High-Speed Pursuit Premiere
"I heard the action in this movie is called something like 'gunfighting'?" Bruce Willis turned his head and whispered to Stallone beside him, "Young people these days, they have so many tricks up their sleeves."
Stallone crossed his arms, his muscles clearly defined even through his suit.
He scrutinized the huge poster of Liam Neeson not far away, his eyes carrying a hint of the discerning eye of an old-school superstar.
"It sounds like he's dancing. I'd like to see if this kid can actually dance."
On the other side, a man dressed in an expensive suit, but with the air of a rancher, casually approached a senior film critic from the Los Angeles Times, holding a glass of champagne.
"Hello, I'm from Remington." The man smiled and extended his hand. "We provided some props for this film. Hope you enjoy the movie tonight. It's a very authentic United States film, isn't it? A man fighting for what he owns."
The film critic clinked glasses with him discreetly, his smile perfectly composed.
Free America, gunfights every day.
Film critics certainly understand that some things can be written about, while others are best left untouched.
The lights in the theater slowly dimmed.
The enormous "SEGA" logo appeared on the screen before Universal Pictures ' globe logo for the first time ever, accompanied by that classic electronic sound effect.
A slight commotion arose in the theater, especially among the invited game media reporters, who chuckled knowingly.
Mark Cerny's heart skipped a beat.
He straightened his back, and Dave and the group of programmers next to him subconsciously held their breath.
The movie has started.
The somber yet gorgeous art style and the subdued yet tranquil narrative pace captivated the audience.
When the protagonist's beloved dog is killed and his Ford Mustang, which carries his last thoughts, is stolen, everyone feels that a volcano is about to erupt.
Finally, late at night, the assassin came knocking.
When the first enemy bursts through the door, John Wick, played by Liam Neeson, no longer hesitates.
Without any unnecessary words or pretense, he moved.
He sidestepped, dodged, and slammed his right fist into the opponent's Adam's apple.
In the instant the enemy clutched his neck in excruciating pain and doubled over, he snatched the man's pistol, and without even looking, fired a shot with his backhand, striking the second enemy who was following behind right between the eyebrows.
"Bang!"
The entire movement was fluid and fast, dazzling to the eye, and ruthless enough to make one's scalp tingle!
This is no longer the kind of punch-and-kick exchange seen in traditional action movies; it's a killing art that blends jiu-jitsu with instantaneous defeat techniques!
"He did it! He pulled off that gun-grabbing and counter-killing maneuver!" Dave said in a low voice in the darkness, his whole body trembling with excitement, gripping the armrests of his seat tightly.
That was one of the QTE actions that their team had discussed all night in front of the whiteboard and simulated countless times!
Mark Cerny didn't speak; his eyes were fixed on the screen, but his blood was boiling.
On the screen, the killing continues.
John Wick was like a precise killing machine, aiming every shot at the head or chest. When he ran out of bullets, he would immediately parry with the gun, then strike the enemy's temple with the butt of the gun. In the instant the enemy lost his balance, he would pull out the enemy's spare magazine, reload, and then send him on his way.
The theater was completely silent, save for the muffled, crisp, and layered gunshots and the cracking of bones coming from the Dolby sound system.
Everyone was stunned by this unprecedented style of action.
Especially for those who played games at CES, they now truly understand that those seemingly exaggerated QTE actions in games are actually so realistic and deadly on the big screen!
In the darkness, Stallone leaned forward slightly and slowly returned to the back of his chair.
He turned his head and whispered something in Bruce Willis's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Well, this kid—he's got some skills."
The movie ends, and the cast and crew credits roll.
When Mark Cerny and his team's names appeared in the "Game Concept Design" section, the entire theater erupted in thunderous applause and whistles that lasted for a long time.
Mark let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if all his strength had been drained away.
Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out and saw it was a text message from Tom Kalinske.
"The movie was great, wasn't it? Now it's our turn."
"At midnight, let all the players in North America become him."
Friday, July 17th, the heat of summer in North America was stifling.
A long queue formed outside the cinema ticket hall, not only for the movie "John Wick," but also because many people were attracted by the row of black arcade machines on one side of the lobby.
That was the brainchild of Mark Cearney's team—the light gun game of the same name.
Just like the frenzy surrounding the release of "Hook" a few months ago, people waiting to see the film, especially young faces, flocked to these new "big guys".
Light gun games inherently have a very low barrier to entry, especially for the people of this land.
Gun culture is deeply ingrained, and almost every United States can recognize the design of a lightsaber at a glance.
Colt, Remington, Marlin —these brands familiar to everyone in movies and in real life—now appear in the hands of collectors as life-size alloy models, heavy and with a realistic feel.
"Bang!"
Each time the trigger is pulled, the gun vibrates slightly but clearly, simulating the recoil of firing a gun. Although this recoil is not large due to design limitations, it can only be described as small. However, the recoil feedback brought by pulling the trigger allows players to accurately control their shooting rhythm.
The crosshair jumps across the screen, causing the image to shake, making the player feel as if they are actually holding a real weapon that could go off at any moment.
This level of immersion far surpasses any previous light gun game.
"Hey, buddy! Watch this!" a young man with dreadlocks shouted, waving an M4 rifle model in his hand so fast it was almost a blur.
On the screen, John Wick is surrounded by several enemies and is about to be torn apart by bullets.
Suddenly, a large "A" button appeared. Without hesitation, the young man pressed the auxiliary button on the side of the light gun. On the screen, John Wick slid sideways, dodging the bullets while simultaneously snatching an enemy's pistol. He pressed the muzzle against the enemy's chin in an instant, and then with a "click," it was clean and efficient.
"Wow--!" The crowd erupted in exclamations.
"This—this is the kind of game United States should be playing!" a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap couldn't help but shout, his eyes glued to the screen, seemingly still reeling from the QTE execution.
His friend next to him chuckled and nudged him, saying, "Joe, are you Sega shill?" As he spoke, his hand reached for the ticket window.
The middle-aged man didn't seem to mind, chuckled, and pointed to the arcade machine. "This game makes you want to watch a movie."
I need to know what this killer went through to be able to do such a clean job.