and Huang Sibo suggested extending the screening license for another month to squeeze out another month of box office revenue, Pei Qian had reacted emotionally and firmly rejected the proposal.
In any case, today A Better Tomorrow had finally finished its theatrical run.
Zhu Xiaoce, however, still felt a little regretful.
Even if extending the screening for another month wouldn't bring in much more revenue—at most another ten million or so at the box office, leaving perhaps five or six million after revenue sharing—free money was still free money.
Pei Qian silently sipped his tea, thinking to himself: You don't understand a damn thing.
If they extended the screening for another month, then the revenue payout would also be delayed by another month.
The next settlement cycle would most likely still be around five months long. At the current pace, with the "fast settlement payout" service, the box office revenue would arrive within one month after the movie left theaters.
If the payment arrived in March, the money could immediately be invested into new projects.
But if it only arrived in April, then investing it into projects would make the deadlines extremely tight. There was a high chance the projects wouldn't be finished in time.
So there absolutely could not be any delay!
The two men each had their own thoughts and silently drank tea together.
Just then, Huang Sibo, who had just finished answering a phone call, walked over and sat down in an empty seat.
"Director Zhu, it seems President Pei's decision was the correct one."
"We really shouldn't have extended the screening license."
Zhu Xiaoce froze.
"Hm?"
Huang Sibo's face was full of smiles.
"Someone from Aili Island just contacted me. They want to discuss exclusive streaming rights for A Better Tomorrow!"
Zhu Xiaoce: "?"
Pei Qian: "?"
Both of them were stunned—though one was pleasantly surprised, while the other was horrified.
After a moment of shock, Zhu Xiaoce suddenly slapped his thigh.
"Right! I get it now!"
"If we had extended the screening period, the movie could've stayed in theaters for another month, but audience demand would've declined even further. When streaming platforms negotiated with us afterward, their offers would naturally be lower."
"But now, although A Better Tomorrow has finished its theatrical run, it still has residual popularity. Negotiating with streaming sites now—especially for exclusive rights—allows us to get the best possible terms!"
Huang Sibo smiled slightly.
"And that's not all."
"In April, several highly anticipated web dramas are going to air, which means audience attention and promotional resources will be heavily divided."
"But from now until the end of March, the platforms currently don't have any especially huge hit series."
"Once A Better Tomorrow signs an exclusive deal, it should receive very strong promotional placement throughout March!"
Zhu Xiaoce nodded in realization.
"I see now. Brilliant."
"Ending the theatrical run on schedule preserves the movie's momentum, allowing us to negotiate for greater benefits with the streaming platforms."
"Still... can the streaming platforms really offer much more than five million?"
Huang Sibo looked through a document on his phone.
"At the moment, Aili Island has proposed two different exclusive partnership models."
"One is a direct buyout. According to current market rates, for a movie with over 100 million yuan in box office revenue and major celebrity actors involved, copyright acquisition fees start at 10 million yuan and can go as high as 50 million."
"Our movie made over 200 million at the box office, and its popularity is still pretty strong right now, so Aili Island is offering us 18 million yuan."
"The second option is revenue sharing."
Zhu Xiaoce slapped his thigh.
"Of course we should take the buyout!"
Pei Qian: "Revenue sharing!"
The two of them spoke almost simultaneously, creating an awkward silence.
Zhu Xiaoce's reasoning was simple. If they sold the movie to a streaming platform, then even with pay-per-view revenue sharing, earning money a few yuan at a time would take forever to reach 18 million.
So naturally, a one-time deal for 18 million was already an enormous profit. And afterward, they wouldn't need to worry about it anymore.
But Pei Qian's perspective was something no one else could possibly imagine.
18 million arriving right now would literally kill me!
He had finally managed, through countless maneuvers, to temporarily spend away the excess funds in the company account. Settlement was just around the corner.
And now, out of nowhere, another 18 million was about to appear?
Where the hell was he supposed to spend that money?
Even if he bathed in Lafite wine every single day, he still—
Well, actually, that would spend it all... but the system definitely wouldn't allow that.
So there was absolutely no way they could take the buyout!
Huang Sibo coughed lightly.
"Ahem, let me finish first."
"For the revenue-sharing model, we receive 2.5 yuan for every valid member viewing. Watching more than six minutes counts as one valid view. The agreement lasts for six months, with payouts made once every month."
"After six months, the movie becomes free to watch, but Aili Island will still continue paying certain rewards based on metrics like view count and popularity through their incentive program."
"If you want the safe option, then the buyout is definitely more worry-free. But if you have strong confidence in the film, revenue sharing is also a viable choice."
Pei Qian remained completely firm.
"Revenue sharing!"
He didn't care at all how much the movie might earn through streaming views on Aili Island.
There was only one thing he cared about:
No matter how much money it was, they absolutely must not give it to him right now!
Whatever happened, it could wait until the next settlement cycle!
Seeing President Pei's unwavering attitude, Huang Sibo and Zhu Xiaoce exchanged glances and nodded.
"Alright then, revenue sharing it is. We also believe we should have confidence in A Better Tomorrow. The revenue-sharing model will probably earn even more money!"
Pei Qian silently sighed, feeling deeply melancholic.
Today... was supposed to have been a good day, with the movie finally leaving theaters.
But why had things turned out like this again...?
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Tn: I updated the story once a day, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 536: Still Going with the "Bare Walls" Style[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/losing-money-to-164800513?collection=1399284
[2] https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/losing-money-to-164800513?collection=1399284