I had long felt the need to raise the quality of the game, a problem that persisted even before the Legend Fighter.
During the Legend Fighter, I was somehow able to match the price thanks to the powers of Sylvia and the Edward Consortium, but as the era of RPG and 3D games began, the moment would come when I needed a crystal ball that could solve the need for higher quality.
If I continued to raise prices like during the Legend Fighter, the game’s popularity would start to get affected.
However, lowering the price would mean lower profit margins.
While the interests of the Irene School were a concern, basic profit margins needed to be guaranteed for other schools that made game magic as well.
While discussing this issue with Sylvia, something caught my eye – [Rainers].
That western region was rich in monsters like slimes, which were used as magical tool materials, and was one of the areas supplying the empire with magical tool materials.
Moreover, the owner of that region happened to be ‘Grey’.
I asked Sylvia about how I could take that region.
She replied…
“Hmm… We only have two options to obtain that area. We can either buy the ownership from the Bell family for an enormous amount of money or, like the Bell family, achieve significant merit for the country to gain the authority of the territory.”
“Significant merit?”
“Yes, for instance, enhancing the empire’s reputation or defending the empire from external invasions.”
To enhance the empire’s reputation or defend it from external invasions meant I would have to achieve merits akin to those of the empire’s hero Karuga.
“That sounds difficult.”
“Yes, that method is quite difficult. Yuren, I think it’s best to look for another way.”
As I was about to give up and find another way, by a twist of fate, I ended up competing against Prince Ra, defeated him, thus achieving a merit that enhanced the empire’s reputation, and by that merit, I obtained the authority over the ‘Rainers’ territory.
It was the most satisfying double strategy in both my past and present lives, solving the game quality issue and achieving revenge against Grey.
*
After acquiring the ‘Rainers’ territory, I established a separate guild with Sylvia to manage the territory.
I provided the land while Sylvia provided the manpower to manage it, and along with that, we adjusted the revenue percentage from the game to effectively earn a 50% profit.
Since we provided not only the game but also some of the materials for crystal ball production, it was a reasonable figure that the Edward Consortium accepted.
All of this was finalized just a week ago, and amidst the chaos of unfolding incidents, I had missed the time to tell everyone, but I could finally share it now.
“So, the game capacity is no longer a concern, Noirin.”
“As expected of Yuren! You had a plan!”
At my words, Noirin looked at me with sparkling eyes.
Hmm… That sounds like a line I’ve heard somewhere before, but let’s not get hung up on that now.
At that moment, Jiren also spoke with a serious expression.
“I’m worried about something else. Execution.”
“What’s bothering you?”
Jiren, unusually serious, stroked his chin and voiced his opinion.
“I think this game will take the longest development time of all we’ve made so far… Will gamers wait for us that long?”
While explaining about the game, we roughly discussed the game development duration.
The result was a ridiculously quick development timeframe of about 7-8 months.
In fact, based on the development systems from my previous life, this was also a very quick timeframe.
Since this world allowed graphics to be produced as images, the workload for graphics was reduced, allowing for this speed of work. However, compared to the speed of developing games every few months before, this did seem like a lengthy duration.
During the long development, there would be a gap in the Irene School’s games, which seemed to worry Jiren.
When everyone seemed to empathize with Jiren’s words, one person spoke up seemingly without agreement.
“Is 7-8 months a long time, Jiren?”
Our Elf Master looked at us with an expression of “No, why is that time long?”
Master, to ordinary humans, 7-8 months is a significant amount of time.
In this moment, I felt the gap across generations—or perhaps races.
“Of course, for you, Master, it’s a short amount of time! But for gamers, it will seem really long.”
I pondered over Jiren’s words.
His concerns were valid.
Back in my previous life, during the peak of mobile games, I had done the insane thing of releasing games every three months to prevent user attrition.
But because of that, I felt I could say this.
“I understand your worries, Jiren, but… I think it will be fine.”
“Really? If those magical engineering folks keep churning out games like this, won’t our slot disappear?”
I gazed at the Speed Rabbit’s crystal ball.
In this game, reeking of saga, I could feel the different color of other developers from mine.
If my games were based on direct experience, the magical engineering games felt like an image created while looking up to and admiring them, not a creation from nothing. So, I thought it would be alright.
“If they could release ‘this kind of game’ every month, then yes, but if my predictions are correct, it wouldn’t be easy for them.”
If the factory produces goods of the same quality, the speed of production would determine the value of the product.
But could we really classify games as mere products?
I don’t think so.
“What people want is not a game made quickly, but an enjoyable game.”
I had once witnessed the end result of viewing games as factory-produced products in my past life.
I sincerely hoped I would not witness that in this new world.
*
At that moment, in the office of the Gilbert Consortium,
the corpulent president, Burnell Gilbert, felt a delightful mood for the first time in a year since the Edward Consortium had stolen the immense market of game magic.
While Sylvia quickly took action and regained control of the game market, the Gilbert Consortium sat by idly for they believed it was just a passing amusement that would soon fade away.
But that prediction was off, and the game market had become a massive enterprise that shattered the balance of the consortium.
In a hurry, Gilbert also mobilized sorcerers to create games, but none could match the creations of the Irene School.
As he sank deeper into contemplation, a proposal arrived for him from the Yura Republic.
They wanted him to sell their games in the Zers Empire.
The games they brought, even someone like Burnell who knew nothing of games could tell were extraordinary, so he immediately told his subordinates to test them out.
The testing results were successful.
Many were eager to purchase the Yura Republic’s games, and seizing the opportunity, he mustered all the strength of the Gilbert Consortium to achieve success in the gaming market.
As a result, they managed to surpass Super Thomas 2 on the rankings of Zers Gamers.
Although it was only for this month, the important thing was that they had won.
Burnell envisioned the future, imagining this month turning into the next, the next into the next year, then ten years ahead as he awaited guests in his office.
Thud!
“Oh! Welcome! Dean Einhardt!”
“Thank you for such a warm welcome, Chairman Burnell.”
As the white-haired, dried-up-eyed Dean Einhardt entered, Chairman Burnell stood and welcomed him.
“Thanks to the game created by the Magus Society, our Gilbert Consortium’s prestige is rising day by day. I’m at a loss on how to repay this favor! Hahaha!”
“I am pleased to hear that our game has been a great help to the Gilbert Consortium. Hahaha.”
At Chairman Burnell’s hearty laughter, Dean Einhardt responded with a dry smile.
After sharing the achievements concerning the gaming business, he swiftly got to the main topic.
“And now, there’s something I wish to discuss with you, Dean Einhardt.”
He looked at the Dean with eyes more greedy than his thick belly and said,
“Is there any way to produce the games a bit faster?”
“Faster than now?”
Surprise flickered in Dean Einhardt’s dry eyes at his request.
To ask for a pace faster than the peak efficiency of magical engineering had piqued the Dean’s curiosity about his intentions.
“Yes, as far as I know, the Edward Consortium and the Irene School don’t have any games to release for the time being.”
Chairman Burnell shared the information he obtained through his spies.
There were pictures of the Irene School’s members, who were just loitering around in Zephia, not developing games.
The absolute giants in the gaming market were slacking off.
This was an opportunity.
“If we could release many games like ‘Speed Rabbit’ while they are off their guard, conquering the imperial game market won’t be impossible.”
At last, Dean Einhardt understood Burnell’s intent.
Let’s rob the empty house; that’s what Burnell was suggesting.
“I see what you’re getting at. I will return home and take action.”
“Hahaha! Thank you, Dean!”
Believing in their success unquestioningly, they joyfully headed to the banquet.
Little did they know the kind of butterfly effect their decision would bring back to them.
Thus began the worst incident recorded in the isekai game market.
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