The meeting that followed went very smoothly.
Once everyone accepted the concept, they no longer questioned the various subsequent settings and only asked about the reasons behind them.
For example, the main setting of Visage was a large Mansion.
Players had to explore the house alone, investigating the families who had once lived there and learning what had happened to them.
Infinite Network Entertainment was curious why the game had to be confined indoors. Wouldn't an outdoor setting allow for better exploration and attract players more effectively?
Faced with this question, Meng Shu merely smiled.
These people had seen too little horror. They simply did not understand that indoor horror was far more intense and thrilling than outdoor horror.
After all, an open environment diluted the atmosphere of fear to a certain extent.
But indoors, where walls surrounded you on all sides, the sense of horror became incredibly effective.
That was also why Outlast 2 was not as scary as Outlast 1.
Most of Outlast 2 took place outdoors, with only a few indoor school sections retaining that long-lost horror flavor.
So he only gave a simple explanation. Once they were convinced, he moved on to the next topic.
Very quickly, Infinite Network Entertainment raised curious questions about the gameplay.
They asked why players had to investigate the histories of the house's previous residents. Even if there were connecting clues between them, wouldn't that make the plot feel fragmented and unclear?
They hoped Meng Shu could take a page from shooting games, with simple and direct plots that were not so complicated and could be easily understood by players.
But Meng Shu said that was precisely the charm of exploration and puzzle-solving games.
Letting players discover things step by step, search bit by bit, and finally piece together the truth of the incident would give them a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that made them feel their efforts had been worthwhile.
It would also make players feel that they were truly enjoying the game.
Rather than having a task-like experience like shooting games, where they just went bang bang bang, paused to catch their breath after getting hurt, then went bang bang bang again, changed maps, kept going bang bang bang, cleared the level, and deleted the game.
After hearing this explanation, Infinite Network Entertainment said nothing further and instead became curious about the game's detailed plot.
[President Meng, we're very curious about the exploration and puzzle-solving gameplay you mentioned. Could you tell us about the story behind this game?]
"Of course. I was planning to save it for later, but it's fine to show you now. So, first..."
Meng Shu scrolled the mouse, quickly flipping through the PPT before stopping near the end.
The projection screen now displayed thumbnail sketches.
They were clearly some kind of concept designs.
Meng Shu enlarged one of the sketches. It showed an indoor setting.
But three people were tied up inside.
Even though it was only a sketch, the people at the meeting could vaguely make out an adult woman, a Little Boy, and a little girl.
They looked at the image in confusion and waited for an explanation.
Meng Shu did not keep them guessing and slowly began to speak.
But his very first sentence stunned everyone.
"At the beginning of the game, the protagonist is already dead."
WTF!?
The protagonist died right at the start?
Before they could ask anything, Meng Shu continued.
"The protagonist first shot his family, then killed himself. That is the opening of the game."
As he spoke, he pointed his mouse at the three people tied up in the sketch. The implication was obvious.
Those three people were the protagonist's family.
Deputy Director Li from Infinite Network Entertainment could no longer stay calm. He spoke directly, his tone filled with intense curiosity.
[President Meng, if the protagonist dies at the very beginning, then who does the player control?]
"The protagonist."
Deputy Director Li: .
[President Meng, I'm completely confused, so I won't interrupt you any further. You must have your reasons for designing it this way.]
Meng Shu curled his lips into a smile and shook his head.
"Don't worry. The protagonist's suicide at the start is necessary for the plot. The person the player controls afterward is still the protagonist, only a protagonist who has lost his memories after death."
"One of the player's goals is to uncover why the protagonist killed himself."
Meng Shu scrolled the mouse again, switching to another sketch.
It showed a well connected to several massive pipes.
The ground was covered in large pools of water, with corpses floating across their surfaces.
Everyone looked at the sketch and waited for an explanation.
Meng Shu picked up his cup, took a small sip to wet his throat, then began explaining.
"This image shows the Sewage Treatment Plant that appears during the game. Our protagonist works there."
"The setting is like this: above the treatment plant is a Pharmaceutical Factory secretly conducting a mental experiment. The Anti-Stress Pill that restores sanity in the game comes from there. So in the setting, the protagonist also works for that Pharmaceutical Factory. He developed a hallucinogenic drug that could spread through water, giving him a certain degree of influence."
"The organization was very pleased. It colluded with the Police Station and the hospital, turning the entire Town in the game into an experimental zone and appointing the protagonist as the person in charge."
"At the same time, it selected a historic Mansion in the Town and converted it into an Experimental Observation Room with secret rooms and hidden passages, making it easier to collect the residents' mental data."
"With this beginning, the first unsuspecting family moved into the house: the Lucy family, which I mentioned in the PPT."
At that moment, Manager Liang from Infinite Network Entertainment indicated that he had something to say.
Meng Shu smiled and gestured for him to speak.
[President Meng, based on your plot design, could it be that the protagonist caused the deaths of those families?]
As soon as he said that, Xu Hong and the other two exchanged looks. Clearly, they had guessed it as well.
After all, it was far too obvious.
The house had been remodeled, yet the residents who moved in had no idea they were under surveillance, nor did they know that strangers were living in their own home with them.
Just thinking about it sent chills down their spines!
[So the protagonist's purpose in doing this was experimentation, correct?]
"Of course. Next comes the story of the Lucy family."
"Through various methods, combined with the hallucinogenic drug spread through water, the protagonist successfully drove Lucy insane and isolated her from her parents. Her parents took her to the hospital for treatment, but it only made things worse, because the hospital was also one of the organization's participants."
"In the end, under the protagonist's manipulation, Lucy ripped off her own lower jaw alive, completing the collection of experimental data from the first family."
"The police were also participants in the organization, so they quickly suppressed the news to allow the experiment to continue. Then it was the turn of the second family to move in: the Dolores family."
By this point, Manager Liang from Infinite Network Entertainment had already understood the general gameplay.
[I think I know what kind of game this is now, President Meng. You have some very interesting ideas, and I strongly support you. But why did the protagonist kill himself?]
Meng Shu moved the PPT to another sketch. It showed a couple who appeared deeply in love.
"After doing so many guilty things, he naturally felt remorse. So the protagonist had been taking the organization's Anti-Stress Pills for a long time to maintain stability in his life."
"Do you see this concept art? In my setting, the protagonist achieved success in both career and love, had a son and a daughter, and lived an ordinary life. But he had worked for the organization for over twenty years and knew far too much. So..."
Meng Shu flipped the PPT again, moving to another sketch.
It was a concept image of the mansion's secret rooms and hidden passages being sealed off.
"...it became the protagonist family's turn to be placed inside the mansion."
When Xia Nianzhen heard that, a chill ran down her spine.
This setting... was too ruthless.
Would I have to create the scenes for such a terrifying mansion too?
"Afterward, the protagonist's Anti-Stress Pills were switched with Stress-Release Pills. At that point, the pressure, guilt, and unease that had accumulated over the years were released in an instant. Unable to bear it, the protagonist naturally suffered a mental breakdown, killed his entire family, and then killed himself."
As he spoke, Meng Shu returned the PPT to the first sketch of the three tied-up people.
"So the game begins with the protagonist's suicide. Then, without understanding why, the player controls the protagonist's consciousness inside this mansion and looks back on the fates of those families to see the protagonist's own sins clearly."
"Overall, the entire game is a journey of self-redemption after the protagonist's death. The main gameplay centers on players personally experiencing the tragic suffering and desperate pain of those families. After learning their stories, they choose whether the protagonist reaches a redemption ending or a fallen ending."
"Everything is left for the player to decide."
"That is the plot of Visage. I haven't explained it in too much detail, but I hope you understand."
Silence—
The meeting room fell into brief silence.
Xu Hong and the others had already furrowed their brows as they imagined the plot in their minds.
To be honest, this plot was indeed deeper than the simple and straightforward bang bang bang games on the market.
At the very least, everything they had just heard would be explored and discovered by the players themselves.
When players went from knowing nothing, to gradually understanding, and finally uncovering the truth to discover the massive twist that the protagonist was actually the villain, the confusion and shock would surely be fascinating!
Xu Hong and the others were already filled with anticipation for the game.
Infinite Network Entertainment fell silent. They had clearly muted themselves to discuss it.
Before long, Manager Liang's voice sounded from the call.
[President Meng, I think I roughly understand your game now. The plot you've created is truly imaginative. It's clear that you've prepared thoroughly and put a great deal of effort into this game. You must be determined to make it succeed. Since you think so highly of it, and the game is indeed very good, we have no reason to doubt your judgment. This game...]
After a pause, Manager Liang's next words were decisive.
[The funding approval will be issued within three days. Infinite Network Entertainment will fully support it!]
Now that some of the game's settings had been explained clearly, production could begin immediately. I would directly shorten the development period and not go into too much detail, getting to the main story as soon as possible.
Thank you to Little Troll Fake for the 11,500 reward! Thank you to Clear Moon Return for the 1,500 reward! Thank you to Morning Comfort Ordinary for the 100 reward! Thank you all for your tremendous support! It gives me more motivation to write!
Thank you to Little Troll Fake for supporting with 7 monthly tickets! Thank you to Clear Moon Return for supporting with 3 monthly tickets!
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