The Industrial Giant Reborn

"Judging from the current data, and with the fact that we can lower prices appropriately in the future, the sales volume of King of Fighters game cards will be very amazing, even far surpassing Mario." Lei Shengli said happily.

Although Midea as a whole is now pursuing diversified development, focusing on conquering the computer hardware, computer software, home appliances and other markets, the core is still games. Games still account for more than half of Midea's revenue and 80% of profits. Among games, The most successful ones are naturally home game consoles.

This time The King of Fighters is so successful, then the revenue performance of the entire company will definitely increase significantly. After Mario achieved amazing results, no one could have imagined that there would be another game in the future that could break the previous record.

"The King of Fighters is definitely very successful, but it may not be as successful as Mario." Chen Zhiwen shook his head and said: "Mario is indeed not as exciting as The King of Fighters in terms of playability, but the advantage is that you can constantly change the background, and people can After playing King of Fighters for many times, although you can change the characters, these characters cannot be suitable for everyone. A player will be familiar with a few characters and that’s about it. And although the background can be changed, the main gameplay remains the same. In the short term, it will indeed explode in popularity, but in terms of longevity, it still cannot compare to the Mario series.

Another thing is that Mario has complete copyright patent protection, and others cannot imitate it. But The King of Fighters is different. As long as others design different character tricks, there will be no infringement problem. I estimate that it will be on the market in half a year. There are many imitation games. "

"We already control most of the home game console market, should we choose not to put these games on the shelves?" Lei Shengli asked after thinking for a while.

"That won't work. As long as there is no illegal infringement, then it should be listed. Otherwise, it may threaten our hardware position in the game market. The Famicom game platform is the most important to Midea Games, more important than any other. Even a hit game is important." Chen Zhiwen vetoed and said: "Besides, even if we suppress it, as long as the game is highly playable, there will be no market for it. Maybe this type of game alone cannot threaten our position in the hardware market. , but the rules cannot be broken, and we cannot suppress other allies for the sake of our own game."

A stable game platform is the most important thing. With this platform, various game development companies around the world will continue to make money for themselves. Although they make the majority of each game and they make the small portion, the quantity If you do more, you will be the king of the entire industry.

This is definitely not comparable to a hit game. The former is just how much money it makes, while the latter controls half of the industry. Its influence is the difference between heaven and earth, and the money earned by the platform will not be lower than that of hit games. Even if popular games are imitated by peers, the impact will not be huge. After all, Midea itself lags behind other peers in terms of strength and resources. If it still cannot gain an advantage in this situation, it should protect itself. A “monopoly platform”.

"Okay, I understand." Lei Shengli nodded and said.

"However, after all, it is our own game. As long as we do not break our own rules, we can naturally use other methods to expand our influence." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile: "For example, let more people only like the games we launch. character, or specialize in our character’s unique moves and combat techniques.”

Game categories cannot be protected by copyright, only the characters inside can. This is why The King of Fighters cannot be strongly protected. Even Mario is the same. After it was launched, many similar games appeared, but Various levels have also been patented by Midea, and the background cannot be copied by others. The same is true for King of Fighters, but in a game like King of Fighters, the background is not important, but the fighting method, which is important, is difficult to register a patent for.

Therefore, if you want more people to become loyal fans, you must make people remember the characters.

"Chen Sheng, what do you mean?" Lei Shengli asked in confusion.

"Let me ask you first, how do boxing or various martial arts become popular among the public." Chen Zhiwen asked.

"There are many competitions. What Chen Sheng means is that we also organize game competitions?" Lei Shengli immediately understood what the boss meant.

"Yes, not to mention boxing and martial arts, basketball and football are popular all over the world because there are various competitions in reality. If not, who would play them over time." Chen Zhiwen said: "In the process of the competition, gradually A culture of sports stars or celebrities was formed, and then a very terrifying and powerful industrial chain was slowly formed.

In our game industry, I actually had this idea a long time ago. It’s just that the previous games were really not good at playing competitions. The King of Fighters, although not perfect, is at least barely qualified for organizing competitions. "

Many games in later generations have many competitions, and are even divided into various national teams. It is said that there are rumors that even the Olympic Games want to include a game competition.

Chen Zhiwen naturally knows these things, and he naturally wanted to do it himself a long time ago. This has an incredible effect on promoting the reputation of the game.

It's just that the previous games were okay to play alone to relieve boredom, but they were too boring to play in competitions. They couldn't be better than cubes, right? Even if it could be done, the whole process would be so boring that people would probably fall asleep before the live broadcast.

Until the appearance of The King of Fighters this year, two players fighting against each other was too exciting and fun for gamers themselves who were already watching the game.

Of course, this can only be said to meet the satisfaction threshold of people in this era. After a few years, it may not be enough. Especially after the emergence of the Internet, the threshold has increased too fast.

"It's good to organize game competitions, but the premise is that our games must first have enough customers. Only with a large number of fans and elite players can we achieve this." Lei Shengli analyzed.

"Yes, but this does not prevent us from publicizing it first. Through this publicity, we may be able to gain more visibility." Chen Zhiwen smiled and said: "So we need a gimmick. For example, if we organize competitions around the world , then the global champion will receive a bonus of US$5 million, the third place will receive US$3 million, the runner-up will receive US$2 million, and the 4th to 10th place will receive US$500,000. After that, game bonuses can be set separately in each country or continent."

"Five million US dollars for the championship? Chen Sheng, is this price too high?" Lei Shengli was a little shocked. Five million US dollars is a huge sum of money not to mention in Hong Kong, even in the United States. This In this era, the average middle-class American earns only US$30,000 to US$50,000 a year. US$5 million is equivalent to a good family's lifetime savings without food or water. Many Hollywood stars only make two to three million per movie, and they may not be able to earn that much in a year.

"With enough money, we can attract more people's attention, which in turn can attract more people. And as long as we are well-known, it is also an invisible advertisement, which will further increase our sales, so we don't need to consider the issue of bonuses. These are all small things in return." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile: "The whole purpose is to let more people know about the game "The King of Fighters". If we have the ability to really attract many people in the future, then maybe You can also appear on some large local TV stations, and the advertising costs saved are much higher than the bonus."

"Indeed, if we can create a game competition, not only in this King of Fighters, but also in the future we will launch other competitive games, or other game companies launch, and we can operate in this way, then it will be able to attract loyal fans around the world. I am a fan of the game." Lei Shengli nodded and said.

"This is indeed my ideal state, but it is difficult. I don't want to go that far first. Let's release the news and say that we will hold intercontinental competitions in Europe, America, and Asia. Each continent will choose the top ones, and then come back. The finals will be held in Hong Kong. As for the prize money, as we just said, it must not be less, as long as it can attract people by relying on the number behind the dollar." Chen Zhiwen said.

"No problem, I'll do it right away." Lei Shengli agreed and then asked: "It's just Chen Sheng, if we want to hold the finals in Hong Kong, we need a large venue. The stadium is not suitable for this kind of competition. Traditional hotel conference rooms are too small.”

"You mean to build such a building yourself?" Chen Zhiwen asked. Then he nodded and said: "Yes, what you said makes sense. Anyway, the real estate market in Hong Kong is also rising rapidly. In this way, you can contact Land. They have a large amount of land under their ownership. Just choose, and then let Land take over." Just build it according to your requirements."

"Okay, Chen Sheng." Lei Shengli said.

"Well, that's the thing about the game competition. Let's make it simple first, and then start planning this competition in the second half of next year. As long as the money is enough, there will definitely be many people willing to participate." Chen Zhiwen added.

"Even I am very interested in US$5 million." Lei Shengli laughed. Although he is the CEO of Midea and his annual salary is as high as millions of US dollars, who would think that it is too much money?

"Maybe this will leave a small tourism culture in Hong Kong." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

There will be many game competitions in the future, and they will attract traffic very much. If Hong Kong can produce such competitions, it will definitely benefit the tourism and hotel industries.

"Sheng Chen, there is one more thing." Lei Shengli added: "I want to acquire a book company in the United States that specializes in game introduction."

"Okay, just make sure it's ok. With such a magazine in our hands, it will indeed be convenient for us to promote our own games." Chen Zhiwen said without paying much attention.

"Okay." Lei Sheng said with a smile.

…

The contents of the meeting between the two people spread quickly. The main reason is that this matter itself is to be publicized on a large scale. When Midea promoted this matter internally, it did not deliberately keep it secret. There were many people involved, and the dogs outside The nose reporter naturally knew it.

"Five million US dollars? 40 million Hong Kong dollars?" A young man selling pancakes, after working hard for half a morning, happily counted the money he made in the morning and picked up the newspaper left by a customer. Later, after seeing the news about the entertainment location, he was shocked and said.

Although the money earned from selling stall cakes may be much better than that of ordinary white-collar workers, it is still hard-earned money. In Hong Kong, without a house or a stable job, there is no sense of security. Therefore, he does not buy newspapers on weekdays, anyway. There will be customers leaving newspapers.

"What 40 million? Let me take a look." The person who spoke was a vendor making fried dough sticks next to him. Everyone was interested in money.

"Nuo, look." The pancake boy was not stingy and handed over the newspaper directly.

"Hey, dear, you can get 40 million if you rank first. I may not be able to earn 40,000 even after working hard for a year. It's really annoying." The vendor who took the newspaper sighed with emotion, and then laughed and said: "Little Liu, don’t you often play games at home? I heard you say that I bought a game console for several thousand yuan, why don’t you try it, win a championship, and take care of me as a neighbor in the future?”

"It's not that easy. This is the global championship. No matter what happens, if you are number one in the world, you are the best. It's not that easy. If you ask me to spread pancakes, I won't be number one in Hong Kong." Xiao Liu shook his head and said.

"Let's try it. Isn't it mentioned above? Participation in the knockout rounds is free. If you have a game console at home, buy some King of Fighters game cards and go home to practice. There's no harm in losing anyway." The fried dough stick vendor said with a smile.

"It's not that simple. This new game card costs more than 1,000 Hong Kong dollars. Do you think I will buy it?" Xiao Liu shook his head helplessly.

Midea's games are very good. He has been playing them since a few years ago. But the price is too expensive, from two or three hundred at the beginning to more than a thousand now. But they sell them well. Even if he wants to, he can't criticize them. , people don’t have to worry about selling at all.

"More than 1,000 Hong Kong dollars? Oh my god, is this card made of gold?" The youtiao vendor looked unbelievable. He had also seen this kind of game card, which was no bigger than a palm. How could it be sold at such an expensive price? In many places in Hong Kong, 1,000 Hong Kong dollars can buy ten feet of land.

"They sell well in Europe and the United States, where people are richer and can afford them," Xiao Liu said.

"Then it should be cheaper in Hong Kong!" the fried dough sticks vendor muttered.

"I guess it's because I'm afraid of smuggling." Xiao Liu thought for a while and said.

"Then forget it, it's too expensive. I think these capitalists are just taking tens of millions of bonuses to attract more people to buy its game cards." The fried dough sticks vendor seemed to understand and said.

"Let me think about it, actually, I really wanted to buy it, but it was really too expensive and I couldn't bear it. Now..." Xiao Liu said with a frown.

The high prices really put him off, but now there are actually activities with tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars in prizes, which makes his determination to save money a little shaken.

Although it is almost impossible to win the championship or even the top dozens, isn't it the same with the lottery? These people still buy it all the time, just hoping that one day, shit will suddenly come to them.

In life, you must have hope, otherwise you will be confused all your life, so it is better to have a dream of vague hope, so that at least before going to bed, you can still imagine what happens if you get sick.

Moreover, this hope, even if it fails, you can still play the game countless times, which is much better than buying a lottery ticket and only getting a few scraps of paper.

…

Half a month later, when the news spread around the world, a large number of young people were attracted by the $5 million. (End of chapter)