There is no doubt that this is a world driven by technology. However, it is not as advanced as the technology depicted in the movies and novels of John's previous life. The standout feature here is the powerful virtual reality technology, with other aspects being at most decades ahead of John's previous life. God is fair; after endowing this world with advanced technological capabilities, the people's imagination seems to have suffered.
John, having digested the memories, continued to browse through the computer. The page displayed was the official website of the Dragon Kingdom's virtual game. He saw numerous virtual games designed by various virtual game designers since the maturity of virtual reality technology, with the first virtual game, "Second World," ranked at the top.
"Second World" is the first virtual world developed by Dragon Kingdom officials with significant effort. It is the first virtual game and virtual world created in this realm. John's eyes moved downward, noticing a series of numbers that made his pupils shrink suddenly. "What!... the number of people online... ten digits???" Ten digits mean billions!!! At this point, billions of people are starting their second lives in the "Second World," deeply embedding the virtual world concept in John's mind.
Almost everyone in the Dragon Kingdom has an identity in "Second World," and John is no exception. With the memory almost entirely fused, John felt confident, though the reality before him left him briefly shocked. "Second World" mirrors the rules and worldviews of the real world. Entering the game is like starting life anew, with everyone being a blank slate, choosing what they want to do and what they like to do.
Despite its perfection, it is still just a virtual game that can be restarted anytime, and in-game situations will inevitably be influenced by the real world. Conversely, situations in the "Second World" can also affect the real world. For instance, wealthy individuals become pay-to-win players in the virtual world. Although there is no official pay-to-win channel, every unemployed player here is a potential pay-to-win channel.
What would you do if offered money to assist someone in the game? Such simplicity is unavoidable. This is one of the core purposes of "Second World." It helps the unemployed find engagement to prevent trouble, turning such interest models into professions.
The shock in John's eyes slowly receded as his fingers moved to check other virtual games. After the birth of the "Second World," other countries outside the Dragon Kingdom recognized the immense benefits of the virtual world. They paid a hefty price for the rights to use virtual reality technology from the Dragon Kingdom.
More crucial is the virtual reality network. Without it, virtual games would remain confined to rigid computer screens. The Dragon Kingdom deployed this network across Canglan Star, with other countries paying a substantial price for its use.
Subsequently, they developed the "Third World" to "Nth World." Their original names were different but were simplified when translated into Dragon Kingdom's language. The Dragon Kingdom, unconcerned with fancy names, numbered them in order of appearance, reinforcing their secondary status. John hummed in agreement and smiled, acknowledging this strategy. If not claimed, others might take credit for it.
Checking the online numbers again, John noticed a significant disparity. Setting up the virtual reality network across Canglan Star was a condition for countries authorized to use Dragon Kingdom's technology. "Second World" successfully spread from the Dragon Kingdom to the entire Canglan Star, with countless players from other countries among the billions online.
John realized that Dragon Kingdom had been preparing for "Second World" since 2012, when virtual reality technology emerged, likely continuing until 2019. They prepared for seven years, and by 2022, its perfection level surpassed subsequent "Third World" to "Nth World" games.
John continued browsing, finding other worlds with less complicated worldviews and rules. "Simple" is the best term to describe them. Other than the real-world template of "Second World," the other virtual games lacked imagination, causing John to curse mentally.
"What are these Princess saving games? There are over 10,000 of this genre?! Are there that many princesses? Although princesses are pretty, but where is the adventure??? Is saving the princess all there is to these games? Not even Super Mario?"
"What the hell! Are these supposed to be scary monsters?!"
"This is a fighting game? No, it's like fighting at a shooting range. How are you supposed to show some skills with Aim assist?"
"What?! this is a level-breaking game? These people don't have any imagination..."
"I @#￥%..."
After struggling for over an hour, John gave up and had an epiphany. "Sure enough, God sent me here to save your imaginations that have hit negative value."
Initially shocked and then stunned, John's eyes now gleamed with excitement. With complete memory fusion, John understood the situation's cause and effect.
The lack of imagination isn't anyone's fault; it's a consequence of the world's history. Myths, fantasies, and weird phenomena that once existed here until a well-known guy came along and unveiled science in this world. With science's banner, these mysterious elements were nearly eradicated, and subsequent generations continued this scientific purge, erasing fantasies and myths and effectively cutting off people's imagination at the root.
Now, only the dragon in the logo of the Dragon Kingdom retains a semblance of the mythical beasts known as dragons. There might be other undiscovered imprints on Canglan Planet. Initially annoying to John, this situation presented the best opportunity for him.
John had been flipping through games to determine his entry point into this world's game industry and realized he could start anywhere.