I wonder if this was intentional on GAMENOVA's part.
The official release date for Biohazard is set for July.
This timing was precisely aligned with the timeline shown in the promotional video.
Although the promotional video, which is only a little over three minutes long, is not very detailed, it is very clear in terms of timeline and location.
July 1998, Raccoon City, Colorado.
It's roughly ten years from now, a classic time choice for a science fiction theme.
As for "RaccoonCity", it should be a completely fictional city.
"A mountain town surrounded by mountains on three sides—that sounds just like Denver."
Hawk walked toward the game store, casually flipping through the emergency publication number he had just picked up from the newsstand.
It seems that magazines like Electronic Games have already gotten their hands on a lot of more detailed information.
However, due to confidentiality agreements, only a small, vague portion has been released so far.
Hawk patted his pants pocket.
It was stuffed with a thick wad of ten-dollar bills.
He really went all out.
In order to secure today's pre-order launch, he specifically went to his cousin's house to borrow this cash.
Otherwise, he'll be broke this month after buying the game.
Hawk took out the banknotes and quickly counted them.
The price is for two portions, plus a redundancy of fifty yuan.
"I never expected my cousin, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, to play video games."
Half of this money should naturally be used to help my cousin as well.
The rest was a reward for his errand service.
You should know that although my cousin is very good at skateboarding, he doesn't actually have much money.
After all, it's not a popular sport like football or basketball, and even the prize money for the champion is quite limited.
Hawk carefully put the money away before striding into the store.
The moment he stepped inside, he immediately and clearly sensed the impact of the high price.
The store was packed with people, just like when new releases are held every year; it was crowded everywhere.
The parking lot outside was packed with cars, with newly arrived vehicles and those searching for parking spaces facing each other on the road.
Everything was the same as usual.
However, the situation at the payment counter was much more delicate this time.
"There aren't many people in line?"
There are still teams available; the world is never short of people willing to spend such a large sum of money to buy games.
However, the quantity is clearly an order of magnitude smaller.
There were only a few lines, each a few meters long, standing there.
A few people would move forward every now and then, and then a few more would join to fill in, so the total number of people remained at roughly this level.
In the past, if you wanted to snag a first-release item, you couldn't even dream of it without queuing at the store all day.
The line to pay stretched from the store all the way to the parking lot!
"That's good, saves me from queuing here all day."
"Yes, sir, I'd like to pre-order two copies of Biohazard, right?"
The shop assistant nodded, entered his information into the PC, and then reached out to take the money Hawk handed her.
But Hawk seemed to still have something on her mind; her fingers unconsciously tightened around the banknotes, gripping the wad of cash so tightly that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull it out.
To be fair, Hawk did regret it.
But it's not because of pre-orders!
He looked into the clerk's eyes, gritted his teeth, and suddenly reached into his pocket, pulling out a wad of banknotes.
This was the last bit of change he had.
Including the extra reward from his cousin, this money was just enough to buy another set.
"I want to buy three sets!"
He slammed the money down on the table with a loud thud, as if he had made a very difficult decision.
Even if he has to eat dirt this month, he's willing to take the gamble.
The limited-time original price and GAMENOVA's undefeated legend gave him a vague premonition.
This new game will definitely be an investment product that rivals Pokémon.
Late June, Denver, Colorado.
The development work has finally come to an end, and the factory is now operating at full capacity to prepare inventory.
The development team and the entire Industrial Light & Magic team pitched in, and thankfully they made it to the deadline, preventing Gamenova from achieving its first-ever delay.
Lin Lixin returned to the mansion in Denver a few days ago.
Now that the development work is finished, the development team members have begun to leave one after another with their equipment in the past two days.
However, while the people have been evacuated, such a large estate cannot be moved.
"Phew, that was the last batch of rendering machines."
Sam wiped the sweat from his brow and watched as the professional transport vehicle took away the several expensive machines.
For this project, GAMENOVA mobilized almost all of its production capacity.
Not only were MicroNova's own machines used there, but even Lucas's machines were temporarily requisitioned.
As a result, Lucasfilm's post-production work was suspended for a month, and they temporarily used old equipment as a substitute.
Sam turned to look at the magnificent mansion behind him and asked, "So—what about this house?"
To make a game, they went straight to Denver and bought an entire estate.
Even if you have money, you shouldn't waste it like that.
This is why Lin Lixin is the super dictator Tyrant of GAMENOVA. Such behavior would be a baffling move that would get him kicked out of the core circle in any listed company.
Look at Jobs.
Wasn't the creator of this Apple kicked out of NeXT because of his autocratic style?
If it weren't for Lin Lixin's World Wide Web providing a lifeline, that exorbitantly expensive workstation alone would have been enough to cripple NeXT.
But Lin Lixin is different from most other manufacturers; he is GAMENOVA itself.
He is also the undisputed king in the game.
They spent tens of millions of dollars to buy an estate and even set up a company specifically for its renovation.
Such a gesture is unique in the world.
It's fortunate that they have the semiconductor business to support them.
"Of course I won't just let it sit here collecting dust."
Lin Lixin chuckled, " The Umbrella will resume construction in the next couple of days, and Trevor is also working diligently on the blueprints."
He reached out and patted Trevor, who was standing to the side gesturing around with a large blueprint.
Upon hearing his words, Trevor stopped what he was doing and nodded excitedly.
"Yes, sir, yes! Believe me, this manor will surely become an immortal legacy in gaming history!"
Trevor looked at the blueprint in his hand.
Soon, this place will be transformed into Theme Park, just like the Pokémon Gym before.
A comprehensive entertainment facility encompassing gift shops, museums, and themed experiences.
"Mr. Lin, you see, the central hall will become a major hub. We'll transform it into ticket booths and a place to buy snacks and drinks. We'll install turnstiles here, and beyond that is the spot you requested where you could 'turn around and smile.' This..." " Theme Park?"
Sam walked over in surprise and glanced at the blueprint.
After a brief moment of confusion, he quickly figured out what Lin Lixin was up to.
"I'm testing it, is it Haunted House?"
In that instant, he was pulled back to that evening in the ditch where Lin Lixin had made him fumble for the fuse in the dark.
Goodness, this thing definitely needs an informed consent form stating that people with heart conditions are prohibited from visiting.
Lin Lixin burst into laughter.
"Yes, it's Haunted House, otherwise the props Lucas helped make would be wasted."
He stared intently at the Western-style mansion, a helpless, bitter smile on his face.
"Family members, I'm genuinely doing charity by offering $99 for the initial launch!"