Game Director from Hell

Chapter 67: Result

“It’s 1.1 million copies. Among them, 400,000 copies were sold in the first release.”

Yang Gilsang swept his hair back as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying, scratching his scalp.

His face was filled with joy.

“These numbers are unbelievable! Honestly, I never thought we would achieve such sales in the first release Director, do you believe it?”

No, I didn’t believe it either.

Initially, we didn’t even consider the Korean and American markets for sales.

But it wasn’t entirely unexpected to have some idea because of this.

“…It must be the collector’s urge.”

“Yes, most of the sales came from existing fan groups. Take a look here.”

What Yang Gilsang had brought were reactions from various online communities.

While these communities were small customer gatherings on their own, they were a good place to understand the general needs of customers.

So, the communities provided the reasons.

『(Chat) WaitingforHellic3: Who’s playing Hellic 2 console version?

<Comment>

Lord of Bangbaedong Castle: Me.

Cherry Lips: Me too.

Corporal Console Tester: I took a vacation for this lol, can’t miss it lolololol.

S2Poppin: Since it was console-friendly from the start, I want to try it on console too ^^.

SpaceWarriorFan: What a waste of money…

zZoneHanSu: How can you resist buying it lolololol.

CrystalClearWithoutT: I bought a PS3 for this game, ugh.』

Despite the fact that the Korean market was not console-friendly, there were many users eagerly awaiting the console version.

Furthermore, in the more console-friendly United States, the response was much larger than I had anticipated.

Their reactions were more explicit and revealed this staggering figure.

『-Can’t they package all the series together? What about Hellic 1?

┕Hellic 1 is at the Flash level. It’s impossible.

┕Still, I agree with the suggestion. I want to collect them all once Hellic 3 comes out.

-There doesn’t seem to be any changes. Should I buy it?

┕If you don’t want to buy it, then don’t. We buy it because we want it.』

In summary, there was one reason for this sales volume.

Because they wanted it.

It was a desire to own physical game package.

They had already played the game, knew the ending and content, but they purchased the game solely because they wanted to own it.

It was an irrational realm.

At the same time, it was an emotional one.

I reflected on my decisions.

“I didn’t consider this. The emotional meaning that physical packages hold.”

As a gamer myself, how could I not have considered this?

The answer to my confusion probably lay in the fact that I had spent my entire life creating PC and mobile platform games.

But when I thought about it, it made sense.

As a gamer, I could completely understand the emotions of these users.

“It’s probably the magic that physical items hold.”

After all, can a PC replicate the excitement of opening a beautifully designed package, inserting the CD, and feeling the anticipation as you start the game?

Moreover, the sense of satisfaction and security that comes from owning a game in physical form is entirely different from having a title floating on an online program.

I, too, knew those feelings.

Therefore, I can empathize with their irrational consumption.

From a marketing perspective, it was like that.

‘Disk Console Edition.’

The package will not decline in the future.

Although it has decreased in scale due to the popularity of the PC platform, the core audience remained unaffected.

The reason for this was the desire for physical objects.

In other words, it was a desire to collect, and it was closely related to human long-standing irrational desires, greed.

Furthermore, if we look at this phenomenon in a different way…

“So, this means that there are this many core fans, right?”

“Yes, it means there are this many people who have affection for Hellic.”

“So…”

“Roughly, about 20-30% among them could become definite Hellic 3 buyers.”

The numbers were staggering.

20-30% of 400,000 meant between 80,000 and 120,000 potential buyers.

And if you approached it optimistically, it could even exceed 50%.

This was not just a simple number.

It was a measure of the power Studio Rewind and the IP called Hellic possessed.

His fist clenched.

A more optimistic observation had been quantified.

But there was another point that should be noted in these sales figures.

“Sales in Japan are 650,000, and 50,000 in the rest. It’s better than expected.”

Hellic’s entry into the Japanese market had been successful.

It wasn’t a dramatic figure, but it was significant enough to say that.

“We broke through that domestic exclusive country. It’s just 650,000 in a week. If we look at the trend for the next month, it could even reach a million.”

The Japanese console market was known for its particularly challenging entry barriers.

The giants that already occupied that market were like massive walls.

Breaking through that meant gaining at least the minimum qualifications to challenge the giants at the pinnacle of the package market in that lofty sky.

“Can you take a look at this?”

Yang Gilsang turned the monitor towards me.

It was an internet broadcast screen in Japanese.

A cute girl was playing Hellic 2 and choking back tears.

Her brown short hair, round twinkling eyes, and a round face left an impression.

“In our terms, this is called a live broadcast. It’s following the trend properly.”

“…Who is this person?”

“Minami Yuka. She’s a famous Japanese idol known for being a game enthusiast. Oh, let me explain a bit more. Yuka-chan’s debut was seven years ago, and the group name is…”

Suddenly, Yang Gilsang’s tongue grew longer.

There was a hint of excitement on his face.

This guy liked Japanese idols.

Now that I thought about it, I remembered that his smartphone wallpaper was this girl.

“So… Yuka-chan played the console version of Hellic 2, right? She’s been broadcasting for 15 hours already! She’s about to enter the ending now…”

“…Yes.”

I interrupted him and glanced at the monitor.

I didn’t know his taste well.

Where his gaze was focused was the chat window.

It was fortunate that I could understand Japanese.

Vividness is being conveyed.

***

Minami Yuka, 22 years old.

Now in her 7th year as an idol, and her age has certainly caught up with her.

Her popularity wasn’t all that high.

She had formed a fandom in this direction mainly due to her image as a “gamer otaku.”

As retirement drew closer, she chose internet broadcasting as a way to find her path, and today she was playing the newly released title, Hellic 2, as a live broadcast.

“Oh no, oh no! The tears won’t stop!!!”

It wasn’t a game she had high expectations for. After all, she had judged that indie games wouldn’t impress her much, having absorbed all sorts of AAA titles from a young age.

However, upon opening the lid, she realized her judgment was wrong.

The flowing narrative and intuitive gameplay direction provided more enjoyment than she had anticipated.

And when the highly anticipated ending unfolded before her eyes, Yuka had to make an effort to control her expression.

“Pull yourself together, Yuka! You’re an idol! You can’t show an ugly expression!”

Even though she had set the direction for the game live stream, she couldn’t afford to show an unattractive face.

The viewers were her existing fans, people who liked Yuka as an idol.

Idols had to be charming.

In other words, they couldn’t show an ugly side at any moment.

Yuka understood that fact quite well.

She also knew that her crying face was very unattractive.

Her round face shape and big eyes were Yuka’s biggest pride, but when she cried, her face crumpled like a dumpling.

“I have to endure it, I have to…”

She desperately put effort into her face, and her chin quivered.

Her nostrils narrowed, and her eyes widened as if they were about to shoot lasers.

Yuka envied the viewers.

“-What is that?ㅠㅠㅠ how! It’s so sad!!!

-Alice-chan! Don’t go!!! Take the butterfly too!!!

-ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ

-(Crying emoji)

-(Sobbing emoji)”

“Oh, should I just cry too?”

Her heart weakened, but she regained control.

As a 7-year veteran idol, there was no escaping occasional hardships.

At that moment, a golden door swallowed Alice.

The final boss appeared.

Yuka didn’t know who this character was.

She only knew it was an enemy of the butterfly, and its stitched face, pierced ears, and blue face amplified the eeriness.

Yuka felt her heart pound.

The final boss looked undeniably strong, and that’s why Yuka was reminded of a tragic ending.

“No way!”

If the butterfly sacrificed itself and died like this, she wouldn’t be able to hold back her tears.

She would show her fans an ugly, distorted face!

She would fail! She would definitely fail!

“I must win! Butterfly! You have to win!”

At this moment, Yuka became one with the butterfly.

She had to win and cross that golden door, and she had to hold back her tears.

“Ikku (I’m going)!!!”

Tadadat!

Yuka’s hand danced gracefully on the pad.

Unbelievable speed!

Spectacular technique!

Yuka’s gaze followed the movements of the warden without a moment’s rest, just like James Bond!

However, there was a tragic fact.

Yuka was not James Bond.

In other words, entering the hidden route was impossible (she didn’t even know if such a thing existed in the first place).

All she achieved was a normal ending, doing her best.

And so,

[…Goodbye.]

She could only smile warmly as the butterfly crumbled before her.

At that moment, Yuka’s rationality crumbled.

“Do-cit-te (Why)!!!”

Alice had left.

But the butterfly’s life had ended tragically.

Unable to bear it any longer, tears welled up in her eyes.

“Ahhhh!!!”

Yuka sobbed.

She let go of the pad and thumped the floor.

Then she lifted her head and wailed loudly.

The pent-up emotions that she had held back for so long made her face contort into a dumpling shape, and she turned crimson, on the verge of bursting.

Tears flowed down, and even snot droplets formed.

It was a late but regretful choice.

Yuka had chosen to cry her heart out.

“Kuuuuu!!!”

And thus, she faced another regret.

It was the next day.

[‘sheep long high: Yuka’s crying while playing the game and snot bubble proof wwwww (Video of Yuka sobbing) Soooo cute wwwwwwwww’]

The scene of her sobbing became a video that spread across various online communities, not just in her home country but also overseas.

“Nooo!!! Lies!!!”

Despair enveloped Yuka.

But was it a blessing in disguise?

“Who is this person? So funny www Yuka-jjang? When’s the broadcast? I want to watch it live wwwww”

Even the snot bubble-popping crying video became a cult hit, gaining immense popularity.

Yuka’s fame grew to a level that couldn’t be compared to her idol days, and her future looked brighter after her retirement.

“···Huh?”

The ways of the world were truly unpredictable.

Now, to tell a separate story from Yuka’s,

The game that made Yuka’s snot bubble burst began to gain more publicity along with the meme, reaching a larger audience.

And so, one month passed.

***

“···1,430,000 copies. Sold only in Japan.”

Yang Gilsang said with wide-eyed disbelief.

I couldn’t believe it myself.

The numbers were so unbelievable that it left me stunned.

“···Insane.”

As I muttered curses under my breath,

Ding!

A text message arrived.

[Can we talk for a moment?]

The sender was Ayado Goro.

He was the director of Sony’s sales /RomanceMTL