Of course, if following the habits from his previous life, calling it "Azeroth National Geographic" (NGA) might be better. However, Alex Parker wasn't creating a player exchange forum; he was making an official website dedicated to introducing Azeroth.
Naturally, NGA could be an essential part of this website, added later.
The concept of the "Azeroth Universe" drew some inspiration from the "League of Legends Universe."
After "League of Legends" became popular, Riot Games spared no effort in building its game culture, with the most important aspect being the game's lore, known as the "League of Legends Universe."
As a unique art medium, a game's worldview can be vast, and the in-game narratives and settings cannot fully express this. Therefore, Riot Games launched the "League of Legends Universe" to expand its cultural influence further.
MOBA games, limited by their nature and numerous characters, tend to have a scattered lore, making promoting the "League of Legends Universe" more challenging.
In contrast, the lore of "World of Warcraft" is exceptionally well-developed. The "Azeroth Universe" Alex was creating would likely be more readily accepted and have a more substantial impact.
What kind of website is the "Azeroth Universe"?
According to Alex's plan, this website would mainly introduce Azeroth and related Warcraft series lore. It would be divided into four main sections: History, Heroes, Rules, and Regions. These sections would cover the history of Azeroth, character biographies, world rules, and regional divisions.
Transferring all of Azeroth's settings would be a lengthy, systematic project, certainly not finished in a few months. Alex was prepared for long-term updates, adding bits whenever he had time.
His focus was primarily on the History, Rules, and Regions sections.
The History section would cover significant events like the orc invasion, the establishment of Orgrimmar, and the human alliance, explaining the relationship between the Alliance and the Horde.
The Rules section would introduce related settings such as hearthstones, corpse-running resurrection, races, classes, and skills.
The Regions section would describe the major racial capitals and some unique locations in Azeroth.
This was to help players better understand the content of "I Am MT" and lay the groundwork for the future. When Alex had enough capabilities and resources, he planned to recreate the entire "World of Warcraft," with this website serving as an extensive teaser.
...
The first three episodes of "I Am MT" Season 1 were simultaneously updated on major video platforms!
Before the anime's launch, Alex did some preliminary work. He contacted major video websites, purchasing homepage recommendation spots in their gaming sections.
Shining Aurora Studio was familiar with these business processes and had connections with editors on major video platforms, so with enough funding, bare recommendation spots were secured.
Of course, the top spots on homepages were reserved for content with high viewership and engagement, and buying them was too expensive, so Alex didn't consider it.
Shining Aurora Studio also promoted and hyped the anime on its website.
Meanwhile, Alex announced the upcoming "I Am MT" anime in the "Plants vs. Zombies" game and on his Weibo, briefly introducing the story background and hinting at its connection to his new game.
On Weibo, Alex released the "I Am MT" anime trailer, a two-minute intro that showcases the entirety of Azeroth.
In a short time, Alex's Weibo post was shared thousands of times!
This included loyal players of "Plants vs. Zombies" and "Flappy Bird," game media following the bet, and some players from Generation Entertainment.
Soon, some uninformed players noticed the post. After watching the promotional video, some became interested.
"What's going on? An anime? Did I see that right?"
"...Wasn't it about betting on game monthly revenue? A month has passed, and now Alex drops an anime?"
"And it's produced by Shining Aurora Studio. Wow, this was premeditated and probably cost a lot of money."
"I'm worried if Alex has time to develop the game..."
"The anime trailer is pretty interesting; it feels like a vast world. I might check it out."
"Yeah, let's see how it ties to the game."
At 8 PM, the "I Am MT" anime officially premiered!
Thanks to prior hype and video site recommendations, the anime received significant attention right after its release. It also sparked discussions on Weibo and in the "Plants vs. Zombies" game's comment section.
The preliminary hype was adequate, but it was only the first step. The key was the audience's feedback and whether they would continue watching.
Alex was a bit nervous, constantly checking viewership data and player comments on various websites.
This anime's success would largely determine the game's popularity. If the anime flopped, the game would be significantly affected, possibly severely.
Amy Johnson and Paul Wilder were also tense, refreshing the data on major video sites.
Soon, viewer comments began to increase.
"That's it? Wow, that was short!"
"That's all? What's next?"
"A cow as the protagonist, so non-mainstream! But I like it!"
"Although a bit confusing, the worldview seems interesting."
"The characters are all so quirky, 23333."
"It's quite unexpected. Alex must have planned this anime. It probably cost a lot."
Some viewers were confused but impressed by the vast worldview. Overall, their first impression was positive. The critical point was the anime's novelty, especially its appealing background settings.
After the third episode ended and the ending song played, a subtitle appeared on the screen.
"To be continued…"
And in smaller text: "For more Azeroth-related settings and background stories, visit the Azeroth Universe!"
"Azeroth Universe? What's that?"
Many viewers, still eager after watching the anime, searched for the "Azeroth Universe" official website to explore more content.