It's truly a turn of fortune, thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west.
As the grand game "Millennium" broke through the hundred thousand concurrent online player mark, the entire gaming industry was abuzz. China's gaming scene was about to usher in a new era.
No one had expected it to happen so quickly. Indeed, China's online gaming industry had forged a new era, but the pioneer wasn't "Millennium," but "Legend," represented by Tianxing Investment Company.
A new door was opened to the world, led by "Legend."
From "Legend" onwards, China's online gaming established its kingly status.
People were utterly shocked. "Good heavens, I was just laughing at Tianxing Investment. Turns out, I was the clown myself. I judged Tianxing Investment by the sliver of a gap in the door. I underestimated them. They were a hidden gem, soaring straight to the heavens."
"Exactly! I was still marveling at Shanda's 'Millennium' game, setting a record of a hundred thousand concurrent players. Who knew that number was just a little sibling to 'Legend'? 'Legend' has only been in open beta for a week, and its concurrent online players have already surpassed two hundred thousand, and I hear that number is still growing."
"You truly can't judge a person by their appearance, nor the sea by a ladle. Tianxing Investment Company slapped us in the face with their performance. We were all laughing at them, but they quietly focused on making a good game, letting the game's concurrent online player count speak for itself today."
"The numbers say it all. These numbers prove that the new era of online gaming has begun. Gaming is no longer just about traditional single-player games. It seems there are new profit points. Tianxing Investment Company is truly formidable."
"New talents emerge in abundance, each leading the way for centuries. Tianxing Investment Company has proven its vision with its strength, not just in the investment world, but also as a prominent presence in the gaming world."
"With this achievement, who can still look down on Tianxing Investment Company?"
"So many game companies must be weeping. All their professional efforts have been overshadowed by an investment company. This is truly laughable, like amateur players defeating professionals."
"This is an era that laughs at poverty but not wealth. We only hear the laughter of newcomers, not the tears of the old. Everyone will only remember one thing: two hundred thousand concurrent players. This number was created by 'Legend'."
"Excellent foresight. Tianxing Investment Company is going to make a fortune now. With this traffic, making money shouldn't be that simple."
"We still don't know what kind of payment model they'll adopt."
"What's the difference?"
"Overseas, there are two main payment models. One is a time-based system, charging by the minute, precisely calculated and prepaid. The other is a cash-shop model, selling items in a virtual store and earning money from those sales."
"I see. A word of advice is worth ten years of study. I wonder which payment model Tianxing Investment Company will choose."
"Paying to play a game? You can't be serious. Paying for every minute you play a silly game? That's impossible; no one will play."
"That remains to be seen. The current concurrent player numbers are from the open beta, where there's no charge. Now we wait to see how many people remain online when 'Legend' starts charging."
" 'Millennium' has switched to a paid model. How many online players do they have?"
"Most of 'Millennium's' players have migrated to 'Legend.' The exact figures haven't been released, but I estimate they won't be good."
The team at Tianxing Investment Company was nearly overwhelmed. My goodness, ever since the game's open beta, the small issues had been non-stop.
Servers were constantly being upgraded, from one initially to six later, far exceeding everyone's expectations.
Everyone saw how many people were playing Shanda's "Millennium," and they didn't expect to surpass it. They were aiming for a tie, which would already be a considerable achievement.
After all, in Korea, "Legend" ranked far below "Millennium." One was unknown, and the other was a red-hot sensation.
However, the current situation had astounded everyone. Who could have imagined "Legend" would reach such heights?
It had directly relegated "Millennium" to a minor role. Now, it was the undisputed king of Chinese online gaming. If "Legend" wasn't first, no one dared claim to be second.
It had won the hearts of the people so thoroughly, their eyes were shining with brilliance.
At this moment, Guo Jiajia was filled with absolute admiration for Zhang Tianxing. Truly, he was incomparable.
Zhang Tianxing had directly identified "Mir 2: The Legend" and insisted on acquiring the game at any cost.
Initially, Guo Jiajia wondered if Zhang Tianxing had misjudged. Little did she know that "Mir 2: The Legend," which was obscure in Korea, had, with just a name change in China, firmly established itself as the king of the Chinese online gaming world.
It could now be said, with exaggeration, that a "Legend" craze had swept the nation.
Zhang Tianxing looked at everyone. They were all hanging on his every word. This young boss, Zhang, was too impressive. So far, he had a perfect track record, never failing.
"You've all worked hard during this period. 'Legend's' success today is thanks to all of you!"
Hearing Zhang Tianxing's words, everyone felt a warmth in their hearts. This young boss Zhang was truly generous. While he credited everyone, they all knew that a fast train relies on its engine.
Ultimately, it all came down to Zhang Tianxing's unique vision, his ability to spot "Mir 2: The Legend" among numerous games. After acquiring the agency rights, he directly renamed it "Legend," and it became a sensation in China.
"Today's success was hard-won, but it's not yet time to drink celebratory wine. This is an online game, and we plan to charge for it. The current concurrent player numbers are just a figure; they don't signify anything. What we need to do is see if we can maintain such high player numbers after we start charging. Only then can we truly relax."
Upon hearing Zhang Tianxing's words, everyone chuckled. "No problem, young boss Zhang. Just you watch. We have confidence in our company."
Everyone was filled with confidence. They had heard so much about "Legend" lately that their ears were practically worn out. Their friends and family knew they worked there and had been asking the same questions:
"Your 'Legend' is pretty good. Can you give me some in-game gold? I'm out of money for potions."
"Can you just give me a set of equipment so I can have some fun too? I know your company, this 'Legend' is too much fun!"