The current actions of Legend have left everyone baffled, unable to discern Zhang Tianxing's intentions.
"Tianxing Network Company is destroying its own foundations. They are demanding a hefty security deposit from players, claiming it will be refunded in a year. Is this trustworthy?"
"Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Tianxing Network Company's choice in dealing with hacks is truly disappointing. Out of countless options, they chose the worst path."
"Waiting online, my Legend account was wrongly banned. How can I resolve this?"
"Quitting the game post. From the day Legend banned my account, I will strive hard and work diligently to earn my living."
Everyone was stunned by this heavy blow from Tianxing Network Company. They never imagined the company's reaction would be so swift.
However, wasn't Tianxing Network Company's reaction a bit excessive? Banning so many accounts at once, could this lead to a mass exodus of players?
"Tianxing Company strikes hard, the ban wave begins, with numerous players crying foul about being wrongly banned."
"Online gaming is currently a burgeoning industry, a vibrant sector. Now, the king of online games, Legend, facing the rampant spread of hacks, responds with account bans. Will this ultimately be Tianxing Network Company's victory, or will players abandon the game, causing Legend to falter forever? Let's wait and see."
"Tianxing Network Company, on one hand, introduces hacking functions and on the other hand, sells these functions at a marked price, integrating them directly into the game. Here, I would like to ask, has Tianxing Network Company gone mad for money?"
"Tianxing Network Company's move is ruthless. While cracking down on hacks, they themselves sell them. This is a brilliant maneuver that has opened our eyes. It's like a small knife cutting the backside, truly enlightening."
"'The official may set fire, but the common people are forbidden to light lamps.' In modern society, to see this kind of thing reappear. Tianxing Network Company brazenly carries out account bans and openly sells assistance tools. Banning users for using assistance tools developed by others is unacceptable."
"Here, I want to ask, who gave Tianxing Network Company the authority to ban my account without reason? Which law did I break? Point it out. I paid for internet access and bought game cards to play your lousy Legend game, and you directly banned my account without giving me an explanation. I'm not done with you."
"Exactly. Tianxing Network Company has been making a fortune during this period. Others merely made a little money using auxiliary small programs, and they became jealous."
"Exactly. The most despicable thing is not allowing others to sell, yet openly selling it themselves. What kind of behavior is this? Isn't this like being a prostitute and then building a memorial archway? How can Tianxing Network Company be so shameless? Can you really do something so utterly without principle?"
Public opinion quickly escalated the ban issue. There was no choice; Legend was too popular, so popular that every internet user knew about this game.
However, in the minds of ordinary players, the situation was entirely different.
"Good riddance. I saw someone in the internet cafe last time who was so strong, they didn't need to click the mouse, and could automatically pick up items. If they were any more shameless, they could directly modify drop rates."
"Exactly. This assistant must be cracked down upon. This is just for auto-clicking and auto-looting. If I were unhappy, could I directly tamper with other people's data?"
"Theoretically, that's possible, but modifying that is much harder than auto-looting. There are less than ten people in China with that kind of skill, and such people wouldn't bother to crack a game."
"I think banning is good. Otherwise, this game wouldn't be fair. I saw free assistants online, and someone in our guild downloaded one."
"Here, I solemnly advise everyone: download from the internet with caution. Someone in our guild fell victim, losing all their top-tier equipment, their warehouse was cleaned out, and they were left with nothing but underwear!"
"However, Tianxing Network Company's greed is too much. Everything has to be bought with money. Damn it, I'll offer five mao for the address of Tianxing Network Company's boss. I have a bottle of 83-year-old virgin boy's urine I want to give him. Please give me a chance, I'm sincere."
Netizens were divided, some supporting, some opposing, with no unified opinion formed.
However, a surprising scene unfolded when one went to an internet cafe.
One would have expected the number of players playing Legend to have drastically decreased amidst the ban controversy.
But upon arriving at the internet cafe, the reality was that Legend remained as popular as ever. The only difference was that before, nine and a half out of ten computers were playing Legend.
Now, it was nine out of ten computers playing Legend.
"Xiao Wang, aren't you not playing Legend anymore? Didn't you say Tianxing Network Company had gone mad for money and wanted to earn from everything? Why are you online again?"
"Ah, you don't know. Official products are always quality products. It's normal to spend a little money to play a game. The official assistance tool is reliable, don't you think?"
"Wow, what you said makes so much sense, I'm speechless."
A small workshop from who-knows-where carries the risk of account theft, while the official product guarantees quality and has no risk of account bans.
"Then don't you think this account banning is a coercive clause?" someone posed the question.
Indeed, everything now was dictated by Tianxing Network Company, their own game rules, and then they acted as the referee. This was clearly a case of a large company bullying its customers.
"There's no choice. Other games aren't good enough. Honestly, the plot of Legend is mediocre, and the quests are average. But it can't be helped because of the brotherhood in Legend, and the Siege of the Castle battles. The PK in Legend is too thrilling."
The guy next to him nodded repeatedly: "Exactly. After a day of work, I just want to play a game to vent. Legend provides me with a channel for venting. Other games don't have this therapeutic effect."
This resonated with everyone. Although there were several online games to choose from now, only Legend provided such spiritual pleasure.
In a word, in this game, I have my brothers, my beloved, and my empire. I will forge my own legend in this game.
Furthermore, even if one takes a step back, the law does not explicitly state that using hacks is against the rules, but such an act is immoral.
In this era, people's moral standards were still relatively high. Everyone felt that hacks were essentially exploiting Tianxing Network Company, so it was understandable for Tianxing Network Company to ban accounts.
"I'll say this clearly today: Tianxing Network Company is truly remarkable. There are many online games on the market today. Which company can come up with such a clever move to earn money so openly and honestly? Putting things out in the open is better than taking money in secret. I know where my money is going."