How could you take the money and not do the job?
Zhang Jiazhi's rating and evaluation were neither high nor low, just right in the top three.
His comments, to players who like "The Way of the Corporate Slave," feel like nitpicking.
While random events certainly add to the fun, the amount wasn't well controlled, and some of them felt like unnecessary embellishments. He also expressed his opposition to the narration that Zhao Qing had praised earlier.
The judges' comments on "The Way of the Corporate Slave" focused on its innovative gameplay and unique art style.
During their limited time there, they didn't have a chance to see the full gameplay.
This is actually not good news.
The judges were cautious and did not comment on the core of the game, and even deliberately dragged out the time. It was obvious that there was some internal disagreement during the earlier eye contact.
However, the Zhixing Games team, who were participating in such an officially organized competition for the first time, did not realize the seriousness of the matter.
They were enjoying it.
Because the score given was really high, I was guaranteed a top-three finish right away.
This far exceeded our initial expectations. As for the second place, there are only a few games left, and it seems there won't be any more that can surpass them.
Even if they don't win the Best New Work of the Year award, they're definitely guaranteed to win Best Creative, and their audience ratings are clearly top-tier.
Then comes halftime.
By evening, the winners of both awards had been determined.
Now is the time for the judges to continue their in-depth discussion and confirm the final list of winners.
"Brother Yu, I feel like something's not quite right?" The numerical planner popped up, not wanting to ruin the atmosphere of everyone else's silly laughter, but instead whispering in Yu Yue's ear to ask.
Yu Yue finally realized, belatedly, from the attitudes of others, that it was true.
But it's hard to say.
Having been at Zhixing Games for so long, I didn't even realize such a sensitive thing—well, mainly because President Jiang kept encouraging them to do it better and more realistically.
With the leaders taking the lead, they really couldn't stop themselves.
Looking back now, President Jiang was really flirting with danger, flirting with the possibility of the film not passing censorship...
Actually, you can't say that high realism is bad for games; this kind of subject matter is so realistic... it's hard to judge.
The core of it is too explicit.
You are just talking, but it is common in the world for the speaker to be unintentional while the listener is mindful.
Making it to the finals is already quite an achievement. As for whether they'll win an award, that depends on the organizers' conscience. Their highbrow appeal and limited appeal are what they deserve.
"To be honest, I think our game is pretty neutral. It doesn't have any hidden agendas. It just reflects some realities. Is it necessary to be so sensitive about it?"
Yu Yue glanced at the numerical design team but didn't say anything more.
We're all adults; those who understand, understand the reasons.
The numerical design team is just venting their frustrations, because besides that, they can only leave it to fate.
"Boss, I'm a little worried. I don't know when this 'The Way of the Corporate Slave' will be released. If it happens to clash with our release, it'll be a bit... I think it'll be a bit difficult."
Shi Tao sat down, looking worried.
Meanwhile, a three-person team from a game company was also discussing "The Way of the Corporate Slave," but they didn't care who the award winner was; they were just there to watch the ceremony.
Then, I unexpectedly discovered a dark horse competitor in the same category, and I couldn't help but do a competitive analysis on the spot.
Their company also has a text adventure game about to be released. This is the second one. The first one was a huge hit in midsummer last year, so this one should have been a sure thing.
However, after experiencing "The Way of the Corporate Slave," Shi Tao was somewhat uneasy.
His colleague, Tian Rong, shared the same sentiment.
When I was there, I was truly amazed. It's hard to believe that this product came from a small, unknown company.
There weren't any big names listed among the producers.
After a brief discussion, the two hurriedly informed their boss of their analysis.
As it turned out, the boss, Liu Jun, was completely out of sync with them. He also sat there and played "The Way of the Corporate Slave," but didn't find it particularly fun.
It was even a bit boring, despite being labeled as approachable. In his view, it was nothing more than a job simulator.
The plot is overly elaborate and is touted as a diverse simulator.
"What are you worrying about?"
"Don't be so paranoid. This is the second installment, and we already have a certain player base to guarantee revenue. Besides, although they are both text adventure games, they are completely different styles."
"Look, this is just a simulator. Ours is a genuine horror game, only a text adventure game that's somewhat related."
“The audiences on both sides are different, so what’s there to worry about?”
Liu Jun remained unconvinced and continued eating: "If we really collide, we're the ones who will die. The other side is just a small company. They probably won't even have money for marketing after finishing this game. There's nothing to be nervous about."
"The one we should really be worried about is that small company."
"If we skip the deadline because of something so unrelated, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause."
"If players are accidentally driven to the 'Corporate Slave' game, then it will be too late to cry."
Shi Tao and the other man looked at each other, they were just a little worried.
Since the boss has responded so proactively.
They've already made their position clear, so if anything goes wrong later, they won't be held responsible. That's all that matters.
During the intermission, a diverse range of people were on display. In addition to the guests and participating game studios, the judges were also engaged in a heated discussion about who would win the awards.
They argued endlessly about what position should be given to "The Way of the Corporate Slave," this dark horse.
Zhang Jiazhi thought the game was pretty good, but with this kind of subject matter, there was a high chance that the producers behind it had heard something and specifically created this game to address the specific needs of the audience.
Zhang Jiazhi could not accept such opportunistic tactics.
In addition, the core of this game always felt prickly to Zhang Jiazhi, and his dislike for it seemed to be innate.
The younger Jing Hongxi didn't care so much about things that were sensitive or not, or whether they were opportunistic or not.
He holds the view that "if 'The Way of the Corporate Slave' is not awarded the title of Best New Work of the Year, then it is truly shameful, the official credibility is completely lost, and what is the value of the Best New Work of the Year?"
Zhao Qing is currently in a neutral position, but does not want to cause any unnecessary trouble.
She did feel that the subject matter was a bit sensitive, and she simply didn't want to cause trouble.
"Jing Hongxi, I don't believe you don't know what sensitive subject matter means for a game." Zhao Qing was a little annoyed. Why wouldn't this person listen to advice?
“This isn’t fair. A game is just a game.” Jing Hongxi frowned.
“I know what you mean, but things are different now than before. In the past, the authorities didn't care about the lives of us game developers, or even…”
They even welcome the deaths of many of them.
But now, anyone who still views games as a monstrous threat is a fool.
"The environment is different now, but I still stand by my position: if we're going to hold a competition, we should try our best to make it fair."
Jing Hongxi wasn't entirely acting on a whim. He gave an example: "You saw the audience's reaction just now. If this award isn't given to 'The Way of the Corporate Slave' today, people will say there's something fishy about this competition tomorrow."
Zhao Qing remained unmoved, simply retorting, "Is a game really just a game?"
Given equal recognition, it's highly likely that "The Way of the Corporate Slave" will... not necessarily collapse midway, but it's very probable that its release will be halted and it will be re-released and revised.
Since this statement was undeniable, Jing Hongxi remained silent.
Zhang Jiazhi also wanted to express his opinion: the best new work of the year should undoubtedly be "Royal Sword".
The exchange of opinions among the three parties was very intense.
Zhang Jiazhi simply felt a natural aversion.
Zhao Qing was simply too scared to repeat her past mistakes.
Jing Hongxi, on the other hand, was young and had not experienced the most harsh era, so he firmly believed that the environment was no longer as harsh as it used to be.
Both "Royal Sword" and "The Way of the Corporate Slave" are excellent and amazing, but it's clear from everyone's feedback today that "The Way of the Corporate Slave" is slightly better.
While artistic works are said to be free, they are not necessarily so in reality.
In the end, we had no choice but to compromise.
"In my opinion, it's not that 'The Way of the Corporate Slave' is the best. There's no first place in literature, but there is in martial arts. Just give them the Best Creativity Award, and 'New Work of the Year' should still go to 'Royal Sword'."
"The Way of the Corporate Slave is indeed innovative, and neither of you can argue with that, right?"
It does make sense literally.
Zhang Jiazhi and Jing Hongxi remained silent.
Zhao Qing made the decision: "Then it's settled."
Back at the judging venue, everyone waited anxiously and nervously for the final list of winners to be announced.
The host didn't waste too much time on suspense during the awards ceremony, and directly announced that the Best Creative Award went to "The Way of the Corporate Slave," which had an audience vote percentage of 85%, demonstrating its overwhelming dominance.
Winning an honor or award means you're not leaving empty-handed.
This also means that this year's new masterpiece has nothing to do with Zhixing Games.
Although everyone was somewhat disappointed, they were still satisfied.
They've emerged as a dark horse; otherwise, the best idea of the year would probably have gone to another game studio.
Moreover, from another perspective, they at least don't need to worry about the players.
Players have personally tested the game and found it to be of good quality.
However, for some reason, the live feedback from the audience quickly cooled down after a brief period of commotion.
We didn't keep everyone waiting too long.
"Now... next up is the winner of this year's New Continent Seat—let's welcome Southern Studio's 'Swordsman'!"
The host finished speaking.
The atmosphere visibly grew colder.
...Why is this year's audience so hard to engage? He glanced at the audience below the stage, thinking that there should be a group of people already set up to create a lively atmosphere for the audience by now.
How can you take the money and not do the job?
The host's back was already sweating profusely.
"Why not 'The Way of the Corporate Slave'?" After a moment of silence, someone in the audience asked the first question.
Then came a barrage of questions directed at the organizers and judges: "Yeah, why wasn't it 'The Way of the Corporate Slave'?" and "The audience score was very high, and the judges' score was also very high. How could such a high score only get an audience-voted honorary award?!"
In stark contrast, all areas except the audience seating were quiet.
The host was somewhat embarrassed, fearing that things would get out of hand.
His professional skills wouldn't be so bad as to overheat his CPU right now; it's just that the audience needs to vent their frustrations.
Forcibly interrupting will only worsen the situation.
This part can be cut out later.
Most of the judges looked grim, except for Jing Hongxi, who stood by coldly. He had insisted on awarding "The Way of the Corporate Slave" the Best New Work of the Year, and now it was up to the organizers to see how they would handle the situation.
As soon as the audience calmed down a bit, the host quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Well... it's normal for everyone to have objections to the award presentation. Every player has different gaming preferences, which is perfectly normal, so please don't get too excited."
"Whether it's 'The Way of the Corporate Slave' or 'Swordsman Online,' both are excellent games. I believe the judges' decision was made after careful consideration..."
The host tried his best to salvage the situation, and after much persuasion, the atmosphere-building team planted in the audience finally took action and managed to stabilize the situation.
Fearing that further delays might cause trouble, the host quickly began presenting the awards.
Representatives from Zhixing Games (Yu Yue) and Nanfang Games (Nan Linqing) each took the stage.
The judges receive the trophies from the hostesses and then place them in the hands of the winners—a very traditional procedure.
—Once you follow the procedures step by step, you can quickly leave work.
The host stared intently at the audience, afraid that someone might say something inappropriate.
If something goes wrong here, it will be difficult to edit the video later.
Having received the award, Yu Yue didn't have a chance to give an acceptance speech. He was about to leave the stage with the Best Creative Award when Nan Linqing, the representative of the Southern Studio, pulled him back.
"Wait a moment," she whispered.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Nan Linqing picked up her microphone and began to deliver her acceptance speech to the audience.
"Please wait a moment, I have something to say."
The host suddenly turned around, his eyes showing a hint of despair: "...ShuanQ, can't we just follow the procedure step by step?! Why do we have to improvise?"
Stop improvising, or things will get out of control.
He barely managed to calm the emotions in the audience when he turned around and found someone backstabbing him. Upon closer inspection, it was the Southern Games, which he had been trying so hard to protect.
This feeling is just...
Thank you so much.
Can't you just say a few words and hurry up and take your trophy down?
Host: Is it really that hard for me to leave work on time?!
My mind was a bit foggy, and I forgot to set the update time. I'm so sorry!
There will be another update at 12 o'clock later (bonus chapter with nutrient solution).
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