Chapter 161: "Silent Hill PT" Demo
The development of Silent Hill PT is progressing smoothly, despite it being the first time it has been developed for a virtual reality platform. However, Silent Hill PT itself is not a complete game, but a simple demo, and therefore, its scope is relatively small. The gameplay is mainly composed of puzzles, with no combat. Even the original demo lacked an action system, offering only some interactive actions like opening doors and picking up objects.
For this, Alex incorporated some detailed movements for a more immersive experience in virtual reality. Of course, jumping, running, and climbing were not incorporated, as they would have affected the content of the demo.
Additionally, the game is in first person, which means that Alex does not have to worry too much about visual performance in virtual reality. However, unlike most first-person perspectives on PC platforms, which use a default 90-degree camera angle, virtual reality requires a wider field of view.
Furthermore, although it is still a first-person perspective, the VR immersion mode offers a different experience from PC games. Many PC games, played in first person, make the player feel lost. This is because the movements are completely different between first-person and third-person perspectives. A normal first-person movement can be impactful in third person. The same is true in reverse.
Therefore, some games allow players to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives. To prevent the character's movements from looking strange, two sets of animation modules are usually prepared: one for first person and one for third person. However, this increases costs.
On VR platforms, the limited field of view offers a practical solution.
"Hmm... the scene where Lisa just appeared was too bright. We need to be able to see her silhouette, but not her face." "We want to create a sense of semi-hidden beauty, a sense of mystery. So, when the player turns around and sees Lisa lunging at him, he can feel that throbbing sensation, like a deer's heart pounding."
In the project room, Alex directed Jane on some lighting and color adjustments for the scene. Jane hesitated upon hearing Alex's words.
'It wasn't just a frantic heartbeat; it was like a furious elephant breaking into my heart!'.
Eric and the others beside him also lowered their heads in silence. The Dark Souls prequel trailer had been developing smoothly recently, with the GameSpot right around the corner. The company had already begun preparations for the expo, and the Dark Souls prequel trailer was almost ready. Eric and his team had already begun construction of the scene, and they had also taken a closer look at Alex's supposed virtual reality demo.
The more they knew about it, the more excited everyone was. Since the Silent Hill PT demo was prepared to test new virtual reality technology, the virtual reality development prototype sent by the game department was sealed and could not be used for gaming.
To be honest, neither Eric nor his friends wanted to try it; just looking at it gave them the chills. And more importantly, the demo itself only lasted about 30 minutes. The puzzles were terrifying, even with the same crashing mechanics as in Undertale. The clues to the game's secrets are hidden in collectible photo fragments and in error messages that appear when the game crashes. Without access to these clues, players are trapped in an endless loop of eerie rooms and hallways.
Added to the terrifying tag, Eric and his friends, who previously thought the Dark Souls prequel was full of malice, suddenly realized: The Dark Souls prequel is truly dazzling!.
The days passed quickly and the Game Expo was approaching. The company had already begun planning the expo. Although it is called planning, there was not much to plan. It would be the same as last year, except for two new unique themed areas.
The songs of It Takes Two and Dark Souls would be presented, and unlike last year, the last day would be the last day for the release of a trailer. This year, there would be no need for suspense; after all, it would only be a single trailer. It would be presented to all players immediately on the first day, and that would be it. Afterwards, players could do whatever they wanted, as the key reveal had already been revealed.
While the company was preparing, Alex also took the finished product of Silent Hill PT to the Game Department for delivery.
"It's been less than 20 days and you've already finished it?" David Yang, director of the Game Department, was surprised to hear Alex's report.
"It's mainly because the content of the Silent Hill PT demo is not very extensive." Alex smiled and handed some relevant materials to David Yang.
Upon picking them up, David Yang took a look. As director of the Game Department, David Yang was not completely ignorant. After reviewing the invoices and project details in the grant application, David Yang understood everything.
Because Alex's project categories were too limited, the entire demo was basically focused on a single scenario.
"Alex, although our grants are based on the amount of content, this time we are focusing on better testing the immersive experience of the new VR version. We can't spend funds lightly, but we shouldn't skimp on the video game department either." David Yang smiled ironically and shook his head, speculating that Alex, young and impatient, was scrimping on funds whenever he could.
"Boss, don't worry! This game may seem simple, but it's quite unique and will undoubtedly serve as a good test," Alex said with a smile.
"Alright, as long as you are confident. If the results are not good later, you can redo and revise it. Just remember not to skimp on our funds then." "I'll have Tom accompany you to the park. There are quite a few designers there right now, who know the relevant specifications. Your demo can serve as a showcase. Designers can also share their development experiences for the new VR device. For the new VR device, the developers' experience is crucial, not just the users'," David Yang told Alex.
After leaving the Game Department building, Alex drove with Tom to the Research Park.
Many designers were listening to a presentation on the various specifications of the VR equipment. There were some new faces, apparently veteran designers who had just arrived at the Game Department. There were also some he already knew, such as the enthusiastic Mark.
"Alex, have you finished your demo?" Hearing Alex explain the purpose of his visit, Mark, like David Yang before him, was stunned. He had talked about some things with Alex during that time, but since he was also designing, he didn't know much about Alex's demo, except that it was a horror game. He had come mainly to better understand the specifications of the VR equipment and facilitate content adjustments.
'And now Alex appeared and told him that the demo was finished?'
"It's mainly because the game is quite unique and it's not very big," Alex smiled and nodded.
The Research Park staff were also surprised; it was evident that they did not expect the test material to be available so soon. While Alex chatted, the staff informed them that all the preparations for the test were complete.
"It's a shame that, apart from the testers who passed the physical exam and the review, designers like us can't test it. Otherwise, I'd love to try his game myself, Alex," Mark said with some regret.
Nearby, designers, both known and unknown to Alex, also chatted, visibly enthusiastic about the demo that Alex was about to test. After all, it was the first officially playable demo of the new VR headset, and Alex's work over the last two years had been quite unique. They felt that this game, Silent Hill PT, could be a great inspiration.
The only thing they regretted was not being able to test it themselves; otherwise, they would have been able to better understand the designer's intentions.
"Hmm... I think, Mark, you might change your mind later," Alex chuckled.
Hearing Alex's words, the designers around him fell silent, simply smiling. After all, they all worked in the same industry, so they should respect each other.
'A horror theme? What for?'.
As game designers, what storms had they not seen? It's just a horror game! They had already played Alex's Outlast. The testers who were preparing to try it shared the same opinion.
There was only one device, but three testers were on duty today. They decided who would try it by playing rock, paper, scissors.
"Thanks. I'll be the first to try it," a 1.73m tall young man chuckled, looking regretfully at the other two beside him. His chest plate read: Leo.
The two colleagues beside him were Ethan and Nick, both looking quite muscular. After all, the work of testers is quite specialized and staff are carefully selected.
"What a shame! I've always loved Alex's games," Ethan said with regret.
"That's true, but don't get scared later," Nick said.
"Haha, we've already tried all kinds of new virtual reality equipment, and we've seen all kinds of bloody and terrifying scenes." 'How could I be scared?', Leo chuckled.
While the three chatted, Alex and his team entered a room. There was a large LCD screen in front of them. According to the staff's introduction beside him, the player's game screen would be played there at that moment.
Shortly after, Leo, after being checked by the staff and confirming that there were no problems, entered the game cabin with anticipation. As a young man, Leo loves video games, and Alex is no stranger to him. He now had the opportunity to try the first demo of the other party's new virtual reality equipment, which still made him very excited.
With this excitement and anticipation, the test demo of this game called Silent Hill PT officially began in the game cabin.
- - - - - - - -
Hello everyone!
Thanks for reading this chapter.
This week, we'll have 3 daily chapters for you to enjoy. This is possible thanks to all your support with Power Stones.
To keep increasing our chapters, I'm asking for your support. For every 150 Power Stones we collect across all novels this week, I'll add an extra daily chapter for next week.
If you want to catch up and read even more, you can find over 150 advanced chapters of my novels on my Patreon.
Your comments and Power Stones are what make this possible. Thanks!
@Patreon/iLikeeMikee