Chapter 460 - 283: A Game Destined to Win an Award! (Part 2)

That’s right!

The game’s instability and the frequent occurrence of serious bugs are the key factors affecting Tianba Studio’s chance of winning an award.

"I know, but..."

Chen Ba smiled wryly and said, "I don’t want it to be like this either, but every time there’s an accident, there’s nothing I can do about it."

He certainly knows that with Tianba Studio’s current influence and game quality, if they really wanted to win an award, the judges would have already put them on the list.

The reason they can’t win is still the concern that right after the award is given, the winning game might explode with some "astonishing" and heaven-defying bug the next day.

Such incidents are rare in other game companies, but for Tianba Studio, it’s inevitable.

"Then help me think, what exactly should be done to make everyone abandon their prejudices and award me the Game of the Year?"

"Well..."

Yang Dong said with a headache, "There’s only one possibility, and that’s if this game is a dimensional-reducing blow to other games, you have no competitors, even if there are some heaven-defying bugs, it wouldn’t affect winning."

Yes, if we can’t make the game stable, and can’t make the judges believe that this game won’t have problems, then just eliminate other competitors and become the only candidate for the award!

Then there’s no suspense.

After all, if all the competitors have been eliminated, apart from giving the award to Ba and the game he made, it can’t be given to anyone else.

"A dimensional-reducing blow?"

Chen Ba scratched his head and thought for a moment, realizing that this is indeed not easy, because to crush other competitors with an "absolute dominance" stance, the game’s quality must be at least one or two levels above the competition.

To put it simply and crudely.

If other games are at the level of "Bean Man," then Chen Ba has to bring out a game of "It Takes Two" quality.

Only in this way can other games "by default" drop out, and Chen Ba and Tianba Studio can become the only competitor!

No choice!

Who asked Tianba Studio’s games to now have a reputation of being "deeply flawed"? With too many past incidents, they are notorious in the gaming circle, so wanting to win the Game of the Year can only rely on sheer strength to steamroll over the others.

"To form an overwhelming advantage over competing products, even if an accident happens, it can still suppress other games?"

As Chen Ba pondered how to achieve these conditions, an idea slowly formed in his mind.

The TGA Game of the Year is usually a battleground for AAA games or "quasi" AAA games, and creating a game that crushes a number of AAA masterpieces and pulls the quality one or two levels up is incredibly difficult.

Tianba Studio doesn’t have that kind of technical prowess nor the ability to beat game companies like Polish Stupid Donkey, R Star, Capcom, or Valve.

This route can be scrapped.

So why not change the approach, and make a game that the judges "have no choice but to pick."

"What does ’have no choice but to pick’ mean?"

"Have you watched those film festival award ceremonies?" Chen Ba asked.

"I have..."

"Since you have, then you should know the importance of special themes when multiple works are competing for the same major award in those film and television award ceremonies, right?"

Chen Ba gave an example: "For instance, the Golden Panda Award is giving out a Best Picture award, and the competing movies are ’Great Man of the First Generation’, ’The Rich Young Master Falls in Love with Me’, ’Cyberpunk Girl’, ’Zhang Fei vs. Slime’, who do you think will win?"

"’Great Man of the First Generation’!"

Yang Dong replied without hesitation: "Even though there seem to be four nominated films, the judges actually have only one choice."

This isn’t really a choice!

As long as ’Great Man of the First Generation’ can appear in the nominations, and other films are not of the same theme, then it is the only option.

In other words...

This film, ’Great Man of the First Generation’, either didn’t get nominated, or if it did, just by being nominated, it represents "winning".

What if it’s poorly made?

As I’ve said! If it’s poorly made, it wouldn’t even be nominated, and naturally, the judges wouldn’t have to face a difficult decision.

But as long as it’s nominated, it proves the quality is okay, so the nomination equals winning, and there’s no suspense at all.

"So you mean, we should take a different path and make a game that the judges have no choice but to pick?"

Yang Dong somewhat grasped Chen Ba’s meaning.

Ba seems to feel that through normal means, there’s no way to win the TGA Game of the Year, so he’s thinking of changing the strategy and creating an undisputed game where nomination means winning.

"Will that work?"

"Why not? As long as such a game is nominated, it will undoubtedly win just like ’Great Man of the First Generation’!"

Chen Ba said confidently, "Correct choice of theme + solid quality, this is the absolute righteous momentum, even the ’GTA’ series can’t compete."

Exactly!

If there really is a game that gets nominated, even if the renowned ’GTA’ or Red Dead series comes to compete, Chen Ba wouldn’t be worried at all.

Why should he worry?

Clearly, it’s the judges and organizers who should be nervous, as if such a thing happened, no matter who they award, they would end up being criticized.

Most likely, it would end in a tie!

It is obvious that Chen Ba is full of confidence, and this confidence comes from his insight into human nature and his precise grasp of the social unwritten rules.

Human society has always operated under certain unwritten rules, the same in both East and West.

This set of unwritten rules is based on basic moral concepts, such as "sympathy and compassion" for the weak being one of them.

Even if you inwardly despise the weak and look down on them, even thinking that their existence is a sin, you will still pretend to be "sympathetic and compassionate" in front of others.

Why?

Because that’s the unwritten rule of society, you don’t want others to think you are a cold-blooded animal without any sympathy or humanity.

Similarly, why do award ceremonies have situations where "nomination equals winning"? Whether it’s movies, TV series, novels, animations, or even games?

Because these works are part of the unwritten rules, there’s no law that says it must be done this way, but you know, the consequences of not doing so would be severe.

Take ’Great Man of the First Generation’ as an example, if this movie didn’t win Best Picture and lost to ’Cyberpunk Girl’.

Then, how would the fans of this film, including fans of the "real-life prototype" of the main character, think? Would they question what the judges were thinking?

Not being nominated is one thing, because if it’s poorly made, no one cares, but once it’s nominated, proving the quality is okay, what do you mean by not giving it the award?

"Now that you mention it, it’s true!"

Yang Dong rubbed his chin and said, "So what are you thinking? Will the new project be named ’Great Man of the First Generation’?"

"No, no, no!"

"Great men have nationalities, and non-natives don’t recognize them much."

Chen Ba waved his hand and said, "We target special groups and make a game that cares and is concerned for these groups, so we can gain universal praise and support."

"Special groups?"

Yang Dong was initially puzzled by this term, then he said, "This isn’t quite right; it feels like exploiting others’ sympathy."

"Gentlemen focus on deeds, not intentions. Although we have a strong utilitarian motive in doing this, if the game is made and becomes popular, it’s ultimately helping these people..."

Chen Ba didn’t see it that way, because he believed that if the game is made, it can draw more attention to this group and raise widespread social awareness, so there’s no need to feel guilty.

Focus on deeds, not intentions; there are no perfect people!

He doesn’t deny having a utilitarian motive, only making such a game for the sake of awards, but so what?

As long as the game promotes positive energy and draws more attention and concern to this special group, no one can stand at the moral high ground and criticize Chen Ba in this society.

He may be utilitarian, his intentions not pure, but at least he’s doing something, while others haven’t done anything, so how can they criticize him?