Chapter 435: Team Disbanded! A Crushing Victory for Komela! |
"Let's start with the unfortunate reality—our engine development work has basically stalled,"
The whistleblower came out swinging right from the start:
"There's no helping it, everyone on this forum is industry insiders, so we all understand how difficult engine technology breakthroughs are,"
"Not to mention achieving the technology, even coming up with a breakthrough direction is incredibly hard,"
"Ever since the Project PD (Payday, internal code PD) project, we've organized over a dozen meetings of various sizes to discuss development directions,"
"Originally, the boss (no need to name names, we all know who) initially said we should directly compete with Illusion Engine,"
"That's why this engine turned out so balanced, with consistent strengths and weaknesses,"
"But the actual results weren't ideal—forget competing with Phantom Dream 5, at its current level it's barely at Phantom Dream 4's standard, four-year-old technology,"
"With mediocre results, we had to seek breakthrough directions,"
"If we're not careful, we'll just become an inferior substitute for other engines, completely uncompetitive,"
"Even now, as I post this message, the breakthrough aspect is still in discussion phase, or basically semi-shelved,"
"Because 'that wind' exchanged opinions with upper management and turned around to focus on game-to-film adaptations,"
"Now it's basically internally accepted that we'll go to C-Expo with our existing technical capabilities, then 'that wind' will push an FPS game as their main title, continuing to support film adaptation discussions and buzz,"
"As for the engine, it's tacitly accepted we'll compete with Pride, probably focusing on supplying engines for the mid-sized game market going forward,"
"Short time frame, late start—this is all we can do,"
"The point of this post is to tell our brothers—we're all in this together, so don't get your hopes up too high for CJ Exhibition, go easy on the criticism, understanding is everything～"
Thus concluded the whistleblower post.
Well-reasoned and supported.
Not only did it start with "pics or it didn't happen" evidence.
Afterwards, it even revealed internal details and the current engine development progress that everyone's most concerned about.
Even ending with a special "understanding is everything" from the perspective of the self-developed engine team.
After reading it, one couldn't help but say—
"Real, definitely too real."
Golden Wind.
In the president's office.
Gu Sheng held a tablet, scrolling through the compiled related news from this period.
It was clear.
This time, to take them down, Vivendi had really put in the effort and used their brains.
First using a "Chinese" editor to write what appeared to be a reasonable, sober, and calm article, directly targeting Golden Wind's "soft spot," pointing out the "root cause" of their engine weakness.
Then mobilizing media, mixing truth and falsehood to ride this public opinion wave and steer the narrative.
Finally, having an "insider" make a "pics or it didn't happen" revelation in the tone of an internal developer.
Simultaneously supplementing with paid commenters and platform comment control, creating the public opinion atmosphere of "Golden Engine is weak, unable to compete with international giants at C-Expo in gaming aspects, can only settle for second best and exploit nostalgia through side channels to maintain discussion buzz."
Very impressive.
And what made it absolutely brilliant was that, from start to finish, all these key narrative starters spoke from the position of "wanting what's best for Golden Wind."
This multiplied their credibility exponentially.
Of course, would you say this series of operations had no flaws whatsoever in between?
There were.
Definitely were.
Not to mention anything else, just that so-called "pics or it didn't happen" "whistleblower post" was full of holes like a sieve, riddled with inconsistencies from head to toe.
But.
In internet public opinion, who really cares about those flaws?
Everyone's just fence-sitters anyway, as the saying goes, bystanders don't mind the show getting bigger—no one really cares about the truth of the matter itself, scrutinizing every detail with a magnifying glass.
For the vast majority, these narratives and revelations are just vehicles for venting personal emotions.
Moreover, this particular vehicle happens to be Golden Wind, currently at the center of the global gaming industry storm.
Therefore.
From a macro perspective.
This public opinion offensive organized by the new Komera leadership was absolutely perfect!
If you had to pick out one tiny flaw, it would only be—
"These bastards didn't get our information gap..."
Gu Sheng clicked his tongue.
What a pity.
If only!
The situation was truly as Komera's leadership judged—Golden Engine still deeply mired in mediocrity.
Then this offensive, if not directly ending the game, would at least make Golden Wind scramble desperately, requiring enormous effort to reverse such negative public opinion before C-Expo started.
But!
Gu Sheng almost wanted to laugh.
I've got the ultimate trick up my sleeve, buddy!
This feeling was exactly like the Gulf War back in the day.
When everyone thought the US military would engage in brutal stalemates, difficult advances, and intense trench warfare with their targets in Baghdad.
The US military's long-range missiles, four-dimensional air-space-land-sea coordination, armed helicopters, amphibious leapfrog tactics, decapitation strikes, and other new strategic tactics, plus reconnaissance and strikes precise to within 5 meters, taught the world a proper lesson.
That was an unprecedented military shock.
A modern combat mode never before imagined.
Calling it dimensional reduction warfare wasn't an exaggeration at all.
And now, Golden Wind had transformed into one of the great powers.
Komera, confident in their military strength, based on current conventional understanding of engine development directions, judged that Golden Wind couldn't possibly achieve breakthroughs in engine development.
But in reality—
《Golden Wind Announces "Golden Engine" Development Team Disbanded》
Just as all the doom-and-gloom messages and narratives about Golden Wind had been boiling for half a month!
A message released in the early morning once again sent shockwaves through the global gaming circle!
Golden Wind, which had remained silent amid all the doubts and speculations, released a message in the early hours of this day.
The message was very brief, the theme concise and to the point—
Golden Engine development team disbanded.
Actually, logically speaking, this news wasn't a big deal.
Everyone knew the team developing "Golden Engine" numbered over two thousand people, led by Golden Wind and jointly developed with seventeen other Huaguo game companies.
Equivalent to Golden Wind hiring seventeen mercenary armies.
Golden Wind fully funded it and held absolute copyright to Golden Engine.
And those companies couldn't possibly keep their people at Golden Wind forever.
So team disbandment was the most normal thing possible.
As the saying goes, even the longest feast must end, there's no banquet that doesn't eventually break up.
But!
You have to understand!
This time, Golden Wind only said "team disbanded."
They didn't say why it was disbanded.
And!
It was at this timing—just one month away from Huaguo's CJ Exhibition—that they announced this message.
An unclear disbandment notice.
A disbandment timing that invites speculation.
So, why did the Golden Engine team disband?
Was it normal completion of development phase, with subsequent development to be handled by teams recruited by Golden Wind themselves?
Or...
"...Further delay is pointless, with shortcomings that no longer need concealment, to avoid unnecessary losses, we had no choice but to call it quits."!
As white mist rose from the dark bottle of Dom Pérignon vintage champagne.
The cork twisted open, Seiichi Nakamura poured his treasured champagne into the wine glass, kneeling on the tatami in the sake bar, waving his hand:
"Everyone pour your own drinks, let's raise our glasses together to celebrate this unprecedented great victory!"
Hearing this!
The Komera executives seated around the long table laughed heartily and thanked him repeatedly, filling their own glasses.
"Thank you, President!"
"The President is truly amazing!"
"Without the President, there would be no great victory today!"
"The President is really generous today!"
The executives chattered excitedly, the sake bar private room filled with joyful atmosphere, extremely lively.
Great victory!
An unquestionable great victory!
Right at this moment!
With just one month left until Huaguo's CJ Exhibition!
After three rounds of concentrated attacks, fifty days of public opinion guidance and siege!
Golden Wind, silent again and again, finally couldn't hold on, admitted defeat, and raised the white flag!
From the beginning of the year until now, with over $150 million invested, developed by a team of over two thousand people from eighteen groups over five full months—the "Huaguo self-developed engine," Golden Engine.
Announced team disbandment!
And announcing this message with such a brief and concise official tweet at this timing.
Undoubtedly meant Golden Engine's development had ended without success!
Everything was exactly as they predicted.
Golden Engine's Alpha test work "Payday" represented the engine's maximum potential.
Although "Payday"'s success was unquestionable.
At the same time, its massive shortcomings in industrial quality objectively existed.
A full fifty days of siege.
Golden Wind silent, silent, and silent again!
The true situation was already crystal clear.
Look at the shockwaves through the gaming circle now that Golden Wind's official tweet announced the disbandment!
《Failed Stranding? Ended Without Success? Golden Engine Team Suddenly Disbands, Situation Critical!》
《Unprecedented Defeat! Golden Engine May Declare Development Shelved!》
[Early this morning, Golden Wind suddenly announced the disbandment of the Golden Engine development team, specific disbandment reasons unknown. Based on long-standing speculation and related insider revelations, this disbandment appears to have unfavorable circumstances...]
[Long silence and sudden announcement of development team disbandment, plus the long-awaited main title still missing, dark clouds seem to hang over Golden Wind, and over Huaguo's gaming circle as CJ Exhibition hosts...]
This is too sudden, right? What's going on? Why suddenly announce disbandment? CJ Exhibition is about to start, and they pull this now?
Couldn't hold on anymore, saw it coming. After all, there's been no response for so long. I've always said Huaguo developing self-made engines isn't that easy. Now they're going to lose face on home turf...
Here come the Monday morning quarterbacks, right? Acting like you know everything, Mr. Know-it-all, can you get run over by a ten-wheeler truck repeatedly? You're happier seeing domestic companies struggle than seeing your own mother remarry?
That's Mr. Know-it-all for you—never around when things are good, but first in line to kick someone when they're down and gloat. Have to understand them, probably grew up completely friendless...
Sigh... but to be fair, Little Yellow is really in a tough spot this time... Still no news about the main title...
Look on the bright side, maybe it's Old Thief's surprise.
Two and a half months with no news, that's worrying, bro...
'Definitely...'
Media reports, industry discussions, players' panicked speculations!
For a time, Golden Wind's public opinion became a complete mess!
Although CJ Exhibition hasn't even started yet!
Komera seems to have already won this "revenge battle"!
And next, they only need to consider how to exact revenge, settling the score from the "Sekiro" days on Huaguo's home turf!