Chapter 12: Mirror Sales
While Jane and Lisa were discussing the game, Alex had been keeping an eye on Mirror's performance. Many people had already noticed it. Despite its launch on an international platform and being a rather unique title, its sales figures were still high. Official platforms do not publish sales figures, but for game designers and industry media, it's generally possible to estimate them based on various data. While there may be some inaccuracies, they are not far from reality. Although Mirror did not appear on any sales platform, it incredibly dominated the praise charts, reaching the top spot.
For an 18+ game to suddenly reach the top of the praise charts was a real surprise for many designers. Many people were curious to see how powerful this game was, especially in the comments section. Many noted that the comments were completely different from traditional adult games, even a little confusing.
"Excellent match-3 game!"
"Woman, get out! Stop interrupting my match-3 game!"
"I didn't know for a moment if it was a match-3 game or a girl game, but one thing is for sure: my brother was delighted." "I thought it was an ordinary game, but I must say I'm shocked. It's not just any game, it's a high-quality indie game!" "As a professional troll, I can only criticize it for one thing: why is it so touching and sophisticated for an adult game?" "Ten minutes have passed and I've already achieved wisdom. I should have closed the game, but why am I still playing? This match-3 game is quite interesting!"
"In this game, I have seen the good and evil, the beauty and ugliness of human nature. It's a game like no other!" "When an adult game moves me, does it matter if I play it or not?"
"I opened it with enthusiasm, but upon leaving, I didn't feel relieved, but rather disappointed."
These reviews have left many people confused. Did they get the wrong game? Of course, in addition to the many players who left positive reviews, there were also some who spoke with unwavering confidence.
Unlike the initial investment of $4,000, which included posting articles on online forums frequented by gamers, everything now relied on word-of-mouth. So, for Alex, he just had to wait for the money.
"Well, I have the initial funding now. Now I have to change jobs and register a company." "Also, I need to carefully plan my future development and earn more points."
Inside his rented apartment, Alex lay back on the bed, working on his next plan. He had also realized that, although his points were increasing, they were still quite limited, barely enough for two draws. As Alex pondered this, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was Jane.
"Hello, Jane, how are you?" Alex replied.
"Nothing, I just wanted to congratulate you. I thought..." Jane seemed a little embarrassed on the other end of the line.
However, Alex probably knew what Jane wanted to say, so he smiled and said, "Don't worry, Jane, it's normal. In fact, I was a little surprised by Mirror's sales." This was half true, half false. If it was false, then Mirror's success was completely within Alex's expectations.
Whether it was the game's quality, the subsequent promotional plan, or even the decision to use Mirror as the first game, everything was planned after Alex's prior research; it wasn't an impromptu decision. In reality, Mirror's popularity exceeded Alex's expectations. Although it was launched on the official international platform, it was just a name. Its main audience was still domestic players. Even so, Mirror's sales performance surprised Alex. It also reminded him of something: the video game industry in this world is much more prosperous than in his previous life.
"By the way, Alex, are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to a celebration. Also, a friend of mine wants to meet you," Jane asked on the other end of the line.
"No problem. In fact, I'd like to invite you to dinner too. After all, without your help, Mirror's development wouldn't have been so easy," Alex said sincerely.
They chatted for a while before hanging up.
Putting the phone aside, Alex went backstage to check Mirror's sales figures again. Accumulated sales reached 58,121 copies in just six days. This growth rate was truly explosive, clearly demonstrating the extraordinary prowess of the players. And considering Mirror's potential, this is just the beginning. Considering that some third-party platforms have just launched.
While Alex was enjoying Mirror's statistics, the indie game community was anything but quiet. Media outlets that had discovered the game also began to collect relevant statistics. After all, with its 18+ theme, it had skyrocketed on the praise charts, a truly astonishing feat. Meanwhile, the excitement surrounding Mirror began to grow rapidly.
Sales figures were difficult for the average player to collect. Initially, media and industry experts might have expected around 2,000 or 4,000 copies. However, the publication of statistics from an external agency left the game's fans with a wave of disbelief. The figures provided by the external agency were an astonishing 10,000. In reality, they were 1,600 less than the actual sales figures, but even so, the figures amazed many designers. Especially some designers who also create adult games feel that their worldview has completely changed. 'Can an adult game sell so many copies? What a joke!'
Is it a high figure? It's not high. Great masterpieces can sell millions of copies on their launch day, and some world-renowned international masterpieces can even sell tens of millions of copies on the same day. Of course, these games cannot be compared to Mirror. As an unrecommended 18+ game, created by an indie producer—no, it should be said that it was created by someone who is not a game designer. These data are simply explosive! It could even be considered a record in the adult game category. Not to say that there won't be success, but at least there is no precedent. Before this, no adult game had had such explosive results as Mirror. And this is just the beginning.
Many adult game designers sense that they are about to witness a historic milestone! Be it big or small, whether Mirror is an adult game, it is also history.
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