"Stanley's Parable" Goes Viral

To Wang Chuan's pleasant surprise, out of over three thousand downloads, fewer than ten people requested refunds.

The average playtime per player also reached two hours.

And the number of paying users exceeded two thousand.

This result might not seem like much, but for a game that had been released for less than a day—

It was already an explosive achievement.

Moreover, looking at the growth trend in the game's sales data, This massive surge had suddenly spiked after around five or six in the afternoon.

And if his guess was right, that timing should coincide with when the interview from Game New World aired.

"I wonder what I looked like in that interview?"

Suddenly reminded of it, Wang Chuan grew curious.

Setting his computer aside, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened Game New World's official account.

The latest article was timestamped exactly at 5:30 PM.

No mistake—this article was definitely what sent the game's numbers skyrocketing.

[A graduate from a game development school created a masterpiece that overturns traditional concepts in just ten days!]

As soon as he entered the account, that eye-catching headline greeted him.

Wang Chuan felt a little embarrassed, but he kept scrolling down.

Though a bit shy about it, he thought this kind of title had its advantages.

Just like those "shocking" series and marketing headlines from his past life.

What he wanted was to grab people's attention and attract as many players as possible.

And Game New World's headline fit his intentions perfectly.

"Wang Chuan, how's the game doing? Did it take off yet?"

Just then, Xiao Ming sent another message.

This time, Wang Chuan didn't ignore him. Since he had nothing else to do, he might as well chat.

"Not bad. It hasn't taken off yet, but once the buzz builds up, who knows?"

Wang Chuan didn't directly share the numbers, just told him honestly.

"Damn, you're full of yourself. Listen, if it takes off, don't forget to treat me to a meal. I spent a whole day at the internet café supporting you."

"Beep—You are no longer friends with this user~~"

"Damn!!!"

After a few jokes with the other guy, Wang Chuan logged off.

His attention returned to the game.

The official platform had a rule: to leave a review, you had to play the game for at least an hour.

This was mainly to prevent review bombing.

At the same time, it ensured that all reviews reflected the players' genuine experiences.

Reading those comments, Wang Chuan's mood was absolutely wonderful.

Online, just as Wang Chuan had imagined, The buzz around The Stanley Parable kept rising thanks to Game New World's article.

Although this account wasn't a major media outlet, it could still be considered mid-sized.

Because they regularly produced videos and articles about games, fairly analyzing their pros and cons, They had built up a certain reputation and recognition.

And today's article caught the attention of quite a few people.

"What's going on? What's going on? Did their account get hacked, or did the sun rise from the west? Game New World is actually recommending a game?"

Liu Bo, an ordinary office worker who liked to play games in his spare time, Was staring at the notifications from Game New World on his phone.

After seeing that over-the-top headline, he was dumbfounded.

As a fan of this account, he knew the RPG.

Game New World maintained its fairness and reputation by reviewing games before promoting them.

That's why they rarely took sponsored posts and weren't favored by advertisers.

But what was up today? Was Game New World cashing in?

A college student who hadn't even graduated yet, spending less than ten days to single-handedly develop a masterpiece that overturned traditional gaming?

How was that possible? That headline reeked of a paid promotion.

If it hadn't been for the Game New World article, Liu Bo definitely wouldn't have clicked on it.

But after he clicked in and read the content, he couldn't help feeling bewildered.

Because the entire article had no actual substance—it didn't leak a single thing about the game itself.

It focused heavily on other aspects, and the wording was extremely exaggerated.

For example:

"The game editor got addicted to playing 'The Stanley Parable' and even forgot to write the article."

"Traditional RPGs are outdated—this is the future of RPG games."

"Who would've thought an ordinary RPG could be played like this?"

And so on, descriptions of that sort.

Of course, the article wasn't all praise; there were plenty of criticisms too.

For instance:

"The game's graphics aren't refined enough, affecting the player's experience."

"The indie developer's lack of funds results in low game clarity."

And other shortcomings.

But compared to the praise before, they still fell far short.

Naturally, these flaws were only mentioned with Wang Chuan's approval.

After all, having only strengths would be too much; adding a few weaknesses made it more believable.

"Over the top! Blowing up a game like this?"

After finishing the article, Liu Bo was caught between laughter and tears.

He knew Game New World was under some financial pressure, but shamelessly hyping it like this was just ugly.

Yeah, by now he was convinced this was a paid advertisement.

But the next moment, curiosity crept in. A game that could make Game New World hype it like this—

Even if it was a paid ad, the quality couldn't be too bad, right?

Quite a few people shared Liu Bo's thoughts.

Most, upon seeing Game New World's headline, couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity.

Coupled with "The Stanley Parable" itself being solid in quality and priced as cheap as cabbage, It left players with no hesitation.

After all, it was just five bucks—less than the cost of a pack of cigarettes. No one would feel the pinch.

"Nice, it's climbing again."

In the boys' dormitory, Wang Chuan clenched his fist, his heart surging with excitement.

Through the Pangu Editor, he could directly see the data inside.

Every time he refreshed, the game's numbers ticked upward.

By eight in the evening, the game's data shot up like a tornado, soaring straight into the sky.

Seven to eleven at night was precisely the golden window for gaming.

Because that's when people were freest, and players would log in to play.

And the article published by Game New World had perfectly pushed this momentum to its peak.

Before eight o'clock, "The Stanley Parable" on the official platform was growing at roughly a thousand per hour.

But after eight, that growth rate suddenly jumped to over two thousand six hundred.

Moreover, the comments under the game started piling up.

The number of paying players had also broken through five thousand.