Let's take a closer look at the resources Lucas has at his disposal.
Actually, it really is the most suitable company in the Gamenova camp for making Adventure games.
Both Star Wars and Indiana Jones are top-tier American IPs.
Especially Indiana Jones, a work born from the word " Adventure ".
It doesn't even require much modification; it can be directly applied to the original "myst".
Because The Myst is actually a work with a lot of Raiders of the Lost Ark vibes.
The protagonist discovers a mysterious book.
Opening this magical book that connects to another world will lead you to a lost Civilization — the D'ni Civilization.
The entire game involves the player taking on the role of the protagonist, traversing different eras through the Linking Book, solving puzzles, and gradually revealing the full picture of the D'ni Civilization.
hiss...
From this perspective, it doesn't even require any modifications.
Isn't this a classic Raiders of the Lost Ark template? Indiana Jones discovered a mysterious manuscript during an archaeological expedition.
It records a lost ancient Civilization that does not exist in any existing books.
This Civilization possessed a magical technology that enabled it to record the world, and thus the entire Civilization was documented in manuscripts.
In order to uncover this lost history, Indiana Jones then travels to the Myst.
"In short, that's roughly the plot. This part doesn't need to be too complicated or obscure; the focus should be on the design of the puzzles."
Lin Lixin explained the general process to the group.
There weren't many people in the meeting room.
Even people from Gamenova's own development department didn't come.
Present were producer and screenwriter George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg, director of the Raiders of the Lost Ark series.
Besides that, there are Caneghem and a few technically skilled lead programmers from Infocom.
"I see. So it's actually like an Raiders of the Lost Ark movie, only interactive?"
Lucas nodded repeatedly, roughly understanding what Lin Lixin wanted to do. If the latest graphics technology were used, it could indeed make a significant breakthrough in terms of immersion.
He was never a producer who was content with the status quo.
Lucas's style of doing things is very similar to that of Lin Lixin and Hans Zimmer, with a greater emphasis on system building and matrix-based operation.
Film is certainly an important part of the entertainment industry.
But Lucas believes that as the industry develops, video games will account for an increasingly larger proportion.
From the very beginning, he has been working to advance the development of computer graphics and interactive media technologies.
Looking across Hollywood, Lucasfilm is undoubtedly the most rebellious company, bar none.
Um...
If I had to categorize it, Pixar is also a very avant-garde pioneer.
However, the person in charge behind it Steve Jobs... is actually also a member of Gamenova.
Lucasfilm excels at the ingenious combination of CG technology and props, thanks to Industrial Light & Magic's powerful post-production capabilities and the meticulously refined techniques of its props team.
In terms of combining the real and the virtual, no one can surpass him.
After all, whether it's Raiders of the Lost Ark or Star Wars, the props team really needs to be top-notch.
Pixar poached Industrial Light & Magic's early computer animation department and rapidly expanded based on this foundation, specializing in computer animation.
"Integrating computer-interactive technology with film allows for greater audience participation and enhances immersion..."
Lucas pondered the feasibility of the entire project, his eyes gleaming.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed feasible.
It's just like watching a movie on a computer, how amazing!
"Hey, you're right, interactive movies, that's the essence of this project, but there's one thing I want to clarify."
Lin Lixin snapped his fingers, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, lingering a little longer on Caneghem and his group.
As game producers, especially these veterans who have been working in the Adventure game industry for many years, they obviously already guessed what Lin Lixin wanted to say.
Compared to watching movies, Adventure games have one very fundamental difference: the difference in perspective.
"We're not watching a movie, it's more like... acting in a movie."
Lin Lixin explained,
"In Raiders of the Lost Ark, we watch the professor's adventure and everything that happens along the way from an outsider's perspective."
"But in the game? We're in first-person perspective, playing as Jones himself, or simply one of his students; the important thing is the viewpoint."
Upon hearing this, Spielberg raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Wait, if that's the case... Harrison probably didn't even get many shots throughout the whole thing?"
Although first-person perspective is a very common feature in Adventure games.
However, this approach presents a small problem when it involves the Raiders of the Lost Ark IP.
Like those Japan media mix films, Raiders of the Lost Ark is actually a film series that heavily relies on its characters.
The core of the entire IP is almost entirely built around Indiana Jones himself.
Without his appearances, it doesn't really have much to do with this IP anymore. Furthermore, according to Lin Lixin, this isn't an action game.
Players are essentially constantly solving puzzles and exploring various mechanisms and riddles within the scene.
"If it's designed like that, where does the tension come from? I think we should add dangerous traps like those in Biohazard to create a sense of urgency that could crush the protagonist into a meat patty."
Hearing him say that, Lucas nodded in agreement.
From a cinematic perspective, this approach would indeed be quite effective.
In their view, the Biohazard project was actually a very good reference.
Pre-baked maps and pre-rendered performances, combined with a large amount of live-action FMV footage of real performances.
The entire Biohazard project has long been a model for interactive visuals in the film industry.
Both the control of rhythm and the creation of atmosphere are top-notch.
Especially the design of fixed camera positions.
While it doesn't allow for the smoother controls of completely free 3D, it also brings a unique sense of horror.
This perfect blend of film and gaming technology is a case in point and should definitely be included in textbooks. "Gentlemen, as I said, this is an Adventure game, not an action game."
Lin Lixin smiled.
He could understand why the two of them had such thoughts.
To be honest, if you do things their way, it actually works.
Not only can it be done, but the finished product will be a masterpiece in another direction.
Uncharted and Tomb Raider, huh?
Action- Adventure games are the new roots that Adventure games have found after their decline.
If it could actually be made, its impact on this era would be absolutely dominant.
Even for many years to come, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to make a breakthrough and allow it to sit on the golden throne forever.
Unfortunately, the original Uncharted was a product of the PS3 era.
Even Tomb Raider, which dominated its time, was a product of the PlayStation and Sega Saturn era.
Is it possible to do it now? Actually, there's a high probability that it can be done eventually.
Looking at the specifications, the specially tuned version of the Novaradeon 9000 can theoretically achieve that level of performance.
Combined with the gaming capabilities of the Athena, it's theoretically possible to create a console powerful enough to run Tomb Raider.
But this thing is completely meaningless.
It doesn't even qualify as showing off skills.
Even if it were possible to build one, it would be a luxury item that costs more than a workstation.
Only those rich guys who spend their days driving luxury cars and living in villas can afford that.
What's the point of making a game that players can't even play?
We still need to wait for Moore's Law to continue its powerful effect and bring down semiconductor prices as soon as possible.
However, while it can't be an action- Adventure, Myst has taken a completely different path to its extreme.
"Video games are not movies; they don't need to force the audience along with a fast pace."
Lin Lixin patiently explained. In fact, from the perspective of later generations, the success of "myst" is indeed like a miracle that is difficult to replicate.
A video game without combat, leveling up, or thrilling quick-time events...
Most of the time, players are tapping on the screen, letting their characters wander around the map and observe everything.
How did a game that would later be called a "walking simulator" become such a bestseller?
This is completely counterintuitive.
However, considering the historical and technological context, the creation of Myst perfectly hit the sweet spot for all PC gamers of that era.
"We want players to decide for themselves how to explore the world, where to go, and what to do. Games aren't movies; there's no timeline to follow, no pressure to keep progressing."
If it's a movie, and there's no real progress for a whole hour, and the protagonist just keeps going around in circles in one place...
The audience would really be cursing.
It doesn't require fancy special effects, nor does it necessarily need to have tense and exciting action scenes.
But at the very least, there should be a storyline, right?
There must be progress, right? Like in the classic movie " 12 Angry Men ".
There is only one scene, and the image is even in black and white.
The entire film consists of the conversations between the 12 jurors in a room.
But it can captivate people, making them willing to replay it countless times just to uncover a particular detail.
This is, of course, because it has content—a huge amount of content, a dense amount of information that makes one's scalp crawl.
Otherwise, a film would be like some kind of "artwork" from a radio wave system.
It's like Squidward's favorite Bikini Bottom masterpiece, " The Table."
However, video games are much more flexible.
Timeline? There's no such thing as a timeline; at most, there's a hidden "game lifespan."
How much time players are willing to spend in the game is their business.
As long as it ensures that players don't get bored or lose interest, then it's correct.
Myst excels at this. It allows players to willingly sit and gaze upon this mysterious and artistic world.
There is no pressure, no enemies chasing you, no quick-time events where you could die from a single mistake, not even a health bar, and no design for death or failure.
Yet it captivates the viewer.