"Ladies and gentleman, are you satisfied? Now let us announce the winner of the competition. Now let us see the results of the contestant." A drum sounded inside the venue to increase the suspense. The large monitor above the stage shows the result.
1st place: The Hunt - 433 Jury Voted, 1311 Hour of Gameplay, 932 Official Score. Total: 2,676 Points!
2nd place: Curtain - 336 Jury Voted, 720 Hour of Gameplay, 788 Official Score. Total: 1,844 Points!
3rd place: Spada Legend - 231 Jury Voted, 891 Hour of Gameplay, 792 Official Sore. Total: 1,527 Points!
...
A long list of contestant result is shown in front of the audience. Soon, the fans of the game studio which made The Hunt cheered.
"With a total score of 2,676 points, The Hunt is the champion of the Professional Game Designer competition by Crimson Company! Please give the top three winners of this competition warm applause!"
The main venue was filled with applause and whistles. The three representatives of the team behind each game get up to stage one by one and receive the award.
"I knew it! 'The Hunt' is taking first place! I have never seen a game like it on the market before."
"Yeah, the gameplay is interesting. Never been done before"
"Sigh, I was hoping The Curtain take the first place."
"Hey, did you see Spada Legend got more hours played but got lower ranking?"
"That's because The Curtain is a horror game. Do you think people want to get abused when they can play another game?"
"Thank you for our team who tirelessly working on this game day and night, thank you for our fans who supported us.
We also expressed our heartfelt thanks for the Crimson Company and we are grateful for our cooperation after all these years. Thank you!"
When the speech was delivered by the Kalen Game Studio representative, the audience clapped their hand. Albert, who sat on the side of the stage waited for the venue to be silent.
"Congratulations for Kalen Game Studio winning first place. Our evaluation for The Hunt is it is an excellent game, the graphics are good and it is new gameplay. As expected from an A-Class game designer. But, in our view, the plot is a little bit lacking, and also..." Albert and some A-Class designer gave their evaluation.
Joshua honestly is not interested in the evaluation for those games, because he felt that those games only passable in his previous life. Is The Hunt better than Dead Island? No, it is not.
"Thank you to our senior game designer for evaluating the contestant games. We hope that the criticism could improve gave the contestant an insight."
"Now it's time to move on to the next Amateur Competition. Let us see the result of the Amateur Game Design Competition!" The Host said as the drum sounded again. All of the participant's games ranked on the monitor.
1st place: Pokemon Fire Red & Water Blue - 41 Jury Voted, 2,973 Hour of Gameplay, 996 Official Score. Total: 4,009 Points!
2nd place: Private Premonition - 326 Jury Voted, 640 Hour of Gameplay, 721 Official Score. Total: 1,687 Points!
3rd place: Astrorealm - 250 Jury Voted, 543 Hour of Gameplay, 686 Official Sore. Total: 1,479 Points!
...
"What? So fierce?"
"What the hell? Is there a glitch in the system?"
"Anyone can explain what game is this Pokemon?"
The audiences gasped and then curiosity got them. They asked around about that Pokemon game. Soon, a man invited as a jury for amateur competition explained to those audiences.
"Why do you think this Pokemon game got so few votes but got the first place?" One audience asked that man.
"Do you want to hear the truth? I was so engrossed playing the game that I forgot to give the token..." The man was embarrassed.
Joshua was surprised by his result. He knew that he can't win the competition just by relying on the voting result. He already calculated how many hours of gameplay those players would give him.
He thought that it will be a pyrrhic victory, but what awaited him is a complete crushing victory. He quickly snaps out of his daze when the host asked him to go to the stage.
When Joshua went to the stage, the audience wowed, especially the ladies. They thought that the winner of the competition is a middle-aged man with a receding hairline, but they didn't expect to see a young handsome man!
"Wow, is he the leader of the game studio that made Pokemon?"
"So handsome! Is he single?"
"So young and capable, reminds me of my younger self."
"Shut up, why didn't you take a look at the mirror."
"First of all, congratulations on winning the amateur competition. I admitted that this game is very well constructed, the gameplay is fresh and interesting, especially the pokemon collecting part."
"But, I think you could do better with the graphical side. You only used half of the capability of the Crimson Go, and I think that is a waste. About the plot, although it is targeted for all ages, you could polish it a little better. Also..."
At first, Joshua didn't bother with the evaluation. But the more he heard the evaluation, the more flabbergasted he was. Damn, why didn't he think about that? If he followed the evaluation and remake the game, the fun of the game will be multiplied!
It's not that the original game is bad, but limited by the technology of that time, many features could not be implemented. But, Crimson Go is different, it is more advanced than the original Game Boy Advance.
He only focused on how to recreate the original game and neglected the game system itself. Like what the evaluation said, it is a waste! He was awed by those A Class game designers. Now he knows that it is not that this world game designer is rubbish, but they just didn't have the creativity.
Joshua was convinced right now. He was full of himself just then, thinking that he could outdo all of this world game designer. That's where he is wrong. Although the game they made is boring and repetitive, their foundation knowledge about a game is deep. No wonder they are A Clas Game designer.
Now his perspective about this world game designer changed. Because this world technological advancement is so fast, those big guys and big corporations focused on the latest system, the Mixed Reality game system, and didn't bother about mobile games, handheld games, or pc games.
Although his level as an F class game designer was recognized by the system, in reality, he didn't receive any certification from World Video Game Association. So he no longer can look down even the lowest F class game designer.
But that truth didn't make him sad, but on the contrary, he was happy. He wants to try those MR games because, in his previous life, the technological advancement is not mature enough. He needs to buy the MR game system!
"Young man, do you want to join our company?" After Albert and Stuart gave the prize, he asked Joshua. Stuart on the side is silent and smiled. Surely, if anyone asked this question they will gladly accept. Because of the prospect of a good salary and prestige, anyone wouldn't reject the invitation, wouldn't they?
"I am sorry sir, I cannot accept your invitation" Joshua shook his head and smiled. His resolute rejection stunned Albert and Stuart. They didn't think Joshua resolutely rejected their invitation!
Albert and Stuart looked at each other and laughed. Albert smiled and patted Joshua's shoulder. 'A good lad! Not enticed by money and prestige, a rare genius in the game industry!' Albert thought inside his heart. He didn't get offended by his rejection.
Stuart on the side also smiled. His evaluation of Joshua got higher and higher. Now he viewed him as a worthy game designer, even though Joshua still hasn't received his certification from World Video Game Association.
But they misunderstood Joshua. He just wants to play games whenever and wherever he wants and didn't want to get entangled by any company. Maybe it's just because of the effect of his 'Handsomeness Aura' skill?
...
Outside the Crimson Company Headquarter
"Hey! Wait up!" Julia intercepts Joshua as he just stepped out of the gate.
"Hey, it's you. Is there anything I could help you with?" Joshua said.
"Can I ask you something? Where is the headquarter of the Miracle Game Studio?" Julia asked.
"I didn't have a headquarter..." Joshua was embarrassed.
"You didn't have one? So where do you guys work?" Julia asked.
"On my apartment..." Joshua answered.
"On your apartment? Aren't you bothered by your employee?" Julia was concerned by his working condition.
"Not really. You see, it's just because I am alone in my company." Joshua said.
"Alone?!" Julia was surprised and thought that she misheard Joshua.
"Yes..." Joshua was embarrassed.
But Julia's eyes shone. 'Wow, is he a genius? Working on that game alone? Did he make that game without a mentor? A handsome person is really different!'
"Do you have time? There is a coffee shop not far from here, and I need to discuss something important with you." Julia asked.
"Umm... I don't want to bother you, but aren't you going to travel somewhere?" Joshua pointed at the suitcase Julia dragged around.
Julia was embarrassed. How she could forget that! She was so eager to meet Joshua and didn't have time to put her suitcase in the hotel.
"No... I... I ran away from home..." Julia said embarrassedly.
"Ok, no problem. I have nothing to do today." 'So she is fellow runaway' Joshua thought.
They didn't talk along the way to the coffee shop. Julia thought that it is normal for a genius and handsome boy like Joshua to be an aloof man. She even gratified that Joshua is not a braggart and shows off whenever he talks to her, like another man he knows.
But Joshua didn't say anything because he thought that Julia looked down on him because of his game studio condition and he didn't any qualification as a game designer so he just keeps silent.
'Sigh, I already received the top prize, but why I didn't felt happy?' Joshua thought to himself. He didn't know why he didn't felt happy after winning the competition. But when he engages with the player inside his booth, he felt very happy and proud that there is someone who plays with his game.
He also saw his info window changed.
Fanatic: 60
Positive Points: 760
Joshua just got 60 fans of his Game Studio. Normally, not many people will become fans of a game studio with just one game, especially a newly established game studio.