Chapter 0008: Game peripherals are the most profitable

Haha, Anthony, you are very humorous, I like you. Alright, let's get to the point. I need your help to resolve all my legal issues, no problem right

After William finished speaking, the negotiators from the company all nodded and said nothing more. In recent days, the companies present had sent people to approach William, but he had not revealed any hints. Although they were optimistic about this game, they did not want to be taken advantage of by William, so they decided to wait and see what he had to say.

William greeted the four team members of Anthony with a handshake. Hiring the best lawyer in London and his team for £1,000 an hour did not seem expensive to William at all; if issues arose due to the lawyer's lack of professionalism, William would have no opportunity to cry.

EA and Ubisoft have never considered the matter of agency, but they are concerned that the remaining companies might drive up the agency prices. If that happens, William will no longer sell the games, and they will have come in vain. They nodded in agreement, saying: "£8 is acceptable"

William stopped to look at the person in charge of Jia Re Fu, and he smiled and nodded, as this was somewhat related to Jia Re Fu.

William knows that there will be more companies coming tomorrow than just those present today

After selling 150,000 copies, William stopped producing game discs. He now realizes that the price of 6 pounds was too low, and several guys at school have sold each one for over 10 pounds, which, although not a lot, is still a considerable amount.

"Damn, it is to create wealth for you." The crowd cursed in their hearts

Very well, since everyone can accept the price of 8 pounds, we now have the conditions to continue our discussion. I have the information regarding the sale of 150,000 game discs in London over the course of a month. I won't send it to everyone, as you all must already be aware of it. This is also the reason we can sit together. You may not be aware of this second piece of information, but I believe Mr. He Fu should know.

Anthony knew that William was joking: "Good morning, Mr. Devonshire. If starting the billing ten minutes later would make you happier, then we can start billing at 8:10. I don't mind."

The agents pondered for a moment, realizing that they were all specialized in game agency and understood that William was right; no popular game in the United States was priced below 20 dollars. However, they resented the game companies, thinking to themselves, 'These guys should go to hell. Their own games are sold at such high prices, and now they are competing with us for agency rights.'

Once everyone had quieted down, William continued, "So, if any of you are interested in acquiring the full copyright for Plants vs. Zombies, what price should I offer? The game has sold 1 million copies in mainland Europe, and I believe that is not excessive at all. In fact, I think it would not be difficult to sell over 3 million copies in a few years."

William booked a conference room at the Hilton Hotel in London, and at eight o'clock in the morning, he met with Anthony from the Yuelida Law Firm punctually

William then said: "Gentlemen, let me first state the bottom line that I can accept. If there is too great a disparity with what you can accept, and if you are dissatisfied, I kindly ask that you remain silent and allow me to finish speaking, is that alright"

A few days ago, William received inquiries from these companies, stating that they wanted to discuss agency agreements or were interested in purchasing the game, and then went to seek out some of the top law firms in London.

The merchandise related to Plants vs. Zombies is where the real profit lies. In Europe and America, copyright enforcement is very strict, and lawsuits involving clear copyright issues are almost always guaranteed to succeed

William nodded in agreement, which was also the reason he engaged the services of the lawyers from Yueshida. "OK, I still have great trust in you at Yueshida. As one of the three major law firms in England, your strength and reputation are beyond question. Now, Anthony, let us begin; today is likely to be quite busy."

William continued, "The United States of America can sell 2 million units without any issue, and other countries combined can also account for approximately 2 million units. Gentlemen, please consider how much wealth a game that can sell over 7 million units, along with its merchandise, can create for you"

William stepped onto the podium in the conference room with a microphone and said: "Welcome, gentlemen. My name is William Devonshire, the creator, designer, and everyone behind Plants vs. Zombies. I value your time, so I won't take up too much of it. In recent days, many individuals and companies have approached me, which makes me realize that you are either here to purchase the game rights or to seek the agency for game sales. Am I correct in saying this?"

Then I would have to pay that guy Anthony several tens of thousands of pounds, fortunately, the contract signed with William and the Yue Lida Law Firm is based on hourly fees; if it were a profit-sharing contract, I wouldn't know how much I would have to pay the Yue Lida Law Firm

Anthony, a senior partner at Yuelida Law Firm, charges £1,000 per hour, and negotiations of this nature typically take several days, if not ten days or more, to reach a conclusion

The representatives of the agency now have a rather grim expression, and they probably have a rough estimate in their minds. A few companies are expected to have slightly more than this, but it would only be an increase of several hundred thousand.

Once everyone had found their positions and made the necessary preparations, William did not hold back. Ultimately, everything hinges on the quality, sales, and profitability of the games; no matter how well other aspects are articulated, these game companies and agents will not be interested.

Therefore, Jarefu is very happy right now, as they came here primarily to sell the game merchandise. However, once today's game merchandise sells well, Jarefu will be looking to take advantage of the situation.

As of now, there are quite a few good games from the year 2000, but none have matched the appeal of a game like Plants vs. Zombies, which captures the interest of the elderly, children, and adults alike. It is worth noting that in 2013, Plants vs. Zombies was downloaded over 25 million times

The game has achieved explosive sales in London, with its sales figures and positive reviews attracting major gaming companies such as EA and Ubisoft, as well as game distributors and supermarkets, even drawing the attention of Best Buy, which specializes in DVDs and computer games in the United States. The hundreds of thousands of pounds lost in revenue over these days can be considered as salaries for the hundreds of alumni at the University of London who sell the game, as well as advertising expenses to attract these large companies.

Seeing that no one opposed, William nodded in thanks and said: "Thank you all. Let's talk about the agency first. The agency price I can accept is 8 pounds per game disc, which is roughly 13 dollars. I believe that Plants vs. Zombies can sell for 20 dollars in the United States without any issues. As everyone knows, the purchase price for EPS games in the late 1980s was already 25 dollars. You are all experts in the gaming industry and know that I am right, and you also understand whether the price of 8 pounds is reasonable. So, can you accept 8 pounds? If you can accept it, then we can continue our discussion."

Hearing that 6.45 million pounds were made from selling merchandise in 5 counties around London in just 15 days, these individuals became excited at the prospect of how much could be sold worldwide if the game became a huge success

At 9 o'clock sharp, major companies such as EA, Ubisoft, Bethesda, and others, along with several other game developers, arrived punctually.

William felt pleased and thought, "It seems that these fellows have a high regard for Plants vs. Zombies, especially those game agencies. They do not develop games themselves, but when they encounter a good game, they certainly do not want to let it slip by."

By this calculation, William could lose hundreds of thousands of pounds, but he has no choice. His primary focus now is to establish a reputation for the game. If he can sell each copy for over £10, selling 50,000 copies would be considered a blessing.

The representatives from Baishida and Jiarefu nodded in agreement, indicating their acceptance of this price

Apart from the people from Jia Refu, everyone else in the conference room was hearing the data mentioned by William for the first time

Everyone exchanged glances; all present were competitors. The game had only been famous for a few days, and the companies able to attend this meeting were all very optimistic about Plants vs. Zombies. No one wanted to be the first to take the plunge, and besides, William's request was not too excessive, so they all nodded in agreement once again

Certainly, only barristers can earn substantial money as lawyers, while those assisting barristers earn only a few thousand pounds a month.

Twenty days ago, I signed a licensing contract with Jiahufu for T-shirts, hats, and other daily necessities. In retrospect, I feel I signed too early, but it is no matter; I still want to express my gratitude to Jiahufu Company. This contract authorizes Jiahufu to produce and sell the cartoon images of Plants vs. Zombies in five counties surrounding London. In the first 15 days of sales, the data shows that 430,000 units of Plants vs. Zombies were sold across 120 Jiahufu stores in the London area, averaging 3,600 units sold per store over the 15 days, which translates to 240 units sold daily. The total revenue reached £6.45 million, with an average price of £15 per unit. In the first 15 days of sales, the data shows that 430,000 units of Plants vs. Zombies were sold across 120 Jiahufu stores in the London area, averaging 3,600 units sold per store over the 15 days, which translates to 240 units sold daily. The total revenue reached £6.45 million, with an average price of £15 per unit

Of course, Mr. Devenhill, this is exactly what we do. I assure you that there will be no issues with the contracts handled by our law firm. This is the confidence and commitment of our company, Monthida," Anthony said to William.

After meeting, William and Anthony shook hands and smiled as William asked, "Good morning, Mr. Anthony. It is now 8:00, shall we begin the billing?"