Zoey Parker leaned back in her Seattle office, grinning like a cartoon tycoon sniffing a cash pile. Two million bucks down the drain. The $2,000,000 Phasmophobia budget blew past IndieVibe's "mini-game" threshold, nixing the commission-free perk. To break even, they'd need $2,500,000 in sales within a week—over 55,555 copies at $45 per unit.
Vampire Survivor hit 40,000 sales in a day, but it rode a perfect storm: 14-day free play, vote-rigging drama, IndieVibe's promo blitz, and a massive PC audience. VR? Different beast. Last year's market data showed U.S. PC penetration at 50.2% (one per two households), but VR pods? A measly 0.95%. VibeX1's market share was 17%—a sliver of a sliver. Horror's dead genre sealed the deal. Zoey smirked. Best case? 17,500 copies in a week, $787,500 revenue, $630,000 after 20% commission. Rebate: $13,700,000 profit. Easy money.
She opened Gus Harper's X profile. His fresh post announced Phasmophobia with a teaser trailer—WindyPeak's first, starring Zoey and Gus in a live-action skit. Gotta watch this.
At 8 p.m., Twitch streamer Jada (aka "eSports Maverick"), a Who's the Daddy fan, lounged in her League of Legends stream, scrolling Gus's X. Her chat buzzed about WindyPeak's new VR game. A horror title? On VibeX1? Jada, a gearhead with every major VR pod, had her assistant Tara dust off her VibeX1. "Can't play without it," she laughed.
The trailer's hook? Gus and Zoey, WindyPeak's execs, acting in a goofy skit. Unheard of. Chat exploded: "CEO and director acting? Wild!" Jada maximized the video.
"The Next Day" flashed onscreen. Gus, as a ghost investigator, briefed Zoey, the client, in a foggy Seattle villa. "We checked your place—Ouija board, thermometers, the works. Found level 5 EMF on the second floor. Ghost vibes."
Zoey, eyes wide, gasped. "Ghost vibes?"
Gus, deadpan, pointed upstairs. "Confirmed: a Phantom. Flies, walks through walls."
"Ghosts in my house?!" Zoey yelped.
"Not past tense," Gus said, smirking. "Still there."
"You didn't banish it?!" Zoey shrieked.
"Not my gig," Gus replied. "I ID ghosts. For exorcists, call Constantine… or Linda Blair."
Jada spat her drink, cackling. "Linda Blair?! That's unhinged!"