Chapter 159: This is what we call a conscientious designer!
While Mark and Alex chatted, other game designers also discussed the type of demos that would be developed.
"I think creating an extreme-themed sports game would be a good idea. It would allow us to test the interaction between the new engine and the virtual reality environment, and the immersive nature of extreme sports would also generate good feedback."
"That is very promising. We could also extend this to action-adventure games, such as climbing a mountain and then introducing the experience of falling, and then facing the various beasts of the forest to create a sense of hyper-immersion."
"By the way, what do you think about horror games? Like Alex's Outlast, and if we want to test the immersion threshold in a game, wouldn't horror games be a good choice?" "Yes, but Outlast is too bloody. It's fine on PC, but with that level of blood and violence in VR, it definitely wouldn't pass review."
"That's true, but without the blood and violence, the horror level of Outlast would drop significantly."
The designers around me, who knew each other, were discussing this. They all had different opinions on what kind and theme of game would be most effective for testing.
However, some designers shared Alex's idea: to approach the game from a horror perspective. After all, it is a game that can evoke a great emotional shock in the player.
That is why Alex chose Silent Hill PT for this test. Partly because of the appropriate theme, and partly because, in its previous version, the game only had a demo. But despite being a demo, it practically terrified countless players. In particular, the looping scenes created a sense of endless terror, a tactic that later inspired many horror games.
Unlike the sheer amount of blood in Outlast, Silent Hill PT lacks visually stimulating elements, except for the deformed baby in the pool and the "adorable" wife Lisa. It can be said that Silent Hill PT embodies the purest horror, without resorting to visuals to scare the player, but to the unknown.
Players never know what will suddenly scare them, which will generate doubts. It's like watching a horror movie at home at midnight, when the lights suddenly go out and a strong wind howls outside. You're home alone, but you feel someone under your window, in your closet, and even outside your door.
This type of isolated terror is the essence of the Silent Hill series, and Silent Hill PT achieves it perfectly. The narrow hallways, the repetitive loops, complemented by the game's music and sound effects, and the gradual transformation of the same scene, without a doubt, Silent Hill PT has reached the pinnacle of creating a scary atmosphere.
As for whether this game will scare people, Alex, after researching various sources and consulting with the game department investigators, has a clear idea.
First, it will scare people. How can a horror game that doesn't scare people still be called a horror game?
As for scaring people, it's simply impossible. First, this is not a game for everyone, but a demo to test new VR equipment. The test subjects are carefully selected. During the test, their physical functions are constantly monitored, not only by the VR device, but also by backup monitoring equipment. There is also specialized medical and emergency staff available to ensure the safety of the participants. If a participant experiences extreme physical or emotional fluctuations, the VR cabin system will immediately interrupt the game. Based on the participant's feedback, the experience is recorded and provided to the VR cabin investigators.
Therefore, safety is completely guaranteed.
As for the so-called death from fear, it does not literally refer to dying from fear, but to other symptoms caused by emotional fluctuations. The amygdala, a center in the human brain, controls fear, and fear is, in reality, a form of self-protection.
However, when a person experiences fear and is unsure whether it represents a threat, the amygdala's feedback mechanism is activated, which causes an increase in adrenaline, which causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, vasoconstriction, and blood sugar. Prolonged conditions can overload the body and damage heart tissue.
A healthy person with a healthy heart could die of fear playing a horror game. There was only one possible scenario: during the game, someone became paralyzed by fear and felt noticeably unwell. But they persisted, experiencing the extreme impact of the horror game as if nothing had happened, which ultimately led to a bodily overload and death.
Therefore, Alex no longer had to worry about whether Silent Hill PT would have any negative impact. He could simply use his brush and finish it.
After registering the relevant content with the Game Department, Alex chatted with Mark and returned to Nebula Games. The VR development prototype for Silent Hill PT would be delivered by a dedicated person from the Game Department.
As for the subsidy, Nebula Games would cover it directly at the beginning. Later, after submitting invoices and other documents to the Game Department for review, the subsidy would be transferred to the company's account.
Back at the company, Alex began to outline the design concept for Silent Hill PT. After all, it was just a demo, and the story it revealed was not complicated.
As for the Easter Eggs in the game, Alex thought about it and decided not to change them. The original Silent Hill PT had two special Easter Eggs. For example, a male confession after completing the final game hinted at the irreconcilable relationship between game creator Hideo Kojima and his former company, Konami.
The mysterious number 204863 is also mentioned in the game, which suggests its location, just like in Kojima's previous work, Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain. While the former might be completely unknown to those experiencing the parallel world, these two Easter Eggs serve as a good starting point. While this VR demo will not be released to players, the Game Department will likely produce promotional videos later.
Players will be able to see its content. When the Silent Hill series is finally released to fans, this Easter Egg will have a special meaning that they will remember.
A smile spread across Alex's face as he thought about it. 'As a game designer, this is how you should always care about the player's experience; that's what a conscientious designer does!' With a sigh, Alex continued working on the design concept.
It wasn't much, but he had already finished most of it by the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Game Department was working with incredible efficiency, and the VR prototype had already been delivered. The high-level permissions for game designers had also been temporarily unlocked.
He left the office and headed to the project room. Lisa, Jane, and Eric were intensely working on Dark Souls: First Flame.
'Uh... a promotional trailer.'
"Art team, please stop here. Jane, choose a group. We have a demo for a virtual reality platform that needs development," Alex announced upon entering the studio.
Everyone was surprised by Alex's words. Jane, in particular, looked at him with wide eyes. "VR?! Are we developing a virtual reality game? A new IP or an old one? Is it a virtual reality version of It Takes Two?"
Not only Jane, but also Lisa, Eric, and the others were bewildered. 'Had they agreed to focus on the Dark Souls: First Flame trailer soon? Why were they suddenly working on a virtual reality game?'.
'Could it be related to Alex's visit to the video game department?'.
Many secretly speculated.
"Neither. It's just a test demo. It's not a big project, so it won't require many people. The modeling is outsourced and the focus is on the VR content, camera work, and artistic atmosphere," Alex explained with a smile.
"Alex, I'm on it!" Jane took the initiative. Her workload for Dark Souls: First Flame was not excessive and, most importantly, she was genuinely interested. After all, it was her first time working with VR. Although the content was probably similar, the nature of the game was different. Although Alex had said it was just a demo, Jane felt a wave of excitement for her first time.
"Uh... okay, then Jane and two other people from the art team, I'll explain the features of this VR game." Alex looked at Jane's excited face, paused, and then named two more people. The chosen ones were also delighted.
Following Alex into the conference room, a still-beaming Jane wondered what kind of game the virtual reality demo would be. 'Would it be warm and harmonious like It Takes Two, or as grand and majestic as Dark Souls, or perhaps as casual and cute as Fall Guys?'
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