193: Was the effect in Chapter 193 really that exaggerated?

Early the next morning.

When Jiang Yuan woke up, the light outside the window had not yet fully brightened.

She turned over and reached for the phone on her bedside table. As the screen lit up, she saw a dozen unread messages piled up on VX.

At the very top was a meeting summary sent by Wen Lan shortly after one in the morning.

Jiang Yuan opened it and scanned it; it was the first-round promotional schedule for Resident Evil, drawn up overnight by the publicity team and the Publishing Department.

Starting next Monday, Spark Games would begin investing significant funds into online advertising and the deployment of offline pre-sale materials. Each item was marked with the specific person in charge and the deadline in great detail.

Jiang Yuan read the document from start to finish and replied at the bottom:

"Thank you for your hard work. I've reviewed the plan, and there are no major issues! As for the media demo list, it looks fine overall. Just remember to ensure they use the final test version for the demo; don't accidentally give them the old one."

Less than half a minute after the message was sent, Wen Lan replied immediately:

"Understood, President Jiang. I'll arrange it immediately!"

Jiang Yuan checked the time; it was only seven-twenty.

She lingered in bed for another ten minutes, but since she still couldn't fall back asleep, she simply sat up, put on her slippers, and went to wash up.

While brushing her teeth, she habitually opened Bilibili and saw that the first featured video on the homepage was a gameplay walkthrough for the records of monsters.

She clicked on it casually and discovered that the video had only been posted for six hours, yet it had already surpassed 800,000 views. The barrage comments densely covered the entire screen, making it impossible to see the footage clearly.

The streamer's voice came from the phone, thick with a noticeable nasal tone, as if they had just been crying:

"Seriously, guys, is there something wrong with this game's writer?

I played through the part with the Chu State priestess, and I'm telling you, my eyes are swollen. You guys might know the plot from the barrage, but the immersion you get when playing it yourself is completely different!"

Jiang Yuan brushed her teeth while watching the barrage comments scroll by, muttering to herself:

"Is the effect really that exaggerated? Or is this a paid promotion arranged by Bilibili?!"

In any case, Jiang Yuan felt that unless it was a legendary-tier game plot that could circulate among a broad audience while maintaining an excellent reputation,

it was truly difficult for any plot to move her to tears, unless the story or the BGM precisely struck a chord with her own deep-seated sorrows.

"Rem..."

"Jiang Yuan, you have no heart! How can anyone not cry at this?"

"You're crying at the wrong grave, dude. This isn't even a game made by Jiang Yuan!"

"Most of the game's plot is pretty average, but there are a few really good parts. Even though the Chu State priestess arc is cliché, clichés aside, it's genuinely good!"

"When is the records of monsters getting a DLC? I can't wait!"

"Hehe, what a trash game. Using the 'legendary plot' routine to fool idiots again? You're making me laugh!"

"To the guy above: trolling here is one thing, but don't go trolling elsewhere, or I'm afraid you'll end up seeing your own headshot singing."

Watching these barrage comments, Jiang Yuan spat out the foam, picked up a towel to wipe the corners of her mouth, and a smile couldn't help but spread across her delicate face.

Since she had transmigrated into this world, she had actually seen this kind of scene many times.

From the initial [Vampire Survivors] to the soon-to-be-released [Resident Evil], every time a Spark Games title launched, there would always be a group of players online crying and shouting about how the plot had "stabbed" them.

While she didn't know how much of that was true and how much was exaggerated, as long as the game could evoke an emotional response from every player, it proved that her efforts in making these games hadn't been in vain.

After washing her face and getting dressed, she sent a voice message to Qin Gong as she headed out, her voice crisp:

"I'm heading straight to the conference room today. Have Wen Lan print a few copies of the promotional plan and bring them over—not too many, just enough for each of the core staff."

Qin Gong replied quickly, his voice sounding rather excited and happy:

"Understood, President Jiang! Oh, by the way, President Jiang, the first-day sales figures for the records of monsters came in yesterday. Care to guess how many?"

Jiang Yuan didn't slow her pace, replying with a calm expression:

"Does that even need guessing? Around 350,000 copies, I'd say."

As a veteran in the industry,

just from the last glance she had at the data before leaving the company yesterday, Jiang Yuan could accurately estimate the game's current sales; she rarely missed the mark.

Qin Gong was clearly caught off guard, replying only after a long pause:

"President Jiang, you're incredible! You guessed it right on the money! It's indeed 378,000 copies. Wen Lan was asking if we should release a celebratory poster or something, and she had me ask for your thoughts."

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and replied:

"Go ahead and post it. It's fine for everyone to be happy, but remind them not to forget the main event right now. Our primary energy must still be reserved for Resident Evil."

"Understood, President Jiang!"

At 9:10 in the morning, Jiang Yuan pushed open the conference room door to find seven or eight people already seated inside.

Wen Lan was sitting on the left side of the long table, with a laptop and two thick stacks of printed materials spread out before her.

The director of the Publishing Department, Qin Gong, sat opposite her, looking down at the documents in his hand.

Several core planners from the Spark Studio publicity team were also seated in the row by the window, each with a cup of coffee in front of them, looking as if they had been waiting for a while.

Upon seeing Jiang Yuan enter, everyone stood up almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with a level of respect and admiration that words could hardly describe.

Jiang Yuan pulled out the chair at the head of the table and sat down, speaking in a crisp, accustomed tone:

"Everyone sit. Let's get started."

Upon hearing this, Qin Gong stood up first and used the remote to turn on the projector.

A timeline chart lit up on the screen, extending from the end of February to March 9th, with the corresponding promotional activities marked at each key node.

Qin Gong pointed to the timeline on the screen with a laser pointer and said solemnly:

"President Jiang, this is the final pre-launch promotional schedule for Resident Evil, readjusted according to your instructions."

"On February 23rd—that is, next Monday—we will release the final launch trailer simultaneously across all platforms.

This trailer will be different from the previous ones; we plan to take a thriller and immersive approach. We'll use a one-minute long take to showcase actual gameplay footage from the protagonist's first-person perspective as they explore the Mansion. There won't be any commentary or voiceover—it will rely entirely on the visuals and sound effects to carry it."

Jiang Yuan nodded slightly and lifted her fair chin, gesturing for him to continue.

Qin Gong continued in a resonant voice:

"Simultaneously with the trailer release, we'll open pre-orders on the Spark Platform! We've confirmed the pre-order bonuses with Zhou Ming: a limited character skin pack, plus an in-game accessory, all themed around 'The Last Survivor.'

As for pricing, the standard edition will be 298, and the deluxe edition 398, which includes all subsequent DLC and the original soundtrack collection. We've discussed this pricing strategy internally for several rounds, and ultimately felt..."

At this point, Jiang Yuan suddenly spoke up, interrupting his explanation with a calm tone:

"Let's not discuss the pricing for now. I will announce the price directly later on. Continue with the rest for now."