Chapter 494 Let’s Watch the Movie First (5102)
The weather in Haixi in mid-October is neither too cold nor too hot, the sun is warm, dry and comfortable, making it the most comfortable time of the year.
There were a few still green sycamore leaves scattered on the ground.
A gentle breeze blew, and the sycamore trees, which were more than thirty years old, rustled. Occasionally, birdsong could be heard among the branches and leaves.
A squirrel was climbing up the straight tree trunk quickly, and I didn't know if it was going to steal a bird's nest.
"Squirrels don't eat ham."
Looking at Wei Ao who was seducing the squirrel with a sausage, Sui Yi curled his lips in dissatisfaction.
"If I had known you were here to help Yuzu Technology, I wouldn't have come."
"Just wait and see. The whole world will be destroyed by AI. Today's artists will be the template for all future industries."
Sui Yi took a puff of IQOS, looking cynical.
Seeing that the squirrel ignored him, Wei Ao regretfully stuffed the sausage into his mouth and shook his head as he ate. "There's nothing we can do. Every technological advancement will lead to the demise of an industry, but it will also give rise to new industries."
"The wheel of time rolls forward, and we can only strive not to be the one being run over."
"Besides, Yuzi Technology is a Da Zhou company, which means it's better than those companies in Mai Country leading the AI trend. If Da Zhou wins, at least we can all have something to eat. If we lose, we'll be like consumables on the operating table of Devil's Island."
Wei Ao shook his head, swallowed the sausage in his mouth, and wiped his hands on his pants.
When Sui Yi heard Wei Ao mention Devil's Island, he suddenly stopped talking.
People working in the art industry all have a bit of a Western aura, there's nothing you can do about it.
Firstly, the values that the West has exported through the cultural and artistic industries over the years will definitely affect practitioners in related industries.
Secondly, the difference in creative boundaries leads to serious perspective deviation among creators.
It’s not that the creative boundaries of the West are larger, but that the restrictions of the East and the West are different. The things that the West restricts are exactly what the East would never create.
For example, there are very few creators in the East who would be willing to create about how the Judeans greedily seized the German wealth and oppressed the Germans before the second season, right?
Few people are interested in how the believers of the true gods stole the power of the Shinra Empire two thousand years ago and caused its collapse, right?
I guess no one has any idea how evil secret societies like the Omniscient Society are?
Western creators are very interested in these themes and have a strong desire to create.
But can they create?
Even if you occasionally try to skirt the rules and make a suspenseful thriller or an 18+ film, you have to be careful not to have a heart attack and die in your sleep.
"The Big Short", which won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, lasted for more than two hours but did not dare to explain the actual cause of the subprime mortgage crisis, and did not even dare to mention the name of the Glass-Steagall Act.
Eastern creators feel that there are no restrictions in the West regarding the areas they want to create, so they think that there are really no restrictions. This is actually a perspective bias.
The same goes for Sui Yi.
In fact, a series of scandals in the past six months, including the Alcatraz incident, the BlackRock Newport incident, the Miami election incident, etc., have greatly impacted Sui Yi's three views.
But this does not mean that he can recognize Youzi Technology. Even if he recognizes it in his heart, he will not recognize it on the surface.
After all, his entire industry had been uprooted.
"First, we worked on AI, then search, and a while ago we made a short video. Now we're expanding into the gaming industry."
"Maybe one day, there will be a Babagan takeout, Lugan taxi, and Jinju apartment search... It's just like the Qianxun family bucket has been transformed into the Citrus family bucket."
Sui Yi shook his head in displeasure. "These capitalists are all the same. After becoming big in one industry, they want to take over the entire industry. In the end, they just want to turn everyone into their cattle and horses."
"That's not wrong..."
"Yocar! Here! Go around that way, that's the main entrance."
Wei Ao responded casually as he walked towards the center of the community. Halfway through his speech, he saw Yu Dan standing on the terrace of the community club, smoking a cigarette and greeting him.
Yunqi Yuejing is different from other villa communities because it is built around a golf course. The community clubhouse is not at the entrance of the community, but on the peninsula of the artificial lake in the center of the community.
After walking around to the main gate by the lake, Wei Ao was stunned as he pushed the door open - there were already forty or fifty people in the hall, many of whom were familiar to him.
Yu Dan, who had just been smoking on the terrace, was now pulling a young man who was taller and stronger than him to introduce these people one by one.
Is this Fang Yu from Youzi Technology?
I didn't know what he looked like before, but why would an AI developer like him get into the gaming industry? What kind of game was he planning to make? Why did he need so many people to help him with just a demo? Was he really not afraid of leaks?
In addition to Tiga from Liancheng Studio and Liu Wei from Mile Games, who I just met, in this hall you can also see Yang Qifeng from Xianyou, Deng Qiang from Longyou, Gao Sheng from Lingdong Network, and Bai Ziwen from Xiaowen Studio, who developed the Xianxia PC game...
Wei Ao turned his head and saw Bai Ziwen holding the boy's hand with a smile on his face and trying to get close to him.
The muscles on Wei Ao's face twitched. Bai Ziwen, this fellow, was still talking about the integrity of game developers at a salon in Guangzhou last week, and how they would not bow down for a few pieces of silver. Now he is bowing and scraping to capital.
Fuck you!
The current gaming industry, especially independent games, is a small circle in Da Zhou. People see each other everywhere. Some Wei Ao even had quarrels in the industry group.
Because they are not mainstream, independent game development teams in Dazhou are a bit like a "gathering place for literary and artistic youth."
On the one hand, whether they come from a big company like Wei Ao, or are direct entrepreneurs like Mile Games, most of them have a strong desire for self-expression and are more or less idealistic.
On the other hand, these teams lack financial support and have weak channels, making them very easy to be "bought out" or "copied" by large companies, and they suffer from serious anxiety about being marginalized.
Therefore, many of those who develop independent games in Da Zhou are very twisted.
A second ago, I was still shouting about the ideals of gaming, the ninth art, and that game developers should not be alienated by capital.
The next second I see a reliable investor wanting to invest money, I immediately think – “You’re really good at judging people.”
The entire club hall was arranged like a discussion group, and each seat had a pad in addition to a name card.
In the center of the venue, there are two 100-inch large-screen monitors placed back to back, and four large screens of the same size are placed around the venue. They are obviously used for demonstrations to ensure that everyone can see the screen.
How did Youzi Technology manage to find so many teams? They're all well-known names in the industry. Shouldn't that be enough for a AAA product?
The Polish studio CD Projekt Red made The Witcher 3, but its core team consisted of only 100 people.
Were these people brought here by Yu Dan?
Wei Ao was shocked and instantly had a new assessment of Yu Dan's status in the independent game industry of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Wei Ao met Yu Dan through Huang Xinwen of Pandora Games and Yang Qifeng of Xianyou Studio during the Great Zhou JOY more than two months ago.
He knew that the other party was a rich second-generation, had invested in many games, knew many domestic game producers, and had connections with the circle of the national husband.
The most important thing is that Yu Dan has a good reputation in the industry. Yang Qifeng accepted investment from Haojie Interactive Entertainment two years ago, and the cooperation between the two parties was very pleasant.
In today's gaming industry, the biggest difficulty in equity financing is not finding money or projects, but trust.
Capital and entrepreneurs are actually in a state of being afraid of both ends. Even if the project looks good, capital is afraid of encountering a scammer or a big liar who can only talk big.
Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, fear that capital intervention will interfere with their own management, causing them to lose control of the project. They are even more afraid that capital is a protective acquisition with ulterior motives.
With the introduction of someone I trust, one who is rich and the other who can really get things done, investing is a natural thing.
Perhaps it was because the previous communication process was too complicated. Although Wei Ao knew that Yu Dan had a complicated background, he did not expect that so many producers would put down their work and come to help just by saying hello.
"Yocar! Sui Yi!"
Yu Dan's voice interrupted Wei Ao's thoughts.
"Xiao Fang, let me introduce you. This is the Wei Ao I was talking about. You can also call him by his online name Yocar. He is currently one of the top game planners and producers in China. He was previously the producer of Penguin's Qi Tiansheng."
"Sui Yi is the top lead artist in the country. I personally think his abilities are on par with Jason McDonald, the lead artist for God of War. Those scenes you saw earlier that left the deepest impression on you were created by him."
"Their company is actually my largest investment so far, mainly because I am optimistic about their team."
"Yocar, Lao Sui, this is Mr. Fang from Youzi Technology. There's no need to introduce the others."
Yu Dan introduced the two parties with a smile that Wei Ao and Sui Yi had never seen before.
When Wei Ao heard Yu Dan's evaluation, his chest puffed out unconsciously, and he extended his right hand: "Mr. Yu, thank you for the compliment. I don't deserve it. Mr. Fang, just call me Old Wei."
Sui Yi just hesitated a little and stretched out his right hand.
"Brother Wei, Brother Sui, you guys made Penguin's Equal Heaven Saint, right? You guys ripped me off for over 600 yuan with this game, and the main storyline hasn't been updated in almost two years. When are you going to fix the kinks? Can I get a refund if it's a botched game?"
Fang Yu smiled and shook hands with Wei Ao and Sui Yi.
Hearing Fang Yu's teasing, Wei Ao felt relieved, and Sui Yi's face also became a little embarrassed.
They didn't know whether Fang Yu had really played Qi Tiansheng, but the fact that he said so meant that he at least really knew them beforehand.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Fang. I didn't expect to be urged to update again. I'll ask my former colleague Penguin for a refund. But don't get your hopes up too much. So many people who did that didn't get a refund."
Wei Ao laughed, and everyone else laughed, and the air was filled with joy.
"But you'll have to ask Daniel about filling in the gaps. We told him before that after we finished this mobile game, we wanted to launch a AAA standalone game based on the traditional culture of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Journey to the West was the most likely theme, but unfortunately Daniel rejected it."
After saying this, Wei Ao felt a little ashamed.
Of course, he said this to test Fang Yu and see if Fang Yu was interested in the stand-alone 3A game. If he was interested, then maybe he would have the funds for the stand-alone 3A game.
I was looking down on Bai Ziwen just now, but now I am doing the same thing as Bai Ziwen.
I glanced at Fang Yu's expression and it seemed like there was no change. He was still smiling.
Forget it, the other party is not responding at all, there is probably no hope.
It was just a matter of trying, so Wei Ao wouldn't be too disappointed if he didn't get a response, but a little disappointment was inevitable.
"Brother Wei, you've done Shan Hai Jing themes before, right? Why didn't you do the sequel? Did you not like it?"
Wei Ao was just about to adjust his mood and ask what kind of game Youzi Technology was going to make when he heard Fang Yu's question. He was stunned and thought for a second or two. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Sui Yi next to him speak.
"Classic of Mountains and Seas doesn't have the same level of public recognition as Journey to the West. Also, it requires too many resources, and the worldview is difficult to present in the game."
"Over the years, among successful games, only Xuan-Yuan Sword has borrowed some elements from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. To be more precise, the Classic of Mountains and Seas is only suitable for underlying settings, not for standalone games."
Sui Yi had a blank expression on his face, thinking that it was true, Fang Yu from Youzi Technology didn't understand games at all.
He is just a barbarian who relies on the resources of a big company to force his way into the gaming industry.
Seeing this, Yu Dan's eyes flickered slightly: "Xiao Fang, everyone is here, let's start."
Fang Yu nodded with a smile: "Okay, thank you for your hard work, Brother Dan."
Yu Dan raised his eyebrows, raised his hands and clapped them in the air, and the originally chaotic hall soon became quiet.
"Thank you all for your support and help. Please be seated as soon as possible if you have your table ticket."
Yu Dan's face remained calm. After everyone was seated, he picked up a microphone and stood in the center of the venue. "I know many of you are very busy. You are all good friends who have put aside your work and come here to support me. I won't be too polite with you all."
"As everyone should know, you were invited here by Youguo Games, a subsidiary of Youzi Technology. This time, we'd like to ask for your help in refining the content of a demo."
"Actually, I didn't mean to hide it from everyone. Everyone is familiar with the conventions in this industry. But Mr. Fang from Youzi Technology said that this project doesn't need to be kept secret. As long as everyone doesn't publicize it too much before the preview version is released, it's fine."
Yu Dan paused, nodded to Fang Yu, looked around, and continued:
"Plus, time is really tight. We only have one week to complete the project. Although it only involves some art design and detailed planning, the workload is still considerable. So, in the end, Mr. Fang and I decided to invite everyone who can come."
At this point, a rustling sound echoed through the hall, and many people were secretly shocked. One week? Only one week of work? Regardless of the content of the preview version, this time is too short.
Yu Dan calmly glanced at everyone and said, "To thank you for your help, Youguo Games will pay you ten times the industry average for this week's labor."
As soon as these words were spoken, the commotion at the scene became even louder.
Ten times the labor! Equivalent to the price of seventy days of outsourcing?
Many people originally came just to maintain their relationship with Yu Dan. In order not to affect the normal work of the team as much as possible, they brought as few people as possible.
Now, after hearing the labor price mentioned by Yu Dan, many people were beating their chests and stamping their feet, regretting that they had brought too few people.
Most independent game studios do not just make their own games, they also occasionally take on some outsourced work. The price they quote for these outsourced jobs is usually the labor cost multiplied by three to five.
For example, in art, a high-quality official character portrait takes an artist three days to draw, and the market price is about 10,000, but the actual profit is only more than 2,000 and less than 3,000, and the rest goes to the company.
There is no way around it. The cash flow pressure of independent game development is too great. The development cycle of a project may be one or two years or even longer, but the development costs are burning money every month.
As I was working on the game, I realized that my money was almost gone, so I had to immediately take on an outsourcing order to support the team for two or three months, and then continue working on my own game.
Of course, most of the projects they take on are low-end projects such as skin-changing mobile games and web games.
Even if a big company's game comes to them, they usually just outsource art resources or some basic coding work for non-core gameplay.
If calculated this way, the labor provided by Youzi Technology is at least enough for them to support the team for half a year!
For an independent game studio, half a year could mean the difference between restoring the Han Dynasty and collapse.
Seeing everyone's expressions, Yu Dan smiled.
"Daniel, what exactly do we need to do? What platform is the game on? What development tools will be used?"
A short man who looked about the same age as Wei Ao couldn't help but raise his hand. His accent sounded like he was from Ezhou.
Yu Dan took a look and recognized that the person asking the question was Zhu Yifei, the person in charge of Linglan Games.
It is not surprising that Zhu Yifei asked this question, because Linglan is one of the few people in the team who specializes in console game development.
Different platforms mean different technologies, and naturally different development tools. If the game produced by Youzi Technology is just an online game, then Linglan and the other six or seven people might have come here for nothing, so they naturally need to ask more clearly.
"Boss Hu, I'm just a bridge between Youguo Games and everyone else. Mr. Fang will give you detailed answers to any specific technical questions."
After saying that, Yu Dan handed the microphone to Fang Yu.
Fang Yu grinned and said, "I won't say any more polite words. First, let's watch a promotional video."
After saying that, Fang Yu pressed the remote control, and all six 100-inch display screens in the venue lit up.
A young man who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old appeared in a park, holding a mobile phone in his hand, and seemed to be taking pictures of the park.
Then, the camera turned and aimed at his mobile phone screen, and the boy's mobile phone screen instantly filled the entire screen.
The park is still the same park, but the scene above it seems to be covered with a layer of clear light and shadow. In the light and shadow, clouds are entwined, ancient trees are towering, grass is lush, lightning and thunder are flashing in the sky, and the originally calm artificial lake is rising with huge waves. A huge python seems to be moving through the waves and pounces on the screen fiercely.
"Razer!" The giant snake's name was clearly marked on the phone screen.
Before the giant snake could pounce, a hand stretched out from the huge waves and grabbed the lightning snake. The giant python that looked to be five or six meters long was no different from a noodle in this hand.
Then the camera quickly zoomed up, and the original park turned into a small light spot on the map, and the light spot was marked with the name of a place, Lei Ze.
(End of this chapter)
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