There are dozens of live-streaming platforms in the country, but StreamVerse is the undisputed king. Its massive user base, better revenue splits for streamers, and higher production values have made it the premier destination for gaming content.
Leo, having only ever made an account on StreamVerse, logged in. He didn't even need to navigate to the gaming category. Right there, on the main homepage, the top two recommended live channels were both broadcasting Dark Forest.
Has it really gotten this big? he thought, a flicker of disbelief followed by a shrug. He clicked into the first stream.
He wasn't here to conduct a formal survey or ask for feedback directly. Those methods were, in his experience, a waste of time. They invited a flood of nitpicking from players who thought they were expert designers, or worse, "cloud gamers" who hadn't even played the game but had plenty of opinions. It was a thankless, inefficient process.
No, the best way to gather real, unfiltered feedback was to watch. To observe players in their natural habitat. To see where they got stuck, listen to their genuine frustrations, and witness their moments of terror and triumph firsthand.
For the next two hours, Leo became a ghost, drifting through dozens of streams. He watched, he listened, and he took meticulous mental notes. A pattern of valid criticisms began to emerge: resource scarcity was too punishing in the early game; the wooden barricades for doors and windows were as flimsy as cardboard; the plot was a little too obscure for some players to follow without any sort of quest log.
He cataloged each issue, planning to implement fixes and balance changes in a future patch, and certainly before he tackled the VR version. He had, he admitted to himself, made the game significantly harder than its original-world counterpart. The first area, the Dry Grassland, was supposed to be a gentle introduction, with only basic savages and wild dogs. He had supercharged it, adding a chance for nearly any of the game's horrifying creatures to appear as a random night event.
He'd worried, briefly, that he might have made it too difficult. But then he'd thought, If they can't handle this, how will they ever be ready for something like Dead Space or Amnesia? He was, in a way, educating them. The difficulty was a deliberate choice.
He had just finished compiling his notes and was opening his development engine when his phone buzzed, vibrating sharply against the wood of his desk. An unknown number.
He frowned, letting it ring for a moment before answering. "Hello?"
There was a two-second pause, and then a woman's voice—crisp, professional, and impeccably polished—came through the line.
[Hello, this is Unlimited Online Entertainment. We're a platform focused on game development, operations, and distribution. Am I speaking with the developer of "Dark Forest," Mr. Leo Sterling?]
Leo's posture straightened. A publisher.
"This is he," he replied, his voice even.
The response was immediate, a well-rehearsed and confident pitch.
[Mr. Sterling, hello. We've been following the launch of your work, "Dark Forest," on the Cyber Platform with great interest. We noticed that its promotion has been largely organic up to this point and were wondering if you had encountered any challenges with distribution?]
Before he could answer, she continued seamlessly.
[Unlimited Online is a company with a proven track record of excellence. Many of our team members are veterans of major international studios—you can verify our company's qualifications and personnel online. We have over twenty-six years of industry experience and have developed and launched numerous global hits like "Starfall," "Deep War," and "Apex Action." We've also published some of the most successful domestic titles, including "River and Lake Legends" and "World of Theos." We may not be the absolute biggest name in the industry, but we are certainly one of its leaders. I'm calling because we see you only have a single sales channel, and we wanted to know if you might be in need of our professional publishing services?]
Leo leaned back in his chair, a wry smile touching his lips. She's good. The pitch was smooth as glass. He was no stranger to publishers; they had handled the domestic release of two of his games in his past life. He knew the symbiotic, often fraught relationship between creator and publisher. They handled the grunt work—the marketing, the promotion, the after-sales support, even the tedious submission process—freeing up the developer to actually develop. In return, they took a sizable cut.
For a one-man operation like his, a publisher was a near-necessity. He was already stretched thin just making the game. He didn't have the time, the connections, or the money to handle a global marketing campaign.
"What advantages does your company offer?" Leo asked, kicking his feet up onto his desk, his tone shifting from casual to professional.
[We have many, Mr. Sterling. Chief among them are our promotion channels. We have exclusive, long-term agreements with every major video network, social media platform, and search engine. Our rates are significantly lower than what an independent developer could secure on their own, saving you a substantial amount of capital.] She paused for effect. [For example, a promotional campaign on StreamVerse that might cost you one hundred thousand dollars, would only cost us fifty or sixty thousand.]
Oh? Leo's eyes lit up. That was a tangible, powerful advantage. But he knew better than to seem too impressed.
"A company with your qualifications must have more to offer than discounted ad rates," he said coolly.
[Of course, Mr. Sterling. The management here is extremely impressed with your work and sees a tremendous future for you. As such, they've authorized me to extend an offer to you under our New Works Support Plan.]
New Works Support Plan? Leo raised an eyebrow. "And what does that entail?"
A mature, confident smile was audible in her voice.
[If you sign "Dark Forest" for us to publish, our company will provide a development fund to support your next project. It would be an advance to help you through the early stages, with the understanding that we would also publish that title.]
Leo smirked. Support. A lovely, gentle word. It was just investment with a different name.
"That's an interesting offer," he said. "Do you get involved in the development process?"
[Generally, no. We respect the creative independence of our developers. We only offer technical assistance if a team finds themselves at an impasse and requests our help.]
"It's a risky business," Leo prodded. "What happens if the next game is a flop and you can't recoup your 'support'?"
[Mr. Sterling, we have a diverse portfolio. A loss on one project is balanced by a success on another. That is the nature of business,] she said smoothly. [And you, sir, are a success, are you not? "Dark Forest" has already proven that a market for horror games not only exists but is starving for quality content. We believe in your vision. We are confident that your next work will be just as revolutionary.]
Well, Leo thought, she's certainly good at stroking the ego. He had to admit, it was nice to hear. He shifted gears, moving to a rapid-fire Q&A. "You have your own game platform, I assume?"
[Yes. It's called iGame. We're one of the two major domestic platforms.]
"Your commission?"
[Five percent.]
"And you cover all promotional costs?"
[We do.]
"Console porting channels?"
[We are an all-platform publisher, yes.]
"And would I have to delist from the Cyber Platform?"
There was a brief pause on the other end. [Ideally, we would prefer exclusivity on our iGame platform. However, we understand you likely have a pre-existing agreement, so we would not intervene in this case.]
Leo nodded. He had all the information he needed. They were competent, confident, and hungry. It was a good offer. Time to test how hungry they really were.
"Before you send over a contract," he said, his voice casual, "I should probably tell you my plans for the next game. I wouldn't want to waste your time."
[Of course, please, go ahead.]
"Since you have a support plan in mind, I'll be direct," he said. "My next game will also be a horror game." He paused, letting that sink in. "And I'm developing it exclusively for VR."
Silence.
The professional composure on the other end of the line finally cracked. After a long moment, she spoke, her voice laced with genuine surprise. [Mr. Sterling… are you certain? As an industry professional, you must know that the VR market is… well, it's not exactly a growth sector at the moment.]
Leo swung his chair around to face the window, a slow, confident smile spreading across his face.
"I am," he said, cutting her off cleanly. "I'm certain. And I'm aware."
He let the silence hang in the air for another beat.
"The question is, are you?"
PLS SUPPORT ME AND THROW POWERSTONES .