????
A new project?
Ma Shangfei was stunned for a full two seconds before he finally reacted, his voice rising a notch.
"President Jiang! Are you talking about a new project?"
"Not the full version of 'I Picked Up the Imperial Jade Seal!'? Not a sequel? Not even a DLC?"
Jiang Bo nodded.
"That's right, a new project."
Ma Shangfei almost lost his breath.
No.
President Jiang.
How does your mind work exactly?
The entire internet is clamoring for the full version of 'I Picked Up the Imperial Jade Seal!', and now you're telling us there's no sequel, no full version, and you're starting a brand new project?
It's like a guest sitting at the dining table, chopsticks raised, eagerly waiting for the main course.
Then the chef pokes his head out from the kitchen and says the meal's not coming, he's planning to open a new restaurant.
Is that reasonable?
It's clearly not reasonable!
I ordered beef tripe, and you're serving a gigolo!
How can that be the same?
Sheng Tinglan was also a bit taken aback.
She had just supported Jiang Bo's decision not to make the full version for now because the company was short on funds, and cash flow couldn't support a major project expansion.
But not making the full version doesn't mean immediately starting a new project.
Isn't the money for a new project still money?
There are tens of thousands of troops still waiting at the village entrance!
You're leaving them hanging to start a new project? Isn't that like throwing the fish you just caught back into the water?
How can you do that!
A group of people began to voice their opposition.
Ma Shangfei felt he couldn't stay calm; he was genuinely anxious.
"President Jiang, let's not talk about anything else first."
"You say a new project, but won't a new project also cost money?"
"We just said that the company only has so much available funds, and making the full version isn't realistic."
The more Ma Shangfei spoke, the more he felt he made sense.
"No matter what, 'I Picked Up the Imperial Jade Seal!' has already proven itself in the market, and players have accepted this setting. If we continue, at least we have a user base."
"But what about the new project?"
"The new project starts from scratch!"
"Who knows if players will buy into it?"
"If it flops, won't the little bit of momentum we've built with the Jade Seal be completely wasted?"
This series of questions made the atmosphere in the office a bit more tense.
It must be said, Ma Shangfei was being very realistic this time.
For any normal game company, the safest choice after the first game gains traction should be to strike while the iron is hot and continue pushing the original project.
Isn't that how big titles usually do it?
But their boss was different.
No appeasement, no filling the gaps.
Just turning around and starting a new project, as if writing a novel.
However, faced with Ma Shangfei's doubts, Jiang Bo remained very calm.
He even reached for the water cup on the table and took a slow sip.
This action made Ma Shangfei even more anxious.
Boss, say something!
Drinking water at this moment makes me look like someone passionately selling at the morning market.
Jiang Bo put down the water cup and slowly spoke.
"Old Ma, you're still thinking too narrowly. Your perspective is too limited."
Ma Shangfei: "?"
Here we go again.
Jiang Bo looked at everyone, his tone unhurried.
"'I Picked Up the Imperial Jade Seal!' is indeed popular now, and players are indeed urging for more. But we can't just rest on our laurels because one game has achieved success."
"The industry's trends change in the blink of an eye."
"Today, players might call you a genius, but tomorrow they might call someone else their godfather."
"Today they're urging you to update on the forums, but tomorrow, when a new game launches, they might turn to someone else's comment section to make connections."
"The world waits for no one!"
"Neither does the attention of players."
These words left everyone in the office momentarily stunned.
To be honest, the boss's words did make a lot of sense.
For games, players are like Lü Bu, always ready to find a new godfather. Though it sounds a bit unserious, it perfectly fits the current state of players.
Sheng Tinglan nodded thoughtfully.
"President Jiang means that we can't just rely on one project to capture players; we need to take advantage of Zhaoxi Games being noticed by players and continue to launch new works to make players remember the name Zhaoxi Games?"
"Exactly."
Jiang Bo gave Sheng Tinglan an approving glance.
"Little Lan hit the nail on the head."
"'I Picked Up the Imperial Jade Seal!' made players remember this project."
"But what we need to do next is make players remember Zhaoxi Games."
"If one project is successful, it only shows we were lucky."
"If the next work can also impress players, then Zhaoxi Games will have a different place in players' hearts."
Zhou Guangqi's eyes gradually lit up as he listened.
This approach was indeed different.
If 'I Picked Up the Imperial Jade Seal!' was a breakout hit, then the new project is to prove that Zhaoxi Games is not a one-hit wonder.
Indeed, the boss's vision is longer-term than theirs!
President Jiang's perspective!
A good boss's words are like a feast!
Ma Shangfei was a bit confused; he admitted that Jiang Bo made sense, but he still felt something was off.
"But what exactly is the new project? We can't really be making a match-three game, can we?"
"Of course not."
Jiang Bo chuckled.
"This time, the new project won't be too big."
"We're going to make a casual game!"
"Of course, we can still start with a simple single-player game!"
Hearing the words 'casual game,' Ma Shangfei's previously tense expression relaxed a bit.
Casual games are good.
Casual games are usually small in scale, with clear mechanics, and the costs are relatively controllable.
Sheng Tinglan also breathed a slight sigh of relief.
As long as it's not another project that requires expanding half a city, she can listen.
Zhou Guangqi immediately asked, "President Jiang, what kind of casual game specifically?"
Jiang Bo didn't keep them in suspense and directly said:
"Fishing."
The office fell silent for a second.
Ma Shangfei: "?"
Sheng Tinglan: "?"
Zhou Guangqi: "?"
Fishing?
A new project?
Casual game?
No.
President Jiang.
You just finished saying we can't rest on our laurels, the world waits for no one, and players' attention waits for no one. It sounded like we were about to embark on a second entrepreneurial journey.
And now you're telling us the new project is a fishing game?
Isn't this gap a bit too big?
Ma Shangfei looked at Jiang Bo with a complex expression.
"President Jiang, the fishing you're talking about, is it the fishing I understand?"
Jiang Bo nodded.
"That's right."
"Chumming! Casting! Waiting for the fish! Hooking! Reeling in."
Ma Shangfei fell silent.
This description was a bit too simple.
Zhou Guangqi, however, thought seriously for a moment and then cautiously asked, "President Jiang, does this fishing game... have anything special?"
"Of course it does."
Jiang Bo stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and picked up a marker to write a few words.
"Great Angler"
"This is the name of our new project."