Chapter 33

I am not a sock puppet of San Qian, and this book is not a bandwagon.

Always the same, I ask for votes.

...

By the time Catherine returned home, it was already seven in the evening.

Although she wanted to go back to school, the thought of what happened last night made her want to take some time to be alone.

In her free time, Catherine sat at her desk and began to continue writing the fourth part of Harry Potter.

It was actually already completed, but since the plot had been revised by Catherine, she wanted to check for any bugs and do some "polishing."

"Pairing Harry and Hermione... it seems really good."

In fact, in Catherine's heart, Harry Potter and Hermione were a pair, but she never expected that Ron would end up being the one to "wear the green hat."

Perhaps this was Aunt Rowling's intention, but Catherine thought about it and didn't know if she should make any changes.

But as she thought, another idea suddenly came to her mind.

Maybe...

Why not turn Harry Potter into a game?

Since everyone likes Hermione or Harry so much, why not let them pursue it themselves?

Yes!

That's it!

Catherine suddenly became excited.

If the later Harry Potter series could be adapted into various computer games, why couldn't she do the same?

Of course, computer games were out of the question, but Catherine thought of the aborted TRPG project.

If it were a TRPG, it might just work!

TRPG stands for Tabletop Role-Playing Game, where people play the roles of characters in the game, and dice and the game master determine the outcomes. "Dungeons & Dragons" is the most famous example, and it was later adapted into a computer game.

Why not develop in that direction?

Yes!

Catherine became excited.

If there were tabletop games, it would be much easier to introduce similar electronic games in the future. And "Dungeons & Dragons" has made a fortune from selling game licenses. Why shouldn't she do the same?

Not only that, but her fashion design store could also design cosplay costumes for these enthusiasts.

After all, Americans are just as passionate about cosplay as the Japanese, and they emphasize the authenticity of the portrayal.

The idea was good, but there was still a big problem in front of her—

That was the copyright she had sold to Paperback Publishing. Although it was only for the first three parts, it was still somewhat inconvenient to use.

If it could be changed to a license, that would be better.

Catherine thought for a moment and then picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is Robert."

A familiar voice came from the other end.

"Regarding the next four parts of Harry Potter, I am considering having Paperback Publishing continue to publish them... but I hope to revise the contract..."

Fortunately, although she had already started writing the fourth part, she hadn't discussed the contract with Paperback Publishing. Although they offered a high price, she felt it was inappropriate, so she put it on hold and only told the company that she had a few more novels but hadn't started writing them yet—though they were actually almost finished.

Now, she finally had leverage to negotiate.

Although Robert was a bit inexperienced, he was diligent. At least the content of their conversation today would reach the editor-in-chief within ten minutes.

She was right, and soon she received a call from Paperback Publishing.

They agreed to change the copyright buyout to an exclusive license for Catherine, but they required that only Paperback Publishing could publish it, and she could not license it to other publishers for five years. If she wanted to publish in Europe, she had to prioritize the subsidiary of Paperback Publishing.

Moreover, Paperback Publishing wanted to insert an advertisement for the tabletop game in the hardcover edition.

"Harry Potter" is a slow-burning novel. The first two parts sold well, but this was not its peak. However, Paperback Publishing, which started with high royalties, then formed a scale effect, and led the industry.

Although the paths of the two countries and systems were different, the foresight of Paperback Publishing could not be underestimated.

They had tentatively agreed over the phone, and then they just needed to sign a contract. Of course, Catherine's contract also required the signature of a guardian.

"Alright, there's only one more issue."

This issue was to create a popular set of rules.

Catherine first targeted the middle class who had the leisure time to play tabletop games.

But...

Catherine suddenly thought of another group.

—Children.

Many things in America start "bombarding" people from a young age, like Barbie dolls and Transformers.

Some say that the reason Americans are "nostalgic" is because these things have been ingrained in their minds from a young age.

Regardless, capturing the hearts of children meant success.

Moreover, there was the saying: "Whoever dares to underestimate the intelligence of Americans can achieve success."

Catherine didn't have the twenty years of dormancy that "Dungeons & Dragons" had.

She wanted to make a splash.

So, the game rules had to be simple and easy to pick up. Therefore, the complexity had to be significantly reduced.

Catherine had initially considered releasing two sets of rules, one for adults and one for children.

But now, she changed her mind. The rules would still be two sets, but they would be the "Mass Market Edition" and the "Professional Edition." The models would also need two sets, one cute version for children and one for adults.

The Mass Market Edition would have simplified rules, while the Professional Edition would be similar to the later D&D rules—although many Americans are slow, the smart ones can make any rule-setter's head spin, and they often have Jewish heritage.

The former would have a lot of freedom, making it fun for everyone, while the latter would focus more on role-playing.

Although that was the case, just creating the simplified rules for the Mass Market Edition took Catherine more than a month, and she didn't finish the basic rules until May.

After all, the original Harry Potter plot wasn't very suitable for a game because it lacked a "leveling up" system.

So, Catherine had to revise the plot, highlighting the power system more to make the story and the power system more consistent. She racked her brains and finally came up with a version that was somewhat acceptable.

As for the model design, that was relatively simple. Catherine's rarely used drawing skills finally came in handy.

She drew various character design sketches, but the actual production would take some time.

As time gradually approached June, Catherine's second book signing was also approaching.

Catherine had high hopes for this signing. Not only for the promotion of the tabletop game and the witch Blair, but she also had a premonition that this would be the start of her American dream.

A real one.