You call this entrepreneurship?

Chapter 421 Free lesson!
"What are you talking about!" Shi Yuzhu said unhappily, "You are the backbone of the project, the producer, how can you say such discouraging words."

The war hasn't even started yet and this general has already shown signs of cowardice. What's the point of fighting?
"Isn't it just a "Warring States"?" Shi Yuzhu scolded, "What is there to be afraid of? Will our "Zhengtu" lose?"

Lin Haixiao realized that he had lost his composure and quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, Mr. Shi. I was a little too anxious."

"But this "Warring States" is indeed our strong rival, and it is tested together with us, so it is easy to steal the limelight from our game."

"Zhengtu" also plans to launch the final internal test on December 12. If there are no problems, it will be officially launched for public beta in March or April.

Now "Warring States" suddenly came out and also conducted technical internal testing on December 12, directly colliding with each other.

"It's just a technical internal test." Shi Yuzhu was very calm. "This is their first external test."

Lin Haixiao thought about it and gave a definite answer, "This is the first time. I only heard that they were developing an online game before, but I didn't expect it to be put online for testing so soon."

"Then what are you afraid of? This is just their first test. There may be several more tests." Shi Yuzhu said disdainfully, "Even if it goes well, we have to wait until the second half of next year."

"If there are bugs, the progress will be even slower. By the time they fix the bugs, our game ZT will have already captured a large market share."

Shi Yuzhu was deeply involved in the game development of "Zhengtu", so he is naturally not the kind of boss who knows nothing.

Before an online game is officially launched, it will undergo several tests, such as stress testing, closed testing, internal testing, etc.

Stress testing is to test the server pressure. This is a purely technical test, which is usually carried out within the company by writing a few script programs or finding some game guilds to cooperate.

The main content is to create thousands of accounts, create characters, complete novice process tasks, and perform transactions, battles, etc. to test the load-bearing pressure on the server.

Closed testing is a small-scale external test, which invites some players to join the game by issuing invitation codes or activation codes.

The main tests are to see if the game has any bugs, players' feedback on various gameplay systems, design loopholes, preliminary economic system, and combat system feedback.

Internal testing is similar to closed testing, but more players are invited and more game content is open.

In addition to feedback on bugs, gameplay, numbers, etc., the main thing to look at is the various game data.

Unlike players' active feedback, data can reflect the more realistic situation of the game.

Experienced operations and R&D personnel can identify game problems from various data and then propose modifications.

After the modification is completed, another round of internal testing will be started to continue looking at data issues.

If there is no problem with the data, then you can prepare to go online step by step.

If the data is not correct, continue to modify it and then test it again.

If it can be modified, it's good. If it can't be modified, the project is almost doomed.

After all, the patience and resources of operators and bosses are limited, and they cannot invest unlimited resources in a game project.

We often see a game being tested over and over again, and then there is no news about it anymore.

It is normal for games to die in the development stage. A conservative estimate is that 70% of projects die during development. Projects that can be put online for testing are considered presentable.

That’s why Shi Yuzhu is so optimistic. This is only the first round of testing. Normally, it will take at least three or four tests. The progress is far behind that of “Zhengtu”.

"Zhengtu" also conducted two tests, which took a total of eight months.

Why was ZT only tested twice?
That’s because the research and development team of “Zhengtu” were poached from Shanda’s “Heroic Era” project team, and they already have very rich experience.

"Heroic Era" began development in 2002 and conducted its first closed beta test in February 2004.

At that time, Lin Haixiao was full of confidence in this project, and the test feedback was also very good, and it was expected to replace Shanda’s money-making pillar "Legend of Mir 2".

But later Shanda focused on 3D games and paid less attention to "Heroic Era", so conflicts broke out between the production team and the company, and they were later poached by Shi Yuzhu.

Shi Yuzhu invested a huge amount in this game, spending 40 million to recruit the entire R&D team.

The reason why the "Zhengtu" game was able to start testing and launch within a year is inseparable from the foundation laid by the R&D team's experience in developing "Heroic Era".

"But the producer of Warring States Online is Qin Shaoyan." Lin Haixiao said anxiously, "This online game is quite outstanding in terms of quality. The engine technology and game graphics far exceed those of 3D games on the market."

"So what about Qin Shaoyan?" Shi Yuzhu said disdainfully, "I know this guy. He is highly praised in the industry."

"I don't think it's a big deal to say that he is China's number one game producer."

"That's not the case." Lin Haixiao frowned, "Game producers in Europe and America recognize him very much."

"It's hard to live up to his reputation. No matter how good he is, it's only in single-player design. This is an online game!" Shi Yuzhu emphasized, "Online games and single-player games are two different things. If he's good at single-player games, does that mean he's also good at online games?"

Hearing this, Lin Haixiao felt a little more at ease.

It was really that Qin Shaoyan's fame brought too much pressure on him, making him a little confused.

The Chinese gaming industry started late and lags behind Europe and the United States in terms of technology, funding and overall design level.

Qin Shaoyan single-handedly defeated many major European and American game companies, and many famous game producers acknowledged Qin Shaoyan's game production ability.

Such talents are rare in Europe and the United States, and it would be a dimensionality reduction attack if they were placed in the domestic gaming circle.

When faced with such an opponent, Lin Haixiao was immediately confused psychologically.

"But his 3D engine..." Lin Haixiao said hesitantly, "It looks very powerful."

"They are 3D, we are 2D, I know that." Shi Yuzhu said impatiently, "We are facing different user groups, so there may not be competition."

"The players we want to attract are those old Legend users who are used to 2D graphics."

"You said before that 3D technology is not mature yet. Didn't the Warring States period use a lot of new technologies? Who knows what kind of bugs will appear? Our technology is more mature and stable. 2D images are still more beautiful than 3D."

"We can change the way we promote it and call it China's last 2D online game!"

Lin Haixiao nodded, agreeing with Shi Yuzhu's statement.

Just as he was about to say goodbye and leave, Shi Yuzhu stopped him and said, "Wait a minute, let's postpone the internal testing of "Zhengtu" until the end of December."

Lin Haixiao looked at Shi Yuzhu in astonishment.

Shi Yuzhu said expressionlessly, "Let's take a look at the quality of the Warring States first. Knowing ourselves and the enemy is important. If we find any good designs in it, we can learn from it."

"Oh, okay." Lin Haixiao quickly agreed and turned to leave the office.

Shi Yuzhu said it lightly, but Lin Haixiao knew that the boss was still feeling guilty and chose to wait and see before deciding on his next move.

Lin Haixiao actually had no idea what to do, as his opponent was targeting the legendary player group and was using a 3D engine.

3D games are the future, this is the consensus in the gaming industry.

Lin Haixiao himself is also very clear that 2D games are about to be eliminated.

The main conflict with Shanda at the beginning was over 3D and 2D. The management believed that the graphics of "Heroic Age" were outdated and that the focus should be placed on 3D games.

However, Lin Haixiao and the R&D team have invested too much in this game. They are reluctant to let it be buried and feel that there is still a market for 2D games.

From the initiation of the project in 2002 to the online testing in 2004, it took more than two years for this game to embody their hard work and countless efforts.

Later, he left Shanda and was recruited by Shi Yuzhu, and "Heroic Era" was reborn in another way.

Now that the 3D version of "Warring States" has appeared, Lin Haixiao has become a little depressed. But he quickly cheered up again. No matter what, he has to fight to know the result.

We don’t necessarily lose.

At this time, Shi Yuzhu in the office was also a little annoyed.

The testing time of "Warring States" coincided with that of "Zhengtu", and he keenly smelled a different smell in it.

The previous "Warring States" marketing scam and Shanda's verbal attacks caused a lot of controversy, making this suddenly emerging online game extremely well-known.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, this marketing method can be called a classic case.

Even Shi Yuzhu, a marketing guru, had to admit that there were experts in the campus network.

He was worried that the online game "Warring States" would really compete with "Zhengtu" and how much impact it would have on his plans.

Because he found that some gameplay designs of "Warring States" are similar to those of "Zhengtu".

If "Warring States" becomes popular, it will take away a part of the player group with the same positioning as "Zhengtu", which will affect the revenue of "Zhengtu".

This is all real money.

As for 3D engines and the like, he doesn't really care about them.

Shi Yuzhu certainly knows that 3D is the trend of the future and many players will prefer 3D games.

But he is a businessman first and a game designer second.

Shi Yuzhu chose to recruit the team of "Heroic Era" after careful consideration and careful research.

It was precisely because they were making 2D games and Shanda did not take them seriously that gave Shi Yuzhu the opportunity to take action.

If it was a 3D game, Shanda would most likely not let Shi Yuzhu get rid of him so easily.

The entire R&D team has more than two years of experience and accumulation in 2D games, and the technology is already very mature. It is impossible for them to replace the 3D engine to re-make an online game.

Neither cost nor time permits.

Not to mention how much it would cost to develop a 3D online game from scratch, it might take two years or even three to five years.

What Shi Yuzhu lacks is time.

The reason why he chose a 2D game is because it has the lowest cost and risk, and he can modify and improve the original game and then launch it directly.

Shi Yuzhu stood in front of the window, looking at the busy streets outside. He thought for a long time and suddenly sneered.

"So what if I'm the No. 1 game producer in China?" Shi Yuzhu let out a long sigh. "The market is not about who has the best product. In the end, it all comes down to who sells better."

"You are still a little naive in front of the seniors."

In terms of design, "World of Warcraft" can be said to be the best in the industry, but so what? It is not in the same track as "Zhengtu" and there is no comparison.

No matter how good the 3D graphics are, as long as I do marketing better than you, you won’t have a chance to turn things around.

Whether it is 2D or 3D, online games are ultimately just a commodity.

Since it is a commodity, quality is not an advantage in market competition, and bad money driving out good money is the norm in the market.

Shi Yuzhu started out by selling Brain Gold. His success was not due to product quality but marketing.

He is a marketing master.

"I'll let you experience the cruelty of the business world. Just think of it as a free lesson from my senior."

Shi Yuzhu looked into the distance and felt that there was nothing blocking his view, the scenery was vast.

……

"As the saying goes in the Yangtze River, the waves behind push the waves ahead, and the waves in front die on the beach."

“The 21st century belongs to the young.”

Qin Shaoyan sat in the main seat in the conference room and smiled as he gave pre-war mobilization to his left and right arms.

"Everyone, feel free to do it boldly, don't worry about anything."

“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Lessons learned are also valuable assets.”

"I want to make mistakes in this test. The sooner the mistakes are exposed, the better. Otherwise, the loss will be even greater if they are exposed after the product goes online."

"If there are bugs, fix them. If there are omissions, correct them."

Qin Shaoyan glanced around amiably, and Zhou Yuan, the general manager of the operations department, who was sitting on his right, forced a smile.

Fan Xiaoqian on the left had a stern face and didn't say a word.

"Teacher Fan, please give me some instructions." Qin Shaoyan asked politely.

Fan Xiaoqian stopped stirring her fingers, subconsciously pulled out a bamboo board from her pocket and started to hit it with a "crackling" sound, while saying expressionlessly: "This is the first test of our game, and the test time is two months."

"Under normal circumstances, we shut down for maintenance once a week. If there is a major problem, we shut down immediately. In principle, we will not shut down for maintenance for other minor problems."

"Every day at noon and evening, the server will display a LOGO, and everyone must check the error information and arrange the priority of repair according to the severity of the bug."

"If you find a bug that needs to be fixed immediately, you must apply to the main programmer. The server is only allowed to be disconnected once a day."

"By the end of December, we will try to fix the bugs using hot updates. Please pay attention to the bug fix reporting process. Each item must be checked and signed."

"Boss Qin, I'm done."

Fan Xiaoqian put down the bamboo board in her hand and looked at Qin Shaoyan.

"Don't be so serious." Qin Shaoyan comforted Fan Xiaoqian with a smile, "Teacher Fan, you are so tense, I feel uneasy."

Fan Xiaoqian was indeed very nervous and even forgot to speak in Tianjin dialect. He sighed, "I am the lead programmer and the person in charge. How can I not be under a lot of pressure?"

"It's okay. It's normal to have a few interruptions every day. Just say it's network fluctuations and give players compensation." Qin Shaoyan said lightly, "It's normal for the tested game to have bugs. As long as there are no bugs like packet blocking and item brushing, it doesn't matter if the server crashes."

"After the test is over, I will hold a rock concert for Teacher Fan. We will go to Wukesong."

Fan Xiaoqian then forced a smile.

The door of the conference room was quietly pushed open, and Zhang Pingyi walked in with a smile.

"Good news." Zhang Pingyi walked to Qin Shaoyan and stopped. "The test of "Zhengtu" has been postponed to the end of December."

Qin Shaoyan burst into laughter, "He's scared! He's scared!"

"Did you see that? One of our competitors just got scared. What do you have to be afraid of?"

Zhang Pingyi also added, "Being timid before the battle is a taboo in military strategy."

"Everyone!" Qin Shaoyan stood up directly, "Let us give our colleagues a free lesson!"

(End of this chapter)