Started as a comics editor

Chapter 297 Update and New Game Trailer
While Qingfeng Studio was overjoyed by the 'martial arts manual' Avalon had given them, the online buzz surrounding TGA had not yet completely died down.

Discussions about Avalon's two games being nominated but ultimately failing to win are still going strong on various gaming forums and player communities.

"Sigh, it's still a bit of a pity. Undertale is such a great game, it feels like it completely deserves the best indie award."

"It's already a miracle that Hearthstone was nominated for the Game of the Year; winning it is indeed difficult."

"To be honest, I always felt that Avalon was still lacking something... He hadn't truly proven himself."

"Just one step away? Outlast sold like hotcakes and received rave reviews, isn't that proof enough?"

"Outlast is good, but horror games... you know, it's the easiest genre to achieve a good effect by taking shortcuts. A great atmosphere, perfect jump scares, and eerie visuals can easily make people think it's awesome. But when it comes to real skill, technical expertise, and mastery of mainstream gameplay... Avalon hasn't produced a game that completely shuts you up yet, has they?"

"That makes sense. Look at the Game of the Year awards, and those evergreen AAA titles. Which one didn't fight its way up in that hardcore genre? Horror games... are ultimately a bit niche. The mainstream tastes in Europe and America are more inclined towards shooting, racing, and sports games."

"You can't say that! Outlast's immersive experience and technical prowess are undeniable! How is that taking shortcuts?"

"The technical capabilities are there, but the advantage of a particular genre is also objectively real. If you ask me, if Avalon really wants to achieve legendary status, it needs to produce a work that can dominate the mainstream genre. That's what real skill looks like! Right now... it's still missing a significant representative work."

"I agree with the comment above! Horror games have a good reputation, but their sales and influence can't compare to true blockbusters. Avalon needs a truly solid title that can penetrate the mainstream gaming community!"

"Is Hearthstone not considered a game for everyone?"

"Hearthstone is an online game, a service-based game! I'm talking about a single-player game, the kind that represents the highest level of industrial quality!"

"..."

Players are debating fiercely, with voices of regret, understanding, doubt, and anticipation all intertwined. The core focus is gradually converging on one point: Does Avalon still lack a representative work that can prove its strength in a mainstream genre?

As the flames of this debate intensified, and accusations that Avalon was biased towards certain subjects and resorted to shortcuts gained traction—

Avalon has finally made a move.

The last day of the Gregorian calendar.

The New Year's Day holiday is approaching.

Avalon Game Assistant has been suddenly updated and officially renamed. It no longer emphasizes the assistant's attributes, but instead uses a simpler and clearer name - AG (Avalon Game).

At the same time, all functions of the AG platform have been improved and upgraded, and new sections have been added.

For example, Avalon has categorized all the games currently available on its platform into various categories, such as action, adventure, role-playing, online games, and mobile games. Now players can browse games according to their interests through these categories.

However, if there aren't many games on the platform right now, this feature doesn't seem necessary.

The next feature will be different.

In addition to categorizing games, Avalon has also provided a dedicated details page for each game. Players can now view game introductions, related promotional images and videos, system requirements, user reviews, and other information on these pages.

Yes.

Avalon has equipped each game with its own user review system!
On the other hand, the entire community section has also been upgraded, with the game's community center moved to this page. At the same time, a 'library' has been added for each user, where all the games a user has purchased will be displayed in one place.

In addition, AG has launched a very special feature called the Creative Workshop, which is described as a section designed specifically for game fans, allowing them to participate in the creation of game content.

Simply put, players can create various things based on the nature of the game and how they want to control the content within it.

As long as the game supports it, items, mods, or maps, regardless of their complexity or simplicity, can be uploaded here.

This feature currently supports a very limited number of games... or rather, none at all.

Therefore, many players are completely baffled.

However, even though many players are confused by this feature, the sudden major upgrade of Avalon Game Assistant is enough to shock or even surprise them.

what?
Why the sudden major update?
Actually.

What many players haven't noticed is that not only have the services for game users (C-end) been updated, but Avalon Game has also added services for game developers (B-end).

However, this point still needs some time to develop.

Even so, players are still very curious about... the reason for this sudden major update to Avalon Game Assistant.

then.

the next day.

New Year's Day.

This answer has been found... or rather, partially found.

Because on this day, the official Avalon account released a trailer without warning on major social media platforms, gaming communities, and the Avalon Game platform homepage around the world!

When cities fall, hordes of zombies engulf civilization...

Avalon! New game! New trailer! Riding the wave of the annual game awards ceremony! Suddenly announced!
The Avalon Game platform has been completely revamped! A brand new game details page has appeared! It already shows the release date and pre-order window! It will be released in three months!
In addition, this will be the first game on the Avalon Game platform to support the Steam Workshop...

It's as if this game was created specifically for the Avalon Game platform.

And this news had just been released.

boom!
The player community instantly erupted in chaos!

Recently, due to the nominations for Game of the Year awards and the presence of several single-player games on Avalon, the Avalon Game platform, which already had a large number of single-player gamers, has now truly captured the attention of the world, at least domestically.

Not an exaggeration.

The Avalon Game platform is now the stronghold of single-player gamers in China!
After all, there's no other choice, and the Avalon Game platform is indeed good; this trend even seems somewhat unstoppable.

Not to mention... the huge number of online and mobile game players that already existed on the platform.

So as soon as the trailer for the new game was released, its popularity skyrocketed.

"So sudden?! Avalon launched a sneak attack, didn't they?!"

"Cooperative survival?! That sounds exciting! Let's hope it's not all bark and no bite!"

"Holy crap??? I was just talking about guns, cars, and sports! And here come the guns? Now I'll have to take a good look at their quality!"

"No way! When exactly did Avalon start preparing?! Why is the game being released so quickly?!"

"Wow!"

"..."

For an instant.

The doubts, regrets, and analyses about the awards were instantly drowned out by a tsunami of anticipation and excitement in the face of the sudden official trailer for "Left 4 Dead"!

After all, they are the players. Whether the developers win awards or not is secondary. What matters most is having new games to play!
And Avalon's match history is verifiable! Players are definitely looking forward to it.

So after receiving the news, countless players immediately flocked to the Left 4 Dead details page on the Avalon Game platform.

This included Zhang Da.

This media professional, who works for GameFront, one of the few media outlets in the industry that still maintains independence and objectivity, is now sitting in front of his computer, staring at Avalon's legendary new game.

Although,
He was terrified of Outlast and eventually became too scared to play it and started talking nonsense.

But after calming down, he forced himself to continue playing and eventually gave the game high praise.

After all.

If a horror game isn't scary, is it still a horror game?

It is precisely because it is scary, precisely because it makes players sweat profusely, that the unparalleled sense of accomplishment after completing the game is achieved.

So even if the process is bumpy, even if you curse and swear while playing.

He still gave Outlast and its developer Avalon very high praise, extolling its gameplay and technical aspects, and even writing something like "a beacon of domestic single-player games" at the end of his media review.

He also expressed his great anticipation for Avalon's next game and his sincere hope that they can evolve once again.

of course.

Expectations are expectations.

He also briefly mentioned that it would be even better if the next game wasn't so terrifying, and if it didn't completely eliminate player-controlled weapons...

What he didn't expect was that... he had just said it casually, and it was unlikely that Avalon would release another high-profile game so quickly.

But the reality is.

coming!

Here comes it!

Then he had the same thought as the players, which was—

"...When exactly did Avalon start preparing? Why was the game released so quickly?"

Zhang Da muttered to himself, looking at the drastically changed Avalon Game platform. He felt like he had vaguely grasped something, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Was it the opportune moment for the platform's feature upgrade? Or Avalon's almost terrifying game development efficiency? Or was there some connection between the two?
"never mind!"

Zhang Da thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out. He could only shake his head and temporarily give up the idea of ​​investigating further. The players' enthusiasm had been ignited, and as a media person, he was even more eager to know how this highly anticipated "next game from Avalon" would turn out.

He took a deep breath, and then, with a mixture of anticipation and wariness towards Avalon's horror games, clicked the prominent play button on the Left 4 Dead details page.

After a brief period of darkness, the screen lit up.

The familiar Avalon logo, resembling the silhouette of an old sailboat cutting through the waves, appears, simple yet powerful.

but.

After the Avalon logo appeared, the promotional video did not immediately cut to exciting gameplay footage as expected.

The screen, instead, plunged into deep darkness once more.

Then, a tiny light gathered and swirled in the darkness, like the first star born at the dawn of the universe. The light rapidly expanded and stabilized, eventually transforming into an abstract star logo outlined with simple lines, exuding a sense of technology and futurism. It floated quietly in the center of the screen, while below the logo, a line of equally stylish text appeared.

Morning Star Engine.

"Morning Star Engine?"

Zhang Da's pupils contracted slightly, and his body leaned forward instinctively, somewhat bewildered.

Does this engine exist in the industry? Probably not. Avalon developed its own!

Damn it! ?
The idea struck me like lightning! While the immersive experience and lighting effects of Outlast were outstanding, it was widely speculated in the industry that they were based on a heavily modified version of a mature commercial engine.

But now it seems... Avalon had something big up their sleeve!

No!? Huh?
But before Zhang Da could react...

The next second, the Morningstar Engine logo burst forth with dazzling light like stars, instantly engulfing the entire screen!

As the light faded, a deafening roar of engines and the screeching of tires against the ground suddenly exploded! The scene, shot from a first-person perspective, sped across an intersection piled high with abandoned vehicles, the viewpoint shaking violently, dust and debris flying in all directions! The sense of speed and immersion made Zhang Da's heart skip a beat.

then.

The scene changes.

The piercing air raid sirens echoed over the city, thick smoke billowed, and burning car wrecks blocked the dilapidated streets.

The camera quickly pans across empty police cars, shattered shop windows, a city in chaos, and scattered newspapers that read 'Unknown virus outbreak'... a scene of apocalypse.

Then, accompanied by somber and oppressive string music in the background.

The camera zooms out, offering a bird's-eye view from a skyscraper—below, a dense, surging mass of figures fills every street and alleyway! Drawn by the deafening roar of engines, they surge toward the source of the sound! The sheer number of zombies creates an oppressive atmosphere that strikes straight to the heart through the screen! The howls of the zombies grow louder as they approach, merging into a chilling background sound wave.

The camera quickly switched to four distinct figures appearing in the center of the zombie horde; the car had already stopped.

A burly man in overalls and a baseball cap, wielding a shotgun, blasted away an approaching zombie with a single shot, roaring, "Over here! Quick!"

A Black woman wearing glasses and carrying a medical kit is quickly bandaging her teammate's arm.

A sharp-eyed white youth wearing a motorcycle jacket is precisely firing at zombies in the distance with an assault rifle.

A nimble Asian girl in a sports vest deftly vaults over obstacles and shoots down a nearby enemy with a pistol.

The four men stood back to back, using the wreckage of an abandoned bus and an SUV that had arrived to form a makeshift defensive line! The roar of shotguns, the rapid fire of assault rifles, and the towering flames of exploding Molotov cocktails intertwined! Bullets tore through flesh, and zombies writhed and howled in the flames.

It looks absolutely stunning.

Then, the editing became even faster, sharp and chaotic, perfectly conveying the urgency of being caught in a hail of bullets, with lives hanging by a thread, and the survival instinct of teamwork!
During a lull in the fighting, a piercing shriek rang out! The camera quickly panned to a dark alley, where a monster with twisted limbs, crawling upside down on the wall and sporting a long tongue, suddenly spit out a sticky tongue and lunged at the lone team member!

Immediately afterwards, the ground shook! A monster as large as a small mountain, emitting a muffled roar, crashed through the wall and smashed a car flat with a single punch!
In the chaos, a gruff, unpleasant-looking man vomited a large puddle of green bile from a second-floor window. The viscous liquid spilled down, covering a large area of ​​the ground and the zombies.

Under the offensive of special senses.

The defenses have collapsed!

A four-man squad begins a desperate run, caught between hordes of zombies and special infected! The camera shakes violently, heavy breathing fills the air, and they race against the zombies across burning streets, leap off broken overpasses, and race on rickety pedestrian bridges! Explosions, collapses, roars, screams... the pace is breathtaking!
At the end of the trailer, the four men are battered and bruised, out of ammunition and supplies, and driven to the brink of despair. Just when they are about to give up, the roar of a helicopter and the beam of a searchlight can be heard in the distance! The camera finally focuses on the four men looking at the light source, their eyes filled with a mixture of exhaustion, hope and determination.

black screen.

A soft sob suddenly broke the silence.

The Left 4 Dead logo slowly appears.

This is followed by the release date and the login platform icon.

— June 1th.

The game will be released after the New Year!
"..."

Zhang Da stared blankly at the screen, completely bewildered.

The trailer is frighteningly fast-paced.

But this is not the most important.

His mind was in turmoil, filled with countless thoughts.

...massive numbers of zombies, complex physical interactions, destructive effects, lighting and shadows, and smooth four-player cooperation.

This is nothing like the pitch-black world of Outlast, where the protagonist is desperately trying to escape.

The speed at which Avalon evolves is just too damn ridiculous!

then.

He thought of the Morningstar Engine LGOO he had just seen... and his previous doubts suddenly became clear!
I see! I see!
Why did AG platform suddenly undergo a major update, focusing on strengthening the game library, product details page, rating system, and that cutting-edge creative workshop?
Why was "Left 4 Dead" able to be released so quickly and with such high quality?
Why was Left 4 Dead the first game on the AG platform to support the Steam Workshop?
The answer lies in that star symbol—the Morning Star Engine!
This was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision!
Avalon's ambitions are far grander and more profound than Zhang Da had previously imagined! They are simply not content with making just a few critically acclaimed and commercially successful blockbuster games!

They possess cutting-edge self-developed technology! A clear platform ecosystem strategy! And ambition!

They want to leverage their current advantages, utilize the technology represented by their self-developed engine, and use their own games to transform the AG platform into a single-player game distribution platform!
Left 4 Dead is the key that unlocks a new era! It's also the best proof of the powerful capabilities of the Morningstar engine! With mainstream gameplay, stunning audiovisual effects, and cooperative gameplay, it perfectly answered the doubts of previous players and firmly imprinted Avalon's technical strength and industrial standards in the minds of all players and the industry!
The radical upgrades to the AG platform... those features are tailor-made to support and showcase high-quality games powered by the Morningstar engine, now including Left 4 Dead and its derivative player-created content!

If Left 4 Dead is as successful as the trailer suggests, and combined with Avalon's current strengths... then the AG platform will undergo an amazing transformation!

The AG platform will no longer be just a launcher for Avalon games.

We will proceed step by step and gradually move forward.

Then the AG platform will truly evolve into a comprehensive gaming platform with publishing capabilities, core technology support, and the ability to inspire player creativity!
A new gaming world that can attract players, developers, and content creators both domestically and even more widely!
If Avalon can use Left 4 Dead and the Morningstar engine to pull off a brilliant strike.

As long as they can announce to the entire gaming industry that they possess top-notch self-developed technology, a clear platform ecosystem strategy, and a massive number of potential players.

Left 4 Dead will become the cornerstone for AG platform to attract and retain users!

"Holy crap...that's awesome!!!"

Zhang Da was completely stunned when he realized this.

He thought Avalon just wanted to make single-player games! Little did he know! Their intentions were far more outrageous than he imagined! They wanted to shake up the entire domestic gaming industry!

But can it really work?

Zhang Da was uncertain, because he could foresee that the road ahead would be full of thorns.

But clearly, Avalon is the only one qualified to do so. Looking around, what do giants like EasyGame and 99Game have in the single-player game market? Nothing! Technology? Platform? Decent single-player titles? Absolutely nothing!

However, Avalon has a successful portfolio of titles, a self-developed engine, a strong reputation among players, an existing AG platform, and a large potential player base built up from its previous games...

Now, the most crucial thing is whether other production teams are willing to join the project, and... whether the quality of Left 4 Dead itself can keep up.

Thinking of this, Zhang Da subconsciously rubbed his fingers together, then refocused his gaze on the details page of "Survival Road".

The intense gunfights, the terrifying hordes of zombies, the special infected that required close teamwork to fight... all his strategies, ambitions, and grand plans for the platform were temporarily forgotten.

A most basic and primal question churned in his mind: Did he want to play Left 4 Dead?

soon.

He had the answer.

I want it! I fucking want it so badly! Holy crap! After watching this trailer, who could resist?!

The roar of gunfire, the tension of surviving back-to-back with teammates, the oppression of facing mountains of corpses and seas of blood... just thinking about it made his blood boil, and he couldn't wait to grab his weapon and rush into that apocalyptic world right now!
……

at the same time.

After the trailer was released.

The player community is buzzing with excitement!

"My god! That horde of zombies!! It's giving me trypophobia! But... I really want to rush in and start shooting!!"

"Four-player co-op! Post-apocalyptic survival! Hordes of zombies! Avalon fucking knows what players want! I want to play! I want to play right now!!"

"Holy crap!!! A self-developed engine?! The Morning Star Engine?! What's going on with Avalon!?"

"So Avalon had this huge project in mind! No wonder the game was released so quickly!"

"I also want to ask, what's with Avalon's technology?! How did an engine suddenly appear?! Are they cheating?! But to be honest, this trailer gave me goosebumps! It's amazing! I really want to play it..."

"Morning Star illuminates the path of single-player games! Great name! I originally just wanted to check it out! After all, it was quite surprising that Undertale was nominated! I didn't expect to catch the next new game! Registered an account! Buying it all!"

"Brothers, I'm putting this on my word! If Left 4 Dead doesn't win Best Multiplayer Game at next year's TGA, I'll do a handstand while washing my hair live on stream! I'm making this promise!"

"After watching the trailer, all I want to say is! Those who say Avalon only makes horror games and takes shortcuts! Aren't you ashamed? Here comes the co-op shooter!!"

"..."

All the regrets about missing out on TGA, and the doubts and debates about falling just short or taking shortcuts, were completely crushed in the face of Left 4 Dead's zombie horde oppression, cooperative gameplay, and self-developed engine, turning into a tidal wave of anticipation and praise.

Every single element perfectly hits the nerves that excite players the most!

The AG platform's servers even experienced brief lag due to the overwhelming enthusiasm of the players, while the numbers below the pre-order button jumped wildly like a runaway horse.

……

The gaming community has suddenly become lively again.

But not everyone is happy.

Easy travel.

Jin Feng stared blankly at the computer screen, the unfamiliar Dawn Engine logo flashing through her mind.

The whole person felt like falling into an ice cave.

impossible! Absolutely impossible! ! !
Fake!all fake!
This engine couldn't possibly have been developed by the engine team that you laid off!
Absolutely impossible!!!
(End of this chapter)