The news about Nebula Games acquiring Galaxy Intelligent Technology didn't really make any waves in the gaming community.
For regular players, they didn't care at all.
After all, buying a company isn't the same as releasing a new game.
As for the game industry, people just sighed at Nebula Games' big move.
Buying a studio or some other kind of business is nothing unusual.
Even though Galaxy Intelligent Technology is a bit well-known, outside of the AI research circle, most people have never heard of it.
So the ones most surprised by this acquisition were actually the employees inside Nebula Games.
During lunch break, employees from all departments at Nebula Games were chatting with surprised looks on their faces.
Everyone was shocked by the company's move.
They actually bought a company?
The company just got a lot bigger all of a sudden!?
Anna and Rachel already knew something big was coming, since Lucas had hinted about it before.
But back then, they had no idea the big move would be spending a huge amount of money to buy another company.
Hector and many people from the development team were especially excited.
They were already imagining what AI could do for games in the future.
For games, better tech can always bring a better experience for players.
"If we bring AI into Dark Souls and mix it with the random mode, what would that look like!" Hector said from the couch, staring at the Dark Souls screen beside him with excitement.
"Be human, will you?" Rachel complained after hearing him.
Dark Souls is already hard enough as it is. And when you turn on the random mode, many unlucky players even say it's harder than the normal game.
Because everything becomes uncontrollable.
And now they want to add AI?
Wouldn't that just destroy the players?
"Did Lucas buy this company to prepare for the next Dark Souls sequel?" Anna guessed, resting her chin on her hand.
That wasn't just her guess—many Dark Souls fans were thinking the same thing.
But the next moment, someone answered her question: "Don't overthink it. This is just a move for the future. Nebula Games' projects will definitely be more diverse going forward, and we need to build up our tech."
Holding a cup of coffee, Lucas found a seat and sat down.
Hearing what Lucas said, Rachel and Anna both nodded.
"So, Lucas, what's the plan for the near future?" Hector asked.
Lucas shook his head: "Of course we have plans for new projects, but the schedule won't make it in time. The Spring Festival comes earlier this year, and in a few days I also need to attend the annual game event held by Game Division."
Unlike in our world, in this one there are annual game awards both domestically and internationally.
This time, Lucas was invited to the Game Division event, which has an official tone to it.
And compared to past years, this year's annual game event is a bit different.
In the past, the awards were called "annual game" awards, but they were more about industry influence.
They didn't affect players as much as some commercial award events.
Last year, Lucas' works were also selected.
Undertale won Best Indie Game, and To the Moon got Best Music.
But this year is different.
Game Division has reformed the event, trying to get more players involved to boost influence and attention. It's a whole different level compared to previous years.
From the game events over the past two years, this is pretty clear.
This is also one of the reasons why NetDragon and SkyNova suddenly rolled out two big VR titles this year, and they're going head-to-head with each other.
On the other hand, the head of Magic City's Game Division, David, privately told Lucas that during the annual event, they'll also hand out certificates to designers who earned senior titles this year.
So there's no way Lucas would skip it.
That means during this period, Lucas has been extremely busy, with almost no time to develop a new project before the end of the year.
After hearing Lucas, Hector, Anna, Rachel, and the others were all pretty excited.
Obviously, they knew how important this year's annual game event is.
"Lucas, do we have a shot at winning any awards?"
"Yeah! We released quite a few games this year, right? Overcooked, Fall Guys, Legends of the Three Kingdoms, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and Dark Souls!"
Everyone was hopeful.
"Valiant Hearts: The Great War will definitely get an award. As for the others, we'll see." Lucas said with a smile.
That's basically an unspoken rule, after all, Valiant Hearts: The Great War topped this year's anti-war game event.
Game Division wouldn't let it walk away empty-handed. At least a consolation prize.
"As for the new project, I already have an idea. Dark Souls tortured players so badly that they're complaining about me all over the internet. So for the next one, I've decided to make something a bit more friendly. After I attend the Game Division event, we'll have a meeting and talk about it in detail." Lucas said with a grin.
More friendly again? When they heard Lucas, Rachel, Anna, and Hector all had a strange look on their faces.
......
On the day of the annual game awards, the weather was pretty good.
Compared to past years, this year's event had more prestige and attention than ever before.
Major streaming platforms had dedicated channels to broadcast the entire event live.
Because of that, all the invited game designers showed up, no matter the reason. Even those who knew they were just there for show still attended.
Partly to give Game Division face, and partly to stay visible in the industry.
Just like the Oscars, even if you're just a background presence, walking the red carpet is still worth it.
The event was held at the Magic City Convention Center.
Game Division had even arranged hotels in advance.
Unlike previous years when there were seminars and industry networking activities, this year all that was canceled. The focus was fully on the players.
Players only care about whether their favorite games win awards. Industry networking?
They don't care at all!
Besides, when they call it an industry exchange, are those so-called talks even real experience sharing?
Every game designer already has their own mature ideas and insights on game design.
Who would be dumb enough to share those openly?
So in the past, those talks were mostly for show.
For regular designers, maybe they were helpful.
But for designers invited to this event? They might not all be top-tier, but they're the backbone of the industry.
For them, those talks have zero value.
It was really just a formality.
So Game Division simply removed that part and kept only the award ceremony, which was also the part players looked forward to the most.
Before the event started, Lucas walked in through the entrance with his pass.
There were a lot of designers at the venue.
But they were basically divided into several groups.
SkyNova, NetDragon… plus some game designers from second- and third-tier companies, along with some well-known ones.
Compared to the tension between SkyNova and NetDragon's designers, the regular game designers' relationships were much simpler.
"I wonder who's going to win Game of the Year this time!"
"I feel like NetDragon's 'Star God' has a good chance."
"Not necessarily, SkyNova's 'City of Sin' has done really well too!"
"Hey, is nobody mentioning 'Dark Souls'? I think it's absolutely top-tier."
"Cough, cough… I haven't played enough to comment."
"Yeah, same. I haven't even gotten past the underground prison yet."
"It's excellent, but the platform's a disadvantage. If 'Dark Souls' were VR, I think it'd be a huge contender, but on PC it's still at a disadvantage compared to VR, especially for awards like this."
"Yeah… hey, wait, is that Lucas?"
"Looks like it… yeah, that's him!"
"Come on, let's go say hi."
In one corner of the hall, a group of indie game designers and some from smaller companies were chatting about the event.
They were people Lucas had met briefly at a previous gameplay showcase held by Game Division.
Later, Lucas had even joined their game design discussion group.
But only a few of them had been invited this time.
Lucas had just walked into the venue and hadn't had time to look around when he heard someone call him from behind.
He turned and saw some familiar faces.
"Everyone's here?" Lucas smiled and greeted them.
"Got lucky with the invite, came to broaden our horizons," one of them laughed.
"Lucas, your 'Dark Souls' this year has been a real lesson for all of us designers!"
"Oh please, didn't Lucas give us a lesson last year too? 'Undertale' blew so many people's minds!"
Everyone fell into a round of friendly flattery.
"Alright, alright, let's find a spot to chat, no need to block the way," Lucas said with a grin.
They walked deeper into the venue while talking.
After finding a spot, they kept chatting, and during that time some other designers came over to exchange contacts or just say hi and get acquainted.
Before long, it was evening.
This was the highlight of the event.
Media from across the gaming industry had already arrived, ready for live coverage.
In the livestream chat, players waiting at their computers were talking non-stop.
"When's it starting already?!"
"Game Division has been way more active in recent years!"
"My vote for Game of the Year goes to 'Star God'!"
"No way, 'City of Sin' isn't to be underestimated!"
"I wonder if 'Dark Souls' has a shot."
"Forget all that, where's Lucas? Haven't seen him yet!"
"+1, I need to remember what Lucas looks like. 'Dark Souls' destroyed me!"
The livestream was full of playful banter from players.
Meanwhile, Lucas and the other designers were entering the venue.
"Lucas, what a coincidence!"
The seating had already been arranged.
The designers sitting in the front rows were basically all nominees.
Lucas found his seat, and a familiar voice came from beside him.
"Marcus, we meet again." Seeing his face, Lucas immediately recalled the memory.
After all, he still remembered how enthusiastic Marcus had been back at the gameplay showcase.
"Yeah!" Marcus smiled, but deep down he couldn't help feeling a bit nervous.
Because every time he ran into Lucas, there always seemed to be some kind of little accident.
Marcus didn't have much time to dwell on it.
Once all the game designers entered, the award ceremony officially began.
Just like yesterday, the rest of the night was set in motion.
(End of The Chapter)