The news that the new PV would be released during prime time on Sunday quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys via newspapers.
However, for the audience at this moment, the experience of this promotional PV is different from the past.
Because Lin Lixin, this big leak, had already revealed a lot of information several days in advance.
The most obvious characteristic that can be confirmed so far is that this new game is not an " Adventure game" in the traditional sense.
It's certainly not the kind of Adventure game that most people remember.
According to Lin Lixin, the script for this project was entirely produced by Lucas and Spielberg.
Infocom, the developer of the well-known PC text Adventure game "Zork," was also deeply involved in the project.
While their job duties include scriptwriting and screenwriting, there are almost no positions involving in-game text.
Because this time, " The Myst " is not a work that relies on a large amount of text to drive the story forward.
Players don't need to be slowly immersed in the text like they are reading a novel.
Instead, it uses visuals.
It sounds quite appealing. But unexpectedly, a discordant voice emerged within the player community this time.
Although it's normal for haters to appear because Gamenova is a large company.
However, this time the scale is significantly different from the past, and it has shown some signs of being excessive.
Inside a digital product store.
"This is destruction! It's a flawed deconstruction of Adventure games!"
Ron looked at the contents of the tabloid in his hand and immediately felt his blood rush to his head.
The base of his neck immediately turned bright red due to congestion.
This is fucking ridiculous!
" Adventure games? Are all the game developers dead? Who allowed this kind of work to be categorized as an Adventure game?!"
Ron is not a player in the traditional sense.
To be precise, not the kind of "gamer" who sits in front of the TV with a controller in hand.
He's a typical traditional PC gamer. "Chill, bro, I don't know what you're getting so excited about, but this is a Gamenova game."
A passerby was startled by the noise he made.
"Right, right, bro, I get what you mean. You like the 'traditional' kind of storytelling, the kind where you watch the plot unfold and the characters' dialogue drives the narrative, right?"
Hearing his words, Ron calmed down a little, and two puffs of hot air suddenly blew out of his nostrils.
"I'm not saying Gamenova is bad, bro."
As a gamer, even a traditionalist like him, he couldn't possibly lie and say that Gamenova's works were bad.
If even Gamenova doesn't deserve to be on the table, then there's probably no one else in the world who does.
"I got a little emotional just now. I meant... how could this be, how could this be Adventure game?"
Ron stammered, trying to construct a coherent sentence so that the other person would understand his meaning.
"I believe it will definitely be a lot of fun, but there aren't even any words, how are we supposed to understand the story? Or how do we develop the world and create the characters?"
According to gamenova, this game is entirely driven by visuals.
It's a "graphic Adventure game," not a traditional text-based Adventure game. It has killed one of the most important elements of the Adventure genre.
imagination.
The human brain is the most powerful graphics card in the world.
You stand at the entrance to a dark forest, where withered branches lie scattered and the occasional cawing of the Crow echoes, obscuring the view within.
A single line of text can conjure up in a player's mind a scene far more exquisite than any artwork painstakingly drawn by technical artists.
If developers simply hand over the images, it disrupts the process.
If the visual presentation is poor, it will be a disaster.
Ron didn't dislike Gamenova, nor did he doubt that the game would be fun.
Gamenova is a company that has never failed, and even though Adventure games are an " Adventure " for them, Ron is willing to believe that this miracle will continue.
What I really dislike is... that Gamenova categorized it as Adventure game.
Adventure games are a niche for independent studios, not only because of their unique positioning, but also because companies plagued by "big studio syndrome" are indeed not very good at making this type of game.
Beautiful visuals cannot replace game design. Infocom's string of masterpieces after separating from Activision, giving the Zork IP a second life, was not due to Gamenova's financial backing.
On the contrary, it was because Gamenova gave them complete freedom.
With a safety net in place and Activision, a hands-off publisher, they can freely create truly great works.
Big companies can't shake off their old ways, and few people are willing to work diligently on those seemingly rudimentary projects that require patient play to appreciate their intricacies.
Even Gamenova is not immune to this trend, with each new game featuring a very large scale.
Unless it's one of those ingenious little games that Sage Lin wrote independently.
"Shanghai" is still on the bestseller list.
Aside from games like Tetris that have airborne support, there's really nothing that can match its sales.
That's right, even the super-selling Pokémon, the ultimate Pokémon, couldn't surpass this unassuming casual game in total sales.
Of course, Pokémon's first-month sales were absolutely devastating.
Its simultaneous launch across all platforms, combined with a series of collaborative operations at Pokémon Center nationwide, propelled its commercial success to unprecedented heights.
However, in terms of the long tail effect, Gamenova's true long-distance champion is "Shanghai". It has to be said that casual games are still the real hidden trump card.
It generated little discussion and buzz, sitting in an inconspicuous spot on the shelf, without even a poster.
Even so, they still manage to maintain good sales figures every month.
Whenever someone mentions a new NPC or NvP, I'll grab a set of equipment with me.
A game like "Shanghai," which has little visual appeal and sound effects and relies entirely on its simple and addictive gameplay, is almost impossible for a major studio to create.
Even Gamenova can only be released under Lin Lixin's name, and will not be credited with Gamenova's own name.
Having the title of "big company" on your forehead is an honor, but it is also a constraint.
This limits them to having to be incredibly big on the field.
Even if it means sacrificing some gameplay, it has to be done this way.
Otherwise, those vultures that are always watching them will swarm in and dethrone Gamenova.
The more ruthlessly gods are created, the more lively the banquet will be on the day they are released from captivity and slaughtered.
"Judging from the current situation in the Sacramento Delta Islands, this work is sure to be quite good." Ron sighed helplessly.
"I'm worried that Gamenova might be too proud to admit its limitations and end up making an 'interactive movie' that's all show and no substance."
"Bro..."
Faced with this extreme fundamentalist Adventure game player, the random guy didn't know what to say.
"I think the core of Adventure games should lie precisely in this ' Adventure ' itself."
Another passerby overheard their discussion and stepped forward to offer his completely different opinion.
Compared to fundamentalists like Ron, his tastes were much more eclectic.
"If Myst isn't an Adventure game, then Raiders of the Lost Ark probably isn't Adventure movie either. Exploring unknown locations and solving puzzles—as long as the exploration process is fun, exciting, and thrilling enough, isn't that great?"
The two glanced at him and instantly united on the same side.
"Bro, you're talking about action games."
Sunday, 8 PM. Regardless, Ron still planned to take a good look at the trailer for this project.
While it's highly unlikely to be the kind of " Adventure game" I'm expecting, it's also unlikely to be a disappointing title.
Even if it's just to try something different, he'll still buy a set to play with.
Gamenova's products are probably the most valuable items in the world.
After you're done playing with it, even if you rent it out, you can quickly recoup your costs.
Including transactions in the second-hand market, this is almost becoming an entire industry chain.
The Biohazard, which was sold for such a high price back then, can still fetch a high price now, and even limited editions and deluxe bonus items have been sold at exorbitant prices.
Especially the special police license, which is only issued to first-time applicants, is extremely rare and highly sought after.
With snacks and drinks prepared, Ron plopped himself onto the sofa and picked up the remote control.
It was, after all, America's golden age.
People like Ron, who are physically and mentally normal and healthy, and also have a certain level of education, can easily find a job that satisfies their needs.
The remaining money allowed him to indulge in the dopamine rush created by consumerism. This color CRT television was an imported Sony set, already equipped with a very modern infrared remote control.
No longer do we need to go there ourselves and turn the knobs like we did a few years or a decade ago.
Whether it's turning the device on or off, adjusting the volume, or changing the channel, you can do it all while lying on the sofa.
For Ron, the wireless era was like something out of a science fiction movie.
Let alone a TV remote.
Gamenova has even launched its own wireless controller.
No more worrying about those handle cables running from the TV through the entire living room to the sofa, or about family members accidentally kicking the cable and causing you to lose.
Tune in to Sacramento Television Station, which is the official Gamenova TV channel.
Of course, the other cooperating TV programs will also broadcast PVs today, but they will each choose different time slots.
After all, everyone wants a piece of the pie when there's such a massive influx of traffic.
Today, Gamenova's influence in the cable television industry is no longer at the level it once was, where it had to partner with bankrupt television stations.
Now you want to broadcast official Gamenova programs and get the rebroadcast rights to Evo? Please, show me the contract and the price first.
The program started promptly at 8:00.
The usual black screen transition.
"Kukuku--"
The sound of the off-road pickup truck's tires rolling over mud and sand was amplified by the dual speakers of a high-end Sony TV, producing a dual-channel simulated MTS stereo sound.
The screen lights up, showing Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones leaning against the truck bed, gazing at the Sacramento River Delta in the distance.
In the passenger seat, a tattered ancient parchment scroll was laid out and nailed there, with the entire valley region circled in red on it.