Chapter 204: The Choice Is: Minecraft
Without explaining the reason to the curious crowd, Alex briefly chatted before returning to his office. Reclining in his chair, Alex looked at the platform data that Lynn had just sent him on his computer and narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
The Nebula games platform currently has 91 million registered users. Daily active users remain at around 17 million. The maximum number of simultaneous users reached 4.1 million after the launch of Fall Guys after last year's Game Expo. Of course, this figure does not refer to a single game, but to the accumulated user base of various titles. While this figure could be considered an exaggeration for a single platform, it is nothing compared to the competition between distribution platforms.
Currently, the competition in the first-tier domestic distribution channels is mainly focused on the two giants, Aether Games and NetDragon. While some second- and third-tier channels maintain their own operations, many have also joined the two platforms.
After the launch of Dark Souls: First Flame, both Aether Games and NetDragon proposed to acquire a stake in Nebula Games and join their group, but Alex declined. Now, Alex feels that the time has come to take another step. However, it will not be an easy task.
Alex plans to release future games focused on player interaction. They will not be purely multiplayer, but will offer functions and content that allow platform players to interact with each other. Don't Starve is a multifaceted test. It is a test of players' purchasing power when it is available exclusively on the Nebula platform. It is also a test of whether players in the alternate world will embrace sandbox gaming.
With 1.9 million units sold in just two weeks, reaching 4 million in the first month is a piece of cake. Sales also maintain a relatively stable trend, and various mods are being gradually released.
Overcooked and Fall Guys players have demonstrated their creativity, and for Nebula players, the Creative Workshop has become a distinctive selling point and a feature of the platform.
In this context, after considering various factors, Alex considered that it was the right time to launch a sandbox game that would captivate players. This would also be Nebula Games' trump card to boost its platform.
So, Alex's choice was Minecraft.
The reasons for choosing this game were simple. There were three main reasons.
The first was its resounding success. How successful? In terms of commercial success, Minecraft reached global sales of more than 200 million units in just ten years. Whether it was mobile phones, PC, consoles, VR, or portable devices, its influence was evident in almost every aspect.
The second reason was the unique charm of Minecraft. The world that is presented in Minecraft is not about flashy graphics and special effects, but about gameplay. Let's take, for example, building blocks. Most people have probably played with them, and even if they haven't, they are likely to share the desire to create their own world.
Building with blocks, building on paper with a paintbrush, or even building mentally with your eyes closed: Minecraft offers players this simple approach. They can create and destroy blocks in the game's three-dimensional space, building intricate structures, creations, and works of art.
Of course, if that were all, Minecraft would not have reached such a level. Its almost unlimited gameplay allows for creation on various multiplayer servers or in its single-player mode. It even has numerous special features, such as redstone circuits for logical operations and remote actions, minecarts, and rails. In addition, players can embark on adventures, defeat fearsome bosses, and play as an RPG.
Regardless of the game's mechanics, Minecraft revolves around one key point: creation. It is not just about building with blocks; it involves scientific creation, with redstone circuits for logical operations and remote actions. It is true that Minecraft is more than just a game. Without an aesthetic design and spatial thinking, you cannot even build a nice house.
For example, other people's bases are always luxurious villas. Yours looks like a prison from the outside, and when you go in... wow, it looks even more so!.
Just as Zelda: Ocarina of Time defined 3D games in its predecessor, Minecraft defined the sandbox genre. So much so that, when people talked about sandbox games in the past, they inevitably associated them with Minecraft. While Minecraft did not pioneer the concept of a sandbox game, its success and perfection have almost made it synonymous with the genre.
As many Minecraft players say, playing Minecraft is not simply about playing a game, but about treating it like a toy, and offering a game as a toy is its essence. The type of game it is depends completely on how players perceive it.
As for the third point, it is, naturally, about further enhancing the influence of the Nebula games platform through Minecraft, which is also possibly the most suitable game for mods. The current operational workflow of the Nebula games platform is sufficient to accommodate this true masterpiece.
After deciding on the game, Alex was also writing the conceptual draft of Minecraft in the office. Although this is an extremely successful game, writing the conceptual draft of Minecraft is even simpler than that of Dark Souls, the previous one.
This is because the game is mainly based on creativity. Everything revolves around this point. Unlike Dark Souls, which covers all aspects, such as art, numbers, plot, and the combat system, while Minecraft is not simple, it is not as complex as one might imagine.
It took Alex approximately two days to write the first draft of the conceptual design of Minecraft.
During this period, Jane, Eric, and others continued to maintain the mod community related to Don't Starve. After making sure there were no omissions, Alex summoned Eric, Jane, and the others, who were still working, to the conference room for a meeting.
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