Tokyo: The story begins with a confession.

Page 50

Could Plants vs. Zombies surpass Sony's new title, Night Soul?

What kind of magic does the combination of plants and zombies possess?!

Renowned sculptor Kenichi Uesugi transitions to the gaming industry; his Plants vs. Zombies game receives widespread acclaim!

Industry insiders say this is a highly creative and sincere game.

A dominant force may emerge in the puzzle and casual game genre!

……

Given such astonishing data, the media is basically only reporting the good news and not the bad. Even if they wanted to voice a dissenting opinion, they wouldn't choose today. After all, discerning people can see the quality of this game and that it's not so easy to fool. It's not too late to release it a few days later when people are tired of seeing the hot topics.

Chapter 102 Aki Tomoya Withdraws

Besides the media, some well-known game designers, top gamers, and bloggers have also given this game extremely high praise.

Amidst widespread acclaim, the popularity of Plants vs. Zombies surged even further, drawing the attention of countless game enthusiasts.

Even some players who aren't interested in casual puzzle games couldn't resist their curiosity and decided to buy one to try it out, since they could get a refund if they didn't like it!

Under such circumstances, the sales of Plants vs. Zombies surged, and this game, which was extremely popular in the previous world, began to explode in popularity in this world as well!

After briefly glancing at the reports, Uesugi Kenichi felt relieved to see the game gradually moving in the right direction.

That evening, after everyone held a celebration party together, Aki Tomoya went to find Uesugi Kenichi alone.

"Rinya, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"Uesugi, there's something I need to tell you," Aki Tomoya said after a moment of silence, taking a deep breath.

Kenichi Uesugi nodded at Tomoya Aki's serious expression, indicating that he was listening.

"I can't sign this contract; I want to leave the studio."

"Oh? Why? Are you dissatisfied with the contract?" Uesugi Kenichi was puzzled. Their first game was a huge success, so why would Aki Tomoya propose leaving the studio at this time?

He asked himself if he had done anything wrong to him, and the terms of the contract were very generous. Although he was not given shares, the salary was not low. Even fresh graduates from prestigious universities did not receive this salary.

"It's not because of the contract. The terms in the contract are very good. My desire to leave the studio is purely for my own reasons." Aki Tomoya quickly shook his head.

The terms of this contract are indeed very generous for someone like him.

"What's the reason? We've only just achieved success. If you're facing any other difficulties, please let me know. I'll do my best to help if it's within my power."

He had a pretty good impression of Aki Tomoya. Although he wasn't very capable, he was quite hardworking and had a high level of enthusiasm for games. After all, if he wanted to build a large company in the future, it was impossible for everyone in the company to be a genius; some mediocre people were also acceptable.

Besides, he's a partner who's been through thick and thin with me. If he wants to quit for some other reason, I'll definitely do my best to help him if I can.

“There are no difficulties.” Aki Tomoya said, glancing at Uesugi Ken with a very complicated expression in his eyes.

Emotionally, he was unwilling to leave the studio, so he stayed behind Kenichi Uesugi, witnessing him develop one popular game after another, achieving success together, and gaining people's respect and support.

But reason tells him that even if everything really succeeds, how much does it have to do with him, or how much weight does it play in his life?

He's probably dispensable; his presence or absence won't make any difference.

Is this the kind of success he really wanted?

No, he loves games and is deeply moved by them. He wants to create his own game based on his own abilities, and the development of Plants vs. Zombies has given him a lot of inspiration.

Make him understand how much effort it takes to make a game good and successful; if he stays in this studio, the comfortable environment will numb him.

So after much consideration, he decided to leave the studio to continuously improve his skills, calm down, think, research, and learn, and then create his own game.

“Uesugi, you probably don’t know how much pressure it puts on an ordinary person like me to be by your side. You’re just too dazzling, like the sun in the sky, making it impossible for anyone not to notice you.” Aki Tomoya smiled, he had come to terms with it.

"Although it would be comfortable to follow in your footsteps and everyone else's, I also want to create my own game. If I keep following in everyone else's footsteps, I might be immersed in a success that doesn't belong to me. And with my current abilities, I simply can't do that. So I want to learn and think."

He was indeed under a lot of pressure. An ordinary person placed among a group of monsters for a long time would gradually begin to doubt their own abilities and talents, and even their efforts and perseverance would be wiped out.

No matter how hard you try or how persistent you are, you find that the gap between what you do and what others do is as vast as heaven and earth. Over time, you will start to doubt whether there is any point in trying.

It's like no matter how hard you study, you can't pass the exam, while others can easily get full marks by sleeping in class. And everyone else is like that except you. How terrifying is that?

"So I want to leave. Don't worry, this isn't an impulsive decision; it's something I've thought about carefully," Aki Tomoya said with a relieved smile.

Uesugi Kenichi was silent for a moment and then nodded. He understood what Aki Tomoya had said.

"Since you've thought it through, I won't stop you. If you need any help in the future, or if you have any questions, feel free to call me."

"Thank you, Uesugi. Your plan is truly fantastic. It's an honor to witness the birth of this game with you. Please finish making Zelda as soon as possible. I can't wait to see what that world is like."

"I will, and you should do your best too. I hope to see your game someday, but even if we meet, I won't hold back." Uesugi Kenichi patted Aki Tomoya on the shoulder and laughed.

"I don't need you to go easy on me," Aki Tomoya said with a laugh. "Then I'll be leaving now."

"Wait a minute." Kamiya Kenichi called out to him, then took out a thick envelope and handed it over.

"What's this?" An Yi (Li Qian Zhao) Lun also took it curiously.

"This is the prize money for winning the game."

"No, I can't accept this. I didn't do anything wrong."

"Take it. Even sweeping the floor is worth a wage, isn't it? Besides, you really helped a lot with the blog promotion this time. I don't have the habit of owing people anything. This is what you deserve." Uesugi Kenichi stuffed the envelope into Aki Tomoya's arms without saying another word.

This was something he had prepared in advance, since everyone else received a share but he didn't; he just hadn't expected it to be given away so quickly.

"Alright then, even though I'm gone, I'll still keep an eye on everyone. Keep it up! Make a game that will amaze and move everyone!" Aki Tomoya waved and turned to leave.

He walked down the deserted street, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, tears welling in his eyes, yet he felt incredibly at ease.

……gram.

Chapter 103 Soaring to the Sky

"have they gone?"

"Mm." Uesugi Kenji nodded.

Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha walked up to Uesugi Kenichi and stood together.

"Hmph, this idiot, at least he has some self-awareness." Eriri's eyes were somewhat complicated. After all, Aki Tomoya was her childhood friend, and it was hard not to feel sorry for him to leave in such a sorry state.

Although she had long anticipated that Aki Tomoya might leave, there was nothing she could do, since talent is something you simply don't have.

"Alright, stop being so stubborn. Leaving might be a good thing for Aki-kun," Kasumigaoka Utaha said, patting Eriri's hair.

“Let him pursue his own dreams. Indeed, staying here is a shackle for him. We should just give him our blessings,” Uesugi Kenichi said with a smile as he turned his head.

"Alright, let's go back and continue celebrating."

After the celebration, Uesugi Kenichi sent the girls back home. They had been staying with him for two days, and if he didn't send them back today, he was afraid their families would come looking for them with knives.

For the next few days, Kenichi Uesugi went to and from school every day, while the game Plants vs. Zombies, after being featured on the app store homepage and receiving numerous positive reviews, truly began to soar to new heights!

The daily download count is around 8, with the highest single-day download count reaching a staggering 10!

The most obvious change was that he discovered some of his classmates had also started playing the game.

The huge success of Plants vs. Zombies even sparked a wave of puzzle games, with many companies putting similar casual puzzle games on their production schedules.

The game's popularity and the commotion caused by Kenichi Uesugi have once again shocked the school authorities.

What an amazing student we've recruited! They're causing such a stir every few days, putting a lot of pressure on us teachers.

The homeroom teacher, Kuroda Takuro, was very troubled. He didn't know how to deal with this student. Finally, after consulting with the principal, he decided to leave Uesugi Kenichi alone. He would teach him if he wanted to come to school, and it didn't matter if he didn't.

After all, some special talents require special methods to be treated. As for Kenichi Uesugi's current achievements and future prospects, he doesn't need to worry about them at all.

He didn't know whether to be happy or sad to have such a student under his command.

"Uesugi, (bbbi) the game you made is really amazing! I played it for several days. At first, I thought it would be pretty easy, but it got really hard later on, especially the endless mode. It was so torturous. I died so many times when I got to level 80 or so," Kobayashi Yoshihara said, sounding a bit frustrated.

Hideki Sato nodded in agreement, "Really, I thought it would be easy at first, but it got harder and harder as I played. I even had to look up some walkthroughs online to get through some of the later levels."

Kenichi Uesugi smiled. This endless mode was developed to increase the game's stickiness and replayability. As for the main storyline, it can basically guarantee that everyone can complete the game, although they will need to die a few more times.

But endless mode is different. If sunlight is not allocated reasonably in each level, the troops will die very easily.

"You guys are just getting started. Let me tell you, the real challenge begins at level 100 of Endless Mode. The real difficulty is yet to come."

"No way, it's already this hard now, and you're telling me this is just the beginning?" Kobayashi Yoshihara was starting to have a bit of a mental breakdown. "The highest I see on the leaderboard right now is only up to level 132."

"No, you have to teach me the secret to quickly completing the game, then I can brag about it online, and maybe some girls will even approach me."

"Impossible, just play it yourself." Of course, Uesugi Kenichi wouldn't teach him any secrets. Although he did know some tricks to quickly pass the game, that would take away the fun of the game. It's only fun if the player finds them for themselves.

"Damn it."

Seeing Uesugi Kenichi's attitude, Kobayashi Yoshihara naturally knew it was impossible. Having spent so much time together, he considered himself to know Uesugi Kenichi quite well.

He pulled out his phone, ready to keep playing, he just didn't believe it.

"Stop playing around, the teacher is coming soon, and you've forgotten, the exam is coming up soon. If you don't study properly, what are you going to do?" Watanabe Futa reminded him.

"Oh my god, I completely forgot the exam is coming up soon." Kobayashi Yoshihara hurriedly put his phone in, picked up his book and started studying, then glanced at Watanabe Fuuta, "You told me to study, and you're playing around?"

“I’m different from you. I’m full of confidence,” Watanabe Futa said calmly.

Kobayashi Yoshihara: "..."

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Kenichi's heart skipped a beat. Was there going to be an exam? He was really looking forward to it.

If the worst thing for a student is exams, then for a top student, exams are the thing they look forward to the most. How can they show off if they don't take exams?

However, Uesugi Kenichi wasn't looking to show off. Although he had done a lot of practice tests and believed he had no problems, he still wanted to see what kind of score he could get.

Nearly two weeks have passed, and the discussion surrounding Plants vs. Zombies has grown increasingly larger. It's no longer just the media and industry insiders talking about it; instead, it's the numerous players who have experienced the game spontaneously exchanging ideas on various forums.

It must be said that there are some expert players among the gamers. Their analysis and evaluation of the game from various angles are in no way inferior to those of industry professionals in terms of expertise.

The endless mode, in particular, has drawn a lot of criticism.

"To be honest, this game is definitely a benchmark in the puzzle and casual game genre. Even someone like me who used to be completely indifferent to this type of game is having a lot of fun playing it."

"I heard that this game was made entirely by a group of high school students. It's heartbreaking. I'm also a high school student, and now I only deserve to play games made by others."

"I just want to know who came up with the style of these plants. I always feel like these plants are mocking me, and I have evidence. I really want to buy a sunflower plush toy and punch them a few times to see if they'll still be laughing."

"You're not alone upstairs. It's not just these plants; Dave's voice actor is the same. His voice is nice, but it's just annoying."

"This endless mode is really frustrating. The zombies are piled up so densely that it's inhuman. I was thinking of passing the level easily, but I died in less than a minute."