Chapter 44: Outlast
Less than twenty minutes after the interview, Alex hadn't even returned to Nebula Games. Major media outlets were already publishing reports about the interview.
"Revealed: Nebula Games' next game could be..."
"Alex: I think I should be a love warrior."
"No new plans yet, but according to Alex, Nebula Games' next game could be a touching romance!"
"A rising star indie game producer: Love Warrior, Alex!"
The popularity of the sci-fi adventure game hasn't completely waned, and To the Moon is still a recommended title on official platforms. These interviews have also given Alex many players. Including followers on the official Twitter account, he already reaches 800,000.
With the current momentum, it's only a matter of time before he surpasses a million. Meanwhile, a profile on the official Twitter account, a verified influencer, has added To the Moon as one of his representative works, along with the tag "Love Warrior."
Players are also enthusiastic about the interviews.
"Love Warrior? What the heck is that?!"
"Now that I think about it, Alex is a true love warrior. Not to mention Mirror, each character has a pure love scene. Of course, that other evil one is..."
"And Undertale's pacifist ending is even more full of love. And the latest game, To the Moon, goes without saying; it's all about love."
"Now that you mention it, it seems quite plausible!"
"But I'm even more curious about what Alex's next game will be."
"It should be something very touching, right?"
"Yes, he's a love warrior, after all."
However, Alex didn't pay much attention to what was happening online. He had just arrived at Nebula Games' office and was alone in the office, drawing a lottery. Golden lights flashed before him. The special effects looked impressive. That was too real.
Fifty consecutive draws.
Thirty-seven common skill books, plot, music, and level design, all included. Four rare skill books: one for architecture, one for psychology, and two for music. The remaining nine were [Memory Capsules].
"There's only one draw left, use it." Seeing that he had just enough points for the final draw, Alex didn't think twice and simply used it. Accompanied by a golden light, Alex was surprised to find something. Not a rare skill book, but a special item, just like the [Memory Capsules].
'A single-draw miracle? Is it that unrealistic? But what about this?' Alex fell silent for a moment.
[Fear Converter] (120 days)
Effect: Converts the player's Fear Points into ten (up to 6 million).
This item is clearly time-limited, a double experience card with a maximum limit, but only for the player's Fear. It is also unknown whether this limit is before or after the conversion. However, Alex assumed it was probably the maximum limit after conversion.
"And unlike the [Memory Capsules], this one is time-limited. Is this a hint that I'm going to make a horror game?" Alex asked, speechless.
As for his next game, Alex was still debating. First, it wouldn't be the same small project as before. At least this time, he was looking for a 3D game. But, at the same time, the scale couldn't be too large. Although developing games in the parallel world was much simpler than in the previous life, this didn't mean that technical accumulation was completely unnecessary.
It's like building blocks: everyone has the same pieces, but what you can create depends on your skill level. The same goes for games, especially those in the FPS and ACT genres.
For example, action games focus on the feeling of impact. And how is that impact created? Sound effects, controller feedback, special effects, interface vibrations, etc., plus all kinds of physical collision detection. And there's an even more crucial factor: screen freeze. The same goes for FPS games.
So, for his next project, Alex doesn't plan to create anything too complex.
"Looking at it this way, a horror game doesn't seem far-fetched. It could incorporate some action elements, but for a horror game, those elements are not the foundation," Alex thought, rubbing his chin.
Although he had this idea in mind, he didn't act immediately. Instead, he took a quick look online at the current state of horror games in the parallel world. In short, it wasn't much different from his previous life. Whether in the film and television industry or the video game industry, horror games are not big-budget productions.
Generally, they seek to make small profits with a large investment. However, compared to previous generations, the market share of pure horror games has grown significantly.
Some even boast individual titles that approach $2 million. Of course, these are older genres, often sold at bargain prices during holidays and have been online for years. Furthermore, there are no horror games that seem particularly suitable for virtual reality.
After all, the development costs of virtual reality games are incredibly high. Additionally, horror games are a relatively specialized genre. Unless someone has a special predilection for horror culture, no one would develop a horror game for virtual reality. The risks are simply too great.
As for PC horror games, there are two main types: one is relatively low-budget, like the Undertale and To the Moon model. The other is small to medium-sized. After thoroughly understanding the parallel world's horror game market and related developments, Alex quickly made a decision.
With the revenue generated by Mirror, Undertale, and To the Moon, Nebula Games still has considerable capital. Furthermore, while the horror game market is a niche, it represents a significant improvement compared to traditional genres like FPS and RPG. If done well and generating hype, horror games can also be a sales hit.
The next question was what game to develop. Alex had many horror game options. After careful consideration, he decided on Outlast as his next project. The main reason was its suitability. As for the game's length, Outlast lasts approximately five hours, although a speedrun can take less than an hour.
Additionally, compared to horror games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and The Evil Within, Outlast has a unique design. The player assumes the role of a reporter who can only run, not defend himself.
For Alex, Outlast served as a way to push the team and better test the engine. Action and shooting elements could be replicated in the game's monsters, with the player-controlled protagonist performing basic movements like running and climbing. It can be said that, in all aspects, Outlast meets Alex's expectations.
The only worrying aspect is the review process. After all, unlike Eastern horror games like Silent Hill and Fatal Frame, Outlast is a pure Western horror game, which means it's quite bloody.
Although the parallel world's review system is very comprehensive, its approval depends on the development department's decision.
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