America: The Godfather Game Development, Chapter 434
Keanu Reeves one of the few actors who has remained handsome from youth to old age.
He starred in many well-known works, including " The Matrix," " Constantine," and " The Devil's Advocate."
Of course, if we're talking about the most classic character on screen...
That would undoubtedly be the John Wick series, hailed as the king of action movies, also known as the famous John Wick.
The protagonist, John Wick, can easily wipe out an entire gang with just a damn pencil!
He was truly unstoppable, killing gods and Buddhas alike. He fought his way up from small-time thugs to powerful religious sects, and anyone who crossed him met a terrible end.
Because a petty thug killed the dog left behind by John Wick's deceased wife, he single-handedly uprooted the entire gang.
If we're looking for a suitable lead actor for this film, Keanu Reeves would be a better fit than Tom Cruise, who was previously considered.
When Constantine can shatter hell, when John Wick can overturn the dark side, when a lawyer can bring down Al Pacino, the Godfather.
He's definitely one of the most ruthless people in the film industry.
There was even a so-called "Big Four" theory within the industry that one should never touch.
Keanu Reeves ' Dog, Jason Statham's Delivery Service, Liam Neeson's Daughter, Denzel Washington's Friend.
However, right now, Keanu Reeves, like John Depp, is still a young and fresh-faced actor who has only recently debuted.
He's still a ways off from becoming the future mob bulldozer John Wick.
But in other words----
He is now at the peak of his youthful charm, just like he was during the " Constantine " era.
There's a saying, "One puff of Constantine's cigarette is worth ten years of work by the World Tobacco Control Organization."
Regardless of whether this constitutes a negative impact, this comment alone is enough to prove just how handsome this guy is.
He was handsome in a way that even a grown man would have to admit.
If I wanted to create a classic character that all players would remember, a character that would immediately come to mind whenever players thought of "assassin" or "agent"—
Keanu Reeves would definitely be the most suitable candidate.
Even more so— Keanu Reeves already had connections with the video game industry, and his partner was an old acquaintance of Lin Lixin.
He voiced Shadow, the "ultimate life form" in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Well, it actually fits the character surprisingly well.
While waiting for Lucas to contact the actors, Lin Lixin also needs to start preparing the other parts of " Hotline Miami ".
Besides the most crucial gameplay itself, music is also a very prominent element in this work.
In a professional recording studio in the Bay Area, not far from GAMENOVA's headquarters.
Hans Zimmer listened quietly to Lin Lixin's description, looking slightly puzzled.
"Synth - Wave?"
Even Hans Zimmer, who was exceptionally skilled at tinkering with synthesizers, showed a rare look of bewilderment when faced with such a term, because it was indeed the first time he had heard it used this way.
That's understandable.
Although the synthesizer wave itself is a retro electronic and synthesizer pop style that is simulated by synthesizers, it is actually a concept that was born after the millennium.
The simulated retro sound is like GAMENOVA's attempt to create a retro pixel style using a 32-bit chip—it's a completely different concept.
However, it is essentially a unique form of electronic music that blends all the popular culture of the 1980s.
Once you really understand it, it's actually not that complicated.
This is especially true for a master like Hans Zimmer.
Let me think about how to explain this to you—do you have a drum machine here?
"Of course, the LinnDrum we just got is definitely powerful enough."
"Okay, I'll think about it."
Who is Lin Lixin?
Grammy Award- winning game producer has always had a strong background in music.
With a few simple adjustments, a pre-designed drum pattern begins to loop.
Next comes the synthesizer.
Lin Lixin tried adjusting the knobs to get the tone to the most suitable value.
Thanks to the one and only music workstation in the world, handcrafted by MicroNova, the real-time effects function, while not particularly smooth, has already saved them a lot of trouble.
He pressed a chord on the keyboard, and it started looping again.
Just by layering these two audio tracks, the room was instantly filled with that unique retro atmosphere.
Oh, the retro vibe is a reflection of the future.
In today's context, its style is difficult to define with appropriate words.
The unique timbre produced by the sawtooth waves of the oscillator creates amazing effects that only synthesizers can achieve.
Hans Zimmer himself plays with synthesizers, so he naturally understands the intricacies of the sound.
"Masterful skill----"
Although he could do the same, the fact that Lin Lixin, a mere game developer, could so casually produce a simple yet addictive loop speaks volumes.
"No wonder he started out making arcade games; he's a true master of loop games."
Hans Zimmer thought so.
"One more synthesizer, bro."
"Huh? OK!"
In other studios, if there are different needs, the sound parameters need to be carefully recorded before any changes can be made.
If you want to play different instruments, that's really a hassle.
But they're Gamenova machines, one isn't enough? Then just buy two!
This time it's bass.
Despite the fact that people often make jokes about bass, in the synth wave system, bass is undoubtedly the true core.
Without bass, there is no so-called synthetic wave.
After all, there's no guitar in this system, so the bass has to carry the entire mid-low frequency range while also filling in the gaps in the drum kit—it's quite a busy job.
As soon as the bass note came out, the previously empty and soft melody instantly stood up.
In particular, Lin Lixin also incorporates a certain psychedelic electronic flavor.
That little odor, it just pops up when you scratch it.
The abundance of distortion, delay, and echo effects, combined with the whimsical urban Japan imagery inherent in synthesizer waves themselves, creates a unique ambiance.
For a moment, Hans Zimmer was stunned, lost in thought.
Like a dream, like an illusion, like reality, like fiction, chaotic yet organic.
In a daze, he saw a palm tree, a palm tree waving at him----
No, those are police lights flashing—or perhaps Japan from a nightclub—
Strong liquor, audio equipment, punk, psychedelic—
Are the Japan beckoning to me? Is it a car, or a crime?
No, it's a palm tree----
It's like the palm trees are waving at me.
"Hey! Wake up! Hey, the palm tree grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard."
Hans Zimmer's dazed state gradually faded away.
The Mew before his eyes solidified; it was Lin Lixin, Lin Lixin waving to him.
"I get it! Synthesizer wave! Brilliant idea!"
Hans Zimmer, having worked on projects with GAMENOVA before, possessed dual experience in both the video game and film industries, which allowed him to grasp Lin Lixin's reason for choosing this system almost instantly.
The fast-paced, intense rhythm is perfect for an arcade game that's all about fast-paced action.
The ferocious bass low frequencies can also make players' hearts race and their adrenaline surge uncontrollably.
With this clever and addictive loop design, it's easy for a player to lose track of time and forget everything else while playing in the arcade.
This is a magical style that was simply born for arcades.
Just like a priest buffing teammates in a team fight, one Berserk skill enrages the entire team.
He finally understood: Lin Lixin wanted to drive people mad, to make them—
It's so exciting it'll make you feel like you're flying!
This fusion of psychedelic electronic and synthesizer waves is almost like a cyberdrug.
"Got it?"
Lin Lixin turned off the drum machine and synthesizer that were still looping and looked at Hans Zimmer.
Lin Lixin was truly amazed by Hans Zimmer's incredible ability to deduce the entire game's theme from just a demo of " He's Pirates! ".
Frankly speaking, even someone as strong as Lin Lixin would find it difficult to do this.
At most, it's about understanding the musical intent and deciphering the entire structure and composition process in reverse.
"Of course! Muscle cars and palm trees, Japan and gunfire, psychedelia and violence—and the Vice City Miami!"
"That's amazing?"
Lin Lixin nodded in surprise, "Yes, you guessed exactly right. The game I'm planning to develop is one where people go on a killing spree under psychedelic Japan."
Throughout 1989, GAMENOVA was busy producing those "mainstream" works.
They haven't visited their beloved 17+ player community in far too long.
Since Quake, Gamenova hasn't been able to produce a truly meaningful work that embodies the aesthetics of violence.
Even among films that are somewhat related to gore, only Biohazard is mentioned.
That won't do; we have to treat everyone fairly.
Well, the real reason is that the main consumer group of arcades is not young kids.
Teenagers and adults are the real main force here.
What they need is not a cute and cuddly Eevee or a leisurely Pirates! Adventure.
What they need is pure, unadulterated pleasure and violence!
Just like in " John Wick," it's all about the thrill!
"You're the main contributor to this project. Whether you can get players to spend money non-stop depends on your music."
Lin Lixin spoke earnestly.
This wasn't just empty talk or empty promises.
To keep players in a state of flow, continuously and enthusiastically inserting coins into the machine, the music and the game itself must be closely integrated.
To achieve this effect, they had to implement an important function.
"Whether it's during loading or during the process of dying and respawning, your music will not be interrupted for even half a second."
Music is the player's heartbeat; music is flow itself.
Once the music stops, whether it fades out or stops abruptly, it gives players a chance to think.
What Lin Lixin needs to do is to deprive this only window of opportunity for reflection and fill all the space where there is still time to think about trivial matters.
"Keep it up, I need to go back and work on this level design."