Chapter 87: Evaluating Thunder Poker

The content of Thunder Poker was fully completed, and it included three games: Landlord, Mahjong, and Thunder Poker (Texas Hold'em).

Thunder Poker was available on both PC and mobile, all integrated into one platform. However, players could choose to install or uninstall specific parts they didn't play within the game.

Additionally, Alex Parker had integrated Thunder Gaming Platform into all existing games. After the version update, players had to log into Thunder Gaming Platform to continue playing Plants vs. Zombies and I Am MT.

Of course, as compensation, Alex gave players some rune stones.

After that, Alex contacted Theodore Gomez, the game promotion channel manager at Generation Entertainment, to arrange the promotion of Thunder Poker.

Generation Entertainment Headquarters.

Theodore handed a test phone to Natalie Hughes, "Natalie, this is the game Alex Parker wants to promote on our recommendation slot."

Natalie took a look and frowned, "Poker?"

Theodore nodded, "Yes, if you think it's okay, we can start promoting it on our homepage next Monday."

After a brief hesitation, Natalie said, "It's fine, let's promote it. Generation Entertainment can't break its promise. As for this game, leave it with me; I'll study it."

"Yes." Theodore then left the office.

Natalie had a lot of work on her plate, and after an hour, she finally found time to try out Alex's Thunder Poker.

For Natalie, although Alex was still just a C-level designer, he had shown his potential, and it was worth spending some time to give him some attention.

Ten minutes later.

Natalie had reviewed most of the gameplay and systems in Thunder Poker and was deep in thought.

After a while, she made a call, "Hey, Mason? Come to my office, I have something to discuss with you."

About half an hour later, Mason arrived.

Mason, in his thirties, dressed casually with long hair, looked like a free-spirited freelancer.

Mason was the head of Generation Entertainment's poker division and an A-level designer. He had the final say on all poker projects within the company.

Mason asked, "Natalie, you wanted to see me?"

Mason was puzzled. The poker division wasn't particularly significant at Generation Entertainment, with relatively low profitability, and it was rare for Natalie to summon him for a face-to-face meeting.

Natalie handed the phone to Mason, "Try this poker game and give me your thoughts."

Mason took the phone, "Thunder Poker?"

Though unsure of Natalie's intent, Mason clicked the icon and entered the game.

First, he logged in with a Thunder Gaming Platform account, which led him to the Thunder Gaming Platform. Currently, the platform hosted six games: Flappy Bird, Plants vs. Zombies, I Am MT, Happy Landlord, Happy Mahjong, and Thunder Poker.

The first three games were grayed out and needed to be downloaded to play, while the last three poker games were already downloaded.

Mason clicked on Happy Landlord and entered the game.

Although there was an extra step to get into the game, Thunder Gaming Platform's interface was simple and easy to use, making the process acceptable despite being a bit cumbersome.

There were no players in the game yet, but the lowest-level game room had a few bots, so there was always someone to play with.

Mason played two rounds following the instructions. The gameplay was similar to Generation Entertainment's Landlord game, nothing special.

However, outside the game, Thunder Poker had many optimizations, with some instructions being overly simple and straightforward, explaining rules even experienced players would know by heart.

Additionally, the game offered many Happy Beans as rewards for daily bankruptcies and specific tasks.

The VIP and store systems were also rich, including paid expressions and interactions, with detailed quick chats and character actions at the poker table.

Having seen enough, Mason then opened Happy Mahjong.

The gameplay was similar to other Mahjong games, with popular types like Blood Mahjong included. Like Happy Landlord, Happy Mahjong also had excellent beginner guides and user experience, clearly superior to other poker games.

Finally, Mason opened Thunder Poker.

To his surprise, it was a game type he had never seen before.

As a seasoned poker game enthusiast and designer, Mason had studied all kinds of poker games from around the world, even if he hadn't studied them, he had seen them.

But this Thunder Poker was entirely new to him.

In terms of gameplay, it was somewhat like Stud Poker or Bluff, yet distinctly different.

Thunder Poker had comprehensive guides, clearly explaining each step, including critical rules like hand rankings.

Within five minutes, Mason had grasped the basics. However, with no players and only bots, he didn't discover the core fun of the game.

From Mason's current impression, it was just a decent poker game, not comparable to classics like Landlord and Mahjong.

After playing all three poker games, Mason said, "Natalie, is this poker game from Thunder Entertainment?"

Natalie said, "Don't worry about who made it, just give me your evaluation."

Mason nodded, "Alright, I'll give you my thoughts."

"You know the domestic poker game market well. There are many users, but profitability is average. Companies like Generation Entertainment and Phantom Gaming continue to make poker games primarily to expand their user base, hoping to convert them into platform players."

"So generally, making poker games is more about expanding the user base. If the goal is profitability, poker isn't the best choice."

"This game, how should I put it, has a clear intention to expand its user base. Its Landlord and Mahjong games lack innovation in gameplay but have many changes in beginner guides and daily rewards, aiming to attract users with low loyalty."

"For example, some players in Generation Poker don't like to recharge. They might have just a few dozen or hundreds of beans, relying on daily welfare. These players could be drawn away by this game."

"But there's no need to worry. First, poker games need a large user base to thrive. More players, especially beginners, mean more fun for everyone. Generation Poker still has the largest player base, so it's impossible to lose that many users quickly."

"Second, although the players who might leave are numerous, losing them won't be too damaging. Our core player base is the active users with many beans. Their loyalty is strong, and they won't easily switch platforms."

"So, I don't think this game poses a threat to Generation Poker for now."