I will be stronger after the remake

For Tang Ping, fame is all she needs to perform Lingo; money is unimportant, as the benefits from her employer are enough.

Ma Feiyan shook her head and said, "Even if we don't consider monetization, there are almost no male anchors who sell purely based on their looks. Selling goods requires good eloquence, and showing off one's physique requires exercise. A face alone is not enough. There's a saying in the industry: good looks must be paired with another card to become a trump card."

Tang Ping hesitated, then said that if it were a past life, she could give an example of a Douyin influencer called "Xiucai". This person had no talent whatsoever, and almost every video was the same: first, he would show off his coolness, then lip-sync to the song. The contrast between his exquisite appearance and the tacky scenes made him a heartthrob among middle-aged and elderly women, with over ten million followers.

Although this scholar's life was short-lived, the reason he was banned was for tax evasion, which had nothing to do with the repetitive content of his videos.

There are no internet celebrities like the scholar in this world because the development of self-media is 3-5 years slower than in the previous life.

The reason is simple: Lingo influenced the development of the world.

Before 2000, the histories of the two worlds were indistinguishable, so much so that Tang Ping initially thought she was reborn rather than time-traveled.

After 2000, psionicists began to awaken, and humanity began to try to explore the illusory world. However, in the early days, the number of psionicists was too small, and they were still in the exploratory stage of psionicism. As "butterflies," their power was too weak to stir up a storm. Therefore, before 2010, various events had only subtle differences, and the overall trend was still the same.

After 2010, significant differences emerged between the two worlds. For example, the Chinese men's football team in this world is a regular in the round of 16 of the World Cup, and Germany has broken the Chinese table tennis team's monopoly in the Olympics for several consecutive years. Furthermore, movies, games, and other works are different from what Tang Ping remembers. There are new works that have never appeared in her previous life, and works that should have appeared have disappeared.

The above are just some local changes. From a macro perspective, the most obvious impact is that the development speed of self-media has been severely slowed down, because every country has deeply realized the importance of public opinion and is unwilling to hand over the power of discourse to individuals.

Chapter Forty Differences

Some psychic powers can use public opinion to incite malicious group incidents, and even if an investigation is conducted afterward, the perpetrator cannot be identified by conventional means.

For example, Hu Ze's psychic ability "three men make a tiger" can easily create rumors that influence many people's perceptions, and the source may just be a sentence he said at a dinner party. He himself did not say anything on the Internet, but others spread it on their own initiative.

Therefore, the government has become extremely cautious about the development of self-media, introducing various policies to restrict it, preferring slower development to prevent any problems from arising.

The most typical example is that Weibo introduced a feature that was completely absent from my memory – a credit rating system.

Each account verified by the Weibo platform has a number next to it, representing the account's credibility. Clicking on the number will bring up a record telling you that the account fabricated or spread rumors on a certain date and deducted the corresponding credibility points.

A popular saying on the internet these days is: "Hey, isn't this XX with a credit score of only 33? You actually believe what he says?"

This feature was met with resistance from almost all public intellectuals and influential figures on the internet as soon as it was launched. Their reasoning was that it was inappropriate to dredge up old grievances, that everyone makes mistakes and should be given a chance to correct them, rather than being subjected to personal humiliation in this way.

However, with strong government support, resistance is futile, and other video platforms have also launched similar features.

Ordinary people don't feel anything about this, since it's just a simple display of credibility. Even if they spread rumors, they won't be punished as long as it doesn't cause a huge impact. But account holders who try to monetize traffic are particularly upset.

A low level of credibility will seriously affect the value of an account. Others will take the opportunity to lower the price when they come to advertise. This makes big V's become very cautious. The more followers they have, the less talkative they become. They will never express their opinion on a social event before the truth is clear. Even when forwarding messages, they will only forward official announcements.

Other countries, after observing the situation for a while, saw that this approach effectively reduced the incidence of violent incidents involving large groups and began to follow suit.

The capitalists behind the messaging platforms are also happy to see this happen, because they can take the opportunity to control credit scoring standards and make private transactions with people, such as selling credit scores.

This made those public intellectuals who tried to attack China for "seriously violating freedom of speech, being authoritarian and dictatorial, and attempting to silence the people" extremely uncomfortable, and they wished they could shout: "We are ready to fight to the death, why did Your Majesty surrender first!"

Tang Ping couldn't think of any counter-examples. Even if he did, he didn't think he would be the one to catch the good fortune. Following Ma Feiyan's suggestion, he thought about it and realized that he didn't seem to have any special skills, or to be more precise, he didn't have anything to show or make.

Being good at exams and writing novels are certainly skills, with the former being a highly coveted skill among students. However, neither of these skills possesses the characteristics of performance.

"If you really need a skill that suits a streamer, let's play games," Tang Ping said.

Ma Feiyan nodded and said, "The game is indeed a good fit for the streamer, but are you sure your gaming skills are at a level that will attract others?"

"I know what you're trying to say. Some students think they're really good at games, so they decide to give up their studies and become esports players. But after their parents send them to esports schools for training, they find that they can't even pass the test. I wouldn't dare say that my skills are on par with the pros, but I should be able to be a skilled streamer without any problem."

Tang Ping's previous gaming skills were at the level where he could beat the Mega Man series without taking damage after about a month of training. He couldn't compare to real gaming masters; he could only bully ordinary people. This level of skill was clearly not enough to attract fans as a technical streamer.

But after being promoted to "Vixen", his reaction speed improved significantly, and his gaming skills also improved accordingly. Although he hadn't actually tested it, he felt that he could barely reach the threshold of a professional gamer.

Ma Feiyan analyzed seriously: "In the game streamer circle, entertainment streamers are actually more popular than technical streamers, unless you are a professional e-sports player. Of course, if you really show outstanding game skills, you can quickly accumulate considerable popularity, but the ceiling for technical streamers is also very obvious."

Tang Ping said, "I think my speaking skills are okay. I'm not a shy person by nature. With professional training, I can definitely pass the test."

"If you understand entertainment and have technical skills, then there's no problem."

Ma Feiyan felt that things couldn't possibly go so smoothly, but it was obviously not the right time to pour cold water on things. Even if she liked the other person, they were still strangers she had just met. It was a big no-no to talk too much with someone you didn't know well, so she should just say some nice things.

As a good friend, Ma Yiming had no such concerns and bluntly said, "Being a game streamer isn't a good idea. It mainly attracts male fans. There are already few girls in the gaming circle, let alone the fact that you want to pursue the path of a technical streamer."

Ma Feiyan glanced at her and said, "It's not like we're looking for a partner, what's the difference between male and female fans?"

Ma Yiming waved his hand and said, "Sigh, it's hard to explain to an outsider like you."

Upon hearing this, Ma Feiyan's face puffed up with anger. She angrily dumped all the beef rolls into the hot pot: "These are all mine. I'm going to focus on eating. Don't talk to me anymore."

"It's all-you-can-eat anyway, so eat as much as you want."

Ma Yiming didn't seem to care much, picked up his drink and took a sip, immediately noticing something was off. He glanced at it and saw it was Laoshan Cola, and couldn't help but frown: "No wonder it tastes like herbs..."

Since it's a buffet, I can't waste anything, so I had to hold my nose and drink it all.

The three of them then stopped discussing the streamer and chatted while eating.

When they were ready to leave after eating and drinking their fill, Ma Feiyan asked Tang Ping for her contact information. When Ma Yiming saw this, his expression became even stranger.

Back in her dorm, Tang Ping took out the contract from Youxing Entertainment Company, read it carefully, and then hesitated again, recalling Ma Feiyan's advice.

"Celebrities and live streamers, if you don't have the talent to be a celebrity, you can't perform or sing. Music albums from 10 years ago are basically the same as what I remember. I didn't pay much attention to music from 10 years ago, I only remember a few popular songs. You can't even become a plagiarist if you want to be a celebrity."

"Game streamers lack female fans, the technical route has a low ceiling, and it hasn't been tested in practice, so it's still uncertain whether it will work."

"If only celebrities and game streamers could combine the advantages of both, celebrities and gamers..."

While deep in thought, a sudden flash of inspiration struck me.

"Wait a minute, maybe it really will work!"

Tang Ping hurriedly searched online and found that the game she remembered had never been created. She couldn't help but laugh at herself, "Finally, I can be a porter for once."

Chapter 41 Live-Action Movies

"You want to make games?"

After listening to Tang Ping's report, Hu Ze thought for a while before asking in a tactful way, "What do you think? I'm too old to keep up with the unconventional thinking of you young people."

"That's right. I know my own limitations and have no confidence in my acting skills. If you ask me to act, I really don't know how to act. Moreover, given my status as a civil servant, the capital knows that they can't control me and it's impossible for them to spend a lot of resources to push me to become a traffic star. That path is basically blocked."

"The path to becoming an internet celebrity is also difficult. To become a big star based solely on one's looks, one would need to be incredibly lucky, like winning the lottery, or just happen to have a breakout moment. If one wants to rely on solid skills, the gaming industry I chose has many disadvantages..."

Tang Ping repeated what Ma Feiyan had said yesterday.

Hu Ze nodded repeatedly, but was still puzzled: "I understand the predicament you are facing, but what does this have to do with making games? Although Youxing Entertainment has 'entertainment' in its name, it is not involved in the game business. I guess they don't even have a programmer who can write code. They can't provide any help."

"They can't really help with other game types, but the game I'm planning happens to need actors, or more accurately, a group of people who can make short films. Ordinary game companies wouldn't be able to do that."

"You've made me curious. What kind of game are you planning to make?"

"Live-action interactive video game".

Tang Ping was prepared. She took out a USB drive, plugged it into the computer, copied and pasted the game to the hard drive, and then started the program.

Hu Ze was prepared to play the game, with his left hand already on WASD, but he was stunned when he saw the screen after it started: "Are you sure this is a game and not a movie?"

"If it's put on a video website, it's called an interactive movie. If you take it out of the box, it's an interactive video game. In a normal movie, you can only passively receive the content and can't participate in it, so we can only be the audience. But in this kind of movie, every now and then there will be an option. Choosing different options will affect the subsequent development of the plot, so we can be the players. Although the plot is already set, and the part we can participate in is very limited, there is a difference between having interaction and not having interaction."

Tang Ping chose a game called "Night Shift," which tells the story of Matt, a college student who works part-time at a parking lot. By chance, he is forced to participate in an auction house heist of cultural relics, which leads to his death. He has to navigate between the police and the gangsters, trying to survive while uncovering the truth behind the crime.

This game incorporates a lot of suspense and puzzle-solving elements, with a tight and exciting plot and excellent acting. Even without considering the interactive elements, it is an excellent movie in itself.

Tang Ping originally wanted to find a domestic live-action interactive movie/game, but after searching for a long time, she couldn't find one.

The mechanics of this type of game are simple and easy to understand. When Hu Ze chooses the wrong option, causing the protagonist to be shot in the head by the gangsters, he has to go back in time and choose another option to make the plot develop normally. Then he immediately understands the essence of the game.

He played for a while, then reluctantly paused the game and said, "I understand what you're thinking. This is indeed a game that can only be made by an entertainment company. But there's one thing I still don't understand: even if you make the game and it sells like hotcakes, so what? No matter how fun the game is, how many players will care who the game designer is?"

Tang Ping pointed to the male protagonist on the screen and said, "Designing the game alone is certainly not enough, but what if I played the male protagonist?"

"So that's what you were planning," Hu Ze said, still puzzled, "But what about acting skills? How are you going to solve that?"

"This game is made up of different videos, and the acting requirements are almost no different from those of ordinary movies. But we can lower the requirements completely by turning the videos into pictures and adding voice and text. In this way, the acting requirements are very low. Even if my skills are poor, I can still pose for pictures."

"Wouldn't that turn into a PowerPoint presentation?"

"To be precise, it's AVG, or text adventure game, a very classic game genre. Although it's a niche genre, it's still much more popular than live-action interactive games."

Hu Ze stared at the paused game screen in silence for a moment before speaking, "This method does indeed avoid the acting problem; it's very clever. Plus, you can be the lead right away without having to play a supporting role. It's amazing that you could think of that. So, there's only one question left: are you confident you'll become a hit?"

Tang Ping frankly said, "Of course, there is no way to be 100% sure. Even if a famous director invites top-tier stars to make a movie, are they guaranteed to be a hit? I can only say that compared to me acting or becoming an internet celebrity, the probability of success is higher. Moreover, the choice of subject matter for this kind of game is very crucial. As long as the right subject matter is chosen, the success rate can be increased by 20% to 30%."

Hu Ze became interested: "That sounds like a lot of research. Tell me, what are the two types of topics?"

"Chinese people have a special fondness for the two genres of the War of Resistance against Japan and martial arts, and they have a high tolerance for them. As long as the former doesn't become a ridiculous drama and the latter's fighting is passable, the audience will overlook minor flaws and give it a good review."

Hu Ze nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed, there's no need to mention war dramas; they're produced every year and remain popular. However, martial arts dramas, apart from Jin Yong's works, are quite rare. But personally, if an original martial arts drama with exciting fight scenes were to appear, I would be happy to contribute to its ratings. Unfortunately, the stars these days are too delicate, and the fight scenes rely entirely on slow motion, which doesn't really attract me. Which genre are you planning to choose?"

"Of course it's the War of Resistance Against Japan. After all, if you're just making a PowerPoint presentation, you can't show exciting fight scenes. Making a martial arts film is unattractive. And even if it's the War of Resistance Against Japan, you can't film large-scale battle scenes. Espionage is the most suitable subject."

The game Tang Ping decided to bring to the screen was "Invisible Guardian," which sold 140 million copies in its previous life. It doesn't sound like much, not even a fraction of the sales of "Black Myth: Wukong," but the two games are not even in the same league. In the world of live-action interactive games, this game is already considered a top-tier title.

In other games, the number of real players is often less than the sales volume, because some people buy the game but never play it, while others play for a few tens of minutes and then never touch it again, and they don't ask for a refund.

Outsiders may not understand this practice and mentality, but it is very common among single-player gamers.

However, due to its unique mechanics, The Invisible Guardian has a player base that far exceeds its sales.

The reason is simple: many video streamers upload game content to websites for others to watch for free, creating a large number of "armchair gamers".

Other types of games are highly interactive, and cloud gamers cannot experience the true fun of the game. However, for live-action interactive games, the experience of cloud gamers and real gamers is almost indistinguishable.

However, this is not a drawback for Tang Ping at all. He doesn't expect the game to make money. As long as it doesn't lose money, the more cloud players there are, the better.

In addition, "The Invisible Guardian" is adapted from the visual novel game "The Red Path of Infiltration". He checked online carefully and found that there is no "The Red Path of Infiltration" in this world, so he even saved on the copyright fee.

Chapter 42 Project Approval

"play games?"

When Song Tao, the agent sent by Youxing Entertainment, heard Tang Ping's idea, he gave her a "Are you kidding me?" look.

Tang Ping had anticipated this, and simply repeated the process of persuading Director Hu the day before yesterday.

"...That sounds much more reliable, at least it's feasible, but is it really necessary to go through all this trouble? Wouldn't it be better to just act in a proper movie and appear on TV shows? Even if you're not confident in your acting skills, you can still go the variety show route."

If it were any other entertainment company, Song Tao would have already turned his back and left. How dare a newcomer with no works make so many demands? You're trying to play opposite Nuwa—it's wishful thinking!

Unfortunately, the nature of Youxing Entertainment Company is too special. The job of these employees is not to generate profits for the company, but to serve these "young masters and ladies" who come to gain prestige.

Even when faced with outrageous demands, Song Tao dared not argue, but could only patiently persuade them, since the other party was a permanent employee while he was just a contract worker.

"It's too difficult to become famous through normal means. My method is unconventional because there are no precedents to follow. At first glance, it may seem unreliable, but if you think about it the other way around, it's precisely because there are no precedents that as long as the game's sales are decent and it's not a complete failure, as the first pioneer to try something new, I can enjoy the benefits."

As Tang Ping spoke, she took out a newly printed notebook and handed it to the other person, saying, "This is the script I rushed out. The outline is complete, but the details still need to be improved. You might as well take a look and evaluate whether the story is attractive."

Song Tao asked in surprise, "You can write screenplays?"

"I studied humanities in college, and I'm also an online author."

Song Tao recalled the information he had read before setting off. The other person was a top student from a key university, who had genuinely entered university through his own abilities, and had published three somewhat well-known works online. His knowledge and talent were unmatched by the average idol in the entertainment industry. He instantly felt much more reliable.

He opened the script with a bit of anticipation and quickly became engrossed in it.

Half an hour later, he looked up and said, "Your script is good enough to be made into a TV series. I can't guarantee it will be a hit, but as long as there aren't any particularly bad parts, the final reputation and results won't be bad."

At this point, he couldn't help but suggest, "Why not give up on games and start making TV shows? You can use your screenwriter identity as a gimmick, and you'll probably gain a lot of fans."

Tang Ping shook his head and said frankly, "From the company's perspective, it is indeed better to make TV series, but from my personal perspective, making games is better."

"First, making games is much more efficient than making TV series, especially my PPT-style approach, which saves a lot of time and energy. As long as everything goes smoothly, I am confident that I can finish shooting all the materials in a month, complete the editing in a month, and then turn it into a game and release it in a week. The whole process takes less than three months, but for a TV series, it may not even be released in a year."

"Secondly, I can be the male lead in games, but can I, a newcomer, be the male lead in TV dramas? I know the company is willing to invest certain resources in me, but those resources will absolutely not include being the male lead in a production costing tens of millions."

"Third, my acting skills are a major weakness. My identity as a screenwriter might allow the audience to be more forgiving, but this goodwill will inevitably offset the badwill brought by my acting skills. After all, in China, screenwriters are not considered an important position, not even as important as directors. Even if a TV series is successful, the honor I can share is only a small part. But with games, not only can my lack of acting skills be covered up, but I also have three identities: screenwriter, game creator, and male lead. This is enough to maximize the players' goodwill. Once the work is successful, 90% of the honor will fall on my head."

"Fourth, as mentioned earlier, as the first person to try something new, if the game's sales are decent, that's considered a success. If it's adapted into a TV series but doesn't become a mainstream hit and remains lukewarm, then it's not a success for me personally."

Song Tao was speechless. The other party's analysis was reasonable and well-founded, and even he couldn't help but think that making games would be a more reliable option.

Is this the level of a top student?

There are also ordinary artists who are not on the official payroll at Youxing Entertainment Company. In the past, he would analyze the prospects of the artists and give them advice, and they would just nod and say "uh-huh". Today, he was the one who was taught a lesson.

Of course, there is also the factor of special status. After all, ordinary artists would not dare to say, "Filming TV dramas is beneficial to the company, making games is beneficial to me, so I should choose to make games."

Realizing he couldn't treat Tang Ping as an uncultured artist, Song Tao quickly adjusted his attitude and said after thinking it over, "I personally support the game project, but the specific decision depends on the higher-ups. All I can do is submit your script and relay the discussion we just had."

"No problem, thank you for your help."

Tang Ping wasn't nervous because he had prepared a backup plan.

If the company disagrees, ask your adoptive mother for investment.