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Chapter 146 Star Cards – The Game Developer Who Respects Players the Most

The Escape from Chickens International Grand Prix hosted by Starcard only attracted around 300,000 viewers during its live stream, a number that pales in comparison to some of the viewership for tournaments hosted by popular international online games.

However, for a single-player game, and especially for StarCard, which is hosting its first international tournament, having such a large audience is already a great success.

On video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, the number of videos about the game "Escape from Chicken" has exploded, with the highest number of views and likes exceeding five million and one million and five hundred thousand, respectively.

This means that more international players are becoming aware of Escape from Chickenkov, and this change is reflected in Escape from Chickenkov's sales and ratings on the EC platform.

Just two weeks after the international release of Escape from Chickenkov, the game has sold over a million copies and has been rated by over 100,000 people on the EC platform, with an average score of 4.7.

Escape from Chickenkov's unique gameplay mechanics have completely immersed many players who initially just wanted to try it out in the thrill of the search, attack, and retreat mode.

Unfortunately, no player has created a multiplayer mod for the international version of Escape from Chickenkov, and the inability to play online is arguably the biggest flaw of Escape from Chickenkov.

However, on the Steam Workshop in China, some talented individuals have already created a multiplayer mod and made it available for free to all players to download and play.

In the comments section of the Steam Workshop, under the self-made multiplayer mod, besides the unanimous gratitude for the creator's selfless dedication, some people are also calling for Starcards to pay the creator a salary.

"Finally, the multiplayer mod is out! Thank you so much!!!"

"Starcard should really give the big shot some compensation for his hard work. After all, the big shot helped Starcard fill a huge loophole in Escape from Chickenkov."

"That's right. If we go by the market rate, Star Card would have to pay the big shot at least hundreds of thousands in compensation."

"While Escape from Chickenkov is an excellent game, it must be said that the Steam Workshop has raised the bar for this game to an unprecedented level, with players even creating their own maps on the spot."

"Whoever came up with the idea of ​​a creative workshop is simply a genius!"

Shortly after its creation was uploaded to Steam's Workshop, the multiplayer mod quickly garnered over a million subscribers. With the original creator's permission, the mod's code was also ported to the EC platform, allowing international players to enjoy the multiplayer version of Escape from Chicken.

In an instant, the popularity and discussion surrounding "Escape from Chickenkov" surged again on various video platforms, including Bilibili, Yinfu, and Manjiao in China, as well as YouTube abroad.

The emergence of online mods has been even more effective than the promotional effect of Starcard's international grand prix, directly bringing some online game enthusiasts into the target audience of Escape from Chickenkov.

Hangzhou, Xingka.

Chen Dong sat in his office, browsing the comments under the multiplayer mods, a faint smile always on his lips.

At this moment, the head of Product Development Department 4, who was in charge of developing "Escape from Chickenkov," knocked on the door and walked in.

"Mr. Chen, the impact of player-created multiplayer mods on the gameplay of Escape from Chickenkov has been revolutionary. Should we intervene appropriately?"

The four department heads were unaware of Chen Dong's opinion on the online mod, so they were careful with their tone and wording.

"No need," Chen Dong waved his hand. "This isn't part of the game itself, and it won't affect the awards much. On the contrary, it can increase player engagement. Let them be."

"Understood." The head of the fourth department nodded and turned to leave, but Chen Dong called out to him.

"By the way, we can't let the player who created the online mod work for free, but giving them money directly would be against the rules. Let's just give them some souvenirs instead."

For other popular and highly-subscribed custom mods, you can also send a gift box to the mod's creator to express Starcard's gratitude and respect for these selfless players.

Upon hearing Chen Dong's instructions, the head of the fourth department widened his eyes slightly, somewhat incredulous.

Within the industry, almost no game company will proactively send gift boxes to players who create mods in the Steam Workshop and express their gratitude or respect. Some game companies will even criticize some players' mods for affecting the normal gameplay and remove the mods that players have worked hard to create without giving them a chance to argue.

However, what these game developers don't know is that there are people willing to invest time and effort, without seeking any reward, to create mods.

Players who are dedicated to a game are definitely loyal fans.

These loyal fans might be unimportant troublemakers in the eyes of other game developers, but in StarCard's eyes, they are important partners who help StarCard grow and add game content.

However, Chen Dong didn't have his subordinates do this openly; instead, he worked privately with his self-made mod team.

Contact the players and send them a gift box.

To be honest, the cost of a gift box is not high; it's just some star cards and game merchandise, plus a thank-you card.

But this seemingly ordinary gift caused a sensation on the internet.

It all started when a player who received a gift box from a Star Card filmed a short video and posted it on a video platform.

The video's title is simple: "Surely no one missed receiving the gift box from StarCard, right?"

The video content is also very simple. In just two or three minutes, the video, apart from unpacking, mainly shows the cheap little items that the Star Card gives away.

However, these worthless items, in the eyes of the player who received the gift box, represented Star Card's regard for the players and acknowledged their contributions to Star Card.

The gift box contained a chick plush toy, a keychain resembling the Starcard company logo, a mousepad prominently featuring a bright red in-game item, and an envelope tucked into the bottom of the box.

The player's joy as they showed off these gadgets was almost palpable, making Starcard fans who saw the video extremely envious.

Of course, the most important thing was the envelope.

The player also showed the contents of the envelope to the camera.

The content is short and clearly not handwritten, but the key point is that StarCard officially acknowledges that players who create interesting mods in the Workshop are not only players, but also StarCard partners, helping Escape from Chickenkov to become better and better.

The Star Card simply acknowledged the players' efforts, but it brought tears to the eyes of this young man weighing over 200 pounds in front of the camera after he saw it.

Unsurprisingly, the video went viral and became a trending topic.

Starcard—The game developer that most respects its players!