Rebirth 08: Can a mobile game company also build a tech empire?

Chapter 107 IGN Report

On the homepage, reports about Microsoft's Project Natal still dominate the headlines.

But in the latest articles in the sidebar.

A headline caught his attention.

Not long after, Jiang Chang excitedly knocked on Lu Chen's door.

"Boss Lu! The report is out!"

His shouts came through the door.

His voice was filled with unprecedented excitement.

Lu Chen opened the door.

Jiang Chang rushed in with his laptop.

The screen displays IGN's website homepage.

"Look! John Davis's report!"

The title is eye-catching:

[A New Benchmark for Mobile Games? A Hands-on Review of ZT Games' "Famine"]

The article begins: "At E3, a convention saturated with motion-sensing devices and AAA titles, a 9-square-meter corner booth attracted my most attention. There were no dazzling trailers, no celebrity producers on stage, only a few beautifully designed smartphones and two games, *Minecraft* and *Starvation*. But it was these two games that showed me, beyond the giants like Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, another emerging possibility in the gaming industry: mobile gaming!"

John described his hands-on experience in detail.

The unique hand-drawn art style and survival system of "Famine" were particularly praised.

"The art style of Famine is unforgettable. Unlike any mainstream game that pursues realistic graphics or cool special effects, it is more like a dark fairy tale illustration that has come to life. Rough lines, bold color blocks, and deliberate imperfections combine to create a strange charm!"

In terms of gameplay, it cleverly combines resource management, exploration and adventure, and a mental state system to create a captivating survival experience. Most surprisingly, all of this runs smoothly on a palm-sized mobile phone.

In closing, John wrote: "Zhengtu Technology has proven to us that mobile devices are not only platforms for casual games, but can also carry in-depth and creative gaming experiences. Although 'Famine' is still under development, it has already shown the potential to become a classic. I have high expectations for this team from China!"

They may be defining the future of mobile gaming.

"marvelous!"

Jiang Chang's voice trembled with excitement.

"Positive coverage from IGN!"

This is so important to us!

Lu Chen read the article carefully.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

John's report not only affirmed the quality of "Famine".

Furthermore, Journey Technology positions itself as a leader in mobile games.

This is exactly the brand image he wants to create.

"Looks like our booth is going to be even more lively tomorrow."

Lu Chen handed the computer back to Jiang Chang, speaking calmly.

Sure enough, that night on gaming forums and social media...

People have already started discussing this report and the Journey Technology booth.

"Has anyone tried Famine at E3? It sounds really cool."

"Zhengtu Technology? Never heard of it, but John from IGN always has a good eye."

"Can you really play such a difficult survival game on a mobile phone? I have to check it out."

"What's their booth number? 5278? Tomorrow's the last day, I have to go check it out."

The third day, June 4th, was the last day of E3.

Lu Chen and his group had just reached the entrance of the West Wing.

They discovered an unusual scene.

A queue had already formed in front of booth number 5278.

There were at least twenty people waiting.

"It's only just opened!"

Jiang Chang said in surprise.

"It's the effect of IGN's report."

Lu Chen analyzed.

"Many people saw the report and came specifically to find our booth."

When Lu Chen and his group squeezed into the booth.

They were immediately surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd.

"I came here after reading IGN's report! Is Famine really that fun?"

"Can I try? I queued for an hour yesterday and still didn't get to play!"

"Is this the Conquer Online 1 phone? The design is beautiful!"

Problems followed one after another.

The four immediately went into battle mode.

Jiang Chang and Su Xi were responsible for guiding the trial play.

Wu Zhixuan maintained order.

Lu Chen then received industry professionals who were interested in business collaborations.

By 10 a.m., the line had already circled the passageway three times.

This attracted the attention of the exhibition organizers.

Two staff members rushed over.

"Sir, your booth is too crowded, which is affecting the passage."

"I can't believe it," one of the staff members said awkwardly.

"Is it possible to control this?"

Lu Chen looked at the crowded people.

Make a decision quickly.

"Jiang Chang, limit the trial time to ten minutes. Susie, distribute queue numbers, and only let ten people into the trial area at a time."

Even so, the booth was packed with people all morning.

Around noon, even the staff at the Sony booth came over to take a look out of curiosity.

I'm curious why this little booth in the corner is so popular.

At 2 p.m., a familiar figure appeared again.

John Davis arrived with IGN's photographers.

"Lu, it seems my report had an effect."

John looked at the crowd in line and said to Lu Chen with a smile.

Thank you for your fair assessment.

Lu Chen said sincerely.

"Want to try the game again?"

We made a small update last night.

"certainly."

John picked up Journey 1.

It has been discovered that the version number of "Famine" has indeed been updated.

A new unlockable character and several new ingredients have been added.

He played for fifteen minutes and nodded in satisfaction.

"You guys update really fast. This continuous iteration development approach is very suitable for mobile platforms."

The photographer took several photos of the bustling booth.

They also took portrait photos of Lu Chen and Jiang Chang.

John promised to do a follow-up report.

The focus is on the response to the exhibition.

At 4 p.m., Igor and Marco, the developers of Doodle Jump, also arrived at the booth.

The two observed the lively scene for a while.

Then they found Lu Chen drinking water in the rest area.

"Mr. Lu, we've made our decision."

Igor got straight to the point.

"We are willing to port Doodle Jump to your platform."

Marco added.

"We have carefully considered the free + in-app purchase model you mentioned and believe it is indeed feasible in the Android market. We can retain the paid version for iOS while developing a special version for Android."

A hint of joy flashed in Lu Chen's eyes.

"It's a wise decision. After the exhibition, I will have the technical team from Journey Technology connect with you. We can provide a full range of technical support, including system adaptation and payment system integration."

"no problem."

The two responded readily.

After Igor and Mark left.

The crowd in front of the booth showed no signs of decreasing.

On the last day of E3, Journey Technology's 9-square-meter booth became one of the most popular attractions in the West Hall.

The music continued until closing time at 6 p.m.

The visitors at the booth slowly dispersed.

The last player reluctantly put down his phone.

He said to Jiang Chang.

"Hurry up and finish it! I'll definitely buy it!"

As they tidied up the booth, excitement shone in the eyes of all four.

"Finally—it's over—"

Jiang Chang slumped into a chair.

I barely have the strength to speak.

Susie is sorting through the business cards she left behind.

"At least 700 people experienced the game today, and on the media front, we added contact information for 12 more media outlets."

Wu Zhixuan was also tired.

But he said excitedly.

"I observed that at least twenty of the people who came to try it out today are professionals in the gaming industry. I spoke with a few of them, and three of them expressed interest in joining Voyager."

Lu Chen looked at the exhausted team members.

A warm feeling welled up in my heart.