Hardcore Mode: Carpilo's Last Chance
Sixty days. Sixty measly days since Carpilo left the bar where he was drowning his sorrows and went straight into the biggest "Se Vira nos 30" in the history of the gaming industry. Now, with the adrenaline of having an entire government watching his performance (and a plane ready for Siberia in case he fails), the former Lekox tycoon works day and night to finish Alexandre Pargaz: O Renascimento da Phoenix do Inferno.
The idea? Create something that can face Phame 8 head on and, with luck, beat up Cruel Territories so badly that the company will have to release Phame 9: O Repair de Emergencia the following month. But time is cruel. And the Russians, even more so.
Challenges of a Game of Life or Death
☑ Create a game better than Phame 8 (or at least make it seem like it is).
☑ Don't miss the release deadline ("Delay" doesn't exist in the government's vocabulary).
☑ Have an escape plan in case sales are a disaster.
While the whole world anxiously awaits the release of Phame 8, Carpilo doesn't sleep, doesn't eat and is already confusing caffeine with blood in his bloodstream. The fate of the games – and possibly his own – depends on Alexandre Pargaz's success.
Now it remains to be seen whether the game will be a glorious rebirth, worthy of its title, or whether Carpilo has simply baptized his own descent into hell.
Carpilo's Last Laugh: The Day the Phoenix Kicked the Titan
And didn't the drunk at the bar do it? Against all odds (and against all odds of him ending up in a Russian cell overlooking the eternal snow), Alexandre Pargaz 10 hit the market kicking down doors, breaking records and, to Cruel Territories' dismay, redefining the industry.
Phame 8, which before its release was already being treated as the next big game changer, ended up being just another "cool, but..." in everyone's library of games. Did it sell an absurd 500 billion? Yes. But in the war of games, those who sell 890 billion don't need to look back.
Carpilo's Recipe for Success:
☑ Being kicked out of the market and coming back armed to the teeth.
☑ Creating a game with so much love and hate that the NPCs probably have war trauma. ☑ Don't underestimate a Russian when he says "we want results".
Cruel Territories' Mourning
The defeat came as such a surprise that Cruel Territories officially entered the denial stage. Executives were seen repeating phrases like:
"No, wait, 890 billion? Is that a real number or an accounting bug?"
"Maybe it's just a passing hype..."
"They're already talking about a Phame 9? Seriously, someone take the Wi-Fi out of marketing."
Conclusion: The Game Has Changed
Carpilo not only returned to the gaming industry, but he also returned by kicking his competitors with both feet. If before he was the underdog, now he is the Messiah of the market, and Cruel Territories needs to rethink its life before attempting a counterattack.
And the best part? The players win. After all, the gaming wars are back, and, as everyone knows, nothing motivates a developer more than the fear of being completely forgotten the following year.