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[Game] Chapter 189: Breaking 100,000 Sales
🕑 Added 2025-04-04 16:01:59 +0000 UTC"Mhm, no bug reports so far. Looks like everything's running smoothly. The launch day went well."
After browsing through the Chinese region reviews, Ichin checked other regions as well. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and so far, no players had encountered any major bugs.
The game was affordable, complete, beautifully designed, packed with content, and had a solid combat feel—everything an action game needed. There really weren’t many flaws to nitpick.
If there was a potential downside, it would be that Hollow Knight was a 2D Metroidvania-style action game—a rather old-school genre.
But retro didn’t mean bad. As long as the game mechanics were polished, there would always be an audience. Even turn-based RPGs—a format considered outdated by some—still saw small indie hits from time to time. Though they didn’t always sell millions, they still earned high praise from dedicated fans.
As Ichin scrolled through the reviews, he called the rest of the team over. They all gathered around to read through the feedback together.
For a game developer, seeing players enjoy their game was one of the most rewarding experiences.
Of course, sales numbers mattered too—strong sales meant they’d have enough funding to work on their next project.
"We’re about to hit 100,000 copies sold worldwide on day one!"
Kō Yagami stared at the rapidly rising sales figures in shock.
"Games sell this fast nowadays?"
Ichin checked Steam's sales data for different regions and nodded knowingly.
"The bulk of sales are coming from China. The Chinese region alone has already hit 50,000 copies. Seems like attending Gamescom and running those YouTube ads actually paid off."
Since their budget was healthy, Ichin hadn’t hesitated to invest in some advertising. Though they didn’t spend a fortune, the results were clearly effective.
Meanwhile, sales in other regions were steadily climbing as well.
Opening Bilibili, then switching to various international streaming platforms, Ichin saw dozens of streamers playing Hollow Knight live.
Gotta take advantage of the launch hype while it lasts.
Some of the Chinese streamers who had joined the pre-launch event were already continuing their playthroughs that morning. They looked comfortable with the mechanics and had made decent progress in the game.
After watching for a bit, Ichin got up and gave up his seat to the others.
"Alright, you guys keep watching. I’m heading out to buy groceries for lunch. What do you all want to eat?"
"Since today is launch day, I’ll let each of you pick one dish you want. As for me, I already mentioned earlier—I’m making chicken soup."
Instant chaos erupted.
"I want fish!"
"Sweet and sour pork ribs!"
"Braised pork belly!"
"Meat! Anything as long as it’s meat!"
Ichin didn’t even need to turn around to know who said that last one—it was Momiji Mochizuki, the biggest foodie in the team, with a particular love for meat.
"Me, me, me! I want dessert! Can we have cream puffs?"
Ichin turned toward Kō, who had made the request, and chuckled.
"Kō, don’t tell me you have the 'never gain weight' trait too?"
"Shut up! None of your business! I just want cream puffs!"
Ichin laughed.
"Alright, alright. Today’s all about treating you guys. I’ll grab some while I’m out."
Leaving Utaha behind, Ichin called up Hazuki to drive, and the two of them headed out to pick up groceries.
Seated in Hazuki's car, Ichin fastened his seatbelt and remarked,
"You know, in two months, I’ll be 18. I might as well take advantage of the holiday and get my driver’s license. It'll make things a lot more convenient."
"Oh? You’re planning to learn to drive?"
Hazuki started the engine and nodded.
"That’s a smart move. It’ll definitely be useful in the future. Between you and Utaha, at least one of you should learn to drive. And with your financial situation, you don’t have to worry about the cost—just get your license and buy a car right away. Any particular model in mind? A sports car, maybe?"
Ichin shook his head without hesitation.
"Nah, I’ll pass on the sports car. I’d rather get something more practical, like a business-class vehicle. I don’t have high standards for cars."
He chuckled and added,
"Take Hiratsuka-sensei’s Aston Martin, for example—it’s only a two-seater, not great for carrying passengers. Plus, you can’t even drive that fast in Tokyo. Safety first."
Hazuki smiled.
"Good mindset. Sports cars are nice, but unless you’re on a racetrack, you can’t really use their full potential. And let’s be honest—those tracks aren’t exactly open to amateurs like us."
As she skillfully maneuvered the car, she changed the topic.
"Now that the new game has launched and there aren’t any major bugs, does that mean we’re getting a vacation soon?"
Ichin raised an eyebrow.
"Looking forward to a break, Hazuki?"
"Of course! Who wouldn’t?" she laughed.
"A vacation means I can just relax at home for a couple of days and maybe visit my family. I’m sure the others feel the same. Well, except for Nene and the other students—they’ll still be juggling schoolwork."
Ichin sighed.
"Yeah, there’s nothing they can do about that. Balancing work and studies takes a lot of effort, but at least they’re all talented—even Eriri."
Thinking about Sakura Nene and the other girls in the studio, Ichin felt incredibly lucky. Especially with Narumi and Momiji—even after their previous company disbanded, they had somehow reunited with the same team.
"As for the break, I’m giving everyone 10 days off, starting today. Just come back to work next week."
Hazuki’s eyes widened.
"10 days?! Now that’s a proper vacation! I can actually rest for once."
She then smirked.
"So, Ichin, besides school, what are you planning to do? Spending some quality alone time with Utaha?"
Ichin laughed at the teasing tone in her voice.
"Well, of course. We already spend most of our time together anyway. But besides that, I’ll focus on learning more technical skills and working on the music for Persona—I need to decide which company to collaborate with for the soundtrack."
Even though Hollow Knight had launched successfully, Ichin wasn’t about to slow down. His goal was to create even bigger and more ambitious games.
And Persona was far more complex than his last two projects. It wouldn’t be smooth sailing—there would definitely be challenges along the way. As both the studio head and lead developer, it was his responsibility to figure everything out.
The determination in his voice made Hazuki glance at him with a smile.
"Well, if that’s the case, then keep pushing forward. We’ll all be here to help—let’s make an even better game together!"
After stopping by the supermarket to pick up a ton of ingredients, they also swung by a bakery to grab two boxes of high-end cream puffs before returning to the studio.
They celebrated with a feast for lunch, then spent the afternoon relaxing while keeping an eye on the game’s sales numbers.
Suddenly, Aoba called out,
"Ah! Someone found a minor bug in the reviews!"
Ichin and Umiko exchanged knowing looks and sighed with a smile.
They turned on their computers.
Time to get back to work.
...
