The audience was obviously confused.
"What is this? It occupies such a huge area?"
"A standing air conditioner? A huge refrigerator? That's not right. It doesn't seem like it can take up so much space!"
"This is two meters long. Could it be a wardrobe?"
"Total weight: 200kg! What's so heavy?"
"It's already so heavy. How can it be called a 'smart new product'? How can it be related to 'smart'?"
Chang You smiled slightly. It looked like the suspense was almost done.
"Alright, it's time to reveal the mystery behind this new product. Everyone, please watch a promotional video that we have meticulously prepared for this smart new product."
Chang You walked down after he finished speaking. The lights dimmed, and a promotional video started playing on the big screen.
Everyone held their breaths and watched intently.
Everyone wanted to know what this huge monster was!
"Strong chest muscles."
"Strong back muscles..."
The promotional video that Meng Chang had asked Lin Jiaqiang to film appeared on the big screen.
In the video, Lin Jiaqiang was wearing a loose sports vest and sweating profusely on the smart fitness drying rack.
However, in the next second, he gave up on persevering and began drying clothes on the smart fitness drying rack.
"What are you waiting for when the smart fitness drying rack has so many functions? Hurry up and order!"
At the end of the promotional video was Lin Jiaqiang standing beside the smart fitness drying rack. He gave the camera a thumbs up and made a 'like' gesture.
He had a homophobic face from the beginning. The last scene had a flattering effect coupled with this unique-looking machine.
Chang You came to the stage again. "This is the masterpiece of our Otto Technologies. It's a new smart product: smart fitness drying rack!"
"It solved the biggest pain in the gym equipment in one fell swoop: drying clothes is inconvenient!"
"Not only can this equipment be used for fitness, but it can also dry up more than ten pieces of clothing. It also has the automatic drying function and smart reminder function, making the fitness equipment at home no longer a mere decoration!"
Chang You's serious introduction made the audience burst into laughter again.
"Hahahahaha what the hell? I was wondering why it was so heavy. It's actually a fitness equipment!"
"Artificial intelligence combined with fitness? Which genius product manager thought of that?!"
"I was wrong. I should not have treated this news conference as a proper news conference from the beginning. Even though I reminded myself countless times that this news conference would most likely be done, I never thought that the existence of the entire news conference would be done!"
"Indeed, I suggest that Boss Chang should charge a price for a ticket next time. You perform your job, do your crosstalk and entertain the audience. Yet, you're launching a product that you don't intend to sell at all. You're not earning our money at all, and you're even exempting our tickets. That's really making us feel bad!"
"Indeed, I suggest that you collect entrance fees in the future. After all, it would be quite expensive to design such a funny product in a serious manner without being able to sell it. Everyone would understand if we collect entrance fees to recover."
The audience was amused by the strange product and Chang You's serious introduction.
Initially, they had only been looking forward to Chang You's performance. The product was still a proper product, just like E1.
Chang You had given everyone a surprise unexpectedly. Even the product had come alive!
What was the point of this "smart fitness drying rack"?
There did not seem to be... any.
The only point should be to make everyone laugh, right?
It had to be said that it was rare to see such a conscientious manufacturer who spent a lot of money on research and development, producing samples, and even hosting a news conference to entertain the public.
Cherish it!
As for the product itself...
To be honest, if it was any other product, such as a cell phone or a sweeping robot, the price would be too high or the product's functions would be very useful after it was released. Everyone would definitely complain.
That was because everyone knew in their hearts that the manufacturer still intended to sell it. It was just that they had failed.
However, this smart fitness drying rack was different.
It seemed like the manufacturer had no intention of selling at all!
If the manufacturer's products had a small flaw, everyone would think that it was because the manufacturer was not capable enough. However, if the product had too many flaws from head to toe and could not be criticized, everyone would think that the manufacturer was performing and joking with everyone. They did not intend to sell it at all.
Since the manufacturer had no intention to sell it and everyone had no intention to buy it, everyone naturally did not care about any flaws or problems with the price of the product. Instead, they watched the entire process with the attitude of watching a show.
It was just like setting up a stall outside. Anyone that said something was good or bad would probably not be bought at all; only those who kept picking on problems would really be intending to pay.
Chang You could not help but feel helpless seeing the audience's reaction.
"Why is everyone laughing?"
"I'm seriously introducing this product. This is a project on the same level as the G1 cell phone in our Otto Technologies. It's very important!"
"In fact, Boss Pei was the one who planned and followed up on the entire project.
"This time, we also prepared 10,000 units in stock for the smart fitness drying rack. Our warehouses in Jingzhou are all filled!"
One had to know that there were only 1,000 E1 cell phones in the first batch of stocks. That was why they were snatched up before the news conference even ended.
On the other hand, the smart fitness drying rack was a fitness equipment. It took up a lot of space and few people bought it. 10,000 units of it meant tens of millions of yuan in payment of goods. That was enough to show how important it was.
However, it would have been better if Chang You had not explained. Once he did, the audience was even more convinced that he was giving a performance.
"Hahaha, how did Boss Chang stop himself from laughing?"
"Rubbish, have you ever seen a crosstalk actor laughing on stage? This is basic knowledge, Boss Chang is a professional."
"A project on the same level as G1? Boss Pei participated the entire time? Hahahaha, alright, I believe you!"
"You can design something like that without ten years of cerebral hemorrhage?"
"It might be true. Wasn't the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine designed according to Boss Pei's ideas? It also contained Boss Pei's philosophy."
"It's true that the Bickering Machine contains philosophy, but what philosophy does this drying rack contain? Does it remind us that our clothes would dry if they were sunned?"
"Impressive, are there still pictures of these stocks? They should be photoshopped right? They would probably need to be sold for an entire year even if there are more than 1,000 of these stocks. If there are really 10,000 stocks, I highly doubt if they can be sold out by the time Otto E8's cell phone is released..."
The entire place was filled with laughter, Chang You had no choice but to continue with the next segment.
He introduced the basic functions of the smart fitness drying rack, including its training mode and how good it was when drying clothes.
Apart from that, he also introduced to ride AEEIS. AEEIS would mock it when it did not work out; it mentioned that Upwind Logistics would provide delivery services, maintenance services, and the annual pack moving service.
However, this seemed to confirm that this was a "live product". The more content there was, the more fake everyone felt.
Finally, Chang You introduced the game. "Apart from that, Shang Yang Games has also customized a mobile game for the smart fitness drying rack. This game is still in the final stages of research and development. I will meet everyone next week as soon as possible!"
He flipped to the last page.
"Next Tuesday, which is May 15th, we will be welcoming Tengda's' 515 Games Festival '. You will be receiving a huge amount of benefits! Please wait for the announcement of the detailed rules at midnight on May 15th!"
"Alright, this is the entire contents of this news conference. Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone!"
"Please leave the venue in an orderly manner. You can collect free gifts at the entrance."
"If everyone is interested in the smart fitness drying rack, you can log onto the official website of Otto Technologies or Tengda's official shopping center. The staff of Upwind Logistics will deliver it to you immediately!"
Chang You looked at his watch. His time control was just right, one hour. It was perfect.
The news conference might have ended but not the discussion.
Most people's discussions were focused on the strange product that was the "smart fitness drying rack". Some people's discussions were focused on the last two points that Chang You mentioned at the news conference.
"Boss Chang said that Shang Yang Games specially developed a game for this equipment? Is that true? Is this a prank or is it true?"
"I think it's most likely a joke. They've already incurred losses by designing this machine. They'll incur losses no matter how much they produce. Wouldn't they incur losses if they were to develop another game for it? Who would do such a foolish thing?"
"But today is not April Fool's Day. What's more, I don't think Boss Chang is someone who would lie to the audience."
"They said they were doing it, but they might be just creating some news. Some manufacturers would use this as a gimmick. It was said at the news conference, but it only appeared a few months later. Such things are not uncommon."
"It could also be a very simple little game. It might not even be worth mentioning at the news conference. If it was a large-scale game, it would definitely have to spend a lot of time introducing it. Now, it doesn't even mention a word or even have a picture. Isn't that enough to explain the problem?"
"This' 515 Game Festival 'is quite interesting. What does it have to do with 1024 Digital Day?"
"Coincidentally, I want to change my computer recently. Can they do a promotion for ROF Computer-Installation?"
"I don't know. I'll pay attention to it in the wee hours of the morning. Based on my experience, anyday called 'XX Day' by Boss Pei would have a huge discount. I can look forward to it!"
...
At the same time, Pei Qian had finished watching the news conference on his home television. He was nervously watching the sales figures of the smart fitness drying rack.
10 minutes had passed.
Half an hour had passed.
An hour passed!
Pei Qian looked at it every now and then. After an entire hour, the sales figure on this page 'unwillingly' broke through 10 and became double digits.
Pei Qian could not help but be overjoyed as he heaved a sigh of relief.
It worked!
Chapter 1036: Eric Visits Deposit Fitness In Secret
Compared to the two cell phones that sold out quickly after the news conference, the results of the smart fitness drying rack could be described as glorious!
Obviously, most people treated the smart fitness drying rack as a pure joke product.
Chang You had introduced its functions at the news conference but most of the traditional fitness equipment had such functions. What's more, they were cheaper.
Take those N-in-one strength training equipment for example, the floor space is about the same size as the smart fitness clothes rack, but the price may only be around 3,500 to 4,500 yuan which was much cheaper.
Everyone had a lot of concerns about the smart fitness drying rack. On top of that, they were not motivated enough to purchase it. It was normal that they could not sell more than a few of them in an hour.
Of course, Tengda had a few hardcore fans. No matter how ridiculous the product was, they would buy it with their eyes closed.
No matter what, there were so many stocks on the smart fitness drying rack and the news conference was so popular. Yet, only a little was sold after the news conference. No matter how one looked at it, it was a very optimistic outcome.
Pei Qian could not help but hum a tune.
Hard work paid off!
...
At the same time, at Jingzhou Airport.
"Brother Lin, are you really not going to stay and play for a few more days?" Meng Chang was full of smiles as he tried to persuade Lin Jiaqiang to stay.
Lin Jiaqiang quickly shook his head. "No need, no need. I've been disturbing you for a long time. What's more, I have something to do at home. I have to go back."
After filming the promotional video, Lin Jiaqiang had been enjoying himself in Jingzhou. Naturally, the money had been paid by the advertising department.
Meng Chang wished he could get Lin Jiaqiang to play for a few more days.
In any case, these funds would not be in his hands but he could use them to entertain Lin Jiaqiang while he tagged along for free. Why not?
What's more, he had watched the news conference and knew that the sales of the smart fitness drying rack were dismal. He was now very happy.
Meng Chang drooled at the thought of the commission he could get at the end of the month.
On the other hand, Lin Jiaqiang was considered a great contributor to Meng Chang's commission. Meng Chang naturally loved him and was much closer to him.
Lin Jiaqiang was having fun as well. However, he still had to provide for his family. He could not stay in Jingzhou forever. Thus, he decided to leave.
Meng Chang had already tried to persuade him to stay a few times previously. Lin Jiaqiang had already changed his air tickets twice. Therefore, he did not try to persuade him to stay this time. He only said that he would look for him immediately if there was a chance to cooperate in the future and personally sent Lin Jiaqiang to the airport.
Lin Jiaqiang was naturally very grateful.
Lin Jiaqiang suddenly thought of something as he was about to board the plane.
"Boss Meng, I have a presumptuous request."
Meng Chang was stunned. "Go ahead."
Lin Jiaqiang was a little embarrassed as he said, "Boss Meng, can you give me a smart fitness drying rack? I also want to go back and exercise a little. After all, I've been getting older recently. My body is getting weaker year by year."
Logically speaking, it was only right for the celebrities endorsing the products to be given more samples.
However, Meng Chang felt that Lin Jiaqiang definitely did not need such a thing. He might even be despised if he gave it to him. Therefore, he did not give it to him at all. He only brought Lin Jiaqiang to Jingzhou to have fun for a few days.
Now that Lin Jiaqiang had taken the initiative to ask for one, it was no big deal.
Meng Chang knew that the smart fitness drying rack was filled with Tengda's warehouses in Jingzhou and could not be sold at all. What's more, giving one to Tengda would incur losses. Why not?
Meng Chang smiled. "No problem. I'll arrange for someone to deliver it to your house and arrange for someone to install it!"
Lin Jiaqiang quickly said, "Thank you so much!"
Actually, Lin Jiaqiang only had this thought on a whim.
He had been obese since he was young. When he was young, he had no choice but to maintain such a fat and ugly figure in order to film. However, now that he was older, this obese body had also brought him many diseases.
There was nothing else to film. What was the point of being so fat?
Therefore, Lin Jiaqiang had always wanted to train a little. Putting aside whether he would lose weight or not, wouldn't it be better for him to be healthy and live for a few more years?
However, he could not persevere no matter how hard he tried.
Now that he saw the smart fitness drying rack, Lin Jiaqiang felt that he could place one at home. It was always good to exercise.
He could still use it to dry his clothes even if he forgot to use it to train.
Of course, this big guy was a little expensive, so it would be quite nice if he could get it for free, he would not want it if he had to pay for it.
After obtaining Meng Chang's promise, Lin Jiaqiang bid everyone farewell in satisfaction and boarded the plane to leave Jingzhou.
...
...
May 14th, Monday...
Shanghai, Long Yu Corporation headquarters.
Zhao Xuming had rushed to the conference room when it was time for work. Eric was already waiting inside.
"It has been confirmed. Chang You said at the news conference that Otto Technologies had prepared a lot of stocks for the smart fitness drying rack. Now, Tengda's warehouses in Jingzhou are indeed filled with these things."
"What's more, the smart fitness drying rack has been transported to various Deposit Fitnesses. There's one in Shanghai."
"Why don't we take a look?"
Eric frowned after listening to Zhao Xuming's report. He looked confused.
A moment later, he said, "There's no hurry. We'll take a look at it tonight. There should be more people at night. We'll be able to see how popular this equipment is."
Eric and Zhao Xuming had been paying attention to Tengda's movements ever since Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation held a joint press conference.
That was because they knew very well that Boss Pei was someone who would not lose out. He would definitely fight back!
However, nothing happened after two days. This was a little abnormal.
Logically speaking, Tengda Corporation was very efficient. Boss Pei never hesitated to burn money.
Finally, the news conference for the smart fitness drying rack was launched.
Eric and Zhao Xuming were confused by the ridiculous product after watching the news conference as well.
However, they still cared about three things.
First of all, was the smart fitness drying rack that Chang You mentioned real?
Second, no one was interested in the smart fitness drying rack, but would there be a chance to turn the tables in the future?
Finally, what were the specific rules for the 515 Games Festival?
In fact, the outcome of this news conference was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for Eric.
That was because Otto Technologies' previous products, be it E1 cell phones, G1 cell phones, or even Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine, had all been successful.
Thus, Eric subconsciously viewed the new product that was about to be released as a success. He was mentally prepared for it to sell well.
Unexpectedly, no one showed interest after the news conference!
What was even more worth celebrating was that there were actually 10,000 units in stock? Tens of millions of yuan?
Eric knew very well that he was fighting a price war against the entire Tengda Corporation, not just the Tengda Games department.
In other words, he had to consider the situation of other industries.
No one was interested in the release of Otto Technologies' new product now. It would accumulate a large amount of money and cause the liquidity that Tengda Corporation could use to decrease. Of course, that was good news!
The only question was, was what Chang You said at the news conference true or was he doing the job?
For this reason, he specially asked Zhao Xuming to arrange for his subordinates to visit Jingzhou in secret.
There was no such thing as an impenetrable wall in the world. The location of Tengda's warehouse was no secret. Thus, he quickly obtained a definite answer: there were indeed many stocks in this lousy drying rack!
Thus, the first question was solved.
As for the specific rules of the 515 Games Festival, they should only be in the computers of some core employees of Tengda. It was unlikely to be leaked.
There was still more than a day left since it would be revealed on May 15th. There was no need to rush.
Eric guessed that this so-called 515 Gaming Festival was probably similar to the preferential activities of Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation. It was nothing more than a skin discount or a game discount.
It would not be too late to think about how to deal with Tengda when he saw its specific sales pitch.
Therefore, the most important thing now was to confirm if this smart fitness drying rack was really deserted and had no chance of turning the tables.
If that was the case, the unmanageable stocks in the warehouse might be one of the straws that can break Boss Pei's back!
Eric had originally intended to buy research equipment, but after hearing that Deposit Fitness had also arranged for this, he immediately changed his mind and decided to visit Deposit Fitness.
That was because Deposit Fitness had many fitness practitioners. Their view of the smart fitness drying rack was more professional and objective. As long as they did not like to use this thing, it could basically be declared a death sentence.
...
Some time ago, Tengda's various physical industries had started entering first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Thus, Deposit Fitness had also opened in Shanghai, and business was good.
Eric and Zhao Xuming went to the Deposit Fitness after work in the afternoon.
The two of them pretended that they were customers who had come to understand the situation to think about joining the membership and successfully sneaked in.
There was a professional at the front desk who was in charge of leading and receiving them. He introduced the model of the Deposit Fitness to the two of them. Eric and Zhao Xuming pretended to listen carefully, but they were actually constantly sizing up the interior of the gym.
He had to admit that Deposit Fitness was indeed different from other gyms.
It wasn't crowded. That was because the space in Deposit Fitness had been booked in advance to ensure that the number of people in the gym was at a relatively suitable level.
One could roughly see the popularity of different fitness equipment even though there was no need to queue for all the fitness equipment.
Some of the equipment would be picked up after the user left. Others would only be used after ten minutes.
The smart fitness drying rack was placed in a rather eye-catching position in the Deposit Fitness.
Zhao Xuming secretly stared at it for a long time and realized that no one was using it!
Most of the male members only glanced at it before continuing to lift the dumbbells. The female members did not even look at it as they headed straight for the treadmill, kinetic bicycle, and yoga room.
Even the staff in charge of reception did not specially introduce the smart fitness drying rack when introducing the various fitness equipment in Deposit Fitness.
All of these were obviously very good signs!
Zhao Xuming cleared his throat and asked knowingly, "May I ask what this gym equipment is? It looks very special. I don't think I've seen it in other gyms."
The shop assistant smiled in embarrassment. "Oh, this. This is Tengda Corporation's newly developed smart fitness drying rack."
"It's a domestic product. It's mainly placed here for display."
"As a home-made product, its advantage lies in the combination of many fitness equipment. One piece of equipment can train the entire body. At the same time, it can dry clothes when it's idle. However, if you were to train in the gym, its effect would be slightly worse than those specialized equipment..."
Tengda's employees had always been honest. They had never lied to the customers, they would not even be allowed to hide a portion of the truth to induce customers to spend. This was a principle that Boss Pei had set since the company was established.
Thus, the staff very honestly introduced the smart fitness drying rack to Eric and Zhao Xuming.
In particular, he pointed out the key point of the smart fitness drying rack in the Deposit Fitness: it was a jack of all trades, master of none.
Those professional fitness equipment looked like they could only train a single movement, but in fact, there were many adjustable areas to ensure that this movement could be trained to the best effect.
On the other hand, the smart fitness drying rack had to take care of so many actions. Some of these details had to be sacrificed slightly. Otherwise, it would not be able to control the cost on one hand, and on the other hand, it would be too cumbersome and inconvenient to use.
Therefore, members who came to the gym only had to consider the training effect and not the space. Naturally, they would not use the smart fitness drying rack to train.
Eric and Zhao Xuming looked at each other happily.
What did this mean?
This meant that this smart fitness drying rack was not only unpopular among ordinary consumers and could not be sold. There was no room for survival even in a professional business environment like the gym!
Even Tengda's Deposit Fitness could not save this lousy equipment. Other gyms would not be able to buy it.
At first, the two of them were a little worried. What if the gyms bought this smart fitness drying rack like crazy?
There were quite a lot of gyms in the country. It was a terrifying number if every gym were to get one.
However, that possibility did not seem to exist now.
This smart fitness drying rack was basically getting the cold shoulder!
Chapter 1037: Could It Be Boss Pei Going All In?
Late at night that day.
Zhao Xuming was in his own home, wearing loose pajamas, preparing to rest.
After work that afternoon, Zhao Xuming and Eric secretly visited the Deposit Fitness. They were relieved to see that no one was interested in the smart fitness drying rack.
The smart fitness drying rack itself did not have much to do with the money-burning war between the two companies. However, according to intel, the large amount of stock that the fitness equipment had accumulated would bring heavy pressure to Tengda Corporation's capital chain.
This also meant that Tengda had to be more cautious when it came to burning money.
Zhao Xuming and Eric both guessed that the 515 Games Festival that Tengda Corporation was organizing this time was likely to just all talk with no action. It was mainly to brag and would not widen the gap between it and Finger Games.
The game was different from other industries. The skins would no longer have any cost after it was completed. However, excessive selling would also stimulate players' passion for consumption. If they were to spend crazily during this period of time, they would spend less in the future. In the long term, they would still reduce their income.
That was why most games companies would not offer discounts when new games were released. They would wait a few months until the popularity subsided before offering discounts to attract players who had not experienced it.
On the other hand, Tengda Corporation's capital chain was already a little tight. The preferential strategy for the 515 Games Day could not be so radical. Otherwise, the risk would be too high.
Of course, Boss Pei's style had always been erratic. Many competitors who had tried to predict Boss Pei's actions had all failed, and the consequences of failure were extremely serious.
Thus, Zhao Xuming did not dare to let his guard down. He could only relax after the specific preferential strategy for the 515 Game Festival was announced.
Eric was probably paying attention as well.
Zhao Xuming looked at the time. It was already past midnight.
There was no need to deliberately look for the specific rules of the 515 Games Festival. That was because the official website of all Tengda Games and most of the websites in the industries under them had released announcements for this new festival as long as they were slightly related to it!
GOG's game client also displayed the publicity page for the 515 Games Day event at the most eye-catching location. The details were written on it.
Zhao Xuming immediately clicked on it.
In just five minutes, his expression turned ugly and his originally calm expression became shocked.
However, there was a hint of confusion and even surprise in his shock.
The reason why he was shocked was because the details had completely exceeded his expectations!
Zhao Xuming and Eric had originally speculated that Tengda Corporation was under the pressure of the capital chain. Even if they wanted to organize the 515 Game Festival, it could only be a preferential activity similar to IOI.
In other words, if he were to sell the products in the game, he would only get a discount.
It could be a direct discount, or it could be a disguised discount for the event. In short, they had to collect at least a portion of the money that they could use to recover some money.
However, how was this 515 Games Day event a discount? It was obviously a free gift!
The most frightening thing was that there are no rules directly related to discounts!
The only thing that was slightly related to the discount was that the 'purchase of Tengda Games' would be given for free randomly. However, this was only one of the marginalized rules of the event.
All the other rules could basically be summarized as: as long as players went online to play games, they would randomly be gifted things. It could be a prop in the game, or they could directly give cash!
Zhao Xuming could not believe it. He read the rules again from beginning to end.
He thought of some problems that he might encounter, such as what if someone with ulterior motives registered a robot account and took advantage of it.
However, on further thought, the very experienced Tengda should be able to solve these problems easily.
Boss Pei had always been very professional in dealing with scalpers.
Boss Pei had the foresight since a long time ago to give access to all of Tengda Corporation's accounts. Be it games, novels, live-streams, Tengda Life App, or even TPDb websites, they all used Tengda accounts to log in.
Each Tengda account had different weightage on TPDb.
Simply put, accounts that were registered early, consumed a lot of money, and used for a long time would have higher weightage. On the other hand, new accounts that were not used much and had suspicious behavior would have lower weightage.
Even if there were people with ulterior motives who kept accounts, their behavior patterns and the characteristics of the accounts were very obvious because they were all controlled by robots. It would be very easy to check.
This way, even though it looked like a "random free order" and "random free money", the higher the weight, the better the reward. Those accounts with lower weight might be given something symbolically or nothing at all.
To Tengda, who held the final explanation rights for the event, these were all very normal operations. Gamers would not be disgusted. After all, gamers had high authority accounts with real money in their hands. It was beneficial to them to deal with the scalpers.
There were only so many benefits. Wouldn't the real gamers get fewer benefits if they were taken away by the scalpers? Everyone must understand this.
Thus, there was no problem with this rule.
The problem was that this event was too extravagant!
Even if there were many ways to defend against the robots and scalpers, Tengda had such a huge number of users. Everyone would be online to receive benefits. The expenses would still be astronomical.
What's more, it was completely different from what Zhao Xuming and Eric had predicted. This 515 Game Festival was not a 'discount' but a free gift!
This meant that the price Tengda Corporation was paying was obviously higher than Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation!
Initially, Zhao Xuming had thought that if Tengda Corporation used 'discounts' to organize events, there would be a lot of room for both parties to burn money.
For example, if I give a 60% discount, you give a 50% discount. However, the value of the props in the two games were different. It was difficult for gamers to distinguish which game had a higher discount.
What's more, this discount could also be adjusted according to the situation. Increasing the discount limit was completely within control.
However, Tengda had managed to get everything done in one go. They were giving out for free!
That way, players would be able to tell at a glance which would be more cost-effective, even though the value of the goods in the two games were different.
Obviously, Tengda would be more generous if they gave it away for free!
The price war had not officially started yet, but gamers' attention had already been attracted by Tengda's 515 Game Festival. Even IOI's veteran gamers were coveting it and looking down on IOI's activities. What else could they do?
They were completely crushed by the other party the moment the game started!
However, Zhao Xuming felt that there was still a chance to turn things around even in this confusion.
Boss Pei was indeed being generous by doing this. However, Tengda's financial problems would become even more serious.
Initially, they could still recover from the discount. However, in order to surpass Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation, Boss Pei insisted on giving them nothing.
The result of trying to bite off more than one could chew was often swallowing one's teeth.
However, was Boss Pei bluffing or was he strategizing and full of confidence?
No one could guess.
Zhao Xuming was thinking when his cell phone rang.
Indeed, it was from Eric.
"Boss Zhao, you've seen the specific rules of the 515 Games Festival, right?" Eric's voice was low. Obviously, this matter had completely exceeded his expectations.
Zhao Xuming nodded. "I saw it. What should we do?"
Eric sounded serious, but he was still calm. "There's no need to rush. Let's observe first."
"The last person to laugh in the money-burning war depends on who can burn longer. The benefits of the 515 Games Day at the beginning have completely suppressed us, but how long can this benefit last? Let's say that it can last for a week and the entire game festival, what about after that? Does Tengda still have the strength to deal with our new attack?"
"This is a long-term war. Only those who can smile till the end were the best!"
Zhao Xuming quickly said, "Understood!"
"Boss Pei's move can be said to be cutting off all means of retreat and fighting with one's back to the river. Even though it can greatly motivate morale in the short term, it is lacking in momentum."
"In other words, Boss Pei did not give himself much room to retreat. The longer we persevere, the more advantageous it would be for us!"
"I will definitely observe Tengda's movements at all times and not miss any clues!"
Zhao Xuming felt much more at ease after hanging up.
Previously, he had been a little shocked by the benefits of the 515 Game Festival. It was like when he had tried to add a few more chips at the gambling table, but Boss Pei directly went all in. This had caused a huge psychological pressure on Zhao Xuming. He also had deep doubts about the strategy that he had prepared.
However, now that he had calmed down and thought about it, there seemed to be another way to interpret this matter.
Tengda Corporation's money could not be generated out of thin air, right? There would be a time when it would be spent. The inventory of the smart fitness drying rack was piled up like a mountain. The movies and games of Mission and Choice were still in the remuneration cycle. Coupled with Tengda's other industries in development... Tengda should not have much money left.
Was Boss Pei bluffing?
He wanted to scare Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation away by making it seem like he had sufficient funds and was not afraid of the price war?
Boss Pei was very crafty. He loved playing mind games.
He wanted to see if Tengda would be able to fork out more money after the 515-game festival as long as Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation's money-splitting activities could continue!
The more Zhao Xuming thought about it, the more he felt that the situation was not as pessimistic as he had initially thought. Instead, he became more optimistic!
He calmed down and went to sleep.
Chapter 1038: The Opening Story of 'Fitness Battle'
May 16th, Wednesday...
Binhu District.
Qiao Liang was fighting alongside a few fans in GOG.
"Kill, kill, kill! The opposing Mage doesn't have any ults!"
"No ult, no ult, can be killed!"
"Er... there's no more ults now."
"The opposing Mage doesn't have any more powerful moves now. Can anyone still deal damage?"
A teammate's sarcastic voice came from the team's voice chat. "Old Qiao, which side are you on? Don't lie about military intelligence! Just tell me if there is an ult or not!"
Qiao Liang had been caught by accident and died first in the team battle just now. His teammates had rushed over and he shouted that the opposing mage did not have any ult. Thus, everyone had decided to fight four against five. In the end, the opposing mage had used a perfect ult move. His teammates had also swarmed over and wiped them out.
Qiao Liang was a little embarrassed as he said, "I'm sorry, everyone. I'm old and my memory is failing. I remember that the mage just released a big move. How did he recover so quickly?"
"Alright, that's it for today. I need to rest."
Qiao Liang exited the team, took off his earphones, and stretched.
More than a day had passed since the official start of the 515 Games Festival yesterday morning.
Qiao Liang had been working very hard recently.
He would be able to obtain a gift bag every day with his friends in Tengda's online game. There was a chance that he would be able to obtain rare items in the game. He would also be able to obtain a random red packet after an hour in the game...
In summary, players were in charge of playing the game while Tengda was in charge of scattering coins!
Qiao Liang might think that he was a hardcore gamer, but he could not possibly buy all of the epic weapons in Ocean Stronghold. GOG did not have all the skins either. What's more, there were cash and red packets in the rewards.
It was just a side benefit even though these rewards were not much to Qiao Liang.
In any case, he played games normally. He was just playing for a while longer now that there was such a generous reward for playing games. Why not?
Of course, apart from playing games, Qiao Liang was also paying attention to the money-burning war between Tengda Corporation and Finger Games.
From the current situation, it could be said that Tengda Corporation had completely crushed them!
Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation had also introduced a series of preferential measures, and players had thought that it was quite good at the beginning but it paled in comparison to Boss Pei's huge spending!
After all, one was a preferential treatment while the other was a pure gift. There was a fundamental difference.
After the detailed rules of the 515 Games Day were exposed, gamers immediately entered a state of revelry. Those gamers who only played IOI and did not play GOG were once again envious of GOG's gamers.
After all, even though IOI's skin was discounted, they still had to pay for it. On the other hand, GOG would be crazily giving it away when gaming!
Who would win this money-burning war?
Most players had not considered this problem at all.
Of course, it was Boss Pei.
That was because Boss Pei seemed to have never lost in such matters. Players trusted him 100%.
It would be hard to say if it was anything else. However, Tengda had never been afraid of anyone when it came to burning money.
It was not that Tengda was rich, but that it was bold.
What's more, the gamers did not care about whether the game company would burn money or not. It was good as long as everyone could obtain tangible benefits. The more money the two companies burned, the happier the gamers would be.
Qiao Liang was a little tired from playing the game just now. He stretched and decided to take a break. He opened his fan group and secretly read what everyone was discussing.
"Eh? Shang Yang Games has a new game!"
"A new game? Are you serious? I didn't hear any publicity before?"
"It's absolutely true. This game is called 'Fitness Battle'. It's a mobile game. It has been uploaded onto many platforms. You can find it after searching!"
Qiao Liang was stunned when he saw the discussion in the group.
New game?
Tengda did not seem to have promoted any new games recently.
However, these people in the group sent screenshots as they discussed.
This game, called Fitness Battle, was indeed Shang Yang Games' work!
From the name, it seemed like a fitness game. That was why many people in the group were slightly disappointed.
What was so fun about that?
In most people's imaginations, Fitness Battle should be a game similar to fitness simulators or traditional games with fitness packaging, so they were not interested.
After all, this was the only game in the market that could barely be compared to fitness.
If he had the time to play such games, he might as well get a membership from Deposit Fitness.
After all, if he were to apply for a membership card at Deposit Fitness, he would be able to slim down as long as he persevered. However, would he be able to lose weight if he played this game? He would still be at home. The more he stayed at home, the fatter he would become.
Everyone's confusion was normal.
That was because their first reaction did not link this game called 'Fitness Battle' to the game announced at the smart fitness drying rack!
That was because the game's name was not mentioned at the news conference, and the promotional page for Fitness Battle did not mention the smart fitness drying rack.
There were not many gamers who paid attention to the smart fitness drying rack. What's more, most of them did not look forward to the game that the smart fitness drying rack was to be paired with. That was why many people did not think about it when they saw the game.
They had chosen to download it because of Tengda's reputation.
Of course, Qiao Liang would not let it go.
Its capacity was not small even though it was a mobile game. Qiao Liang guessed that the game might be rich in content.
What's more, Tengda's games were all top-quality. When did Tengda fool people?
Qiao Liang immediately downloaded the game on his tablet and entered to take a look with such expectations.
...
After a short black screen, the game's opening CG appeared on the screen.
The style of CG was more inclined towards the cartoon style of the two-dimensional world. The characteristics of the characters were very obvious.
The scene at that moment seemed to be the remains of an ancient building. The sky was already dark. There was no moon or starlight. There were only a few dim oil lamps standing on the dilapidated walls of the ancient building ruins, adding a sinister atmosphere to the entire scene.
Eight people sat cross-legged in a circle in the ruins. Under them was a huge magic circle that was emitting a strange red light. They were all connected together, flickering slowly like a pulse.
He could roughly see the faces of these eight people as the camera panned across.
On the whole, it was a character in the style of a two-dimensional cartoon. There was a cute girl, an attractive older sister, a petite loli, and a cute boy...
These characters had obviously been meticulously designed. Their appearance was very in line with the aesthetics of 2D players. Their hairstyles, hair color, and clothing details were all very in line with the character characteristics.
These people were wearing different clothes that matched the character's persona. However, all of their clothes were in the style of sportswear.
The strangest thing was that these people did not seem to have perfect figures.
For example, the older sister character. She was obviously curvy enough to induce a nosebleed, but it was obvious that she had a small belly. Moreover, there seemed to be some excess fat on her arms and thighs. It did not look tight enough.
The other characters had their own problems, but they were not obvious.
At that moment, all eight of them had their eyes tightly shut and their brows tightly furrowed. They even swallowed their saliva from time to time, as though they were enduring terrifying pain.
In front of them, in the inner circle of the magic circle, there were eight extended branches, each with a type of food.
Braised pork, fried chicken, milk tea, kebabs...
It looked very tempting.
The food constantly emitted a fragrance that stimulated the eight people's sense of smell. The eight of them seemed to be swallowing their saliva faster and faster.
There were already people who could not hold it in anymore. They tried their best to control their hands so that they would not reach out to the food in front of them.
At that moment, a dignified voice-over sounded. "Hold on, the ceremony is about to succeed!"
"As long as you persevere and endure hunger, you will eventually defeat the terrifying fat demon!"
However, right after that, a sly and bewitching voice-over sounded. "It's alright. It's alright to eat a little occasionally!"
"You've already worked so hard. Shouldn't you eat a little to replenish your energy and reward yourselves?"
"What's the point of living when you can't even eat as you please?"
"Just a small bite. It's alright!"
These two voices hovered around everyone and constantly influenced them.
Finally, these people's willpower reached the brink of collapse.
"I can't take it anymore. I'm starving. Just one bite!"
Someone pounced on the food in front of them.
After the sound of people eating heartily sounded, everyone's psychological defense collapsed instantly. All of them pounced on the delicacies in front of them and stuffed them into their mouths without any care.
"Hahahahahaha..."
A burst of insolent laughter was heard, and layers of black smoke suddenly rose from the bottom of the magic formation, turning into a bloated and huge demon.
"Poor humans. Your willpower is so weak. How can you seal me with such tricks?"
"Then, take these as gifts. I'll give them to you!"
The huge fat demon waved his hand and countless bubble-shaped light balls floated out from his body and fused into the eight people.
Immediately after, the figures of these eight people swelled visibly!
At first, they were only slightly out of shape. However, it was not particularly obvious if one did not look closely. However, one could clearly see that they were obese now.
The eight of them were in different situations. Some of them only had fat on certain parts of their bodies, while others had gained twice as much weight. Their originally good looks were on the verge of collapse.
With a burst of maniacal laughter, the magic circle completely dimmed. The fat demon also swept up a wave of black smoke and flew away.
The eight of them fell to the ground, the food in their hands falling to the ground.
"It's over, we failed!"
"We still can't resist the temptation of delicacies. The fat demon ran away, and we were parasitized by his fat avatar. We can't control this magic formation anymore!"
Everyone looked defeated. Two female characters even lowered their heads and sobbed.
However, very quickly, a slightly plump but very bright girl stood up. "No, we can't give up just like that!"
"The fat demon will continue to bewitch humans and use the fat avatar to parasitize them. Finally, it will become everyone's host. Our lifespan will be greatly reduced!"
"Our willpower is not strong enough, and our bodies are not strong enough."
"However, as long as we train hard, we will still have a chance to drive away the fat demon avatars that parasitize our bodies and seal the fat demon again!"
Chapter 1039: Buying Upgraded Pro Version Of The Drying Rack!
The plot would seem a little awkward, but it was completely compatible with the game genre of Fitness, so players would not feel strange or uncomfortable.
Fitness Battle was a casual game. The game's style was more cartoonish, so the overall style was like that.
This opening plot turned fat into demons, eight fitness practitioners into warriors, and used the background story of a warrior war demon. It looked quite novel when combined with fitness even though the plot was traditional.
What's more, this kind of plot would appear more humorous. It would have a cold sense of humor that would make the players more relaxed and less serious.
The opening animation was all made using instantaneous calculation. However, it did not look rough at all because of the game's style. Instead, it looked strange and cute.
Soon after, it was time for the official storyline of the game.
Players would play the 'Chosen One' in the plot. The prophet predicted that the 'Chosen One' was the key to sealing the fat demon again. Only with the 'Chosen One' could the warriors persevere and successfully drive away the fat demon avatar on their bodies. Finally, they would face the fat demon in perfect shape.
The game would be conducted from a first-person perspective. The 'Chosen One' played by the players would accompany the eight warriors into different places such as the glaciers and deserts. After expelling the fat demon avatars parasitizing them, they would defeat the City Lords parasitized by the fat demon avatars in these different areas and finally defeat the fat demon through the sealing ritual.
Characters were unlocked in a certain order. At the beginning, one of the two initial characters had to be chosen. Once this character met the requirements, one would be selected from the three characters, and then one from the three... and so on.
Players did not need to train all eight characters in the story mode. They only needed to get through four of them. However, there was an even more difficult challenge after getting through the story mode. Moreover, it would take a long time to train the characters to a perfect figure.
Qiao Liang decided to go with the plot first and play chapter after chapter.
The first chapter was a checkpoint that leaned towards the novice guide category. On a green field, the ones attacking were also relatively simple fat monsters.
During the battle, the character would guide players to make various fitness movements and explain the key points of these movements.
Most of these actions were done on the yoga mat. For example, there were hHigh leg raises, squats, push-ups, abdominal crunches, etc., there are also some difficult movements, similar to Burpees, or other strange-looking movements.
He could tell that these movements were designed by professionals. They were indeed helpful for fitness.
Qiao Liang took out the yoga mat that he had been eating dust for a long time and spread it out in the living room. He projected the image of the tablet onto the television, supported the tablet with a frame according to the instructions, and aimed the camera at himself. Then, he began to exercise.
"Strange, how did it detect my movements?"
Qiao Liang was a little curious. Even though the game had indeed used a tablet computer's camera and required players to remain within the camera's range, could the precision and sensitivity of such a camera determine whether the players' movements were standard?
Out of curiosity, Qiao Liang deliberately skated a little and made a few extremely irregular movements.
Then, he realized that he obviously could not.
As long as he was moving, the system would calculate that he had completed the movement regardless of whether the movement was standard or not. The system would only be able to judge and wait for him if he left the camera area or did not move.
"This is a little too rough..."
"However, that makes sense."
At first, Qiao Liang felt that it was a pity. He had worked so hard to follow the movements, but they were all the same. What was the point?
However, he was no longer thinking purely from the perspective of a gamer. From the perspective of a game designer, it probably could not do anything else.
First of all, this was a mobile game. The equipment used by gamers were all different. There were thousands of yuan in the flagship level, and there were also a thousand-yuan phone or even a hundred-yuan phone. The performance of the lowest equipment had to be taken into consideration to ensure that the game could barely run on most cell phones.
Some cell phones' cameras were of so low quality that it was too difficult to accurately position players.
What's more, even though there was a technique to accurately determine a player's movements through the camera, it had to be a professional camera. It was still unknown if the cell phone camera could achieve this level.
It was very likely that they had spent a lot of effort to develop the game, but there were no results. Instead, they had severely delayed the release date of the game.
Therefore, this design depended on the player's self-awareness. If the player was lazy and wanted to fool around, then fool around. If the player wanted to train seriously, he would definitely be able to achieve the effect.
Based on the standard evaluation of a mobile game, it was barely acceptable.
Qiao Liang followed the movements in the game and trained for a while. Soon, he was sweating profusely.
They were all very simple actions such as holding up the tablet, rolling up the stomach, or kneeling on the ground with their elbows and knees stretched out their legs but they still felt quite tired after following the game's time and rhythm for more than ten minutes.
"It seems to be easier to persevere than the application. I don't know if I'm hallucinating."
Qiao Liang had bought the yoga mat previously because he wanted to train himself in the living room. However, after a few tries, the yoga mat had never emerged again and ate dust.
The reason was that he could not persevere.
In fact, Tengda Life App had a module for Deposit Fitness. There were videos recorded by professional trainers that could fit in with the videos. Aili Island's website had a large number of similar courses like aerobic fitness. However, Qiao Liang gave up halfway without any exception after trying a few times.
On the other hand, these movements in Fitness Battle might be similar to those in the fitness application but they made Qiao Liang persevere for a long time. What's more, he still wanted more. He felt that he could play another chapter.
Qiao Liang thought about it. This was obviously the special effect of a carrier like the 'game'.
That was because the game was an interactive art that emphasized feedback from players.
If he only played a video, he would not be able to do anything apart from fast-forwarding and retreating. What's more, he would not have a clear target accumulation even if he practiced it once.
However, the game was different. The game had rich and colorful scenes and gorgeous attacking special effects. Players would obtain a sense of achievement and satisfaction every time they defeated a monster, cleared a stage, won a chapter, and watched a plot.
Therefore, it was easier to persevere than working out with a video.
"If you can get through the first chapter, you will be rewarded with some substitute coins. It seems like you will also get a free lucky draw."
"There are still two more stages."
"Forget it, I'll rest first."
Qiao Liang wanted to continue, but his arms and legs, which had been lacking in exercise for a long time, could not hold on.
What's more, there would be restrictions on the duration of the game. The first time would be to remind players to replenish their energy, the second time would be to remind them to rest, and the third time would be to lock them up and force them to rest for a period of time before continuing the challenge.
Obviously, this was to prevent players from over-exhausting due to excessive training.
Qiao Liang exited the chapter and returned to the game's main interface.
Interestingly, after the training came to an end, the characters in the game would calculate the amount of exercise they had today, for example how many sets of movements they had made and how many calories they had consumed.
After that, transparent bubbles could be seen flying out of the character's body. The figure of the character changed slightly, which meant that a small portion of the fat demon avatar had been expelled.
"This game is quite interesting." Qiao Liang could not help but feel emotional.
The idea of combining games and fitness was indeed novel, but like all other games, the idea was only a foundation. More importantly, it was to complete the details that the idea required.
The various details of the 'Fitness Battle' were done very well, including the character's style, character design, modeling, movements, the detailed explanation and guidance of various fitness movements, and finally, the game's plot packaging, gameplay setting, and so on. Everything showed a meticulous attitude.
"Hmm?" What is this?"
Qiao Liang suddenly noticed an inconspicuous button at the bottom right corner of the game interface: Upgrade professional version.
"There's a professional version? What's the professional version?"
Qiao Liang could not help but feel curious and immediately clicked on it.
After he clicked, an explanation page popped up.
"Buy the smart fitness drying rack and connect it to the cell phone through Bluetooth. You can upgrade it to professional game content."
"In the professional version of 'Fitness Battle', you will receive:"
"Dozens of professional fitness movements that match the smart fitness drying rack;"
"The smart fitness drying rack accurately detects the range of movements, corrects the wrong posture, and better conducts motion guidance;"
"Double the calories currency acquisition;"
"The professional gift package contains ten random and rare items."
"Click on the button below and you can switch to the purchase page."
Qiao Liang was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Huh? So this is the catch!"
"The game that Boss Chang mentioned at the news conference is really a match with the smart fitness drying rack. It's called 'Fitness Battle'!"
Qiao Liang instantly understood the game's strategy.
The ordinary version of 'Fitness Battle' was to attract as many players as possible to play it. It did not matter even if they were freeloaders. It could increase the popularity of the game.
Ordinary gamers could just do a few exercises on the yoga mat every day and browse through the props in the game.
For professionals who wanted more, if they wanted to experience the best effect of the game, they would have to pair it with the smart fitness drying rack.
According to the introduction, the smart fitness drying rack could detect players' movements. It was also very clear how much weight players used, how long they used to complete a set of movements, and whether their movements became slower and slower. Thus, it could more accurately grasp the players' training state.
In addition, the professional version would also give additional gift bags and the advantage of obtaining double calories currency.
It was obvious that they were trying to prevent people from using the mobile version of the game to deliberately obtain coins.
The calorie coin was obtained through training. The mobile version did not need to make the movements so standard. A simple movement would be considered complete. If the efficiency of the two was the same, many people might deliberately not connect to the smart fitness drying rack for the sake of liver characters or liver props and only play the basic version.
That was obviously the opposite of encouraging gamers to work out.
In fact, it did not matter if they used substitute coins. However, it would be meaningless if it affected the fitness effect because of the substitute coins.
Therefore, while limiting players' fitness time and preventing over-exhaustion, the smart fitness drying rack could obtain double the amount of calories. It could prevent players from not working out seriously and buying a smart fitness drying rack. It could also be considered a benefit for players who bought the smart fitness drying rack to play a better promotional role.
Qiao Liang had watched the news conference before and knew about the smart fitness drying rack.
However, he was not interested at that time. He only thought that it was an ordinary family fitness equipment. It was not much different from the fitness equipment sold online. Thus, he did not want to spend money to buy it.
However, now that the smart fitness drying rack had merged with the Fitness Battle, it suddenly became different!
Qiao Liang was suddenly very curious. What would it be like to play 'Fitness Battle' on the smart fitness drying rack?