Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: I'm Not Sharing the Credit
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A few days later, in President Oh Geoshin's office.
I was sitting across from him, deep in conversation.
“PD Jo Hyunsoo, is there a reason you're refusing support from the marketing team? The game turned out absolutely fantastic.”
To put it simply, the final build of POD had received explosive praise internally.
So much so that even Bonbujang Seo Donghyuk, who had picked a fight at every turn, couldn't utter a single complaint.
The QA process had officially begun, and the polishing phase was next on the agenda.
It seemed another company-wide FGT for all internal staff was scheduled soon.
In other words, the company was ready to throw its full weight behind this project.
However.
“No, the 100 million won budget for our division that I mentioned initially will be more than enough for marketing.”
“But listen. With proper marketing, couldn't we increase its value significantly? This is going to be a crucial IP for our company; we should be giving it our all. Tsk, tsk.”
That was a big reason why President Oh Geoshin had called me in to try and persuade me.
From his perspective, it was baffling that I would refuse the support he was offering.
“Well, sir, may I offer a reason you might understand?”
“Go on, let's hear it.”
“First of all, I don't have much faith in our company's marketing.”
“You don't have faith?”
“Yes. I'm not sure what you think, sir, but the perception of our company's business department among the employees isn't very good, and I don't believe those sentiments are unfounded.”
This was an undeniable fact.
NB Soft's business department was notorious for executing marketing campaigns without any understanding of the game's concept or the user experience.
For instance, hiring an actor from a noir film for a casual game targeted at a female audience.
Or wasting money by creating an animated ad with no substance. That sort of thing.
It had gotten to the point where some employees suspected the business department of corruption, taking kickbacks to favor certain contractors, which even led to an external audit.
The funny thing was, the audit found no evidence of corruption. It turned out that all their past actions were simply the result of the department's pure incompetence.
“If I can have full control over the marketing budget that the business department would execute, I'll accept the offer. But if not, it will only unnecessarily increase the man-months. I'm confident I can make this game a success to your satisfaction with just the 100 million won marketing budget.”
“Well. When you put it so boldly, I'm at a loss for words. And I've never heard anything about the business department being incompetent.”
“That's just how companies work. The voices from below rarely reach the top.”
I had openly expressed my thoughts about the business department.
I had no intention of seeking their favor anyway, and I certainly didn't want someone like Director Jeong trying to take a piece of the credit.
Self-reliance. If POD could truly pull this off, it would undoubtedly weaken the influence of NB Soft's pathetic business department.
“Well then, I have no choice but to trust you with it. Let me know if there's anything else to discuss, like merchandise or other related products.”
“We'll handle the preparations for that as well and report back to you at a later date.”
“Really, PD Hyunsoo, I don't know where you came from. I've never seen anyone who claims they'll do everything themselves actually follow through, but you manage to accomplish everything you say you will.”
“It's only possible because I'm making a game that's appropriately scaled for my abilities. If I were in charge of a project with hundreds of people, I'd never be able to manage all this.”
This wasn't just empty talk; it was the truth.
In a AAA project with a team of nearly 100 people, it's virtually impossible for the PD to oversee every minute detail of development.
That's why, as long as you can lead the overall direction effectively, the rest depends on choosing good middle managers and how well you can command them.
It wasn't a production style that suited me, someone who meticulously checks every last detail. Besides, an increased budget inevitably leads to higher expected profits, which intensifies the pressure from the company.
Just managing a team of ten and navigating the office politics for this project was already overwhelming. A team of nearly a hundred?
The mere thought of it made my face turn pale.
I believe that knowing one's own limits and focusing on what one does best is an important virtue.
“There you go being modest again. Anyway, I'll take your word for it on this matter, so you can go. Polish it as best you can until the very end, and if anything comes up, you don't have to go through Shin Chihwan. Report directly to me.”
"I'll still go through Bonbujang Shin Chihwan. The game's quality wouldn't be up to par without him.”
“You're running a one-man show, what do you mean it wouldn't work without Shin Chihwan? You're so confrontational with others, yet you take such good care of your own boss. There's no need to flatter people in the corporate world, you know. It's a fact that you deserve the most credit for this project.”
“I'm not so sure. I see things a little differently. After all, it was Bonbujang Shin Chihwan who discovered me when I was about to leave the company and put me in the PD position.”
“Haha, well, you've got a point there."
After finishing my conversation with President Oh Geoshin, I returned to my office.
Although I had refused all the help he offered, I managed to end the conversation on a good note so as not to offend him. Knowing that the executive board had high expectations left me in a pretty good mood.
'Man, I'm beat. I need a short break.'
I sat down at my desk for a moment and saw the clock showed 3:50.
I'd been so busy all day, getting pulled into meetings left and right, that my mind was a complete blur.
I took a sip of the iced Americano I'd bought on the way back and tried to calm my nerves.
[Me: Rokhui, are you working right now?]
[Rokhui: I am, but I always have time to text you for a bit!]
[Me: I just got back from being summoned by the president.]
[Rokhui: Ooh, that sounds interesting! Tell me everything.]
I poured out my story, and Rokhui, in turn, shared her day with me.
There were many small stories and some repetitive topics, but just feeling connected through our conversation was enough to recharge me.
I guess this is why everyone was always nagging me to get into a relationship.
After that short break, something I had pushed to the back of my mind resurfaced.
'Oh, right. Didn't I get a quest reward?'
The quest reward I received a few days ago for clearing Chapter 13 with an EX grade.
I'd forgotten about it because we went straight to a team dinner that day.
I quickly pulled up the status window and selected the 'God Game Maker's Box' I had received as a reward.
[God Game Maker's Box / Single-Use Item]
◆ Rarity: S+
◆ Description: Opening the God Game Maker's Box allows you to obtain one of two items that will be of great help in game development.
(※ Once chosen, your selection cannot be reversed. Please choose carefully.)
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'A God Game Maker's Box, huh? Might as well use it right away.'
Without hesitation, I used the item.
[Please select one of the following two items.]
(1) Speed Star
- Increases the efficiency of your Acceleration skill. The duration of Acceleration is increased by 5 times.
(2) Jackpot! Point King!
- Gain 50 Developer Points.
'Whoa, this is insane.'
Fifty Developer Points and a fivefold increase in the duration of my Acceleration skill.
Both were, without a doubt, game-breakingly powerful rewards.
However, I hesitated, finding it difficult to choose one over the other.
'Acceleration is great for speed, but it's a bit useless when I'm stuck without a good idea or inspiration.'
Option one, the Acceleration skill, only increased my work speed; it wasn't a tool for conjuring up inspiration out of thin air.
It was certainly useful for getting through a heavy workload, but it couldn't provide that 'kick' needed to find the missing piece of a game.
'Fifty points. I can't buy a skill of the first option's caliber with this.'
Then there was option two, fifty Developer Points.
With these, I could raise my stats or purchase other abilities from the Developer Shop.
In terms of raw power, the Acceleration boost was so good that it couldn't be replaced with just 50 points.
But the points offered the advantage of flexibility, allowing me to adapt to changing situations.
Hmm, which one should I pick?
I wasn't strongly leaning toward either option.
After a moment of thought, I sent another message.
[Me: Rokhui, can I ask you something?]
[Rokhui: What is it?]
[Me: If you could gain a superpower for making your webtoons, would you choose the power to work faster, or... a power that could enhance your inspiration or other various abilities when creating your work?]
[Rokhui: Hmm. That's a tough one. Wait, did you actually get a superpower, Hyunsoo?!]
[Me: You caught me! I'm actually a superhero! lol]
[Rokhui: lol I knew you were amazing! But do you really have to choose just one?]
[Me: Yep, only one of the two!]
[Rokhui: Hmm. To be honest, I'd want the one that lets me work faster. Then I could finish my deadlines early and rest.]
[Me: That's true, I get that.]
A webtoon artist with a brutal weekly workload and no time to rest.
It was a perfectly understandable answer for someone in her profession.
[Rokhui: But... apart from what I'd want, if I were you, Hyunsoo, I'd choose the second option.]
[Me: Why's that?]
[Rokhui: Well, that's just how creating something is, isn't it? Making it fast is good, but I think it's better to make the 'best' work you possibly can.]
A wise answer to a foolish question.
The moment I read her words, a small smile played on my lips.
'Right. That's the direction I want to go, too.'
Whether it's making games or webtoons, the process is arduous and difficult, but a creator always wants to present their best possible work to the world.
If you only focus on making things quickly, you might just end up... churning out mediocre, mass-produced products.
Rokhui's words made it easy for me to find my own answer.
[Me: Thanks, Rokhui. I think you're right. That was a big help.]
[Rokhui: lol Really? Yay, I'm glad.]
I grinned and selected option two, 'Jackpot! Point King!'
<<You have selected Jackpot! Point King!>>
<<You have acquired 50 Developer Points!>>
*Throb.*
A warm feeling spread through my chest.
I immediately checked my status window and saw that I had accumulated over 130 Developer Points in total.
This would surely serve as a reliable safety net for my next project.