The Divine Genius’s Game Broadcasting Chapter 340

Episode 340 – The Sea Calls Me (2)

Early afternoon, Team Perfect meeting.

It was a regular holiday following a temporary holiday, but everyone was gathered together.

“As we discussed in the chatroom, let’s wrap up Metal Punch here and start planning the next content.”

Everyone else agreed that they would rather play a different game than do more Metal Punch.

Above all, the fact that Lee Kyung-bok was not interested was the most effective.

"I was originally planning to reorganize the recommendation board, but I received an unusual proposal yesterday. Let's review that first and then proceed."

Park Joo-ho responded and displayed a hologram of his mailbox.

"This is an advertising proposal directly from the Japanese game company Rogue Games. We've already completed the content review with Mr. Daehan."

"Yes! Both the original text and the translation were fine!"

The email contained both the original Japanese text and the Korean translation. Park Joo-ho asked Cho Dae-han to check for any mistranslations.

"I said it was unusual because it wasn't just a simple game advertisement. Perhaps because it's a subsidiary of NEVER Japan, we also received a proposal to release emoticons."

He added a brief summary while others read the contents of the email.

Lee Kyung-bok recalled old memories.

"Oh, isn't this the proposal you sent last time? You put it off because the emoticon artist didn't respond. Have you decided?"

"Ah, back then, the author couldn't make a decision easily. This… I guess it's faster to see it for yourself than to have it explained."

Park Joo-ho was about to explain, but then moved his hand to open another email. It was the exchange between him and the artist who had drawn the emoticon.

[thank you!]

[Hello, Manager!

I have confirmed the contents of your email.

I never dreamed that the emoticons I drew would be offered for sale.

I couldn't believe it when the emoticon I drew as a fan was adopted as an official emoticon…

But as great as my joy is, I'm also worried. As I mentioned during my last emoticon contract, I'm not a professional artist; I just draw as a hobby.

I'm confident about showing it to my fans, but selling it as a logline sticker is a different story.

I'm afraid that my lack of drawing skills might be a nuisance to Purple-nim…

I'm sorry, but I would appreciate it if you could give me more time to think about it.]

While it may be comfortable to show it to the same viewers, the release of emoticons was different.

“Well, you have to pay for the logline sticker.”

Choi Byeong-hun nodded as if he understood.

Currently, the emoticons used in Try are 'benefits' given along with subscriptions, but messenger emoticons are 'products' that users purchase directly.

That's why I had to pay more attention to quality, and if I failed to meet those expectations, it could have caused problems for Lee Kyung-bok's image, not as an emoticon artist.

"Since the author himself said he lacked confidence, there was no reason to rush him. Furthermore, it wasn't an urgent matter, so I simply gave him a response, telling him to think it over carefully."

Park Joo-ho soon gave a faint smile.

“But the author gave me an answer again yesterday.”

As he scrolled lightly, the most recent emails appeared.

[Is there still a chance?]

[Hello, Manager!

First of all, congratulations to Purple for winning the tournament and being selected as MVP!

The final showdown between Shoulder and Purple was truly spectacular. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to witness it firsthand.

It was such an incredible match that I wish I could erase my memory and watch it again.

…

As I was writing, it got a bit long;;

Anyway, I felt a lot after watching that game.

How much effort have you two put into this match? Have I ever given it my all like Shoulder or Purple?

Come to think of it, I've never done that before. I've always chosen the moderate and safe path.

Suddenly, this thought occurred to me.

Compared to the final game where you go full burst and blow everything up, the suggestion you gave me last time might actually be easier.

So I'm trying to be brave.

If the offer is still valid, I would like to give it a try.

Of course, we will remaster the image so as not to inconvenience Purple, and we will revise the logline until he is satisfied.

Please feel free to contact me anytime!]

The first two people to react to the contents of the email were:

“Wow, I really relate to this. It really resonated with me!”

“Everyone with intuition would have felt it. My whole body was shaking, and something was seething inside me…!”

Madman and Jo Dae-han were watching the match live at the stadium. Park Joo-ho smiled at their sympathy and turned to Lee Kyung-bok.

“You changed your mind like this, and then an additional offer came in.”

At that, Lee Kyung-bok smiled awkwardly.

“No, I just had fun competing, but people are really looking at it favorably…”

He hadn't entered the competition to impress anyone. Lee Kyung-bok changed the subject, trying to brush away any awkwardness.

"Ahem, but why did the offer come directly from Japan? NEVER's headquarters is in Korea, right?"

“That’s because the developer and distributor are different.”

Choi Byeong-hun answered, waving his hand.

"Rogue Games is the developer, and NEVER Japan is the distributor. NEVER Korea is responsible for customer service for Korean users."

"That's right. Korea NEVER is in charge of localizing, including translation."

When Park Joo-ho agreed, Lee Kyung-bok also understood the situation.

"Well, that's all well and good, but I'm a bit hesitant to play the game just because of the emoticon release. The game has to be fun, after all…"

He quickly scratched his head and glanced back at his teammates.

"I've never heard of a game called Age of Oceans. Is this a game that viewers would know about?"

“Oh, don’t worry about that. The series itself started in the console market.”

The one who answered him was Cho Daehan.

"It's a game everyone knows about in Japan, and it has a huge fan base in Korea, too. It's truly unrivaled among games set in the ocean!"

“Is that all?”

“Yes. But… with the advent of the virtual reality era, that momentum has somewhat diminished.”

"Huh? Why? Oh, like Metal Punch, if you do it in virtual reality, the difficulty level gets harder?"

It was common for games that were popular on consoles to have their reviews reversed when they were made into virtual reality.

Metal Punch was another such case.

"Oh, I remember that too. It got quite a bit of attention when it was first released. Almost every streamer tried it."

Choi Byeong-hun rolled his eyes and then lightly clapped his hands.

"Difficulty wasn't the issue. The reviews were good, and fans really liked it. That was the case in the beginning…"

“Was there any other problem?”

"There was something the developers missed when transitioning to virtual reality. The core navigation was too boring."

He shook his head as if reminiscing about that time.

"You mean, back in the console era, you could just use the keyboard and it would take care of everything? But in virtual reality, you're actually on a ship. And there wasn't really anything to do on the ship."

“Yes, that was the problem. Changing your height depending on the wind direction and fishing is fun once or twice, but if you keep doing it, you get bored.”

Many people enjoyed boating, but few could enjoy it for hours on end like they did the first time.

"I looked into it myself. While a later update drastically reduced the sailing time, there were limitations. Overhauling the game itself would have required shutting down service."

Rogue Games has made several updates to try to fix that mistake, but they haven't been able to change the game's framework itself.

In the end, there was no choice but to find a new breakthrough.

“So, we decided to support cross-platform.”

"Oh, right. I was wondering anyway. Can you play capsule games on mobile? It's not like they're made separately like Geog Showdown, right?"

It was the quiet Madman who provided the answer.

"I was curious about that too, so I looked it up. I think you'll find it here."

She projected a holographic image into the center, revealing miniature ships and terrain.

"If you look closely, you can see the time required for setting a route by touching it. Beyond that, things like naval battles and trade have been streamlined so that you can do them all with just a touch."

"Of course, there are differences between capsule play and mobile play. The time required is shown because the mobile version has limited navigation speed. Combat is also based on probability, not control."

As Park Joo-ho added his explanation, Lee Kyung-bok was able to understand how the game was played.

“So, the capsule is for core users and the mobile is for casual users.”

"That's right. If you play on mobile, you can just issue commands while you're working."

It was a difference between efficiency and convenience.

Lee Kyung-bok nodded.

"It's not discrimination, it's the player's choice. Then it's okay."

"The game itself isn't bad. Hey, and the merit of releasing emoticons is pretty significant, too."

Everyone turned their attention to Choi Byeong-hun's words.

"Actually, the emoticon market has a high hurdle rate just from entering, and promoting it is downright hell. Everyone uses emoticons, so you know."

He said that and opened the emoticon store.

"See? The number of emoticons currently on sale easily exceeds a thousand. Even when they're released, there are countless cases where people don't even know they're out."

This wasn't just a logline issue. The emoticon market was already a red ocean.

“It’s difficult to make the existence of emoticons known, but this proposal is a pretty good opportunity.”

"Well, that's true. People who participate in the advertisement will be given temporary emoticons."

Choi Byeong-hun spoke with even more confidence at Park Joo-ho's agreement.

"That's right! That's exactly it! This is a perfect opportunity for us, the new launcher."

"That's one thing, but there's another good thing. Emoticons have their own fandoms. Everyone knows that emoticons have their own series."

"That's right, that's right! This is also good. If the response is good, this isn't the end of sales. We can release the next series. If we get the first button right, the money will keep coming in."

Jo Daehan also opened his eyes wide and joined in on what the two were saying.

"The president's name recognition is enough! If this becomes popular in Japan, we could even release merchandise. The merchandise market in Japan is quite large!"

"Oh, I see. With the market booming, quality should be relatively guaranteed. Wouldn't it be better to import them and distribute them to domestic fans? I even occasionally buy parts I need from overseas."

Everyone was in an excited mood.

Lee Kyung-bok smiled involuntarily at that.

“It seems like everyone is appreciating this proposal.”

Ultimately, the decision maker was himself.

“I think so too. It feels good.”

There was no ominous feeling.

Lee Kyung-bok looked back at Park Joo-ho.

"Schedule a meeting. I can ask you directly about the details."

"I get it."

Park Joo-ho answered clearly and turned his eyes away.

“Mr. Daehan, please prepare.”

As it was a direct contract with a Japanese developer, it was time for a global communications manager to step forward.

“Of course! Just leave it to me!”

Cho Daehan did not hide his enthusiasm.

* * *

Late afternoon.

Lee Kyung-bok, Park Joo-ho, and Jo Dae-han attended the online meeting.

When I logged into the virtual studio for business, the other party was already there and waiting.

There were three of you too.

“Hello, I am NEVER, who is in charge of interpretation today…”

“Marketing Manager at Rogue Games…”

“From the NEVER Japan Logline Team…”

They were people dispatched from the developer, distributor, and Korean headquarters.

After a brief greeting and taking our seats, the other person smiled brightly.

"First of all, thank you for your prompt response. Honestly, I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Yes. I'm sure there were many proposals from other game companies, but I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to schedule this meeting with us."

Cho Dae-han nodded slightly at the interpreter's words. If there were any mistranslations, he planned to step in.

Lee Kyung-bok answered with a smile.

"No. It's such an attractive offer. I hope this meeting ends well."

“Hey, Sorewa…”

When the other side tried to interpret his words, Lee Gyeong-bok raised his hand and stopped him.

“Our story will be interpreted by our representative.”

Cho Dae-han cleared his throat briefly and delivered his message. Everyone on the other side widened their eyes.

“Wow, your Japanese is really good.”

"Excuse me. I was nervous, of course, expecting you to speak English. You're so neat, I'd almost believe you were born in Japan."

The corners of Jo Daehan's mouth trembled slightly at the returned compliment.

'Poker face, poker face.'

I felt good, but since this was a business meeting, I had to control my emotions. The star of the show was, after all, Lee Kyung-bok.

"I'm actually relieved. This way, Purple-sama won't have to worry about any misunderstandings due to language differences."

“Yes, you won't regret choosing us.”

They confidently brought out their proposal. It consisted of two pages, one in Korean and one in Japanese.

Park Joo-ho looked over the Korean proposal, and Jo Dae-han looked over the Japanese proposal.

“The price we will pay is 5 million yen and a guarantee of sales conversion and promotion of the emoticons that will be used for promotional purposes.”

The advertising fee was 5 million yen, or about 50 million won. It wasn't a small sum.

“I would appreciate it if you could also consider the emoticon revenue that will be generated after the ad ends.”

"We'll also provide advertising accounts to ensure you don't experience any inconvenience while advertising. You'll also receive an abundance of resources and easy access to gacha. All you have to do is enjoy the game."

The managers confidently presented their conditions. These were conditions anyone would readily accept.

But something was strange.

"hmm…"

Lee Kyung-bok's face didn't look particularly satisfied. The staff members looked at each other with one mind.

Was there something wrong?

“Content verification complete.”

“Me too. It’s exactly as you explained.”

Meanwhile, the two people who had finished reviewing the proposal responded. Lee Gyeong-bok immediately spoke to Jo Dae-han.

“Please interpret what I say verbatim.”

“Yes, I understand.”

It was said to Cho Dae-han, but it wasn't true. There was no way Cho Dae-han would distort Lee Gyeong-bok's words in the first place.

'I'm telling you to listen carefully.'

Park Joo-ho was able to grasp Lee Kyung-bok's intentions. As the interpreter relayed their words, the staff members seemed to tense up.

"Thank you for your kind consideration. But Age of Oceans, is that the kind of fun your game promotes? Do you need gacha and abundant resources to enjoy it?"

The eyes of the people in charge opened wide at Lee Kyung-bok's subsequent words.

"No, I'm not here to say whether the game is good or bad. This isn't my place, and I'm not qualified to do so. I'm asking purely to learn more about the game."

Lee Kyung-bok smiled calmly.

"There's no mobile game these days that doesn't have a gacha system, right? I know the joy of pulling out a good item."

Those in charge were relieved by those words. But Lee Kyung-bok's words weren't over.

"I don't know if you know this, but I value the 'fun' aspect of broadcasting. However, if gacha, or lottery games, are the core of that fun, then I'm reluctant. Games that aren't fun for everyone, but only for those who pay… just don't resonate with me."

The people in charge quickly shook their heads.

"Of course! Gacha is merely a convenience, not a necessity. This game can be enjoyed without it."

“Is that so? If so, that’s fortunate.”

Lee Kyung-bok continued speaking with a bright smile.

“Now that you mention it, there is one thing I would like to discuss.”

“Agreement?”

"which…?"

When the people in charge looked puzzled, Lee Kyung-bok pointed to the phrase “provision of advertising account” written in the proposal.

“I won’t use this.”

"to?"

“Huh?”

The officials couldn't hide their surprise. They were so surprised that they couldn't help but blurt out the typical Japanese question.

“And I want to try playing the game without paying, without spending any money.”

The officials' jaws dropped at his subsequent words.

And soon one thing occurred to them.

‘This guy is real…!’

'It's not like a concept!'

He immediately rejected the special privilege that everyone wanted.

There was a reason viewers called Lee Kyung-bok a 'difficulty expert streamer.'