Chapter 17 Studio Types

The three of them walked out of the arched doorway of the sacrificial hall and entered a dark tunnel.

The further they went, the narrower the tunnel became, quickly shrinking to the size of a regular corridor. Although there were turns in the path from time to time, they never found any forks in the road.

"Hmm...right." Halfway there, Scumbag Uncle suddenly seemed to remember something and said to Atobe, "Atobe, there's something I'm curious about, and I'd like to ask you about it."

Atobe was stunned when he heard this, thinking: A player of Scumbag Uncle's level actually has a question to ask me?

"Ah? What is it?" Atobe replied.

"It's just..." Scumbag Uncle asked, "Which type of game studio does your Ice Emperor belong to?"

"Which type?" Atobe repeated on the surface, as if deep in thought, but in his heart, he was mumbling: Game studios are divided into types?

Obviously...they are.

Roughly speaking, there are four main types of game studios.

The first type is "Comprehensive," and these studios are often large companies with vast resources, strong financial backing, and celebrity talent. Their scope of operations has long surpassed the gaming realm, and they can guarantee profits just by relying on their brand effect.

The second type is "Talent-based." These studios range in size from small to large. Their basic philosophy is to be people-oriented, focusing on cultivating outstanding star players and generating considerable income by exporting talent.

The third type is "Commercial." This is a more marginal type, and not everyone has the ability to do it, but those who do it well certainly earn a lot. These studios don't have very high requirements for their employees' gaming skills. What they need are patient players who are good at observing, analyzing, and socializing. They treat the game like a marketplace to conquer, making money by speculating on virtual items, controlling prices, and buying and selling information, which can be considered an unconventional path.

The fourth type is "Hardworking," and most small-to-medium-sized studios fall into this category. Their main business is the most basic link in the industry—leveling or boosting, and gold farming. These are basically unglamorous and unpleasant tasks. Doing them for a long time leads to mechanized operations, making people feel hardworking and bored. Moreover…those in this line of work have to endure all kinds of scolding and accusations, because their gaming style is purely focused on pursuing efficiency, so they often spoil other players' gaming experience. Even if they're called "locusts," they can't refute it.

The above information can be considered basic knowledge. In 2055, if you want to work in the gaming industry, whether as a player or starting your own studio, you must master this content. If you can't even figure out your basic positioning, then entering the industry is undoubtedly shooting yourself in the foot.

Seeing this, everyone has probably vaguely sensed it...that's right, Young Master Atobe, or rather...Jin Fugui, jumped into the tide of the gaming industry without knowing anything.

Fortunately...his family was quite wealthy, which allowed him to make some mistakes.

Jin Fugui's father had been in business for many years and was a sensible man. He thought it through: If his son wanted to start a game studio, then let him do it. At least it was a legal industry, and the required investment wasn't high. Even if he didn't make a name for himself, he wouldn't lose much money. Anyway...it was better than being a NEET after graduating from university.

So, Atobe, with full of enthusiasm, anticipation, and ignorance, began his gaming career...

"It's...that kind of..." Atobe stammered, "Fewer people, but still pretty strong...that kind..."

"Oh, so you're going the elite route? That's 'Talent-based'," Honghu interjected from the side, "Hey? Speaking of which...why isn't your studio's official website online yet?"

"Uh...that..." Atobe responded awkwardly, "Because the company hasn't been established for long...plus, business in the game is quite busy..."

In fact...if no one had reminded him, he probably wouldn't have remembered to build a studio homepage for another six months...

"I see." Honghu didn't suspect anything, but said, "Hmm...understandable. Small studios have few staff, so there will be problems like that."

"Actually, being able to maintain normal operations is already amazing," Scumbag Uncle continued, "I really admire Atobe for becoming the boss of a studio at such a young age. You must have taken out a lot of bank loans, right? Haha..."

"Uh...not...not really..." Atobe was really embarrassed to reveal the fact that he was a rich second generation in this atmosphere.

"Hehe...don't worry, back then, guys like Shiva and Dao Jianxiao started their businesses at about the same age as you, and now they've all become influential figures, haven't they?" Honghu laughed, "Your studio has just started, and you already have skilled players like Qu Mingnan sitting in town, so the future looks bright." He paused, "However...since it's a Talent-based studio, connections are very important. Even if it's just to show off, you need to recruit more employees. After the newcomers grow, you and the core team can free yourselves up to handle those offline trivial matters."

"Mm-hmm, got it..." Atobe nodded.

"How about this? Let's add each other as friends after the script ends. I still know some people in the industry, some skilled individual professional players. I can introduce them to you," Honghu continued.

"Oh! That's a godsend!" Atobe's eyes lit up, "Thank you, thank you."

"Hehe...no need to be polite..." Honghu laughed, "Although my friends are talented, they don't have enough experience. They haven't been successful in applying to well-known studios, and they're not interested in those small-to-medium-sized 'Hardworking' studios. Going to some strange small studios...I'm afraid they'll be cheated. It's a win-win situation if you're willing to take them in."

"Um...we're not very familiar...aren't you afraid that I'm also a black-hearted boss who exploits employees?" Atobe asked with a smile.

"Doesn't seem like it." Scumbag Uncle interjected at this time, "I'm pretty good at reading people. Although we haven't been in contact for long, neither you nor Qu Mingnan and the other two...seem like people who came out of that kind of studio."

"Yeah, I think so too," Honghu added.

"Okay...I'll take that as a compliment," Atobe replied.

Atobe really didn't come to this Team Nightmare script for nothing. Putting aside whether he can get the completion reward in the end, at least he has gained other, more practical benefits.

"Oh, I also have something I wanted to ask you." At this time, Atobe felt it was time to change the subject, so he said to Scumbag Uncle, "Regarding when you exposed Soul of Imitation earlier...were your conclusions really based only on his stance?"

"That's right, just that," Scumbag Uncle replied.

Atobe said, "Where does your confidence come from?"

Scumbag Uncle hesitated slightly and laughed, "Hehe...actually, the reason is very simple, because I've studied the recordings of the Peak Showdown many times, and I've made very detailed observations of each player's fighting style. Especially those subtle habitual movements and the instantaneous reactions in the face of danger...I watched them frame by frame."

Honghu immediately responded, "Ah...Brother Chai, you've also done your homework very well."

"Hehe...same to you," Scumbag Uncle laughed, "I guess you've studied it no less than I have."

At this point, two sharp gazes briefly met and quickly separated. Everything was understood without words...

Only Atobe lowered his eyes silently on the side. He couldn't help but think...the two professional players in front of him, who fought in the game under their own names, had reached this level. In contrast, he was, after all, the head of a game studio, but until now, he was basically still playing the game with the idea of "making money by playing."

Zhen-ge, Lao Qu, and Xiao Ming can hold this mentality, because their job is to play games, and they do it very well. It can be said that they have fully possessed the qualities of professional players. All they can do is use their gaming skills to support this studio.

But Atobe is different. He is the studio's investor, decision-maker, and operator. The things he needs to do are far from being completed in the game.

At this moment, Atobe suddenly realized...why his three good-for-nothing friends always refused to run scripts with him, and always ruthlessly said things like "You suck, go offline quickly."

In fact...they didn't not want to play games with their good brother, and they certainly didn't think Atobe's level was low. They just wanted Atobe to do what he should really be doing. Because they were no longer the four students huddled in the dormitory. They were adults who had stepped into society and needed to survive by playing games.

Qu Mingnan and the other two had already understood, but only Atobe didn't. He still seemed to have not grown up...

In the end...he was just "playing." Using his youth and his family's money to play. The so-called "studio" was just a facade shrouded in the halo of "dreams, entrepreneurship" that allowed him and his good brothers to continue to stay together and play games all day long...

Now that he looked back, he didn't deserve to be this "boss" at all. He rarely did those boring investigations and research work, and never formulated any detailed or long-term game plans. The studio's schedule was almost like taking it one day at a time...

"I'm really an idiot who can't grow up..." Atobe thought to himself, "Neither a qualified leader...nor a qualified professional player..." He sighed for a long time, raised his eyes, and looked at the two high-level players walking side by side with him, "A true professional must have the qualities of these two...otherwise, what face do I have to call myself a professional..."

He couldn't help but recall a classic movie line—in the adult world, nothing is easy.

"Hey! Look over there!" Suddenly, Honghu stopped and raised his flashlight.

His words pulled Atobe's thoughts back to the script in front of him.

Scumbag Uncle also adopted a defensive stance, staring intently in the direction Honghu was pointing.

They saw...a patch of bluish-green light floating at the far end of the corridor, slowly approaching...