Absolute Death Game

In the evening, Xiao Buli arrived at Rainbow Bar, bringing with him the case full of money.

The decision-making layer of the Qingyang Empire wasn't just him, but included all the members of the studio. To obtain the title of King of Jiuzhou and to snatch the million-dollar prize, it was only through the united efforts of the entire studio that the guild's operating funds were assembled. After all, for a guild that aspired to be the top server-wide, even in a time-charging game, even with various in-game planning and operations, outside investments were inevitable. The studio had invested hundreds of thousands of RMB in it.

This time, due to the matter of city offering, there were continuous disagreements within the studio. After all, the million-dollar prize suddenly shrank to three hundred thousand, and nobody would be pleased about that. However, everyone was clear about the major trends within the game. From the moment the game shifted from a fee-charging model to a free one, everyone understood that they no longer had control over the game's development.

"Alright, everyone, no need to look so glum, we did make a tidy profit this time after all,"

As Xiao Buli spoke, he placed the case of money on the table. "All three hundred thousand are here; after deducting our initial investment, we still have about one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty thousand left. At least our efforts over the past six months haven't been in vain. Let's split the money."

"What do you mean 'haven't been in vain'? Which game haven't we easily conquered before? With our strength, was there ever a time we didn't make a hefty profit? This time we spent half a year and put all the early game earnings into it, but in the end, only made a few hundred thousand. There are six of us. Once we split it, there's hardly any money left."

The speaker was Xie Tiankong, responsible for advertising and promotions. He wasn't very good at playing games but excelled at making game videos. It was thanks to his several exciting game videos uploaded to video sites that Qingyang Empire recruited a large number of players.

"What can we do about it? Free games have become mainstream now. Apart from a few old games still making a profit thanks to their veteran players, almost all new games are uniformly free. Take Jiuzhou Domination, for example. When it was time-charged, the monthly profit was only a few million, but now that it has switched to item-charging, I heard that in just half a month, dozens of Dragon Soul Suits have sold, one set for one million each. Just think how much money that is. Not to mention the less expensive RMB equipment. I've heard that after a while they're going to release the Yan Huang Set, which is even better than the Dragon Soul Set, and then the Pangu Set, probably making even more money per set. Longteng Company is going to rake it in. We don't have millions to invest, so why would the gaming company consider our opinions?"

The one interrupting was Han Wenhuan, in charge of strategic command. He had a gift for strategy and tactics, and almost all the major battles in the game were directed by him. Even when the forces were at their most disadvantageous, he could win ultimate victory through superior tactics. However, in the last half month's battles, the tides had completely turned, and no matter how much he outnumbered his opponents, he would lose every battle. No tactics could overcome the absolute strength of RMB players, leaving him, proud of his military prowess, thoroughly disgusted. His words now carried a hint of sourness, but the reasoning was irrefutable.

Wen Huan's right. Game companies create games to make money, especially in the current landscape of free games dominating the market. No one would turn away from money. The change in Jiuzhou Domination's pricing model isn't surprising. Besides, those matters have little to do with us. After all, there's no longer any need for us to play this game," Xiao Buli said flatly.

"Then, boss, which game will we conquer next?" asked Li Shuren, who was an insider in the online game development industry, privy to many internal details and a significant asset to the studio.

"There won't be a next one. There are hardly any new pay-to-play games on the market now, and there is no possibility for us to make a profit in free games," Xiao Buli shook his head as he spoke. He was right; from equipment to materials, from experience to gold coins, from fashion items to pets, the gaming company had monopolized everything. As long as players had the money, they could buy everything they wanted in the store. There truly wasn't a way for the studio to profit anymore.

"So, is the studio just going to end like this? The Qingyang Empire will just become history?" Mr. Bang asked, somewhat incredulous. His real name was Gu Shaobang, and he was also the owner of the bar. Unlike the others in the studio, Mr. Bang, a rich second-generation, mingled in the studio just for fun and didn't care much about the income.

The Qingyang Empire was a Great Guild that had survived through numerous classic games, once formidable in the online gaming world and quite renowned. No one would have thought to see such a day. Hearing Gu Shaobang's words, and considering the current state of the online gaming world, everyone present felt a surge of emotion.

Xiao Buli nodded noncommittally, "Considering the current situation, it seems so."

Mr. Bang nodded with a touch of melancholy, sipping the vodka in his glass, but no one responded, and the private room fell into silence.

Xiao Buli didn't say anything more and began to divide the money. The stacks of cash were distributed, and Xiao Buli, never taking more because of his role as the guild leader, did not make an exception this time. One hundred and fifty-eight thousand was split evenly into six parts, each person receiving just under thirty thousand. Although dissatisfied with the reduction in income, everyone seemed revitalized when they received the money. The last one to take their share was Xiao Ge, the youngest member of the studio, not even twenty this year, a standard post-90s kid with the highest gaming talent among them. He had even been a professional esports player for a while, winning several small competitions, but later retired in frustration over the grueling training and low prize money. He was also the chief fighter of the Qingyang Guild. After taking his share of the money, Xiao Ge didn't leave but looked at Xiao Buli silently.

"What's up?" Xiao Buli looked up at the tall young man before him, his slightly childish face showing a trace of worry.

"You know me, guild leader. I'm not like them. Even if they stop playing games, they have skills, they can find decent jobs. Aside from gaming, there's really nothing I'm good at, and I have no interest in other fields. So, if there's any similar opportunity to make money, please remember to contact me, alright?"

Xiao Buli opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. In the end, he could only nod, "Definitely."

Only then did Xiao Ge manage a forced smile and cheer up before walking away.