"Rebirth Cell Person... what kind of name is that?"
Mo Zhi frowned as she searched for the game's keywords on the Shark platform.
Whoa!
You don't know until you look, and then you're shocked!
She hadn't paid attention to the gaming circle for half a day, and how had things changed so drastically?
The platform was filled with streamers playing "Rebirth Cell Person," and its popularity had even surpassed "Ark of the End Times" and "Dark Souls."
Even Yin Lao San, the top streamer for "Dark Souls," had switched sides.
Who exactly was "Rebirth Cell Person"?
How could it be so terrifying!
Mo Zhi's head was full of question marks.
It felt like a lifetime had passed in just half a day.
She opened her phone,
and realized she was on 2G.
The newly released game had already hit the trending searches.
#LingJing's Latest Release "Rebirth Cell Person" Simultaneously Launched on PC and Mobile, Why No Promotion?
#"Rebirth Cell Person" Criticized as a Low-Spec "Dark Souls," Lu Li Accused of Running Out of Ideas?
#"Rebirth Cell Person" Sells Over One Million Copies in One Hour!
"Seriously, is it one AAA game a month and one mini-game every two weeks?"
"The front row is right here, I'll show you all a live demonstration of eating my own words."
"Lu Li's potential is simply unfathomable! Where is his limit?!"
"Is he just constantly jumping on and off the altar?"
"Who exactly is this person?!"
......
At this moment, the comment section was no longer filled with complaints about the designer being too difficult, but rather with admiration for the potential of Lu Li and his team.
After all, making games isn't child's play.
Releasing a game every two weeks is more than enough for major overseas studios, but few can guarantee quality while continuously breaking sales records.
"Rebirth Cell Person" was released just this afternoon, and Mo Zhi, engrossed in the story of "Ark of the End Times," had no idea.
The Old Thief's promotion this time was extremely low-key.
No, to be precise, not even the official Weibo had any previews. If Yin Lao San hadn't been fiddling with it on the LingJing Game Platform, few people would have known it was a LingJing game.
Mo Zhi had just clicked into Yin Lao San's live stream.
And witnessed a moment of utter frustration.
[Body Annihilation]
Facing a screen that had been blacked out countless times, he found himself standing again in the cold sewer prison.
Yin Lao San, who was usually amiable and loved to entertain, had a look of extreme displeasure on his face.
"What kind of damn game is this, how is this even played?"
"Can someone tell me how to play this!?"
Bang, bang, bang!!
Just talking wasn't enough, he angrily slammed his fist on the desk a few times.
His furious demeanor truly resembled a monkey enraged on Mount Emei.
The viewers in the live stream were laughing their heads off.
‘Can't take it, I didn't think it was similar before, but now that he's angry, he really looks like it!’
‘Isn't that the Sword Saint of the Bone Burial Hall? Watch me slide!’
‘One hit to disengage, two hits for the official to lock health, three hits for body annihilation. The guardian of the Bone Burial Hall is the true Sword Saint! Time Guardian? Never heard of them!’
.......
“......Restart, restart! Restart from nothing!”
“The oily sword I painstakingly saved, *snap*! Gone!”
“My countless gold coins, *snap*! Gone too!!”
“The progress I painstakingly made, *snap*! It's all reset too!!”
Yin Lao San was truly losing it. Not only were the mechanics of the various monsters in this game complex, but there was no save function!
One life, and upon death, you return to that disgusting sewer!
All the weapons, equipment, and upgrades you painstakingly accumulated were wiped clean!!
Completely wiped clean!
It was even blacker than Dark Souls. In Dark Souls, you only dropped souls, but your other attributes and equipment were preserved.
How was anyone supposed to play this?
......
“Chichichichi~~”
Outside the video,
Mo Zhi couldn't help but chuckle, covering her mouth, as she watched Yin Lao San lose his temper.
These incoherent complaints... this angry slamming of the table... this impotent rage...
This sense of déjà vu......
It was so similar!
At that moment, it was just like this moment.
She seemed to see her past self.
“Hahahaha!!”
It turns out watching others get frustrated could be this satisfying. Mo Zhi seemed to understand the Old Thief a little better.
This feeling of deriving pleasure from others' pain was truly exhilarating.
Seeing Yin Lao San's live stream popularity soaring and gradually widening the gap with her own,
Mo Zhi no longer hesitated.
“Since it's a new game from the Old Thief Studio, there's no reason not to support it.”
“Let’s play this one today too!”
“No need to guess, I know this eerie, dark art style must be from the Old Thief!”
“Well, it seems we'll never escape the Old Thief's clutches from now on.”
Mo Zhi spread her hands, accepting her fate.
Although losing her composure wasn't ideal for her image, being able to bring joy to her audience and gain popularity for herself.
For a professional streamer,
that was enough.
Mo Zhi skillfully downloaded the less than 1GB "Rebirth Cell Person" onto her computer and logged in proficiently.
Start game!
......
At Tang Wanqiu’s home.
“Wife……”
The couple lay in bed, watching Mo Zhi’s stream together.
They had initially come to watch "Ark of the End Times" like most viewers, but they were captivated by "Rebirth Cell Person" towards the end.
“Buy it!”
“It’s only 49, I support you!”
Chen Yingying waved her hand with exceptional潇洒 (xiāosǎ - dashing/carefree).
“I want to play the mobile version… that one’s cheaper, only nine-nine.” Tang Wanqiu handed Chen Yingying the "Rebirth Cell Person" already available in the app store, sighing,
“I didn’t expect LingJing’s first mobile game to be "Rebirth Cell Person," which is interoperable with the online game. I always thought it would be "Ark of the End Times.””
“Can you handle the mobile version?”
Chen Yingying looked at her husband with some confusion. Why play a mobile game when he was doing so well? She had never seen him play mobile games before.
“You look down on your husband, huh? Watch me deal with you!”
“Hahaha, stop tickling, stop tickling!”
“It’s itchy…”
Chen Yingying writhed on the bed.
After a bit of playful banter, the room was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.
......
Compared to the procreation activities at Tang Wanqiu's home,
Lu Li felt a bit lonely at home.
However, his interest wasn't in that.
At this moment, he was editing the promotional text for the overseas version of "Rebirth Cell Person."
A few days ago, Professor Wang Lunshan from Qingbei had called him to inform him that China's VR games had entered Phase II clinical trials.
If all went well, it was highly likely to be approved by the International Olympic Committee of Games in June of this year, and officially launched to the world.
Elder Wang had subtly reminded Lu Li that he could now put aside his current work and focus his team on developing VR games.
Overseas development might even be a year ahead, waiting only for official approval to enter the integration phase.
VR games represented China's closest opportunity to "overtake on a curve" in the gaming industry.
Many high-ranking officials were also keeping an eye on this project.
Moreover, LingJing was not the only partner; Tencent, NetEase… all major game companies were invited.
Whoever secured the first batch of VR game trial operation qualifications would lead the next wave of market trends.
As the launch of VR drew nearer, the emotional value he had collected was still far from enough to create a JO-level ultimate version of "Titanfall."
Adhering to the philosophy of doing things to the extreme, Lu Li felt a sense of urgency.
Therefore,
he broke his original plan and brought "Cell" to the market earlier than intended, which was originally planned to be released after "Ark of the End Times."
Compared to harvesting resentment points,
there seemed to be no better game for it.
Its dark art style, infuriating mechanics, elite monsters comparable to bosses, and geometrically increasing difficulty would surely torment young players to death.
Pure torment.
Yet, due to its exquisite combat feel, procedurally generated maps, items, and monsters, as well as its highly free exploration environment, it always managed to subtly draw players' thoughts back when they were on the verge of giving up.
Human beings' desire to explore the unknown is unimaginably vast.
Once that door is opened, waves of "big mothers" will rush in.
This is also the unique characteristic of Roguelike games (where upon player death, progress is not saved, and a new game must be started. Each run features randomly generated maps and content, ensuring a fresh experience. Elements such as [turn-based combat], [permadeath], and [procedurally generated maps] combine to form the core features of Roguelike games.), and "Rebirth Cell Person" is a game that takes the Roguelike mode to its extreme.
Lu Li habitually opened Mo Zhi's live stream. Such an opportunity to witness moments of frustration,
he absolutely did not want to miss.
......