Losing Money to Be a Tycoon

After flipping through the discussion on the Internet about "Ink and Cloud Smoke" and the "Long Road Project", Pei Qian finally understood why there were so many pre-orders.

Because Qiu Hong bundled "Ink and Smoke", "The Poor Road Project", and "Worker Survival Manual" all together for publicity!

The promo of the "Long Tu Project" can arouse such a enthusiastic response. On the one hand, it touches the common memories of many players and arouses widespread resonance. On the other hand, it is also because of the good quality domestic indie games as an introduction.

If there were no games and only a promotional video, it would be impossible to cause such a enthusiastic response.

"Ink and Smoke" is just a demo demo, and this demo is obviously not enough.

This is also the reason why Qiu Honggang did not formulate a publicity plan at the beginning: without an opportunity, it is natural that he cannot achieve the best publicity effect.

However, the unexpected explosion of "Survival Handbook for Office Workers" has provided such an opportunity for the publicity of the poor road plan!

Now is before the Spring Festival, it is time for companies large and small to hold annual meetings and issue year-end awards.

The vast majority of office workers are dissatisfied with the treatment provided by their company. Many people are planning to change to a new job after finishing the year-end bonus and annual leave.

The release of "Survival Handbook for Office Workers" resonated with those office workers, and the response was good. Not only did they become popular in the circle of indie game enthusiasts, but they also successfully “out of the circle”. Many office workers who don’t play games also Know this game.

With the success of the "Survival Handbook for Office Workers", Qiu Hong has deeply tied "Ink and Smoke" and "The Poor Road Project" with it, letting players know that the original "Handbook for Office Workers Survival" was successfully produced because The "Poor Route Project" was funded, and the "Poor Route Project" also funded many excellent independent game projects, such as "Ink and Cloud".

Therefore, the popularity of "Survival Handbook for Office Workers" has broken the circle, the feelings of domestic independent game enthusiasts, and the expectations of players for domestic independent games have all been integrated together, which has played such a good publicity effect!

It can be said that without any of the promotional videos of "Survival Handbook for Office Workers", "Ink Cloud Smoke", and the "Dead Way Project", it is impossible to achieve the current effect!

What a coincidence.

Seeing the increasing number of pre-orders, Pei Qian felt a little dizzy.

In just one afternoon, the pre-sale sales of this game have exceeded 50,000 copies, and depending on the current popularity, it is very likely that it will double ten times in the next week!

Although domestic independent game players are a minority group relative to mainstream players, no matter how small they are, there are always millions of active players.

Moreover, the smaller the circle, the more concentrated attention will be paid to excellent domestic independent games. "Ink and Wash" may soon arouse heated discussions among independent gamers like "Worker Survival Manual"!

Pei Qian pinched his fingers and felt bad.

The official price of "Ink and Smoke" is 45 yuan, which is considered to be a medium-to-high level among domestic indie games.This time the pre-sale was not the full pre-sale, but one third, or 15 yuan, was paid.

According to current trends, if 500,000 copies are sold in the next week, then the official platform’s account will arrive just before settlement.

The only good news is that the game is not released in the name of Tenda, so you do not enjoy Tenda’s high-share privileges, and you can only get 60% of the special preferential policies for independent games.

On this basis, Tenda takes 30%.

In other words, before the settlement, just the pre-sale of "Water Ink Cloud Smoke", at least more than 1.3 million will be credited!

And besides that, there is also the money made by the "Survival Handbook for Office Workers.

The money doesn't seem to be much, but Pei Qian feels like he is now like a camel with a straw back. When it comes time to settle, this nonsensical one million is probably the difference from heaven to hell.

What if you add more than one million to make a profit?Then who should I talk to to make sense?

Pei Qian was simply furious.

This Qiu Hong, how can you find me something at such a critical moment!

Isn't it okay to go home honestly for the New Year?Have to make a promotional video the day before the holiday?Then send a DEMO to earn some pre-sale money?

unacceptable!

Thinking of this, Pei Qian immediately dialed Qiu Hong's number.

...

At this time, Qiu Hong had just invited everyone in the incubator base to have a big meal, and returned to the house he rented in the Imperial Capital to pack up and prepare to catch a flight home early tomorrow morning.

Qiu Hong couldn't help being a little surprised when he received a call from President Pei.

"It's not that Pei has always seen the video of the poor road plan, so he is very happy, and specifically called to confirm the results of my work?"

The entire incubation base had completed two games before, and they were not selling well, but even so, President Pei praised Qiu Hong, saying that the effect is remarkable and the progress is rapid, so that he can make persistent efforts.

Qiu Hong pondered that according to this criterion, two games, "Survival Handbook for Office Workers" and "Ink and Water Clouds" have now been released. The video response of the "Poor Journey Project" is also good. Is President Pei still not happy?

He hurriedly answered the phone, waiting to receive President Pei's praise.

However, President Pei's first sentence directly stopped him.

"Who asked you to put the semi-finished game on the official platform for pre-order?!"

Pei Qian's tone was a bit harsh, because he was really angry.

This game hasn't been completed yet, so honestly go down a cycle and then release it, don't affect my settlement of this cycle!

As a result, Qiu Hong's pre-order directly caught Pei Qian off guard.

Qiu Hong was stunned for a moment, and said dazedly: "President Pei, isn't this kind of pre-sale thing very common in the indie game circle..."

Pei Qian couldn't help being silent for a moment: "Uh..."

He thought about it, Qiu Hong said nothing wrong.

ESRO's official platform actually encourages indie games to engage in pre-sales. The reason is very simple. It's nothing more than crowdfunding.

Independent game producers often want money but no resources, and resources but no resources. There are bound to be various compromises in the production process. In order to achieve a high degree of completion of the game, various conditions are actually not allowed.

Pre-sales can allow those indie games that are of good quality and are loved by players to get some money in advance. On the one hand, it can maintain development costs and on the other hand, it can also enhance the confidence of producers.

Of course, there may be some unproductive producers who may be suspected of cheating money, such as updating a very fun DEMO, and starting to develop slowly after getting a large amount of pre-sale money, turning the game into a lifetime series. Not online.

However, the official platform also has corresponding penalties for such producers, and such people are a minority after all, and this regulation that is beneficial to all independent game producers cannot be cancelled because of individual black sheep.

Therefore, Qiu Hong's pre-sale of the demo of "Ink and Smoke" is indeed in line with the consistent routine of independent games, and it is a behavior advocated by the official platform.

Therefore, Pei Qian's questioning seemed a bit unreasonable.

After being silent for a moment, Pei Qian said confidently: "Why do other indie games like to engage in pre-sales? It's because those producers are short of money and can only get development funds through pre-sales!"

"Is the producer of the poor road project short of development funds?"

Qiu Hong was asked: "Uh, this..."

Pei Qian didn't give him too much time to react, and continued: "Since there is no shortage of money, why do you want to pre-sell?"

"The pre-sale is actually equivalent to taking advantage of the sympathy of the players to transfer the risk of subsequent game development failure from the developer to the player."

"The reason why the official platform supports this behavior is mainly because the conditions of most independent game producers are too poor, and players need to contribute and support."

"Although this kind of behavior is a willingness to fight and a willingness to endure, it still damages the interests of the players in the final analysis. The best way is to pay with one hand and deliver with one hand. After the game is released, players like it. buy."

"Since the independent game producers of the poor plan are not short of money, then they should not engage in pre-sales. Can they just be released directly after the game is developed?"

Qiu Hong was speechless for a while: "This..."

He suddenly felt that Mr. Pei really made sense!

In fact, Qiu Hong just made a pre-sale in accordance with the conventional routines of indie games. He didn't think too much, but now I take a closer look. This behavior is indeed a bit wrong.

Qiu Hong hurriedly asked, "Then President Pei, what should I do now?"

Pei Qian thought for a while, and asked, "Can I change the payment for the pre-order to 0? Then refund the players who have already paid."

Qiu Hong hesitated: "Uh... President Pei, changing it to 0 will not work. Change the minimum to one-third of the current value, which is five yuan. The refund procedure will be more troublesome and the authority will not be sufficient. Maybe ESRO officials will not by."

"It would be possible to come out in person as Tenda, but this would be tantamount to announcing the relationship between Tenda and the Plan for the Dead..."

Pei Qian said immediately: "That definitely won't work. In that case, let's change the pre-order price to 5 yuan. For those players who have already spent 15 yuan to pre-order, we will compensate."

Qiu Hong also said: "Also, President Pei, the official has never supported this kind of price change behavior, because whether it is a price increase or a price reduction, it will actually affect the interests of players."

Pei Qian nodded: "Well, understandable."

"Our behavior must have affected the interests of players, so we have to apologize and compensate!"

"Well, as I said before, the pre-order money was changed to 5 yuan. For those who have already paid, the game will be directly discounted by 20%, which is 36 yuan, and then I will send an announcement to apologize, saying that I did not expect the player We are so enthusiastic, we feel that the pre-order price has been set higher before, but now we lower it a bit. I hope players will understand."

For Pei Qian, cutting the pre-order money from 15 yuan to 5 yuan at once, then this week's "Ink and Water" DEMO can reduce at least a few hundred thousand.

It is also good to be able to take a small handful of straw from the back of the camel.

As for those players who have already spent 15 yuan on pre-orders, Pei Qian just took this opportunity to give them a discount and make a little less.

Qiu Hong hurriedly said: "Okay, President Pei, I will communicate with the people on the official platform."