Update

Due to the sudden surge in the gaming industry, it has garnered significant attention, becoming a mainstream sector. Many individuals now rely on this industry for their livelihoods. In a symbiotic relationship, game developers depend on gamers, who in turn rely on larger gaming corporations. The general populace is reliant on these companies as well. Social media platforms thrive on live streams and gaming content, while streamers depend on ordinary viewers.

This interdependence has placed the gaming industry at the forefront of global focus. Within this ecosystem, game development stands out as one of the most esteemed professions. Developers, regardless of size or stature, earn respect for their contributions to keeping the industry vibrant and prosperous.

However, this respect comes with immense responsibility. Developers are expected to possess comprehensive knowledge of game development, encompassing coding and design skills. Success in this field demands a mastery of every aspect.

Given the industry's prestige, competition is fierce, with developers constantly striving to stay ahead. Consequently, many similar games flood the market, each vying for attention.

Leo is well aware of this dynamic. Initially optimistic about the gradual popularity of his game, he now watches the download count rise with each refresh, realizing that competitors may already be at work on similar projects. The rapid spread of trends means that his unique concept of endless running will soon be replicated by others.

As a newcomer without an established fan base, Leo fears being overshadowed by more prominent developers. He is determined to maintain his lead and ensure that his efforts are not eclipsed by competitors.

So, to prevent that from happening, he had to maintain his current situation. The crucial factor was a promotion, which wasn't feasible at the moment due to the necessity of connections and financial resources, both of which he lacked. The second concern was an update. If he updated his game before new games began siphoning off his potential players, it could potentially solve the problem.

While it was relatively easy for him to develop the game, it was because he had a foundation from his previous life that he could leverage. However, the same couldn't be said for other developers, as they had to start from scratch. They had to design different mechanics, new scenarios, animations, sounds, etc. So it wouldn't be easy for others to replicate his game in just a few days.

During this time, he would make the most of these few days. He would work on updates and rectify any errors that might arise during gameplay.

With this in mind, he ordered food from the nearest restaurant.

Just then, William appeared. "Okay, that's enough for today. Don't go missing next time," he said.

Leo watched as the man left his store. He continued to use the computer until half an hour had passed and his food arrived. After finishing his meal, he closed his store, feeling a sense of urgency due to the game's increasing popularity. He wanted to work on updates to maintain his position as number one in the competition.

He then headed to his living area and began working on updates on his computer.

...

While Leo was diligently working on updates to his game, its popularity began to soar as more people discovered it, leading to a continuous increase in downloads.

With this surge in popularity, influential individuals took notice of Leo's work, as anticipated.

In a developers' group chat, members stumbled upon the game and began discussing it. These developers primarily focused on mobile platforms, with only a few having dabbled in creating low-level PC games.

Despite being in the same industry, there was no sense of competition among these developers due to a pre-existing agreement. They collaborated to produce several variations of popular games, which they then collectively released.

Given gamers' eagerness for new experiences and the uncharted territory of emerging genres, they readily embraced any compelling game, even if it was a derivative work.

Consequently, the games developed by this group enjoyed success in the market, yielding profits that were shared among them. This cooperative approach allowed them to produce new games at a faster pace and sometimes even surpass the original games in terms of downloads.

Having executed this strategy multiple times, the original game developers were powerless to intervene. By making subtle alterations to controls, graphics, animations, and sounds, they could present the game as something new without encountering copyright issues.

Now, with a newly popular game catching their attention, the group contemplated their next move.

"Hehe, there's a fresh game on the market. Shall we begin our work?" one developer proposed in the chat.

"Yes, it offers a novel concept. Developing a few games of this type could yield favorable results," another chimed in.

"Indeed, but we must act swiftly this time. The downloads for this game are skyrocketing. If we delay, it'll be challenging to divert players' attention," cautioned another.

"Agreed. With our combined efforts, we can complete multiple games within three days."

Unaware of these discussions, Leo remained focused on his own project, confident in his ability to complete the updates in three days.

As his game was a sequel to the popular temple run from Earth, Leo decided to incorporate the first installment into the same game. By blending both versions and introducing new gameplay elements, he aimed to enhance the overall experience, ensuring his game stayed ahead of any potential imitations.

Ultimately, the success of a game hinged on subtle adjustments that enhanced its appeal, thereby capturing the preference of gamers.

...

And just like that, three days passed. Except for the mornings when he opened his store, he had been working on the game the rest of the time.

Today, he had finally finished all the updates for the game, creating a variety of versions with plenty of new content for players to explore. This latest update would keep players busy, and barring any unexpected issues, it would also mark the last major update for this game.

If the game became as popular as it had been in his previous life, he would earn enough system points to start working on a new game.

As he opened the publishing platform, he noticed something interesting: three new games that were copied versions of his own. According to their release times, they had been launched just an hour ago.

Seeing these three copycat games on the market surprised him. It was astonishing how quickly people had replicated his game. However, he remained unfazed because he knew that updating his game would keep him competitive.

Furthermore, he was prepared to release the game worldwide after the update, having made all the necessary arrangements.

With evening approaching, he planned to launch the game worldwide the next morning.

After carefully checking all the details and functions, he updated his game. This update would also be free, but he had added many characters and skins for in-game purchases.

Creating new characters from scratch had consumed much of his time, explaining the delay in the update. After completing the update, he ate and then went to sleep, utterly exhausted from hours of work.

While Leo slept, players were pleasantly surprised to find a new update awaiting them in the game. They hadn't expected the recently released game to be updated so promptly, which significantly improved their opinion of it.

This positive reception led to a surge in downloads for his game, far beyond what he had anticipated.

Meanwhile, in a residential area in another city, a boy playing the game eagerly downloaded the new update as soon as he saw it was available. The plethora of new content only fueled his excitement for the game, causing him to abandon thoughts of playing a similar game from a well-known developer.

Why settle for another game when a better option is readily available?

Similar situations were unfolding in many places, with players opting to stick with his game after seeing the enticing update.

As a result, those new copycat games failed to dethrone his game's position.

Developer group chat:

"Damn, why is the original game being updated again? This could negatively impact us. We might even incur losses."

"Though it's not the outcome we hoped for, there's still a chance our game could succeed."

"True, but it's frustrating that we can't do anything about the original game."

"Agreed."

...

Tomorrow morning, the Arcade run had become so popular that its downloads were constantly rising.

Within the Developer group:

"Why, why is our game still not performing well?"

"Damn, this is even worse. This time, I've suffered a loss, and you all need to make up for it."

"Huh? Are you the only one who suffered a loss?"

"Ha, I'm out. This time, things didn't go well for us, and we need to reassess our ideas."

The loss they discussed referred to the resources and money invested in the game engine. To expedite the game development process, they spent a significant amount of money on a high-level game engine and purchased numerous resources. However, when the results fell short of expectations, they faced financial losses.

They believed that even though they couldn't surpass the original game, their game could still succeed. However, the outcome was not as anticipated.

The primary reason their game failed was because it was a paid game. With limited characters and skins due to time constraints, the game lacked substantial content. People expect high-quality content for the price they pay, and without sufficient content, they were unwilling to invest in the game.