SWDnovel Chapter 324 A Major Breakthrough in Sakura Games—Chen Mo's Choice
Chapter 324 A Major Breakthrough in Sakura Games—Chen Mo's Choice
Headquarters of Tutu Technology, Shanghai.
Lu Ran sat in his office, the computer screen in front of him displaying data from the two days since League of Legends was launched.
Zhou Mingzhe sat opposite him, holding a report in his hand, his expression a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
"Downloads have surpassed 30 million, and peak concurrent users have exceeded one million. The average user playtime exceeds fifty minutes." Zhou Mingzhe finished reading the data, then looked up at Lu Ran. "This result is better than we expected."
Lu Ran nodded without saying anything.
He knew the result was good, but he was more concerned about another set of data.
"What about user retention rate?" he asked.
Zhou Mingzhe turned to a page of the report: "The day-two retention rate is 68%, and the seven-day retention rate will only be available after seven days. But based on the current trend, it shouldn't be low."
A 68% day-two retention rate is top-tier for any game.
Lu Ran leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
League of Legends has taken its first step and established a firm foothold.
But the real challenge has only just begun.
"Brother Zhou," he began, "any news from Sakura Games?"
Zhou Mingzhe's expression turned serious: "They've sped up the process. The Dragon Kingdom version of 'Samurai Warriors' is expected to start its closed beta test next week. The product that EA is collaborating on with Perfect World is also reportedly being rushed to completion, and a playable version is expected to be available within two weeks."
Lu Ran didn't show much surprise after hearing this.
This was something he had expected.
The better the data of "League of Legends" after its launch, the greater the pressure on its competitors.
They will do everything they can to speed up their progress and strive to launch the product as soon as possible.
"What about Tencent?" Lu Ran asked again.
"Chen Mo sent an email this morning saying that they will increase their promotion of League of Legends through their own channels. In addition, they are also contacting some professional teams and esports clubs to ask if they are interested in setting up a League of Legends division."
Lu Ran raised an eyebrow: "Chen Mo is quick on his feet."
"He's shrewder than anyone else," Zhou Mingzhe said. "With League of Legends' data being so good, of course he wants to strike while the iron is hot. Helping us promote the game is also helping Tencent make money."
Lu Ran nodded.
Chen Mo is a person who never only looks at the immediate situation when doing things.
While promoting League of Legends, he was also making long-term plans for himself.
Once esports clubs and professional teams are established, Tencent will be able to occupy a very important position in the League of Legends ecosystem.
By then, even if TUTU wanted to sever ties with Tencent, it wouldn't be so easy.
"But no matter what, the top priority right now is to stabilize League of Legends," Lu Ran said. "Tell the tech department to keep an eye on the servers. With such rapid user growth, the server pressure will only increase. We can't wait until problems arise before we think about scaling up."
"Old Wang is already making arrangements," Zhou Mingzhe said. "He said that at the current growth rate, the existing servers can only last for two weeks at most. We must expand the capacity within two weeks, otherwise there may be lag during peak periods."
"Then let's expand," Lu Ran said. "We can't skimp on necessary expenses."
Zhou Mingzhe nodded and wrote it down in his notebook.
Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, looking at the sky outside the window.
League of Legends has been released, and the data is good, as is the user feedback.
But the real competition has only just begun.
Sakura Games' "Samurai Warriors" will have its closed beta test next week, and the collaborative products between EA and Perfect World are also being accelerated.
Each of these foreign capital firms wants a piece of the pie in the Chinese market.
What TuTu Technology wants to do is not only to make League of Legends better, but also to make the TUTU platform bigger and stronger.
Only by having a strong enough platform can one gain a foothold in future competition.
This challenge will be more important and more severe than any previous one.
"Brother Zhou," Lu Ran suddenly spoke up, "what do you think we should do next?"
Zhou Mingzhe thought for a moment and said, "Stabilize 'League of Legends' while accelerating the public beta of 'Three Kingdoms Kill'. Walking on two legs is more stable than walking on one."
Lu Ran nodded, then shook his head: "You're right, but not entirely."
Zhou Mingzhe looked at him: "So what do you think?"
"I think," Lu Ran said, "besides stabilizing the product, we also need to stabilize people's hearts. Users come to TUTU because there are fun games. But users stay on TUTU because there are people they like, an atmosphere they like, and content they like."
He paused, then continued, "So next, besides the game itself, we also need to build up the community, live streaming, and esports events. We want users to not just come to play games, but to experience life through TUTU."
After listening, Zhou Mingzhe thought for a while and then nodded: "You're right. Games are the entry point, but the ecosystem is the moat."
"That's exactly what I mean." Lu Ran smiled. "So, things are going to get busy from now on."
The sunlight outside the window was lovely, casting long, thin shadows on the wall through the gaps in the blinds.
As Lu Ran looked at the light and shadow, he began to plan his next move.
League of Legends is just the beginning.
The real war has only just begun.
Shen Yuege walked into the office with a cup of coffee, placed the cup on the table, and glanced at the data on the screen.
"Looking at data again?"
"I have to check it every day." Lu Ran picked up his coffee and took a sip. "The user growth is too fast. I have to keep an eye on the server load. I don't want to be caught off guard by problems."
"Didn't Lao Wang say he'd already arranged for expansion?"
"It's been arranged, but it's not in place yet." Lu Ran put down his cup. "The new server is still on its way and probably won't be installed until the day after tomorrow. These next two days are crucial; we can't afford any mistakes."
Shen Yuege sat down in the chair opposite him, picked up her phone and scrolled through it for a while, then suddenly smiled.
"Did you know that there's a really hot topic on TUTU right now called 'Did you get disconnected today?' Many players are complaining about how laggy the servers are and how long the queue times are."
Lu Ran gave a wry smile: "This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that there are many people, the bad thing is that the server can't keep up."
"So what do you plan to do?"
"What can we do? Add more servers," Lu Ran said. "Problems that money can solve aren't problems. The real problems are those that money can't solve."
Ultimately, it was due to a lack of experience. Lu Ran had initially thought the server was large enough, but it turned out to be insufficient.
Games like League of Legends have a much higher demand than games like Seven Heroes.
Shen Yuege looked at him but didn't reply.
She noticed that although Lu Ran appeared calm on the surface these past few days, he was actually on edge.
The first thing I do when I arrive at the company every day is look at the data, and the last thing I do when I leave the company is also look at the data.
I read it while eating, I think about it while driving, and I even scroll through the comments section on my phone before going to bed at night.
She knew that Lu Ran wasn't worried about the quality of League of Legends, but rather that he cared too much about the game.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened. Early winter nights come early in Shanghai; it gets dark around 5 p.m.
Lu Ran was packing up to go home when her phone suddenly rang.
He picked it up and saw that the caller ID showed Chen Mo.
Making the call at this time made Lu Ran's heart skip a beat; she suddenly had a bad feeling.
Who would be so kind as to call after get off work?
"Mr. Chen." He answered the phone.
"Mr. Lu," Chen Mo's voice came through the receiver, his tone much more serious than usual, "There's something I need to tell you."
Lu Ran sensed something was off in his tone: "Please speak."
"Sakura Games has contacted other people in charge at Tencent."
Lu Ran tightened his grip on the phone slightly, but his voice remained calm: "What do you mean?"
"Sakura Games had been talking to me about a collaboration, but I kept dragging my feet and didn't give them a clear answer. But they didn't give up. They bypassed me and went directly to Tencent's investment department. I heard they're already in talks."
Lu Ran's heart skipped a beat when he heard the news.
He knew long ago that Sakura Games wouldn't easily give up its cooperation with Tencent.
The person who is a trustworthy dog is patient and resilient, and will not back down because of one or two rejections.
But he didn't expect Sakura Games to act so quickly and directly.
"How did the talks go?" Lu Ran asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Chen Mo said. "I only found out about it this afternoon. The investment department didn't tell me directly; I found out through other channels. I don't have any concrete information yet about what stage the discussions went on or what agreements were reached."
Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, gently swinging his right leg as his mind raced.
Tencent's investment department is a very powerful department within Tencent.
They have spearheaded most of Tencent's external investments and acquisitions, both domestically and internationally, from games to social media; they have been involved in almost every major investment.
If Sakura Games has indeed connected with the investment department, then things become complicated.
Although Chen Mo is the head of Tencent's East China branch and has a lot of say in the gaming business, he has no say in the investment department.
"Mr. Chen," Lu Ran began, "how likely do you think the investment department is to reach a cooperation agreement with Sakura Games?"
Chen Mo was silent for a moment, then said, "It's hard to say. The investment department's logic is different from our business department's. We look at the product, the users, and the long-term ecosystem. They look at returns, valuation, and short-term financial data. If Sakura Games offers attractive enough terms, the investment department might agree."
Lu Ran listened without saying a word.
He understood what Chen Mo meant.
A company as large as Tencent cannot possibly have only one voice.
Business departments have their own considerations, and investment departments have their own logic.
Neither side can convince the other, so in the end, they may each compromise and get what they need.
"Mr. Lu," Chen Mo said again, "I'm calling you not to scare you, but to prepare you mentally. I'll continue to keep an eye on the Sakura Games matter. I'll let you know as soon as there are any new developments."
"Okay," Lu Ran said. "Thank you, Mr. Chen."
"You're welcome." Chen Mo paused for a moment. "As I said, on this issue, I'm on your side."
The phone hangs up.
Lu Ran put his phone on the table and stared at the screen for a while.
Shen Yuege sat opposite him. Although she didn't hear what Chen Mo said in detail, she could tell from Lu Ran's expression and snippets of conversation that it wasn't good news.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Sakura Games bypassed Chen Mo and contacted Tencent's investment department directly," Lu Ran said. "The two sides are already in talks about cooperation."
Shen Yuege frowned: "Then Chen Mo can't handle it?"
"He can't control it. He has no say in matters concerning the investment department."
"What should we do then?"
Lu Ran thought for a moment and said, "Let's see. We don't know how far they've progressed yet; maybe it's just initial contact, or maybe they've already reached an agreement. But whatever the case, we can't panic. Tencent isn't a monolithic entity; there are those who support Sakura Games and those who oppose it. Chen Mo is on our side."
Shen Yuege looked at him, hesitant to speak.
She knew Lu Ran was right, but the unease in her heart still lingered.
What would it mean if Tencent were to partner with Sakura Games?
This means that Sakura Games can gain access to Tencent's traffic and user resources, that products like "Dynasty Warriors" and "Ninja Gaiden" can be promoted on Tencent's channels, and that Tutu Technology will have a formidable competitor in the game market.
"Let's go," Lu Ran said, standing up while supporting himself on the handrail. "Let's go home first. There's always tomorrow."
Shen Yuege stood up and helped him walk outside.
The two left the office, and the corridor was quiet.
Lu Ran discourages working overtime, so most employees have already left work. Only the lights in the technical department are still on, with Lao Wang and a few others working overtime to monitor the server.
The elevator doors opened, and Shen Yuege pushed Lu Ran inside.
As the elevator descended, Lu Ran suddenly spoke up: "Yuege, do you think Chen Mo is someone who can be trusted?"
Shen Yuege thought for a moment and said, "He previously ganged up on us on Weibo, but now he's proactively offering to cooperate. Do you think he's trustworthy?"
"In business, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies," Lu Ran said. "That's not what I'm asking. What I'm asking is, on this specific issue, will he stand on our side?"
Shen Yuege looked at him: "What do you think?"
Lu Ran was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I think so."
Why?
"Because he knows better than anyone that if Sakura Games establishes a foothold in the Chinese market, it poses a greater threat to Tencent than to Tutu Technology. If Tutu Technology grows big, it can at most be on par with Tencent. If Sakura Games grows big, Tencent won't even have the chance to be on par with it."
Shen Yuege did not respond.
The elevator doors opened, and she pushed Lu Ran out of the building.
A night breeze blew by, carrying the chill of early winter.
Lu Ran shrank his neck and pulled the zipper of his coat up a little.
"Are you cold?" Shen Yuege asked.
"fine."
I'll bring you a scarf tomorrow.
"it is good."
...