Chapter 275: Free Trial Experience Launched (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Chapter 275: Free Trial Experience Launched (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

After watching the CGI video Chen Xu released, players and industry designers alike looked bewildered.

Ordinary players didn't feel much, only marveling at how astonishingly well-made the promotional CGI for an RTS game was!

Compared to previous games like Monster Hunter: World and Dark Souls, this was a significant leap forward.

A visibly improved quality!

But for experienced professionals in the industry, what did this over-a-minute-long video represent?

To them, it was nothing less than stacks of burning red banknotes!

"Wish I had more culture, all I can say is 'Damn it!'—this CGI is just too awesome!"

"Yeah! If Chen Xu hadn't said Warcraft was an RTS game, I would've never believed it!"

"Wait, you don't think the entire story of Warcraft will be presented with CGI of this caliber, do you?"

"Probably not? How much money would that cost?"

"Didn't Chen Xu already say so?"

"Damn it! If that's true, does it mean all that massive budget went entirely into CGI animation?"

"No way? Nebula Games is a game company, not an animation company. Is it really worth investing so heavily in an RTS game?"

"Other companies wouldn't do it, but this is Nebula Games! Look at the Nebula Games Platform—did you ever imagine someone would do things like this before?"

"Now that's truly awesome!"

"Right now, I'm more curious about the expression on the designers at Hero Entertainment. Previously, Human Wars had remastered graphics and a major update—clearly targeting Warcraft. But now, at least in terms of CGI, Warcraft has blown Human Wars into oblivion."

Many designers and players in the gaming industry discussed the promotional CGI Chen Xu had released.

Inside Hero Entertainment, Zhou Qi felt as if he'd been hit by a truck.

Because the quality of this CGI was simply top-tier.

This was clearly the result of pouring enormous amounts of money into production!

Could Hero Entertainment produce something like this?

Definitely possible!

After all, this kind of quality relies purely on budget.

But he was certain that while a graphics overhaul proposal might get approved,

producing CGI at this level would be virtually impossible.

Could Chen Xu have really dumped seven hundred million Yuan into a single RTS game?

And invested most of it into CGI production?

Originally, he didn't believe Nebula Games' claims about 'redefining RTS' or the '700 million Yuan cost.'

After all, who doesn't exaggerate in marketing?

When Human Wars launched, he nearly claimed it was the strongest RTS game in the galaxy, no exceptions.

Just like those movies that claim a production budget of 200 million Yuan—was it ever really that much?

No way!

But there's no denying it—money talks.

Watching the video on Chen Xu's official Weibo account, Zhou Qi couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Of course, these thoughts passed quickly, and Zhou Qi soon regained his composure.

After all, what good is great CGI?

This is a game, not a movie or animation.

As an RTS game, the core lies in its gameplay!

So what if your CGI is awesome? So what if your graphics are amazing? What do those things matter in RTS?

And Chen Xu had never touched the RTS genre before—he refused to believe Warcraft could actually shock him speechless!

Zhou Qi wasn't alone in this thinking; many designers and players shared the same sentiment.

Many were initially stunned by Warcraft's CGI.

But soon shifted their focus back to the actual game content.

On various RTS communities and forums, many fans of the genre were actively discussing.

"Have you guys been following the news about Warcraft?"

"Of course! That CGI was absolutely incredible. Just don't know yet how good the actual game will be."

"I feel it won't be bad. After all, Monster Hunter: World, Minecraft, and Dark Souls were all made by Chen Xu."

"But RTS is different!"

"Yeah, RTS isn't like regular game types. Graphics and CGI are just icing on the cake. What really matters is gameplay and balance."

"Who cares? There's a free trial experience coming anyway. We can just try it ourselves and see."

"True enough."

........................

Amidst ongoing discussions from players and industry designers, time gradually approached November 11.

The demo version of Warcraft had already opened early download channels, allowing players to download in advance and enter the game immediately upon unlocking.

As for the content of the demo, it was similar to the previous Monster Hunter: World.

Since Chen Xu had combined Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne from his previous life into a single version,

players could experience the complete first chapter's story, aside from the Prologue.

That is, the tale of the Kingdom of Lordaeron's catastrophe.

However, the online Versus Mode remained temporarily locked.

Additionally, during this period, Chen Xu gradually announced several new updates about Warcraft.

First was the official launch date, which differed from Monster Hunter: World's release strategy.

It was much earlier—November 15 for the official version.

As for pricing, the domestic price was set at 198 Yuan, while the overseas price was $39.9.

Similar to previous releases, there would be a Steelbook Collector's Edition, priced at 899 Yuan domestically and $159.9 overseas. Compared to the standard digital version, the Collector's Edition included a Blu-ray DVD compiling all CG animations, a Frostmourne figurine, an art book album, and detailed background materials on races, characters, and the worldview—offering a substantial amount of content.

As for the digital version's price, it was relatively low compared to traditional action, RPG, and FPS blockbusters, but within the RTS genre, it was considered on the higher end.

"This price is a bit expensive!"

"Not at all. Look at Chen Xu's previous games—they usually had prices friendly to domestic players, and their quality was unquestionable. This time, Warcraft is priced significantly higher than similar RTS titles, and honestly, I'm even more excited!"

"Exactly, exactly. Chen Xu's past games were cheaper than their peers yet still delivered high quality. Now Nebula Games has surprisingly set such a high price—this must be worth every penny!"

"One digital version, one Collector's Edition—no hesitation!"

"Bro, you're awesome, but I'll still download the free demo first to check the quality before deciding."

"Right. After all, there are still four days between the trial and the official launch. If I like it, I'll buy it right away."

Because of the same strategy of launching a free demo first, many players felt completely at ease and began downloading, eager to see what the game with such an impressive CGI truly felt like.

(End of Chapter)<>