Alex Parker stretched and headed downstairs.
These days, the experience store had seen an influx of visitors, many of them gamers from the capital who came specifically to "greet" Alex and take a picture at the store. After all, Alex was now considered a "famous designer."
The players who threatened to send blades online turned out to be quite friendly in person. Alex only had to promise them early access to the next game's beta, and they left delighted.
Watching this, Amy Johnson shook her head with a wry smile, muttering, "Is this what the history books mean by 'the petty bourgeoisie's weakness and tendency to compromise'?"
After greeting a few new visitors, Alex put on his coat and prepared to leave.
"Huh? Boss, you're heading out?" Amy asked.
Indeed, Alex was a homebody, spending most of his time at the experience store, either developing new games or brainstorming the next project. He rarely went out. He preferred handling everything online, including shopping and ordering food.
Seeing him go out was surprising.
"Yeah, I'm heading out for a bit. I'll be back before closing," Alex replied.
After saying this, he left the store and walked across the street to "Finger Tip Net Café."
Having already experienced VR games, Alex had a clear idea of the state of VR gaming. Now, it was time to check out the PC gaming scene.
Since entering the industry, Alex had primarily focused on mobile games and had little knowledge of PC and VR games. But he wasn't satisfied with being known only as a mobile game designer; it was time to explore the PC gaming market.
Naturally, the best way to research this was to visit an internet café.
The popularity of a PC game and its current heat could be gauged by the number of people playing it in internet cafés. This data was relatively accurate, unlike the heavily manipulated online leaderboards.
At the front desk, Chloe was snacking on sunflower seeds while watching a drama.
She noticed Alex as soon as he walked in and tossed her sunflower seed shells into the trash. "Well, well, a rare visitor. Come on in."
Alex chuckled. "Aren't you the owner of this café? Why are you working the counter yourself?"
Chloe replied, "Well, it's about saving costs. I have one cashier, but she can't cover both day and night shifts. Hiring another one is expensive, so I fill in myself. Besides, there's not much to do."
Alex laughed. "You're quite thrifty. Do you have any free machines? I'd like to use one."
Chloe said, "Sure, just scan your ID here. We're not that crowded; there are always free spots except during holidays."
"Thanks, I'll find a spot myself," Alex said.
"Alright, if you need anything, just call for the attendant. That guy over there," Chloe said, pointing to a young man with glasses.
Alex nodded, "Got it. Thanks."
Chloe waved him off, "No problem. I'm looking forward to that PC game you promised would outshine VR games."
Alex smiled, "We'll see. I'll get to it."
After scanning his ID and paying 20 yuan, Alex found a relatively quiet spot.
The capital had banned smoking in public places, so the internet café was clean and smoke-free.
As he walked, Alex glanced at the games people were playing.
There was a variety of games, but MMORPGs and real-time strategy (RTS) games dominated. Other genres like strategy, simulation, action-adventure, and so on were present but less popular.
These latter genres were either niche or heavily overshadowed by VR games, so there weren't many good titles.
The MMORPGs were particularly numerous; Alex spotted at least three popular ones.
"Sword Legend," "Moon Oracle," and "Three Kingdoms Conquest."
"Sword Legend," developed by Infinite Entertainment, was a fantasy game. Its VR version was considered one of the best domestic VR games and Infinite Entertainment's flagship product.
Games that shared data between VR and PC versions were common. Due to the high development costs of VR games, developers usually tested the waters with a PC version first. If successful, they would then invest in a VR version.
Thanks to the success of the PC version of "Sword Legend," Infinite Entertainment decided to develop the VR version, making it their crown jewel.
"Moon Oracle," a fantasy game adapted from a famous online novel, was developed by Daniel Cooper, an S-level designer at Generation Entertainment. The VR version was in development and expected to launch within the year.
"Moon Oracle" had more users and better revenue but slightly worse reviews than "Sword Legend."
"Three Kingdoms Conquest" was different from the other two. It was a war-themed MMORPG with fewer users but higher revenue and strong player retention. However, the company behind it lacked the funds to develop a VR version.
Internationally, there were Western fantasy RPGs like "Supreme God's Ring," but these games struggled in the domestic market, even those with big IPs.
This possibly stemmed from player habits or cultural differences, benefiting the domestic gaming giants.
Besides MMORPGs, there was a highly popular foreign RTS game called "Legion Conquest."
"RTS games are this popular? They can compete with these MMORPGs? That's incredible," Alex thought.
He found "Legion Conquest" on the café's computer and clicked to enter.
In his previous life, RTS and RPG games had declined significantly with the rise of MOBA games.
RPGs suffered because of their high time investment, and RTS games due to their high difficulty. Both genres struggled to meet players' demands for quick and easy gameplay, leading to their gradual decline.
Alex was curious why RTS games were so popular in this era, even rivaling the dual-platform "Sword Legend."