leonardwarren Chapter 286 The Data Will Slap Them in the Face
Chapter 286 The Data Will Slap Them in the Face
Only the Star Technology team remained in the conference room.
"The reaction was worse than expected." David took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"As expected," Ling Yun said. "New things will always be questioned. What matters is how users react, not how the media evaluates them."
"But the media can influence the perceptions of potential users," Catherine said with concern. "If the reports are all negative, it might deter some people."
"Then let the data prove them wrong." Ling Yun walked towards the door. "Back to the office. Wait for today's data to come out."
At 1 p.m., the new version of Star Language was officially launched.
On the large screen in the server monitoring room, real-time data began to jump: number of online users, number of new registrations, version update rate, number of paid transactions...
Initially, things were stable. The number of online users remained steady at around 800,000, which is the peak during the lunch break. New registrations were growing at a rate of 30 to 50 per minute, which is normal. The version update rate—the percentage of users downloading the new version—was slowly climbing, from 10% to 20%, and then to 30%.
"The update rate is a bit slow," Eric said, staring at the screen. "Many users may not have seen the update notification yet."
"That's normal," David said. "The peak times are in the afternoon and evening."
At two points, the data began to change.
付费交易笔数突然跳了一下：从0变成了5，然后是10，20……金额都很小，0.99美元、4.99美元、9.99美元。
"Someone bought a speed-up card," Li Ming pointed at the screen. "And a Red Diamond membership."
Which region?
"They mainly come from the university town IP range." Li Ming pulled up a geographical distribution map, "Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Caltech... and a few high school IPs."
Three points: The number of paid transactions has exceeded one hundred. Total paid amount: $873.
"The average transaction value is 8.7 yuan," Li Ming calculated, "higher than expected."
"Let's look at the behavior of paying users," Lingyun said.
Another set of data switched to the screen: paid users spent an average of 40% more time online than non-paid users; after paying, their chat frequency increased by 25%; and more than 60% of paid users used their newly acquired permissions—decorating their personal space or creating new groups—within an hour of purchasing.
"They're showing off," Catherine said. "They buy something new and immediately want to use it and show it to their friends."
Four points: Data growth is accelerating.
With the update rate exceeding 50%, over three million users have upgraded to the new version. The number of online users surged to 1.2 million, as the new features attracted more logins.
The number of paid transactions beats like a heartbeat, with new transactions every minute. The cumulative paid amount has exceeded five thousand US dollars.
"The sales ratio of red diamonds to yellow diamonds is 3:1," Li Ming reported. "Users are more willing to spend money on personal customization than on group creation privileges."
"The characteristics of young users," David said, "are that they focus on self-expression first, and then on social organization."
Five o'clock, the end of the workday. The data saw its first peak.
The number of online users surged to 1.5 million. The number of paid transactions increased by over 200 within ten minutes. The total paid amount surpassed $10,000.
The atmosphere in the monitoring room changed. The previous tense silence had turned into low murmurs of discussion.
"This growth rate..." Eric looked at the curve, "is three times faster than during the closed beta."
"Because the user base is large," Lingyun said. "Moreover, social media has a network effect. If one person buys an outfit, their friends might see it and also buy one."
Six o'clock, dinner time. Data briefly dipped, but paid transactions continued.
Total paid amount: US$18,000.
The evening rush hour begins at 7 p.m.
The number of online users surpassed two million. Paid transactions experienced explosive growth—more than fifty per minute. On the screen, the curve representing payment amounts rose almost vertically.
"What happened?" Catherine asked.
Li Ming quickly typed on the keyboard and brought up the real-time log. "A student at Stanford University bought Blue Diamond and a full set of skins, and then posted a link to his profile on the campus forum. The post said: 'The new version of Star Language is so cool, you guys have to check out my profile.' The post has over three hundred replies, and many people clicked on the link, and then... they bought it too."
"Social media spread," David said. "The first person ignited it."
At 8 o'clock, the cumulative paid amount exceeded $50,000.
In the monitoring room, no one was sitting anymore. Everyone was standing, staring at the screens. The data pulsed like living things, each pulse bringing new astonishment.
"Similar posts also appear on MIT's forum..."
"Back in Berkeley, someone is organizing a 'level-up rush' event, forming groups to buy speed-up cards to level up faster..."
"High school girls are comparing whose personal space is prettier..."
Fragments of information came from all over, converging into a clear picture: young people love this system. They are willing to spend money on virtual levels, outfits, and privileges, and they do so without hesitation.
At nine o'clock, Ling Yun left the monitoring room and returned to his office.
Outside the window, Silicon Valley's night was ablaze with lights. Inside the office, the lights were off, only the glow of the computer screen reflected on my face.
He opened his email; there were already over a dozen new emails. The first was from Michael Ross, titled "Supplementary Questions Regarding Today's Press Conference." The second was from Chen Wenhao, titled "Goldman Sachs' Initial Assessment of Xingyu's New Business Model." The third was from Carly, titled "Summary of Media Reports."
He opened Carly's email first.
The attachment is a document listing the titles of the reports that have been published so far:
The Wall Street Journal: "Star Language introduces a gamified payment system, but industry insiders question its sustainability."
San Francisco Chronicle: "Virtual Avatars and Levels: A Wrong Turn for Instant Messaging Software?"
Wired magazine: "Paid Privileges and Free Users: A New Class Division Experiment in Starry Sky"
CNBC TV News: "A New Silicon Valley Bubble? Will Users Really Pay for Chat App Skins?"
TechCrunch blog: "Stargazing Betting: Betting on Young Users' Vanity"
The reports were unanimously skeptical and sarcastic. Some used cautious language, saying "it remains to be seen," while others were more radical, directly asserting "inevitable failure."
Lingyun closed the document. He opened the separate window for backend data monitoring—he could see the real-time data here without going to the monitoring room.
Time: 9:37 PM.
Online users: 2.35 million.
New users registered today: 87,000.
Version update rate: 71%.
Total paid amount: US$84,512.
The numbers are still fluctuating. The payment amount column increases by tens or hundreds every few seconds.
He watched for ten minutes. The amount jumped from 84,000 to 85,000, then to 86,000, and the growth rate did not slow down.
My phone vibrated. It was An Shiyu.
He answered the call.
"I saw the news," her voice came through the receiver. "Those reports... were really nasty."
"Um."
"How are you?"
"It's alright." Ling Yun looked at the numbers flashing on the screen. "The data is speaking for itself."
"What data?"
"Data on users voting with their money," Ling Yun said. "The new feature launched today has already generated over $80,000 in revenue. And it's still rising."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. "Over 80,000? A day?"
"It's only been a day, and it hasn't even reached its peak yet," Ling Yun said. "Young people in America are more willing to spend money on virtual things than the media imagines."
Why?
"Because in real life, they might be just ordinary. But online, they can be anyone they want to be. A cool personal space, a high-level rank, a unique chat skin—these might cost a lot of money or time to acquire in real life, but online, a few dollars are enough."
An Shiyu was silent for a while. "I don't quite understand... but if you think it's right, then it's right."
"The data will be released tomorrow," Ling Yun said. "Then, those media outlets that were mocking us will shut up."
"Will you... retaliate? Like last time?"
"No need to retaliate," Ling Yun said. "The data will prove them wrong."