thebusnovel Chapter 113 Game Layout
Chapter 113 Game Layout
The afternoon sun slanted into Lingyun's office, casting a warm glow on his desk. The aroma of freshly ground coffee filled the air. Sophia sat opposite Lingyun, her notebook open, a pen resting quietly beside her, and the screen displaying the compiled minutes of the Villefort meeting.
"We need to follow up on the Wilford matter closely, but we'll control the pace ourselves," Ling Yun said calmly. "Now there's another, more urgent matter with a wider scope that requires your immediate attention."
Sofia sat up straight, her fingertips lightly touching the notebook, indicating that she was ready to take notes.
"Our Star System needs content, especially content that can attract core users and define the platform's character. A future 'Half-Life' isn't enough." Ling Yun leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "You need to start immediately, conducting in-depth research and evaluation of several key game development companies."
He tapped four times on the table, as if setting four coordinates.
"Target 1: Blizzard Entertainment. They recently merged with Davidson & Associates and launched Warcraft II and the upcoming Diablo. This company is characterized by 'slow and meticulous work' and 'online services.' Research focus: their views on Bill Gates and Microsoft, their future plans for the Battle.net online platform, and... whether they are completely satisfied with their independent decision-making power within their publishing parent company."
"Target Two: Sierra On-Line. The king of adventure games, but with a traditional business model that relies on physical retail channels. Ken Williams and Roberta are the key figures. Research focus: their views on CD-ROM multimedia and early internet distribution, whether the company's equity structure is concentrated, and whether they are willing to introduce strategic investment to upgrade engine technology and channels."
"Target Three: Epic MegaGames." Ling Yun specifically emphasized the full name "MegaGames," which was not yet simplified at this point. "This company is special. The founder, Tim Sweeney, is a technical genius. They seem to be making games, but their real core asset is the 'Unreal Engine,' which is currently under development. They were founded in 1991, started with 'ZZT,' and are now probably fully engaged in developing their first 3D shooter game, 'Unreal.'"
"I've noticed that this company seems to have a habit of acquiring smaller studios, such as Safari Software. This shows an expansionist attitude," Sofia added aptly.
"Very accurate observation." Ling Yun nodded approvingly. "Therefore, the research on Epic needs to be divided into two layers. The surface layer: assessing the potential of the Unreal Engine itself and the porting costs. The inner layer, and the core: we must understand Tim Sweeney's long-term positioning of the Unreal Engine. Does he intend to keep it as proprietary technology, or is he likely considering it as a licensed product? In addition, we must understand Sweeney's own shareholding ratio and his true attitude towards external capital. Intelligence indicates that he has extremely strong control over the company."
"Understood. The core technology and control are the two key elements." Sofia quickly took notes.
"Finally, target number four: Looking Glass Studios," Ling Yun said. "This company may not be large, but its ideas are ahead of their time. Their System Shock and the upcoming Thief series pioneered the 'immersive simulation' genre. Their games have extremely high requirements for system narrative and physical interaction. Key areas of research: the strength of their technical team, the flexibility of their engine, and... whether they are facing financial difficulties due to their excessive pursuit of innovation. These pioneering studios are often capital deserts, but they may also be value hotspots."
After outlining the four objectives, Ling Yun leaned back in his chair and gave a clear action plan.
"Your task is a two-track system. The basic objective is to assess, for each company, the technical feasibility, cost, and market value of porting their flagship product to the Star System. At the very least, we need to acquire the Star System version publishing rights for their game, or even timed exclusivity rights."
He paused, then emphasized his words.
"But the ultimate goal, and the endpoint your research should always aim for, is to assess the possibility and cost of acquiring a controlling or strategic controlling stake in the company. The next stage of the battle over operating systems will be the battle over ecosystems. And top content creators are the cornerstone and magnet of the ecosystem. If we cannot own or deeply bind them, they will become barriers for Microsoft or other giants."
Sofia digested this grand strategic intention. "Therefore, this is not just an investment, but also the construction of a 'content moat' for the Star System."
"Exactly," Ling Yun affirmed. "Your research report needs to include the following dimensions: 1. In-depth analysis of the company's finances and equity structure; 2. The core founders/team's technological ideals and business aspirations; 3. Cooperation terms and exclusivity restrictions with existing publishers (such as Activision and Microsoft); 4. Contact with competitors (I suspect Microsoft's internal team has also been eyeing several of them); 5. A preliminary roadmap for contact and negotiation strategies, including plans for three different scenarios: 'simple transplantation cooperation,' 'strategic investment,' and 'seeking controlling stake.'"
"What about the time requirement?" Sofia asked.
"Complete preliminary in-depth reports for four companies within three months. You can assemble a small temporary team and be authorized to utilize the company's legal and financial analysis resources," Ling Yun said. "Start with Blizzard and Epic. Blizzard represents a large existing user base and a stable reputation for quality; Epic represents the future standard of graphics technology. Securing either one will secure your current position; securing both will allow you to plan for the future."
Sofia closed her notebook, her eyes showing the focused intensity of someone accepting a major challenge. "I will submit preliminary analysis reports on Blizzard and Epic within two weeks. Data collection with Looking Glass Studios and Sierra will proceed concurrently. All contacts will be kept strictly confidential, initially conducted under the guise of a third-party investment analysis firm."
"Very good." Ling Yun stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the traffic below. "Remember, Sophia, we're not simply looking for investment projects. We're scouting and seizing crucial resource points for an impending war. Bill Gates' Windows dominated the market with compatibility, while our StarCraft needs to tear the market apart with unique, captivating experiences. These game companies are the 'dream factories' that create those experiences."
Sofia stood up as well, clutching her notebook to her chest. "I understand the strategic significance of this. We will find the path to the heart of 'DreamWorks'."
After she left the office, Ling Yun stood alone for a while.
In 1997, the gaming industry was on the eve of a dramatic shift from 2D to 3D, and at a crucial juncture where independent studios and major publishers were vying for dominance.
The cost of making arrangements now is far lower than in the future. He not only wants the Star System to be able to run these games, but also hopes that these groundbreaking ideas that define the era can grow from the soil of the stars or be absorbed by the ecosystem of the stars.
This move is crucial to the very soul of the Star System.