Chapter 8: Can This Even Be Considered a Game?

The one-hour game experience session had ended.

The host came to the front of the stage.

"Alright, the game experience session is over! Did everyone find a game they liked?"

"Now, we'll proceed to the next stage of the competition. First, let's look at the results of the twenty games. Please turn your attention to the big screen."

The audience watched the big screen, displaying the total online time and recommendations for each game.

The audience was in an uproar!

"No way, this has to be fake!"

"This game is so ridiculous! Are they crazy?"

"How can the numbers be so different?"

"What the hell! Host, is there something shady going on?"

Everyone's attention was drawn to the data for "Flappy Bird" on the big screen: Total playtime of 349 hours, 544 recommendations!

Meanwhile, the second-place game, "Hunter Island," had only 92 hours of total playtime and 330 recommendations!

The host was also stunned. He had just learned of the data himself, and his first reaction was that it had to be an error!

The three judges looked at each other, unable to believe the numbers.

To put it in perspective, the total audience was 700 people, meaning that,, on average, each person spent half an hour on this game!

544 out of 700 people were willing to recommend this game to others.

These numbers were unbelievable!

Alex Parker, however, was not surprised. This was within his expectations.

"Flappy Bird" wasn't an incredibly addictive game. In fact, it was pretty masochistic. If it were in an app store, most people would close it after five minutes.

However, at the design competition, "Flappy Bird's" competitors were not mature game titles but poorly made entry-level ones.

Most of these other games couldn't hold the audience's attention for long, so many viewers would return to "Flappy Bird," with some dedicated players spending all their time trying to improve their scores.

Given this, it was no surprise that "Flappy Bird" accumulated such a long playtime.

The host whispered into his earpiece for a moment, then looked up and addressed the audience, "Everyone, I have just confirmed with the technical team that the data is correct. These are the final results for the twenty games."

There was still some commotion in the crowd.

Many spectators couldn't believe "Flappy Bird" achieved such results, especially those who found it unappealing and quit quickly.

However, most of the audience accepted the reality.

"Is this game really that great? With such crude pixel graphics and simple gameplay, it's in first place? And by such a large margin!"

"What's so surprising? Think about how much time you spent on it."

"...About forty minutes."

"I spent nearly an hour! Just trying to improve my score. I feel a bit dizzy now."

"Yeah, every time I close my eyes, I see that dumb bird hopping around, and I can't help but want to tap it..."

"Look, the leaderboard has nearly six hundred people, and the top two hundred scores are over 20. Many have scores of 40 or 50. Think about how long you have to play to get 20 points."

"...It would take at least twenty minutes, maybe an hour if you're not good at it."

"Exactly, so these are real numbers."

"Wow, this game is amazing..." Even the skeptical audience members began to believe.

The host cleared his throat, "Alright, since the technical team has confirmed the results, the current first place is Designer No. 7's work, 'Flappy Bird'!"

"Next is the judges' review session. After the reviews, there will be another round of recommendations."

The host paused and continued, "I must remind everyone that currently, 'Flappy Bird' leads in both playtime and recommendations. According to the rules, each recommendation equals 30 minutes of playtime, meaning the second-place game 'Hunter Island' needs 128 more recommendations to overtake 'Flappy Bird.'"

"Now, let's hear from the judges."

The host gestured for the judges to begin.

The three judges exchanged looks, and Daniel Cooper gestured to Steven Harris, "Please go first, Senior Shi."

Although all three were B-level designers and worked for different companies, they respected Steven Harris, the oldest, by letting him speak first.

Steven Harris, looking grim, moved the microphone closer and cleared his throat sincerely.

"Can this even be considered a game?! I disagree completely! If this is considered a game, then any random person could develop games!"

"Can street performers be considered singers?!"

"Can graffiti artists be considered painters?!"

"Can someone who writes prose with extra line breaks be considered a modern poet?!"

"Ridiculous!"

Steven Harris was clearly furious, even banging the table with his knuckles.

"First of all, this game has no storyline, monotonous gameplay, crude graphics, and terrible controls! I say, as a game, it fails in terms of production quality!"

"Secondly, this game exploits a loophole by stimulating players' competitive instincts and luck, artificially extending playtime!"

"So, these statistics, whether playtime or recommendations, are meaningless! Why? Because it's manipulative!"

"Therefore, my stance is clear. I strongly oppose this game being the winner!"

After finishing, Steven Harris pushed the microphone away, breathing heavily.

"Good! Well said, Mr. Shi!"

Someone shouted, followed by laughter from the audience.

The shout came from among the contestants, likely the author of "Hunter Island."

Alex Parker calmly opened a bottle of water, taking a sip. He had anticipated Steven Harris's reaction.

Clearly, Steven Harris hated this type of game because he was terrible at it and couldn't enjoy the score-chasing fun.

The Super Focus Device had forced Steven Harris to suffer through ten minutes of the game, so his anger was understandable.

Surprised by Steven Harris's outburst, the host quickly redirected the conversation, "Alright, Mr. Harris has expressed his views. Next, let's hear from Mr. Simon Dominic."

Simon Dominic looked between Steven Harris and "Flappy Bird," hesitating before opening his microphone.

"This game... I agree with Mr. Harris in some aspects. The gameplay isn't vibrant, the quality isn't high, and it doesn't seem worthy of first place based on production value."

He paused, then continued, "However... since it has achieved these results, with significant playtime and recommendations, it shows that players do recognize it. So, I'll reserve my judgment and leave the final decision to the audience."