To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 598: Chapter 344 I’m willing_2 Chapter 598: Chapter 344 I’m willing_2 “`

Gazing blankly at Tommy Ells in front of him, it took him a while to remember who the other person was. Then, tiredly, he said, “Oh, it’s you. Would you like something to drink?”

Tommy Ells angrily swatted away the bottle of liquor offered to him and shouted, “Stop acting like that! You need to solve the mess you’ve made! I’m supposed to present an award now, but the recipient can’t show up.”

“And why is that?”

“Because of you! The sanctions you imposed, the bans you ordered!”

Only then did Landick recall what he had done and a drunken smile appeared on his face, “Yes, that was me, I did do that sort of thing.”

“You can still laugh about it? Do you have any idea how much of an impact this will have? Everyone knows who should have won Best Game, but now we can’t present it to them. This is a huge blow to the reputation of the international game exhibition, one we can’t afford.”

Landick looked at the angry Tommy Ells in front of him and said with a smile, “Sure, I can use what’s left of my connections to explain this issue. However, I have my conditions. I need all of Fang Cheng Studio’s game publishing rights in North America.”

“You’re crazy!”

“No, this is my only chance for a dignified retirement. With this, I can leave here gracefully and enjoy my retirement. Moreover, making this happen might even land me a decent job opportunity in Huaxia, then I can see if I can make my money back before I die.”

“You know that’s impossible!”

“I know, but I still want to try. If it works, I can make a comeback. If it fails, I can at least give them a headache. Either way, I win, don’t I?”

Tommy Ells gritted his teeth as he looked at Landick, itching to punch him.

This damn slimeball!

With hope for a miracle, he sent an email to Fang Cheng Studio outlining his position and perspective.

But, as expected, they refused.

Although the reply was polite, Tommy Ells could see their pride shining through.

“Dear Mr. Tommy Ells, we will not trade our game publishing rights for an award. Please allow us to withdraw, thank you.”

Seeing their response, Tommy Ells knew they had hit a dead end.

Still, he tried hard to mediate, but Landick showed his true colors as a scoundrel when it came to this issue.

Without the publishing rights, I absolutely will not help lift the sanctions.

As time passed, the conflict between them grew more intense. More than once, Tommy Ells had vehement arguments with Landick in his office, but Landick never budged.

He tied his own interests to the international game exhibition as leverage over Tommy Ells to advocate on his behalf, not caring one bit about the exhibition’s reputation.

The players, unaware of the undercurrents, were simply looking forward to this year’s game exhibition, curious about which game would take the crown.

There weren’t many big releases this year. Some game developers were either reheating old leftovers or just slacking off. Those with promising starts often descended into endless repetition later on. If not for Fang Cheng Studio, gamers this year would only have had old games to play.

So, for most players, there was no question that a game from Fang Cheng Studio would take the prize. The only question was which one.

Was it the bizarre yet fun “My Amusement Park”?

The intense and thrilling “Limit World”?

The game that spread traditional Eastern culture, “Work at Sunrise”?

Or the addictive “Princess Dungeon 2”?

The debate over which game would take the crown had become a hot topic in the Game Inn, with daily cheers for personal favorites and a flood of fan-made content that rivaled the fervor of idol rankings.

But just as all the Fang Cheng Studio fans were anticipating the final results, the studio issued a statement:

“We regret to inform you that due to the sanctions, we are unable to attend the award ceremony in North America.”

This news was like a bucket of ice water, dousing the players’ enthusiasm.

However, the studio immediately followed up with another announcement: “The good news is that we’ll be hosting our own game exhibition. Remember the mods from ‘Spirit Vessel’? This year, we’ll be selecting games from the mods our players have created and giving out awards. It’s a bit late now, but please give it your all and showcase your creativity.”

Following that were the details of various awards, as well as the corresponding prize money and rewards, which were so generous that even those with no game development experience were tempted, not to mention the continuous month-long top promotion in Game Inn that followed.

The first piece of bad news was a huge letdown for the players, but the second piece of good news aroused their spirits, reigniting a wave of interest in mod research.

More features were developed, and many players discovered that the mod was even more user-friendly than most game engines, making it an outstanding tool for game creation.

An influx of glowing reviews appeared, with many excellent games emerging. The outlandish ideas of the players could be realized through this mod, significantly lowering the barrier to game creation.

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