There is a fundamental difference between spending money and not spending money.
Minecraft has been online for two years and has maintained a relatively stable level of popularity, hovering between the top 100 and 200 on the free charts, occasionally experiencing a small surge in popularity due to a certain news hotspot.
However, League of Legends had only been out for less than a month when a large amount of traffic was brought in. Players saw its name every day, whether they opened their eyes or closed them, and gradually came to believe that it was a very popular game.
The league prize money of 30 million yuan quickly began to show its power.
Although the player base is still small, no one has a deep understanding of the game yet, let alone any passion or aspiration for it.
However, many studios and small clubs are only interested in making money.
The number of teams registered for Season 1 quickly reached four figures!
After the registration deadline at the end of the month, Mingyan had to urgently adjust the league schedule to ensure that the preliminary rounds of the top 16 could be completed before the finals.
One advantage of a game being so new is that clubs and studios haven't had time to monopolize the professional scene yet.
Of the 16 teams that were finally selected, 5 were actually teams formed spontaneously by the public.
Some of them genuinely loved the game, playing it with great enthusiasm and willing to train tirelessly without sleep.
Some people have participated in several closed beta tests by Bluestar Studio, and some even had some experience and insights a year ago;
Others are simply eyeing the prize pool and the champion effect. They are optimistic about the future of the game and know that this year is the best opportunity for casual players, and there may never be another chance like this.
Early December, the Lunar New Year is approaching.
Mingyan and Varian have 70 days left on their betting agreement.
The Round of 16 has officially begun, with live streaming starting simultaneously on major platforms. League of Legends has climbed into the top 50 of the free charts.
Millions of viewers, some coming from the game and others drawn in by the advertising banners, gathered in the live stream room.
The online livestream room of the interstellar era explicitly adopted the "colosseum" design, which at this moment looks like an ancient Roman amphitheater.
The stands were packed with countless spectators, all of whom were bizarre virtual figures, many of whom were even non-human species.
In the very center of the arena, the male and female hosts, both wearing feather masks, made their entrance together.
"Hello everyone, welcome to the finals of the 6th Star Province in the first season of League of Legends!"
Today is the opening performance, and there will also be an exhibition match.
Both teams in the match were personally selected by Mingyan.
One is a strong team under a long-established club, the Wolf Pack team, which comes with its own fan base.
One team is the LOG team, a dark horse from the grassroots, whose story is very inspiring and has gained a lot of support from casual fans.
This match has captured the attention of everyone involved.
The owner of the Wolf Pack Club is a young man who I heard has recently taken a liking to playing League of Legends.
Often, younger investors are more likely to perceive the potential of a young market.
He single-handedly built his first League of Legends team, which shows that he has high hopes for this new game.
After the match started, the two sides were evenly matched.
The audience became increasingly engrossed in the game, and Mingyan admitted that he was also getting a bit hooked, saying he really liked the mid-laner from the LOG team.
At that moment, someone suddenly sat down next to Mingyan.
This is a very burly orc figure with a lion's head. Its golden mane reflects the sunlight, dazzling Mingyan's eyes.
"That's really good! Which team do you support?" The orc's incredibly rough voice instantly drowned out the commentator's voice.
Mingyan glanced back and said, "...LOG, please."
A moment later, another orc came over and sat on the other side of Mingyan.
It was a snake-shaped head, with two black pearl-like eyes calmly looking at Mingyan.
"Hello." He nodded.
Mingyan's lips twitched. He didn't know why he was surrounded by such strange-looking people, even though the other audience members were all trying their best to look good...
He said clearly, "Hello."
Midway through the match, the jungler of the Wolves team seized an opportunity and suddenly turned the tide of the game.
Team LOG suffered a series of defeats, trying hard not to let the tide snowball, but still lost two lanes of high ground at the 29th minute.
At this point, the commentators were already shaking their heads: "Sigh, it's going to be tough for LOG team. It's really tough. We know that minion waves are very important in this game. Once they have two high ground lanes, it's basically very difficult to turn the game around."
Fortunately, LOG's two earliest teammates revived in time, while the Wolves team was in very poor condition.
A comeback from a disadvantageous position to win 5 straight!
Team LOG wasn't afraid at all; they were determined to charge in and keep the enemy's low health alive!
Finally, they pulled off a 3-for-5 exchange, successfully wiping out the Wolves team who were covering each other.
This spirit of never giving up in the face of adversity is very touching.
The audience was filled with excitement, rising to their feet and shouting, "Go LOG! Go for it!"
Mingyan also sat up straight without realizing it.