Several RPG maps on the "Warcraft" side had already been handed over to an outsourcing team for production, while Koch, at most, could only be considered a supervisor, responsible for keeping an eye on the overall quality of those maps and ensuring that the outsourced work met the standards expected by PixelPioneers.
Of course, they were not simply sitting around doing nothing. In addition to the map production, they were also working on a brand-new plot mode for the follow-up content of "Warcraft." The main storyline would revolve around Arthas.
After the death of Arthas's former identity as a Paladin, he would gradually fall into darkness, becoming a Death Knight, and eventually claiming the Frostmourne-related power and the cursed crown, transforming into the terrifying Lich King.
There were also the stories surrounding the Night Elves, Illidan's defection, and Sylvanas Windrunner's tragic transformation into a banshee. All of these stories would eventually be included in the expansion pack "The Frozen Throne."
However, John's main energy was not focused on these things. Instead, he was currently putting much more effort into preparing for the upcoming PixelPioneers Game Convention.
Apart from various performances, including COS performances and live band performances connected to the games, there would also be esports competitions featuring "Warcraft" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!". These competitions were among the biggest highlights of the entire event, and the prize money was quite generous. Both games would have a big prize pool.
As for the selection process for the contestants, it was not particularly complicated. Players who ranked within the top 500 of the national server ladder would be eligible to register directly. After submitting their information through the official channel, they could participate in the online BO1 qualifiers.
After the initial selection, the top 16 players would advance to the next stage, where they would compete in BO3 matches. The remaining eight finalists would then be divided into four groups before advancing through the semifinals and, finally, the championship match.
Because of the limited time available and because this was merely PixelPioneers' first attempt at organizing such a large-scale esports competition, the rules were quite simple and somewhat rough.
There was no overly complicated tournament structure, so the purpose was straightforward.
Hold a competition.
Get players involved.
Create some excitement.
And see how the audience responded.
"The commentator for this event is really terrible. How can he not even see such an obvious Orc double-barracks build? It's practically impossible to miss a rush like that." Inside the office, John and Luna were sitting together, listening to the commentators while watching the ongoing "Warcraft" qualifiers.
At the moment, the two were watching one of the matches from the online selection tournament. As for the event itself, PixelPioneers had contracted a well-established domestic esports event organizer to handle the execution.
John was very satisfied with the carnival venue plan and the overall event arrangements provided by the contractor. The stage design, audience seating, lighting, equipment, schedule, and various other aspects were all arranged quite professionally.
The only thing John was dissatisfied with was the commentary. Although the commentator's eloquence was actually pretty good, the man's understanding of the game was simply too poor. He could sit there talking endlessly and making jokes, but when it came to explaining what was actually happening on the battlefield, his understanding was obviously lacking. To put it bluntly, he was good at talking, but he did not really understand "Warcraft."
Listening to John's complaints, Luna, who was sitting beside him, could not help rolling her eyes. "Come on, don't criticize other people's skills. You can't even beat the crazy computer right now."
At first, Luna had thought that she was quite talented at games. After all, whenever she consulted John about the game while they were at the company, she could often beat him quite easily. There were even times when she had completely crushed him in friendly matches.
However, once she entered online battles and started playing ranked ladder matches, she finally understood one thing. It was not that she was particularly powerful; it was simply that John's gameplay was terrible.
Once she actually checked her ranking after playing enough matches, reality gave her a rather embarrassing answer. Her previous victories had largely come from the fact that John was simply too bad at controlling the game.
"To tell you the truth, I'm terrible at the game, but that doesn't mean I'm terrible at understanding it." John immediately defended himself with an aggrieved expression.
Although his actual gaming skills were genuinely poor, he still possessed something that other players did not. Knowledge. A huge amount of knowledge. Through the memories and experiences from his dream-like life, John possessed an enormous reserve of knowledge about games.
When it came to understanding the design, mechanics, strategies, and tactical possibilities of "Warcraft", he dared to say that his understanding was absolutely top-notch. He simply could not execute many of those strategies with his own hands. His brain understood what should be done, but his hands just could not keep up; that was the problem.
"Then you can explain it yourself." Luna, who was teasing the dog beside her, casually threw the suggestion out.
But the instant he heard this, John's eyes suddenly lit up. "That's actually not bad."
John immediately became energetic. "I think I should go. I'm genuinely good at this."
His game skills were terrible, but he could still be a mouth player. And being a guest commentator did sound rather interesting. After all, this was the very first event organized by PixelPioneers, and it was also the company's first actual esports competition.
If he personally participated as a commentator and witnessed the event from the commentary booth, it would undoubtedly become a very memorable experience. Thinking about it, John became even more excited.
"How about this? The two of us can go on stage together and explain the match. What do you think?" John looked at Luna beside him with anticipation.
"Not a chance." Luna rolled her eyes.
Commentary? She had not even completely figured out all the gameplay mechanics of "Warcraft" yet. If she really went up there and started explaining the match, would she not just become a decoration on the stage? It was better to stay away from such an embarrassing situation.
In the end, John's proposal was still accepted by the event organizers. At first, the contractor had been somewhat hesitant about John's suggestion. After all, commentary was a professional matter, and the company had already arranged professional commentators.
However, after considering it carefully, the contractor quickly realized that there were actually many advantages.
First, John was the owner of PixelPioneers.
Second, he was the designer and creator of "Warcraft." For a game he had personally created, he naturally possessed an understanding that ordinary commentators simply could not match.
Third, John's reputation among the player community was already quite considerable. His appearance would naturally attract attention.
And finally, this was an esports event held as part of the PixelPioneers Game Convention. Having John personally participate as a commentator would inevitably generate a considerable amount of publicity and discussion. Therefore, the contractor ultimately agreed.
Of course, there was another extremely important reason. PixelPioneers was the real boss paying the money, and they were the biggest profiteer behind this entire event. Nobody was going to casually reject the lord's request.
Time passed day by day. Before anyone realized it, the day of the PixelPioneers Game Convention finally arrived, and the venue was the Sports Center.
This was not simply an event focused on competitive gaming. In addition to the various activities related to the games themselves, it also included player-created content, fan-made videos, peripheral product displays, and other exhibits. There were also live band performances and a variety of stage programs prepared specifically for the audience.
The entire carnival lasted three days.
The first day focused mainly on showcasing the major games under PixelPioneers, along with a large number of stage performances and entertainment programs.
The second day was dedicated primarily to game competitions, including "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and "Warcraft."
As for the third day, that was the most anticipated day for countless players. PixelPioneers would officially announce its latest game content and reveal new information about several upcoming projects.
The ticket price was not particularly high. Furthermore, every player who purchased a ticket would receive a small lucky bag. Inside the lucky bag was an activation redemption code for limited clothing in "Resident Evil Resistance," along with three limited "Yu-Gi-Oh!" cards featuring the Three Legendary Gods.
Naturally, this caused the excitement among the players to rise even further. The entire carnival would be broadcast live across the major online streaming platforms, while numerous major gaming media outlets would also participate in the event.
Although this was the first time PixelPioneers had held such a large-scale event, the company had hired a professional contractor and assembled a dedicated operations team. With those preparations in place, the entire event was carried out in an extremely organized manner.
From the audience entry process to the stage performances, from the game exhibitions to the esports competitions, almost every part had been carefully arranged. It could be said that the event was genuinely impressive. It certainly did not look like the first attempt of an inexperienced company. At the very least, everything proceeded smoothly.
Of course, for John, the most important part of the event was not the performances or the peripheral displays. His main task was to provide commentary for the games on the second day. Then, on the third day, he would personally take the stage and bring all the players who were eagerly waiting for PixelPioneers' latest developments a series of new announcements.
As for the game commentary, the contractor had arranged for John to partner with Cooper Ambrogio.
Cooper could be considered something of a living fossil within the esports industry. He belonged to the earliest generation of commentators and professionals from the period when esports was first beginning to emerge. He was also one of the few veterans in the industry who could genuinely be regarded as one of John's predecessors and teachers.
"Mr. Cooper, I've heard your name for a long time." Backstage, John met the commentary partner arranged by the contractor. He was a slightly chubby middle-aged man with a kind and approachable appearance.
"Mr. John, you're too polite." Cooper smiled.
"'Warcraft' is a game you personally developed. There are definitely many things about 'Warcraft' that I still need to ask you about." He spoke with a smile, his attitude appearing extremely sincere.
Of course, there was another layer to his friendliness. After all, regardless of anything else, it was better to flatter the boss first. John was not only the creator of "Warcraft," but he was also the person behind PixelPioneers itself.
The two soon began chatting about esports, discussing the current competitive environment, the development of "Warcraft", and some of the tactical situations that might appear during the tournament.
At the same time, the atmosphere around the venue was gradually becoming more lively. Outside, audiences holding their tickets were continuously passing through the inspection gates. Inside, the lights on the stage had already begun to shine.
The players, commentators, staff members, reporters, and countless spectators were all taking their positions. The enormous sports center gradually filled with noise and excitement.
The PixelPioneers Game Convention had officially begun.