The Clash of Consoles: WeGame vs. Pokemon Pikachu

### The Clash of Consoles: WeGame vs. Pokemon Pikachu

After multiple internal tests, CA's first console, WeGame, was finally launched. Due to production capacity problems, CA could only send out 500,000 WGs in the first batch. Although this figure was significantly less than the 4 million units ordered in pre-sale, it was on par with the number of GBA consoles released by GC. This highlighted CA's strong desire to dominate the console market.

In addition to the half a million players about to receive the first batch of WGs, CA also strategically sent WG consoles and the "Celebrity Collection" game to top streamers across various platforms. Their goal was to create a wave of positive reviews before the consoles officially reached the players, hoping to establish a strong market presence through word-of-mouth promotion.

The official launch of WG and CA's aggressive promotion, including buying the top position on the search list, generated high expectations among CA gamers. They also used this opportunity to promote their live streaming platform, Bwitch, driving a massive influx of viewers into Bwitch's live broadcast rooms to witness WG's performance firsthand.

"Hey, everyone, WG's appearance is top-notch!" exclaimed streamer John on CA TV's homepage, holding a WeGame console up to the camera. "Let's take a look at its design first. Doesn't it look amazing?"

John continued to hype WG as he connected the console screen to the livestream. "When I tested it earlier, the picture quality was impressive. Look at this screen! The lighting, the water effects, the pet's fur—everything is just top-notch!"

However, as fans in the live broadcast room watched the actual game footage, their excitement turned to disappointment.

"Wow? No way! The console version of 'The Collection of Cute Pets' is awful!" one fan commented.

"Compared to the PC version, this is embarrassing. How can CA boast about this quality?" another fan added.

"The lighting, the water, the pet's fur—this is supposed to be top-notch? It's terrible!"

"If John doesn't need his eyes, he should donate them to someone who does!" another fan quipped.

CA's R&D department had based WG's performance on GBA's capabilities, leading to only marginally better picture quality. As a result, the console version of "The Collection of Cute Pets" couldn't compete with its PC counterpart's detailed graphics and visual effects.

"Cough, let's move on from picture quality and play the game," John said, trying to salvage the situation. "The console version of 'The Collection of Cute Pets' offers cheaper and more convenient recharge options. You can draw ten pets at once with a single click."

John demonstrated this feature, recharging 498 units and showing the audience multiple waves of one-click ten draws. The console had some optimizations, such as faster recharge response times and cheaper pet draws compared to the PC version. However, this failed to impress the viewers.

"Are you serious? This console version is just a low-end PC version with no unique game content!" a fan exclaimed.

"CA just wants to keep making money with this!" another fan criticized.

"The console version's graphics are worse, and it has no added content. This is a money grab!" another fan added.

The fans were livid. CA's promotion had led them to expect unique content or superior graphics in the WG version of "The Collection of Cute Pets." Instead, they got a product that seemed inferior to the PC version, with only optimized recharge functions.

"At least the console version offers cheaper pet draws!" John insisted. "Look, ten consecutive draws are cheaper, increasing the chances of getting legendary pets."

He charged another 498 units and changed the livestream title to "Drawing Legendary Cute Pets in the Console Version of 'The Collection of Cute Pets'!"

However, as the livestream continued, John noticed something off. Despite several rounds of 498-unit draws, he hadn't obtained a single legendary pet. The console version's drop rate seemed abysmal.

"Is John just unlucky, or has CA changed the drop rates?" a fan wondered.

"Hahaha, CA is ripping him off!" another fan laughed.

"Is the ad revenue John earns from CA all going into these game recharges?" another fan joked.

The fans' laughter filled the livestream as they watched John's increasingly desperate attempts to draw a legendary pet. John, trying to maintain his composure, insisted, "Don't worry, everyone. I'm just unlucky today. This has nothing to do with the game's drop rate!"

But privately, John was already messaging the person in charge of the console version of "The Collection of Cute Pets," demanding an explanation.

"Our console version's lottery price is lower, so we can't maintain the same drop rate as the PC version," the person in charge explained. "If we kept the same drop rate, we'd be losing money!"

This explanation didn't help John. The audience's frustration was palpable, and the livestream was turning into a PR disaster.

Meanwhile, back at CA headquarters, Alex was growing increasingly agitated. "How could this happen? The console version was supposed to boost our market presence!"

"Mr. Alex, there is some good news," Ray said, trying to calm him down. "The console version of 'Pokemon Pikachu' sold out all 100,000 copies within five minutes."

Alex's frustration turned to disbelief. "Is this really good news?"

"Yes, Mr. Alex," Ray insisted. "The high sales show there's a strong market for console games. We can capitalize on this with WG. Let's buy some hot searches and launch WG officially. We need to fight this battle well."

With that, CA prepared to officially launch WeGame, hoping to reclaim their standing in the console market. However, the competition with GC and the popularity of "Pokemon Pikachu" showed that the battle for dominance was far from over.