Chapter 24: A Day Without Customers

Alex Parker sat at the bar on the first floor, giving him a clear view of any incoming customers. He had also moved his laptop to the bar to continue playing "Plants vs. Zombies" and identify any needed modifications in the absence of visitors.

Alex had spent over three months developing his game, from late August to December, and it was almost winter. The weather outside was excellent, with people wearing long pants and jackets. Today, however, the weather was pleasant and perfect for a stroll.

After playing "Plants vs. Zombies" for an hour without finding any issues, Alex stood up and walked around the first floor of the experience store. With no customers, he felt a bit restless.

He opened a can of Coke and sat back at the bar, remembering that "Flappy Bird" was no longer in its free period. He could now officially release it on the app market. Alex planned to launch "Flappy Bird" alongside "Plants vs. Zombies" and use "Flappy Bird's" ad space to promote his new game.

Though "Flappy Bird" had peaked in popularity during its first few months, the excitement had waned, and it wouldn't bring in as much money now. Estimating how much money he missed was difficult, as all game data during the free trial was with the competition organizers.

"Forget it; think of it as accumulating good karma," Alex thought. Although he felt like he had missed out on millions, he quickly moved on, knowing there would be many more opportunities to make money in the future.

Just then, a young woman appeared at the store's entrance, looking around. She was casually dressed in a light jacket and jeans, appearing to be a few years older than Alex, around 26. She had a pretty face, a long ponytail, and a somewhat androgynous, capable demeanour.

"Hello," Alex greeted her.

The woman glanced at the store's sign and then inside, asking, "Are you a game designer? Is this a game experience store?"

Alex nodded, "Yes."

She patted her chest in relief, "Oh, that's good. I thought it was a new internet café. I was worried for nothing."

Alex was puzzled, "?"

She stepped inside, explaining, "Oh, I'm the owner of 'Finger's Edge Internet Café' around the corner. Just came to check out the competition."

Alex realized she wasn't a customer but a fellow business owner checking if his store would be a threat. She certainly wasn't here to experience games.

The woman smiled apologetically, "Sorry, but since this isn't an internet café, it's fine. We're neighbours now, so we should keep in touch."

While internet cafés and experience stores offer similar services, they don't directly compete. In an experience store, players can only play the designer's games, essentially getting a sneak peek. Designers usually don't allow other games, nor do they permit players to play different games.

Alex nodded, "No problem. You're always welcome to visit. I probably won't have too many customers."

"Sure," she said, sitting on the sofa and reaching for a Coke.

Alex quickly added, "Uh... the drinks aren't free."

She returned the Coke, laughing, "Sorry, I'm used to grabbing stuff in my own place, hehe."

She looked around, "Your store is quite spacious, but you've only got a few machines. It seems a bit wasteful."

Alex explained, "The experience store is for players to try out games, not for profit, so it's more spacious."

"Nice, I envy you, high-end designers. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Jessica."

Alex responded, "Nice to meet you; I'm Alex Parker. I have a new game that hasn't been released yet. Would you like to try it?"

Jessica waved her hand, "Not now. I have things to do at my café and just slipped out for a bit. I'll come back another time."

Alex nodded, "Alright, you're welcome anytime."

As Jessica was about to leave, she asked, "How much do you charge per hour?"

Alex replied, "$5."

Jessica looked surprised, "That's a bit steep. My café charges $4 an hour in the main area. You're a new store with only a couple of games, right?"

Alex confirmed, "Right now, I only have one game."

Jessica suggested, "I think you should lower your price, maybe even make it free. It's an experience store, so you don't need to worry about profits. This price isn't amicable."

Alex smiled, "I understand. I'll think about it."

Jessica nodded, "Alright, I'll be going now. I'll come visit another time. Good luck with your game. If it becomes popular, my café might benefit too."

Alex smiled, "Sure."

After Jessica left, the store returned to its quiet state. Alex wasn't worried, knowing experience stores needed time to build up. He hadn't done any advertising, so the lack of visitors was typical.

The store's location wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. It was a bit off the beaten path but close to a residential area and a university, so foot traffic wasn't scarce.

After another half hour, a second guest arrived.

This guy had oily hair and looked bleary-eyed like he hadn't slept well. Clearly, he was a gamer.

He looked at the "Thunderbolt Game Experience Store" sign and muttered, "Thunderbolt Games? Never heard of it."

He peeked inside and asked Alex, "Hey, is this an experience store? Not an internet café?"

Alex nodded, "Yes, it's an experience store."

"Oh," the gamer looked disappointed. He was obviously looking for an internet café. While he could play games in the experience store, it would only be games from this one company, which seemed too limited.

Besides, he had never heard of this company.

After hesitating, he muttered, "Well, all the other cafés are full. Maybe I'll give this a shot to kill some time."

Pulling out his ID and phone, he walked in, "Boss, how much per hour?"

Alex said, "$5."

The gamer froze, "What? $5? Uh... never mind."

He turned and left.

"..." Alex was speechless. This guy was quick to decide. $5 for an hour wasn't unreasonable, was it?

Five dollars!

What can you even do with five dollars these days? It's barely the price of two popsicles!

It's not even enough for the first top-up in most games, which usually costs six dollars!

Alex had no choice but to continue waiting.