From gaming to becoming the richest man, it all started with his counterattack against XunTeng.

Plants vs. Zombies became a viral sensation online, and Jack Ma deserves much of the credit. What was once a casual tower defense game for children was transformed into a meme-generating machine in Jack Ma's hands.

A game that even a small child can easily complete, heaven knows how Teacher Ma managed to restart each level five or six times on average.

Despite being labeled as a children's game, Plants vs. Zombies is actually an excellent strategy game for all ages.

It features a cute cartoon art style and simple, easy-to-learn controls. Beneath the simple and clear rules lies sufficient strategic depth, providing a strong positive feedback that makes it hard to stop playing once you start.

In addition, the addition of mini-games and garden-like content that offer a sense of relaxation with minimal frustration makes the overall game pace comfortable and easy, resulting in a very complete experience.

It truly appeals to all ages.

The excellent quality and the initial popularity brought by Yang Yi's golden brand, coupled with the unique and memorable scenes of Teacher Ma's live broadcast program, made it a hit across the entire internet.

Let the game start spreading virally.

From domestic to international popularity, from celebrities and politicians to ordinary people, every player has experienced the joy brought by Swarm Games.

The Qunfeng platform also officially broke out of its niche and entered the public eye thanks to the popularity of "Plants vs. Zombies".

Plants vs. Zombies is the first phenomenal game of the year, naturally attracting a lot of media coverage, with many predicting the game's first-week sales.

200 million, 300 million, 500 million...

Various predictions suddenly appeared.

However, one figure has been accepted by most players – the Big Black Box: 350 million.

Although the game is fun and extremely popular, the most important thing to remember is that Plants vs. Zombies is released on the Beehive platform, and even with Rainbow Six Siege's expansion, the number of players on the Beehive platform is still pitifully small.

When Hive Games announced the first-week sales figures for Plants vs. Zombies, the staggering numbers drove countless gaming media outlets into a frenzy; they could hardly believe their eyes—720 million copies!

The Beehive gaming platform can be said to be the world's least populated gaming platform.

It was even jokingly referred to as the Rainbow Six launcher.

An exclusive mini-game released on the "weakest" gaming platform sold a whopping 720 million copies worldwide in its first week!

This achievement puts the game in the top 20 of first-week sales in gaming history.

What level of games were released before and after Plants vs. Zombies?

Which of them isn't a classic IP, a top-tier AAA game with development costs exceeding $3 million, and available on all platforms?

Now, a casual game that's only available on one platform and has a memory footprint of 100MB has reached the same level.

It's simply a miracle!

[Another miracle in gaming history! Plants vs. Zombies sold 720 million copies in a single week, ranking 19th on the global weekly game sales chart!]

[As players have said, game designers must know how to play games! Another masterpiece from the creators of Rainbow Six Siege—Plants vs. Zombies.]

[Before the game's release, countless people predicted its failure; after its release, countless people congratulated it. Why did the players' attitudes change so drastically?]

[With 720 million sales on a single platform, from today onwards, the Qunfeng Games platform is no longer just a Rainbow Six launcher!]

[His divine status remains unchanged; Yang Yi is deified once more!]

[...]

Shocked, excited!

Everyone knows that Plants vs. Zombies is very popular, but most people have no idea just how popular the game is.

With 720 million sales in its first week on a single platform and ranking nineteenth in gaming history, the release of these figures made people realize just how amazing the little game they had been discussing and playing was!

This is also the only Chinese game among the top 20 best-selling games in its first week!

With first-week sales of 720 million copies, Yang Yi delivered a resounding rebuttal to the numerous media outlets that had predicted its failure before the release.

"What do you mean by 'a shining example of domestic games'?! The other games on the list are all renowned AAA titles. Plants vs. Zombies, sandwiched in between, is like a husky mixed into a pack of wolves—its art style is incongruous, yet it stands out strikingly."

"This time, Boss Yang has really gone on a killing spree, relentlessly humiliating Xiao Heizi."

"Anything produced by Mr. Yang is guaranteed to be top-notch. You can always trust Mr. Yang's gaming intuition!"

"Wow, 720 million in its first week! Give it a few years, and it might be challenging the game sales charts."

"You know what, Plants vs. Zombies has an advantage that no other game has—it's cheap! Priced at only 16 yuan, it'll easily sell tens of millions in a few years."

"Looking at it this way, Mr. Yang is even more amazing. One game, 'Plants vs. Zombies,' is enough to make him go down in history."

"For the next while, there probably won't be any other types of casual games to play; everyone'll probably be jumping on the tower defense bandwagon."

"Professional, precise, and to the point! Our company has already launched four tower defense game projects."

"10000 people petitioned for a mobile version of Plants vs. Zombies! (1/10,000)"

"Mr. Yang, I was wrong. A good game can be found even in 100MB!"

The game's popularity has soared to unprecedented heights.

Just ten days ago, the media outlets were all predicting a downturn, but now they've all changed their tune and are frantically praising it. There's no way around it; they're riding high right now, and anyone who dares to disagree will be exposed and humiliated by netizens.

His initial arrogance followed by his obsequiousness is laughable!

The media also felt wronged. Who could have predicted that such an inconspicuous little game could generate such terrifying popularity?

Having received substantial promotional fees from the client, it was perfectly normal for them to say a few bad things.

Who would have thought that such a uniquely styled little game would sell 720 million copies?

That's weird, you know?

Despite not being heavily promoted overseas, Plants vs. Zombies' sales abroad are roughly equal to its domestic sales, demonstrating its popularity overseas.

Major mainstream gaming media outlets have all taken the initiative to review it.

LGN (9.2/10): [A phenomenal game that is both relaxing and therapeutic yet full of strategic depth, *Plants vs. Zombies* redefines the charm of casual games with its highly creative gameplay and ingenious design. Its success is the perfect proof of creativity and fun.]

PCG (9.2/10): [Simple and easy to pick up, yet possessing unimaginable replayability. Beneath its lighthearted exterior lies captivating level design and strategic fun, making Plants vs. Zombies one of the most representative indie game masterpieces of recent years.]

4DM (9.5/10): [Addictive, catchy, relaxing, and therapeutic. It's not just an excellent tower defense game, but a shared joy that transcends age and region. 720 million copies sold are the best recognition from players worldwide.]

Mumin Starry Sky (9.4/10): [From gameplay to art, from music to overall experience, meticulous craftsmanship is evident in every aspect. Plants vs. Zombies, with its extremely small size, has generated a powerful impact on the industry, becoming a classic that players of all ages cannot resist.]

……

The numerous compliments made Yang Yi feel embarrassed.

To be honest, he knew Plants vs. Zombies would become popular sooner or later, but he didn't expect it to be this popular. It just goes to show that classic games never go out of style.

As for the imitation and borrowing by major game companies, Yang Yi felt it didn't matter. The market was so big that he couldn't monopolize it.

If any developer can actually create a game similar to Arknights, Yang Yi will only praise their talent and might even personally endorse them.

Consider it a benefit to the gaming industry.