Penguin Keeps Up

Penguin Games Company, Tian Boxun's studio.

"It's time. Let's start the pre-launch hype!!!"

Ever since Tian Boxun got word that Soul Knight was about to launch, he'd been glued to the online chatter.

He waited until now before deciding to kick off the hype.

Though he didn't think much of Wang Chuan, it was better to play it safe.

Choosing this moment to start the pre-launch had plenty of advantages.

After all, he and Wang Chuan had already clashed online before, making them natural traffic magnets.

Launching their pre-launch and release at the same time?

That only amplified the traffic even more!!

It would push The Parable of Illidan to even greater heights.

Just like that famous saying from a past life: when the top dog and the second dog fight, the third dog dies!

Why?

Because of fame!

The top dog and the second dog might be brawling, but in the process, they're also blasting their own names far and wide.

And the third dog?

Sure, you didn't join the fight. Your funds and foundation are still solid.

But you've got zero fame. If you don't die, who will?

These days, even good wine fears a deep alley!!

The same logic applies to the gaming industry.

The only difference? In gaming, when the top dog and second dog fight, it's not just the third dog that dies.

One more bites the dust too!!

In simple terms, if The Parable of Illidan and Soul Knight go to war.

Whoever loses has to die alongside the third dog.

The leftover market share, fame, and players all get gobbled up by the winner.

Of course, Tian Boxun wasn't worried about that at all.

Because right now, the meta-game concept was all the rage in the market. Going with the trend never loses.

If Wang Chuan—the guy who invented meta-games—had kept making sequels, Tian Boxun might've had some concerns. But now? No need~~~

In Tian Boxun's eyes, Wang Chuan had real skill, since he'd created The Stanley Parable and coined the meta-game concept.

But his biggest mistake was not sticking with meta-games and switching to a different genre instead.

"Sigh, young people are just young people. A little success goes straight to their heads~~~"

Thinking this, Tian Boxun couldn't help but sigh.

He was already ninety percent sure of victory. Now, with Penguin's promotional push, He was absolutely the winning side.

Even though The Parable of Illidan wasn't a heavyweight within Penguin, With Manager Ding's backing, the promotional resources it got were nothing Wang Chuan's little company could match.

A dragon riding a face—how could I possibly lose?

Shortly after Soul Knight's pre-launch hype began, Penguin followed suit and started theirs.

Wang Chuan, with limited funds, spent every penny on the essentials.

His promotion focused on keywords, with targeted ads on gaming forums.

Compared to Wang Chuan's frugality, Penguin went all out.

Beyond their own channels, they cast a wide net across live-streaming sites, short-video apps, forums, and more.

As a result, online, The Parable of Illidan topped the charts without contest, while Soul Knight had to settle for a humble third place.

"Boss, you've gotta see this! Penguin is way too much. And they call themselves one of the Three Factories? Pfft, pfft!!"

In the office area of the villa, Huang Shanshan stood up, fuming.

On the screen in front of her was Penguin's promotional material.

"Yeah, Penguin is utterly shameless!!"

"Right, Penguin is practically inhuman!!"

Liu Qiang and Zhou Wei exchanged a glance, then stood up together and spoke in unison.

"Alright, alright. Is it really that serious, you guys? It's just a game, right?"

Wang Chuan saw this and was left speechless.

He knew that the group hadn't always been like this. Back then, whenever he suggested playing games, everyone would agree without hesitation. Now, though? They either changed the subject or played dead~~~

"Ahem, yes, yes, Manager Wang, you're absolutely right."

Liu Qiang quickly nodded in apology.

Yeah, as long as it didn't involve playing games together, he'd do anything. Even overtime—well, except overtime—anything!

To be fair, it wasn't entirely their fault. Wang Chuan's skill level was, well, something else. After a few rounds together, they'd nearly quit gaming altogether.

No way, no way—they couldn't carry him!!

"But Manager Wang, Shan Shan's right. Online, our Soul Knight is nowhere near as popular as Penguin's The Parable of Illidan!"

Zhao Jing suddenly remembered something, her smile fading into a worried expression.

"Haha, that's nothing. After all, Penguin is one of the Three Factories. If we stole their thunder, wouldn't they lose face?"

"Still, I suppose we should thank Penguin. This counts as indirect promotion for us. Mm, I'm suddenly curious to see Tian Boxun's expression."

While others might feel varying degrees of concern, Wang Chuan remained unfazed.

It was only natural that their promotion couldn't match Penguin's. Compared to Penguin's scale, Huangtu Game Company was tiny.

Besides, if his promotional power could rival Penguin's, why would he bother making Soul Knight? He'd just go straight for a AAA title!

And the current situation was actually pretty optimistic.

Because of the conflict between Wang Chuan and Tian Boxun, the media, eager for more attention, would always pair The Parable of Illidan with Soul Knight, and Tian Boxun with Wang Chuan in their articles.

After all, compared to the games themselves, people loved watching developers duke it out.

And since neither Tian Boxun nor Wang Chuan responded or clarified, even more media outlets jumped in, subtly hinting at their rivalry in the news to milk traffic and attention.

The massive media coverage naturally brought enormous buzz.

Thanks to the bundled promotion, as The Parable of Illidan's popularity rose, Soul Knight's popularity kept pace as well.

Both grew together.

Back in Penguin's studio, "Bang, bang, bang"—another cup hit the floor.

Just as Wang Chuan had predicted, Tian Boxun's expression was terrible.

Staring at the media coverage, he suddenly felt like he was shooting himself in the foot.

Especially the way the media, overtly or covertly, interpreted his and Wang Chuan's conversations on social platforms—it all filled Tian Boxun with resentment.

"Hmph, leeching off my fame, huh? Bundling promotion, huh? We'll see how you die!!!"