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

Of course, the trending topics in China are not limited to the meme-filled "Thank you, Tencent".

Overnight, Overwatch-related terms surged to the top of the trending searches, and the hashtag #HiveAnimation# also saw a surge in popularity. The three terms firmly occupied the top spots on the trending searches, sparking curiosity and discussion among netizens.

The global buzz generated by Gamescom's opening night far exceeded the effects of typical heavy-budget marketing campaigns. It's worth noting that last year, when Rainbow Six Siege launched, a whopping 50 million euros was spent on global marketing, and even without allocating the entire budget to the domestic market, it only managed to garner one trending topic.

This time, the swarm easily captured multiple trending keywords with just a high-quality CG video and a live speech, far surpassing its previous achievements in terms of cost-effectiveness and influence.

It's worth noting that even though Beehive rented 1,000 square meters of space for Gamescom this year, and factored in the costs of setup, decoration, equipment, merchandise, costumes, personnel, and logistics, the total cost was only around 15 million.

Game expos are great, I have to go!

At nine o'clock in the morning, Yang Yi, who had just arrived at the Beehive booth, was stunned when he saw the long queue that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

Isn't today Media Day?

Are all the gaming media outlets from around the world flocking here?

Yang Yi didn't believe the team was less than 1000 people.

It's clear that the Overwatch cinematic at the opening night truly ignited the entire gaming community.

Fortunately, the booth had enough staff and a clear division of labor, so there was no need for him to go up and cause trouble.

I'll take advantage of this free time to visit other manufacturers' booths and experience their latest products.

In his previous life, he had also been to Gamescom, but he was just an ordinary tourist.

Back then, long lines formed at all the popular booths, and you could barely get the merchandise you wanted even if you stood there for ages. A small bottle of sugar-free Coke sold for 6 euros inside the exhibition hall, and nearby hotels were often 300 euros a night.

Without tens of thousands of RMB on you, how can you say you're here to properly enjoy the exhibition?

It was precisely because he had personally experienced such predicament that Yang Yi in this life went to great lengths to find loopholes, just to genuinely gain more convenience and benefits for domestic players.

The media day at Gamescom was exceptionally pleasant.

Apart from a few special game companies, the booths of the other major companies were all set up and open to the public. The crowd inside was sparse and not crowded, so there was no need to huddle together to visit the exhibition, and there was almost no need to queue for the games. It was very relaxing.

Looking at their own empty booth, the person in charge of the competitor's booth said with a hint of puzzlement, "In previous years, the media day would have been packed with people, but this year it's quiet. I haven't seen many booths with long queues."

At that moment, an employee rushed over in a panic and whispered a few words in the manager's ear.

The person in charge's face darkened. What do you mean by saying that one booth's queue stretched all the way to the overpass? Is that something a human being would say?

Yang Yi strolled along casually, while Shen Xiao gently fed him a soft, glutinous pastry. He opened his mouth to take it, and the sweet, smooth texture melted on his tongue, the taste exceptionally pleasant.

"This daifuku tastes good. Where did you buy it? I've never seen you eat it before."

Seeing that he enjoyed the food, Shen Xiao smiled faintly and simply gathered the rest over to him, saying in a soft voice, "This is a hidden gem dessert shop that I recently discovered. I ordered takeout here before coming to Germany. I'll share the shop with you."

He then took out his phone and quickly sent the store link.

Yang Yi casually clicked on the menu, but her eyes fell on the shop menu and she froze instantly.

Store Name: Qidian Cake

Must-try signature dishes: Strawberry Big Bitch, Chocolate Big Bitch...

He subconsciously rubbed his eyes, checking again and again to make sure he hadn't misread the word; it was definitely that word.

Yang Yi's lips twitched slightly, and she couldn't help but think to herself: What's going on? Are dessert names this abstract now?

He looked up at Shen Xiao and immediately saw the mischievousness in her eyes, which she clearly intended to tease him.

Shen Xiao finally couldn't help but smile, her eyes crinkling with a hint of mischief: "Hahaha, are you confused? The food delivery platform has set the character '福' (fortune) as a sensitive and forbidden word. Merchants have no choice but to find similar-looking characters to make up the numbers."

Yang Yi paused for two seconds, then shook her head helplessly, simply uttering, "6..."

The world is full of wonders.

Who came up with this idea? Will we have to stick "penis" on our plates for Chinese New Year from now on?

Eating, drinking, playing games, Yang Yi was living a very happy life.

Unfortunately, some games dampened Yang Yi's spirits.

At the pig farm booth, Yang Yi frowned and took off his headphones. What the hell is this?!

They can't even understand the concept of "borrowing" properly. Are they trying to use this garbage mode as their trump card to go head-to-head with Overwatch?

Adrenaline accidentally hit your temple, didn't it!

Even "Crossing the Line" can make pig farms scream in terror.

Yang Yi really couldn't understand how such a perfunctory and shoddy work could be made.

I really don't know what the game developers are doing.

------

"Aren't we just waiting to die?"

Two developers from Radiant Studios stood outside the Beehive Technology booth, their faces grave and filled with anxiety.

The two of them queued up long in advance specifically to experience Overwatch.

The original intention was to find flaws in the gameplay, feel, and details, and then create a lot of hype and comparisons to promote their own game.

After playing the entire game, the two of them completely lost their composure, feeling as if half the sky had collapsed.

Overwatch is ridiculously well-made; its feel, balance, art, and gameplay design are almost flawless.

Although their own works are of mediocre quality, they are still seasoned veterans in the game industry, and they can always find a lot of faults and criticisms when they play ordinary games.

Faced with this work, the two racked their brains but couldn't find a single flaw or imperfection.

Is this the kind of challenge that the studio manager mentioned, someone they can confront head-on and go all out against?

I challenge him... to a lucky break!

The two felt a chill run through their bodies, and a sense of absurdity and despair surged through them.

This scene is exactly like a boss patting his chest to encourage them, confidently telling them to carry guns to hunt bears, only to find out in a panic that what they are holding is not a real gun at all, but a broken wooden gun with a shiny finish, and even the gun head is made of soft rubber, which cannot even cut through the bear's skin.

Are they really treating us like Japanese people?

tired.

Do whatever you want, let it all end.

------

Compared to NetEase, J1 Studios is clearly much more confident. The improvements brought by the Queen Bee Engine are considerable, and the media reviews after the demo were very positive.

In the eyes of everyone in the studio, this year is probably their most promising year to overtake others and make a name for themselves.

Many Western media outlets lined up to participate, and Ji Feng humbly listened to their professional advice. The game's theme has been developed, but some details still need polishing.

Their game is based on Rainbow Six Siege, and this type of tactical hardcore shooter is much more popular overseas than in China. Taking into account the aesthetics and gameplay suggestions of foreign media is indeed a wise move.

"Manager, many media outlets want us to reduce the frequency of UI appearances, minimize virtual prompts, and create a more realistic battlefield feel."

The planner paused, a glint of inspiration flashing in his eyes, and pressed on with his new idea:

"And I just had an idea: let's just remove the UI display of the ammo count altogether, so the system doesn't tell us how much ammo is left. Let the players remember how many shots they've fired, estimate the magazine's remaining capacity, and decide for themselves whether to continue firing or reload early."

"Doing it this way will maximize the immersive experience and should attract a large number of hardcore tactical gamers, right?"

Ji Feng looked down at the compiled record of media suggestions, his fingertips lightly tapping the paper as he pondered for a moment.

After weighing the options, he nodded to himself, agreeing with his subordinate's assessment.

The essence of game development is to create something unique and differentiated. If you follow the crowd and offer nothing memorable, how can you compete head-on with the rising star, Hive Technology?

With this in mind, Ji Feng's eyes hardened, and he made up his mind to adopt this plan, to drastically refine the hardcore style, and to thoroughly establish its own unique characteristics.