nyslfriends Chapter 447 Ecological E-sports
Chapter 447 Ecological E-sports
Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, tapped his fingers on the table a few times, and then scanned the document from beginning to end.
He had already mentioned the idea of a global league to Zhou Mingzhe.
But at that time, Tutu Technology had not yet established itself. Several games had only been launched for a short time, and although the player base was decent, it was far from being able to support a cross-border competition.
It is different now.
The number of concurrent players in League of Legends has remained stable at over 2.5 million, and the number is still rising.
Both Minecraft and CrossFire have completely dominated their respective fields, firmly holding onto their top spots.
Lu Ran knew very well that what TuTu Technology lacked now was not products, but the thread that could connect all the players.
The competition is that line.
He picked up his phone and dialed Zhou Mingzhe's number directly: "Come to my office."
A few minutes later, Zhou Mingzhe pushed open the door and came in, carrying a cup of freshly brewed tea.
He immediately noticed the densely packed document on Lu Ran's screen and raised an eyebrow: "A new idea again?"
"Take a look at this."
Zhou Mingzhe put down his teacup and leaned closer, his eyes scanning the screen. His expression gradually changed from casual to serious, and when he saw the message "Global Finals to be held at the end of the year," he suddenly looked up.
"So you're... planning to make the league a long-term project?"
"It's not a long-term project," Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, his gaze resolute, "it's a core strategy."
He paused, and seeing Zhou Mingzhe still staring at him, continued, "Every game has a lifespan, but a good tournament system can extend that lifespan several times over. Look at traditional sports—basketball, football—the events themselves don't change much, but tournaments are held every year, and audiences watch every year, so the popularity never wanes. Because the tournament itself is an independent product; it doesn't need game updates to maintain its appeal."
After listening, Zhou Mingzhe remained silent for a long while, tracing the inside of the teacup with his fingers, before finally nodding.
"That's right. No matter how good a game is, you'll get tired of it after playing it for a while. But if you make players feel that playing games isn't just for entertainment, but that they're training for a specific goal, competing with others, and looking forward to watching the annual tournament... then the game's fate is different."
He paused for a moment: "And you mean, CrossFire can do that too?"
"Of course." Lu Ran tapped the table. "Shooting game tournaments have a particularly strong appeal in the European and American markets. European players have a natural affinity for FPS esports. If we launch CrossFire in Europe in conjunction with tournaments, the effect will be much better than simply releasing the game itself."
He paused here, another thought flashing through his mind: "And I'm also thinking about another game, one that's quite different from the current ones."
Zhou Mingzhe's eyes lit up: "What big move are you planning now?"
Lu Ran waved his hand: "It's not certain yet. Let's get the League of Legends league running smoothly first. The organization, broadcasting, commentary, and operations of the tournaments all need to be refined. Once we get the first game on track, the rest will be easier."
Zhou Mingzhe immediately retorted, "You're using League of Legends as a stepping stone, figuring it out before copying it to other games."
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean."
"Okay." Zhou Mingzhe pondered for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "However, since we're going to organize an event, relying on just one company definitely won't be enough. Venues, broadcasting, commentary, referees—all these things require resources, and our current scale isn't large enough to support a complete event system."
Lu Ran was prepared: "That's why we need to bring Tencent in. They have far more internet cafe resources, live streaming platform resources, and offline event resources in East China than we do. Besides, Chen Mo has talked about the league before; he's interested in this area, but we just haven't found the right time to push it forward."
After saying that, he took out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, found Chen Mo's name, and dialed it.
The phone rang twice before connecting. Chen Mo's voice came through the receiver, but the background noise was a bit loud, as if he were outside.
"Oh, Mr. Lu?" Chen Mo's voice carried a hint of surprise. "Weren't you at home taking care of your wife lately? What made you think of calling me?"
Lu Ran chuckled: "You're certainly well-informed."
"Never mind whether I'm well-informed or not, just get to the point. I'm in a meeting right now."
Lu Ran didn't stand on ceremony and briefly explained the details of the competition.
A global league, the first one at the end of the year, a professional competition format, and formal broadcasting—all to make players feel that this is a serious matter, not a joke.
He made a list of resources that Tencent could provide—venues, platform traffic, internet cafe channels, live streaming partnerships—he wanted to take advantage of everything he could.
There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.
When Chen Mo spoke again, his tone was noticeably more serious: "Have you thought this through? This is no small project; just the international broadcasting rights alone require negotiations with several countries."
Lu Ran said calmly, "I've thought it through. Let's take it one step at a time. The first one doesn't need to be large-scale; just get the process running smoothly. Expand it a bit more for the second one, and make the third one a regular annual event."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Chen Mo's voice rang out again: "I'm fine on my end; I can allocate resources in East China. But you need to understand, this isn't something I can decide alone. There's not a complete consensus within Tencent on this direction yet. Some people feel that organizing tournaments is a thankless task, requiring a large investment with slow returns, and that it's better to organize more events quickly."
Lu Ran tapped his finger on the table: "Then let the data speak for itself. The league's impact on user engagement, extending the game's lifespan, and enhancing brand value cannot be replaced by simply organizing a few events."
"I know," Chen Mo said in a low voice, "but this principle needs to be made clear to the higher-ups. Send me a copy of the plan first, make it as detailed as possible. I'll mention it at the internal meeting, and I'll try my best to secure as many resources as possible."
"Okay, I'll send it to you after I hang up."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Ran immediately went through the document again, adding several pages of content to clearly explain the expected benefits and long-term value of the event.
He wasn't fooling Chen Mo; he had genuinely calculated the costs.
The S-series, which started as an insignificant invitational tournament, was transformed into the world's largest esports event thanks to continuous investment and constant optimization.
What this world lacks is a truly dedicated event organizer.
Lu Ran, on the other hand, had plenty of patience.
He sent the revised document to Chen Mo, along with the message: "I've sent you the plan. Take a look, and let me know if you need any adjustments."
Chen Mo responded with an "OK" gesture.
Lu Ran put down his phone, leaned back in his chair, and stared blankly at the ceiling.
He was thinking about something else.
Once an event is established, it will no longer be just an accessory to the game.
It will become an independent brand with its own audience, its own sponsors, and its own broadcasting rights revenue.
By then, even if the number of players in the game fluctuates, the revenue from the tournaments will still be enough to support the company's operations and future development.
This is a moat, and it will only get wider.
League of Legends isn't the only game that can follow this path.
CrossFire or PUBG are both fine. As long as the competition is strong enough, the tournament system can be replicated.
By then, Tutu Technology will not only have a few games, but a complete, cross-game, global esports ecosystem.
Once this ecosystem is established, what will happen if newcomers try to break in?
Ha, one or two good games are far from enough.
Lu Ran got up, walked to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote a few lines.
The timeline has been laid out: two months after the European version's launch, tournament pre-event promotion and registration will take place; the first global finals will be held before the end of the year; and plans for the second edition will be announced the following spring, thus fixing the tournament cycle. Rolling year after year, the league becomes a regular event that players look forward to – like the World Cup, it comes every year, and there are always viewers.
After writing this, he glanced at his phone.
Chen Mo hadn't replied yet; he was probably busy with something else. He wasn't in a hurry, so he put down his pen and walked to the window.
Summer evenings come late in Shanghai.
It was still light at six o'clock, and the sunlight slanted in from the west, turning the office floor a warm yellow.
The traffic on the street downstairs was a bit lighter, and a few middle school students in school uniforms rode by on bicycles, their schoolbags bouncing back and forth on their backs.
Lu Ran suddenly felt that life was becoming more and more interesting.
With several solid games in hand, the path to overseas expansion is being paved with Zhou Deming's help, and a complete tournament system is gradually taking shape.
There was also Shen Yuege, who was pregnant, waiting for him to come home for dinner.
These things, taken individually, are not earth-shattering, but put together—
Tutu Technology has transformed from a small game company into a player in the ecosystem.
He looked away, turned around, picked up his phone, and sent Chen Mo another message: "Are you free tonight? Let's chat a bit more. There are some details I'd like to discuss with you in person."
Chen Mo replied quickly this time: "Okay, I'm free after seven. You decide on the place."
Lu Ran thought for a moment and then suggested a small restaurant near her home. The food was good, the environment was quiet, and it was a good place to eat and chat.
He put his phone in his pocket, closed the office door, went downstairs, and hailed a taxi home. On the way, he sent Shen Yuege a message: "Having dinner with Chen Mo tonight, I'll be back late."
Shen Yuege replied instantly with a "Okay" followed by an emoji—a cartoon rabbit holding a sign that read "Don't drink alcohol."
Lu Ran looked at the screen and laughed.
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