Regarding the rise of "Star Emperor" in the web novel author circle, Chen Ba initially wasnât aware.
This is quite normal, after all, the circle is too small.
To be honest, the web novel author circle might even have fewer people than the graphics card forum! "Star Emperor" as the designated test software for the graphics card forum isnât lacking in popularity.
Until after the Mid-Autumn Festival, when he was routinely maintaining the server, he unexpectedly discovered a new batch of players on Path to Immortality, all registered for less than a month, with nicknames full of nerdy flair. Thatâs when he realized what was happening.
"Wow!"
Lu couldnât help but laugh and said, "Iâve been wondering where all these players are coming from, why their names are nerdier one after the other; turns out theyâre from the web novel crowd."
"Those writing fantasy and xianxia novels!"
Yang Dong added, then said, "But you know what, now the Path to Immortality is really starting to have some immortal aura."
Previously, the players on the leaderboard would pick random names, like "Love Driving the Cullinan" and "Grandpaâs Pride", without any special consideration.
But now itâs different.
Open the current Path to Immortality leaderboard, and the top-ranked Immortal Emperors and Immortal Kings are all "big names".
Names like Immortal Emperor Ni Yang, Flame Emperor Martial Ancestor, Galaxy Lord, Fighting Saint Emperor, Immortal King of Endlessness, Dugu Baitian...
Those who know itâs the game leaderboard, those who donât might think itâs a meeting of a bunch of fantasy xianxia protagonists!
Who came up with these names?
A small part brought by web novel authors, most influenced by web novels, thought these names were cool and changed theirs accordingly.
Certainly!
Aside from emulating novel protagonist names, some chose to create original, extremely nerdy titles, displayed on the Path to Immortality leaderboard for all to admire.
Thanks to this batch of web novel authors, the Path to Immortality now has a bit of "immortal aura".
Although these nicknames are cringey, so cringey you wouldnât want to admit itâs your web name, if everyone plays along, then itâs not cringey.
"Itâs fine, let them be."
Chen Ba didnât see any issue with it, cringey is cringey, people choosing nicknames isnât illegal, right? You canât stop them from picking these names, can you?
However, while he can ignore players using nerdy nicknames, he couldnât ignore the vendors openly advertising on Path to Immortality.
Just look at these lousy names!
On the Immortal Emperor leaderboard, among the names of fantasy xianxia protagonists, there are two players nicknamed "Daren Shuo 4090 Raptor" and "Desolate Rainbow 4090 Water God".
Seriously?
The nicknames donât fit, but using Path to Immortality to advertise their products? Do they honestly think these game-loving players can afford a 4090?
"They actually can!"
Lu coughed, speaking with little confidence, "I canât speak for other games, but advertising on Path to Immortality in Star Emperor might be quite effective."
Daren Shuoâs official flagship store even included a screenshot of the "Path to Immortality ranking" on their 4090 graphics card product page, bragging about it.
Players are really into it!
Given similar prices, which brandâs 4090 graphics card seems more reliable?
Although Star Emperorâs sales arenât high, its reputation certainly is!
Itâs similar to how 99% of people havenât used 3DMark, but have heard of its fame.
With the scoreboard and ranking displayed, can it be false? Either way, youâre buying a graphics card, so why not get one thatâs been "battle-tested" with the Immortal Emperor Card?
"Ba, isnât there nothing we can do about this?"
Lu noticed Baâs displeased expression and said in a low voice, "No matter what nicknames players choose, thatâs their freedom..."
"Yes, youâre right!"
Chen Ba nodded, then said, "Naming is their freedom, but targeted game optimization is ours. Donât you think?"
Basic optimization canât be touched.
But this doesnât mean Tianba Studio canât further optimize specific graphics cards on top of basic optimization.
However, itâs a waste of time and doesnât improve much, so Chen Ba is lazy to do it.
If someone sponsors, like a graphics card vendor funding, then specifically optimizing a particular model or brand isnât impossible.
Donât forget, retrieving hardware information for an online game, especially one like Star Emperor that recommends quality based on configuration, is no problem.
No payment, then basic optimization stays the same, no changes.
Payment received, then based on cash, Tianba Studio can work overtime to develop a 2.0 advanced version of optimization, making your 3080 comparable to a rivalâs 3090.
"Is that possible?"
"Of course it is! Although the improvement isnât too obvious, usual optimization general suffices."
Chen Ba wasnât lying.
Regular optimization suffices, and is more than enough, but it guarantees the "lower limit". If time is well spent on optimization, the upper limit can also be improved slightly.
Of course, only slightly.
The improvement might not even reach 5%, affecting game frame rates only marginally, like from 60 frames to about 65 frames.
And such optimization is graphics card specific, too low-end, too small VRAM cards wonât benefit no matter how much effort is put into optimization.
"Xianyu Digitalâs business is good, in the future whichever brand gives us the biggest discount, weâll specialize in optimizing it."
With a smile on his face, Chen Ba said, "Path to Immortality isnât just about fighting, thereâs human interactions too!"
Lu: "..."
Ba is definitely Ba!
Coming up with such a cunning plan, why not think of ways to get players to spend more? Why always target graphics card vendors for profit?
Not wanting to think about whether Ba will be ambushed while walking at night, Lu noted this down before turning to another topic.
So far Tianba Studio has released three games, all on "multi-platform", focusing on wide distribution.
But upon learning of the new game "Divine Grace Continent", console manufacturers and a certain company approached hoping for exclusive launch rights.
"Console exclusivity?"
Chen Ba was puzzled. Although Tianba Studio also releases console versions of its games, they primarily focus on PC platform.
How did the new game attract the attention of console platforms? Could it be due to Old Huangâs demo video last time?
As for the company...
Itâs expected, considering the company has been trying to develop the wegame platform, attracted many domestic single-game developers, wanting exclusive launches makes sense.
However, Chen Ba definitely wonât agree to the company, unless itâs a financially irresistible offer, otherwise itâs not negotiable.
But console platform exclusivity makes Chen Ba a bit hesitant...