Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast

Chapter 57 : MetaGamer Live Interview (1)

MetaGamer Live Interview (1)

Choi Byeonghun dropped his jaw wide open as if his chin had dislocated.

"MetaGamer? You got an interview offer from there? Are you for real?!"

"I'm serious. It's business, not a joke."

Park Juho replied while adjusting his glasses. Despite Park's blunt attitude, Choi Byeonghun grinned from ear to ear.

"Wow, this is insane. No, wait! They're the ones who are late! How dare they only reach out now?!"

Seeing Choi Byeonghun burst into hearty laughter, Lee Gyeongbok looked puzzled. He leaned toward Park Juho and asked in a low voice.

"Is a MetaGamer interview really that big of a deal, or is Byeonghun just out of it from lack of sleep?"

"I think it's both."

"Both?"

"Yeah. After getting the email, I looked up who they've interviewed before. Genome did one, and so did D'Artagnan."

Genome was plenty famous, but D'Artagnan was a top representative among streamers considered equivalent to a large corporation.

So getting an interview request meant Lee Gyeongbok was now seen as their peer.

But Park Juho didn't stop there.

"But, there hasn't been a single streamer who got interviewed less than a month after starting their broadcast."

"Not even one?"

"Yeah. You're the first."

Park Juho flashed a faint smile. At that, Choi Byeonghun jumped in.

"Guys, that's not all. MetaGamer isn't just any webzine, you know? It's literally at the center of the community."

"What do you mean?"

"MetaGamer provides communities for each game: BarkMeta, mysticMeta, gunGMeta, stuff like that. It's not number one in scale for no reason!"

"I see, so your last highlight video spread through each of those game communities, and they saw it as an opportunity."

Park Juho nodded, getting the gist of the situation. Choi Byeonghun kept grinning.

"Man, this is sick! I told you, genius always gets recognized by the world! Even while you're rocketing up, they're fueling your rise!"

He was already rising to fame; an interview on MetaGamer would only draw more attention.

"It's not just raising your profile. There are practical benefits too."

"Practical?"

"It's faster to just show you. I picked out a few articles."

Park Juho used his smart link to pull up a hologram.

[〈'V-STAR' Festival Special!〉 A Perfect Guide with Streamer Genome]

[〈'E4' Right Now!〉 Exploring the Latest Game with Streamer D'Artagnan!]

[〈'TGX' Experience!〉 A Bumper Crop of Anticipated Games! Streamer TenOry Takes a Look!]

Lee Gyeongbok's eyes widened as he saw the articles lined up.

"What's this?"

"These are articles about domestic and international game expos. MetaGamer does these features together with streamers."

"Ah, right. There's that merit as well if you have a good relationship with MetaGamer. You get invited to big industry events."

Choi Byeonghun nodded beside him. Since MetaGamer was Korea's number one webzine, event organizers would invite them first.

"It'd be boring to write articles in a typical format, so they bring streamers along. Add a little entertainment and it's not dull."

"But they don't just pick anyone. They only use people with no controversies, who've been vetted—a kind of guarantee. You've just gotten that ticket!"

Choi Byeonghun's eyes gleamed as he explained. He didn't say it outright, but was clearly eager for Lee to accept the interview.

"An interview, huh..."

Even Lee Gyeongbok's spiritual energy had no unusual reaction. If there would've been any problem, he'd have felt a slight discomfort, but he didn't sense anything like that.

"They must have experience with this, because they didn't require a face reveal. The interview can take place in a virtual reality studio. They even sent a list of questions—take a look."

Now that the mood was positive, Park Juho showed the list of questions attached by MetaGamer.

The three of them looked through the questions together.

"Oh, nothing controversial here."

"Yeah, compared to the usual interviews, there's nothing to nitpick."

"No real reason to refuse..."

Lee Gyeongbok rolled his eyes for a second, then smiled.

"Let's do the interview."

"Yeah, man! Good decision!"

"It'll definitely be helpful."

His two friends were pleased with his decision, but Lee Gyeongbok didn't finish there.

"But, if we just do a typical interview, it won't be fun."

"What do you mean, just?"

"So what's your idea?"

His friends' looks were full of question marks. Lee Gyeongbok shared his thoughts.

"I think I can get some use out of this interview."

* * *

MetaGamer's editorial office.

There, the head of the influencer team was constantly checking the mailbox.

A knock snapped him to attention.

"Come in."

"Yes, master sergeant..."

"Any reply from Purple!?"

"Uh? Oh, no—not yet."

He didn't try to hide his disappointment at his subordinate's reply. After the staff finished and left, he let out a long sigh.

"Ha, this is crazy..."

Master sergeant was under pressure from above compared to other teams.

The influencer team had long written many articles about the industry, such as 'Streamer Interviews', 'Beginner's Journey into Streaming', and 'MCN Visits'.

But, material was slowly drying up.

'That's the problem with this side. It's gotten so Galápagos.'

Especially in game streaming, things were calcified. Most viewers just wanted to watch successful, entertaining broadcasts.

Not many viewers were interested in discovering new streamers, and even if someone was discovered, very few managed to establish themselves.

'Should I try digging into the actual entertainment field?'

Fortunately, when the team was first named, it was called 'influencer' rather than 'streamer'.

He'd used his network to pave a path into the entertainment world as well. With virtual reality going mainstream, even celebrities were using capsules.

"I really need to bag this one..."

In the midst of that, Purple appeared like rain in a drought. He was a rising star in both skill and buzz.

Plus, with so little known about him, the public was hungry for information. Now was the perfect time for a journalist to step up.

"Does he know his value is rising?"

Normally, when MetaGamer sent out an interview offer, replies were instant or at least returned within three hours.

Even D'Artagnan accepted immediately, so MetaGamer's reputation was something to boast about.

But Purple remained silent.

'Well, it's not even a month yet. I guess he's being careful.'

Master sergeant tried to empathize with his situation.

He never used to request interviews, even if a rising rookie appeared. In the streaming industry, just when someone skyrocketed, they could just as quickly crash.

"Should I call him directly...?"

But Purple was different.

Master sergeant was convinced Purple was the real deal, not just chaff. If they established a good relationship now, there would never be a shortage of story material.

"Tsk, this won't do."

He shook his head.

Now was not the time to just wait. In this field, 'first' and 'exclusive' meant everything. If the competition snatched the opportunity away, it would be too late for regrets.

At that moment—

"Master sergeant!"

A subordinate burst in without knocking. But upon seeing his expression, master sergeant didn't criticize the rudeness.

"Did he reply?!"

"Yes! Purple has agreed to the interview!"

"Yes! That's it!"

Master sergeant let out a boisterous laugh. The sound of clapping and laughter filled the office.

But the subordinate did not follow his laughter.

"Uh, but there's one more thing, sir."

"Oh? What? What is it?"

"Purple requested one condition."

"... A condition?"

Master sergeant's face hardened instantly. His mind raced.

"Is the fee too low? I already got approval for an extra high amount! No, that's not the point. If I put the payment through again, it'll be too late! I'll pay out of my own pocket, just say yes!"

His words sped up, worrying Purple might change his mind. But the employee waved his hands in fluster.

"No, that's not it. It's not about money."

"Then what?"

"It's just..."

The staff scratched his head awkwardly. It was the first time he'd gotten this kind of request.

"He wants the interview broadcast live."

"A live broadcast?"

Master sergeant chuckled in disbelief.

"This guy—he really only sees everything as content."

Apparently, even the interview was part of his broadcast content.

* * *

It was almost time for Purple's broadcast.

― What's on today's broadcast?

― The collaboration with Genome is done; maybe GunG again?

― No special notice, so probably?

-na na, might jump right into a new game.

― Right, the GunG was for the collab anyway.

Fans gathered beforehand and chatted in the chat window. But not only fans were present.

― Hope it's Elden Soul.

― Ah, lol, then the assassins will swarm in right away.

― If the seasoned players flood in, there's no saving it, lol.

― I want NewtonLord to get served in Elden Soul too.

-lol, that would be hilarious.

― Davaec, let's go!

― The whole DavaecMeta welcomes Purple's arrival^^

― Since when are you the rep, lol.

― If NewtonLord exorcises and Purple purges him as a vengeful spirit, he'll finally be set free.

― Wish he'd try Outlaw Universe too.

― With Purple's physical, he'd own Ayu as well, haha.

― That game's all about flying around anyway, lol.

― After you crushed in GunG, time for NewtonLord in Ayu!

― Doesn't he play RPGs, though? ROA is fun...

― Let's do Lost Arcana, run by BitBitBit!

― Haha, the ROA guys are here too.

― Guys, this game is fun^^

― Even those our age enjoy it!

Quite a few new viewers had also arrived after watching the latest highlight reel. Each recommended their favorite games in the chat window.

― But I'm a bit worried;;

― After NewtonLord showed up, it's the next broadcast, so Sagwadan might appear.

― Manager can handle them all, lol.

― Yeah, the manager's perfect, too.

Some viewers worried about a Sagwadan raid. After NewtonLord barged in, streamers targeted for the next broadcast had Sagwadan trolls storm their chat.

While they made a ruckus, the dark screen began playing the intro.

― Oh oh, it's starting.

― Everyone, take your seats!

― What's it gonna be, haha.

― Godple can do whatever Nov wants!

As the intro finished, Lee Gyeongbok greeted them.

"Trha!"

He looked cheerful, thanks to the number of viewers already surpassing 3,000 right after starting.

"We've got more people than usual here today."

― That's what happens when you make NewtonLord retreat, huh.

― Not a Sagwadan guy to be seen today.

― Yeah, after NewtonLord got crushed, they're too embarrassed to show up.

-???: There's no justification for them, none!

― Maybe just lurking though, lol.

― Yeah yeah, I feel you.

Contrary to worries, there were no trolls. But viewers who had dealt with Sagwadan before stayed alert regardless.

"Today's content isn't a game. Instead, we have a special guest."

At the word 'guest', viewers posted question marks in the chat window.

"Everyone, please welcome reporter Shin Hyerim from MetaGamer!"

As Lee spoke, a woman appeared on the screen. She gave a somewhat stiff smile and bowed deeply.

"Hello. I'm Shin Hyerim from MetaGamer, here for the live interview."

― Interview?

― MetaGamer?

― Live broadcast?

-lololol, what's this all of a sudden!

― Never expected this kind of content, what a twist!

― If it's like this, even the Sagwadan guys can't poke their heads in.

The viewers, being gamers themselves, knew the reputation of the webzine MetaGamer.

"You all look surprised. Thankfully, metaGamer reached out for an interview today. But I thought it'd be better to do a Q&A session with all of you instead of going solo."

"Yes, this is our first time doing a live interview, too. Unlike past streamer interviews, we'll be taking on-the-spot questions."

Shin Hyerim relaxed and spoke with clear pronunciation.

"To make sure we don't miss a single one of your voices, we're checking every message in the chat window. We'll gather your questions and sort through them."

"That's right. And if you have any 'doubts' at all, metaGamer will be verifying everything."

Laughter spread through the chat.

― Our Godple always has a plan, huh.

― The meta suppressor is on point.

― Lol, now I can watch the broadcast in peace.

As the chat filled with laughter, Lee Gyeongbok turned to the reporter, whose face was still stiff as she struggled to adapt to the broadcast's vibe.

"Shall we get started?"

"Oh, yes!"

Lee Gyeongbok took over, leading the opening. Shin Hyerim cleared her throat twice and began speaking with a smile.

"Let's begin the interview with Purple, the streamer who's well-known but still shrouded in mystery."

― Yeah, famous but we know little, lol.

― That's what it's like to be a god, eh.

-lolol, really was a god?

― Tell us more, please!

The viewers readily agreed from the get-go. Energized, Shin Hyerim's voice grew clearer.

"Let's briefly review what's public knowledge. First game: Bio Crisis. Amazingly, you reached the true ending on your first playthrough, and even the developers responded, didn't they?"

"Yes, that's right."

"That drew attention from gamers at home and abroad, leading you to hit 100,000 Q-tube subscribers in record time."

"I just woke up one morning, and there it was."

As Lee Gyeongbok answered calmly, Shin Hyerim blinked in surprise.

-lol, the reporter's not used to Purple's confidence.

― Abandon mortal gaze!

― Lol, it's not hard to hit 100k Q-tubers after a nap.

-(Gamer emoji)(Gamer emoji)(Gamer emoji)

― It's already 400k now, lmao.

Viewers were thoroughly entertained, as if watching a rookie.

"Yes, but that wasn't all. The Mystic League's notorious troll champion 'Yami'—your rediscovery of him heated up the community again!"

"Oh, did it?"

Lee Gyeongbok hadn't paid much attention to Mystic League. He'd wrapped up his placement then prepped for the collaboration with Genome.

― King—did he?

― Godple unleashed Yami on Mystic!

― The next day was absolute hell, no matter where you went.

― You'd see Yami everywhere...

― But there was only one perfect Yami.

Shin Hyerim was surprised at his nonchalant attitude but stuck with her script.

"Lastly, the reason you're hottest right now! You're the first ever to beat the infamous 'NewtonLord' in GunG. And all this has happened in less than a month since you started streaming!"

― To be real, not even a month—just three weeks!

― No way! Who'd believe this?

― You've flipped the industry upside down.

― Why didn't you mention the million-won thing!

― Million-won streamer, wow.

As Shin Hyerim and the viewers reacted, Lee Gyeongbok grinned.

"The first win ever, but honestly, it's not such a big deal."

"Excuse me?"

"No matter how many times we meet in the future,"

Lee Gyeongbok spoke to the camera instead of Shin Hyerim.

"I'll be the one who wins."

That confident voice—

-lol, Purple-confidence ON!

― He just made the interview [Per][fect]!

― Streaming is now defined as 'before Purple' and 'after Purple'.

― What, is this like the Old and New Testament?

-???: Rewriting history.

― Breaking: Korea to switch date system—today is 1st of the 1st, year of Purple.

― It's not CE anymore, it's PE (Purple Era), lmao.

― This is crazy, lol.

― Viewers are all high on Purple, lmao.

The chat window overflowed with cheers.

It was an exciting interview from the very start.

Except for one person, who seemed particularly agitated.

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