Chapter 361 - 261: The Survivor in Survivorship Bias

Chapter 361: Chapter 261: The Survivor in Survivorship Bias

"You mean, I pay a group of people to play games?" The City Lord suspected he had misheard.

Paying people to play games had to be the most ridiculous thing he’d heard all year.

It was even more ridiculous than Devils forming a party to play games.

After all, Devils had always existed in small numbers on the Feilin Continent.

Besides, he frequently received complaints about the harms of gaming: people getting addicted and detaching from real life, games inciting violent and evil thoughts, apprentices slacking off at their jobs, Mage Apprentices losing interest in studying Magic, and so on.

The City Lord had always turned a blind eye to these complaints. In his view, there were plenty of things for people to get addicted to; if it wasn’t this, it would be something else.

To be honest, he found those people quite annoying. They were against every form of entertainment, even alcohol, as if everyone should live an ascetic life just like them.

But he couldn’t say that out loud. After all, that segment of the population represented a considerable force.

If the City Lord were to publicly recruit "professional players," it would be a clear declaration of his support for gaming.

In the value system of the nobility, there was no right or wrong—only whether something was worth the trouble.

Was the profit from organizing professional players worth facing opposition from conservative factions?

"Yes, Father, that’s exactly what I mean," Grace replied affirmatively.

As she spoke, she took out a proposal. She had given the matter serious thought and would have found a chance to discuss it with him even if the City Lord hadn’t brought it up tonight.

Grace continued, "Hiring professional players is, in essence, no different from how we train racehorses or gladiators. People will enjoy supporting players or teams from their own region. They’ll treat watching competitive matches as a form of entertainment. Perhaps, after a while, the local fans will even come to share in the team’s glories and defeats."

Currently, Feilin has no sport as popular as "soccer." Due to the existence of Extraordinary Power, competitions involving physical confrontation are probably doomed to never become widespread.

However, games built on a virtual foundation don’t have such problems.

The only issue is that a single game can’t stay popular forever. The good news, however, is that there will always be a popular game.

The City Lord nodded. The nobility was gradually coming to realize that providing the commoners with a little entertainment was an effective way to reduce their rebellious sentiments.

"Besides, cultivating a group of players isn’t purely a financial investment. If managed properly, we could even turn a profit," Grace added.

"Oh? How would we make money?" The City Lord perked up. When it came to making money, he was wide awake.

"According to the Zog Group, the tournament won’t be a one-time thing. It will be held annually, becoming a regular event. This year is just a trial run; more games will be added in the future. With enough exposure, these players can become stars and idols, just like those who act in the Shadow of Evil films."

"Like Raul?"

He was the only Demon Shadow Actor the City Lord knew. It was a shame he rarely acted anymore.

"Yes."

The mention of Shadow of Evil stars made the City Lord realize where the profits would come from.

Nowadays, any actor well-known enough to be recognized by the majority of people had countless endorsement deals.

Ever since merchants discovered the benefits of celebrity advertising, you’d be embarrassed to call yourself a vendor if you didn’t have a few spokespeople.

In truth, this was an old practice. In the past, after defeating an opponent, gladiators would start hawking wares right there in the arena.

But a gladiator’s influence couldn’t compare to that of a modern star. Nowadays, many fans will buy products their idols endorse even if they have absolutely no use for them, just to show their support.

"But can professional gamers have as much influence as Shadow of Evil stars?"

"It would be difficult. After all, the audience for games is much smaller than the audience for Shadow of Evil, and not all gamers are fans of competitive play. But..."

Grace changed her tack. "Gaming tournaments have an advantage that Shadow of Evil doesn’t: they’re competitions. The outcome of a competition is uncertain, and anything uncertain..."

"...will attract gamblers," the City Lord finished, saying what Grace had left unsaid.

Gamblers are creatures who defy common sense. They’ll place bets on anything that seems remotely bettable.

And compared to some of their more inexplicable wagers, a gaming tournament at least seems like a legitimate event.

"Therefore, the gambling industry would be more than happy to sponsor the tournament and its players. That’s another hefty source of income, as long as we guarantee..."

"No match-fixing," the City Lord added.

Fixing matches is something only second-rate bookies do—they’re just in it for a quick profit, ruining their reputation for the future.

Once a fixed match is exposed, gamblers—crazy though they may be—are not stupid. They won’t place bets with a bookie who has a record.

Maintaining the integrity of the tournament and the uncertainty of its outcome is the only way to keep the whole system running.

"The city needs a representative with enough prestige to vouch for the tournament’s integrity."

"And I am the most suitable representative." In a daze, the City Lord saw a mountain of Gold Coins appearing before his eyes.

’I hereby declare Zog my godfather. As for those conservatives, to hell with them.’

His fantasy came to an end as the City Lord suddenly realized a potential problem. "As the City Lord, if I take the lead in promoting gambling... wouldn’t that be bad for my reputation?"

Grace wanted to say, ’It’s not like we nobles are seen as good people in the first place.’

But, having planned meticulously, she had already considered this.

"We don’t have to call it that. What if we call it a ’gaming lottery’? It would be a certificate, issued through the tournament, that people voluntarily purchase for a chance to win. It’s not gambling, and we aren’t forcing them to buy it."