Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 306 A Martial Arts Dream

No matter how well a video is made, it's still just "pie in the sky".

Players have long since become immune to various "CG scams" and "real gameplay demos are pure fraud" propaganda.

No matter how enticing or grand your promises are, there will always be a sliver of doubt before players actually taste them.

The best way to dispel this suspicion is to stuff the cake directly into their mouths.

In addition, this was Chu Chen's first time making this type of game, so he needed a "verification test," but unlike many manufacturers in his previous life who liked to conduct offline tests.

Chu Chen prefers to conduct unlimited online tests.

Even if the time is short, such as only two or three days, the content of the test may not be too much, but the feedback obtained from open testing will definitely be the most.

It is also the most authentic because there are enough samples.

So just as the discussions and the barrage of comments in the venue reached their peak, and everyone thought the amazing press conference was about to end, the image on the big screen changed again.

After the three-act scene demonstration ended, the screen slowly dimmed, eventually fading into deep darkness.

The noisy venue seemed to have been muted, falling silent once more. Everyone subconsciously assumed the promotional video was over and was about to applaud.

In the darkness, a line of vigorous and powerful calligraphy suddenly lit up, accompanied by a clear and melodious sword sound. The brushstrokes were so sharp that they seemed to leap out of the screen.

"Floating Dreams and Long Songs"

Immediately afterwards, a line of smaller text appeared below.

[First public hands-on demo event! This summer, let's dream and sing our hearts out!]

The scene was deathly silent for half a second.

It was like dropping a depth charge into a calm lake.

"boom--!"

"What the hell?!"

A reporter sitting in the front row couldn't help but jump up from his seat, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.

His shout ignited the entire venue.

"Huh!? Wait a minute! Did I see that right? A public trial?"

"This summer!! Next month?! Or September?!?!"

"Holy crap, I'm so excited!!!"

"Huh???! It's so well-developed, they dare to release a demo next month?!"

If the previous demonstration amazed and filled everyone with anticipation, then this line of text brings pure ecstasy and shock!
"A cacophony of voices" is an understatement to describe the scene; it was a wave of sound mixed with disbelief and immense joy, almost lifting the roof off the entire venue.

Countless people pulled out their phones and frantically took pictures of the words, as if afraid they would disappear in the next second.

The live stream's bullet comments transformed into a vast white ocean.

~~~
As the demonstration of Starry Night Games' "Floating Dreams" came to an end and the test date was officially announced, even though Chu Chen was still standing on the stage, the media below went crazy.

Some media outlets, in their haste to publish news articles, simply release a headline and one or two screenshots.

Don't tell me...
Surprisingly, this kind of news doesn't generate a bad amount of traffic.

Players and industry insiders alike who saw this news were basically shocked.

First, it's astonishing that Starry Sky Games was able to release a new demo so quickly.

While upon closer inspection, "Final Frontline" was released last March, which seems plausible considering the development timeline, in reality, apart from Tencent and NetEase, very few game companies can consistently release a large number of "games" every year.

As a result, many people have exclaimed that Xingchen's "ambition" is just too strong! It really makes one want to ask a question.

"Can't you just take a break?!"

Secondly, what shocked Starry Sky Games' new game was that it was actually a two-dimensional martial arts game.
Anime/manga style... Wuxia (martial arts)? Just those tags sound so intriguing, yet the style presented in the demo immediately draws people in.

Although many people feel that you can't learn anything from just watching promotional videos, that's not actually the case.

Humans are creatures with an exceptionally strong ability to fill in the gaps in their understanding.

Most "players" have a kind of "superpower," especially veteran players, who can tell what a game is like just by watching a trailer.

Is it fun? Is it even playable?

Leaving aside the previous game, Black Myth, let's talk about another game that also gained some popularity thanks to its trailer, Fire and Smoke. Just by looking at it, you can understand what kind of world the development team wants to present to the players.

At the same time, you can imagine how fun it would be if this world could actually be completed like in the PV.

The same goes for "Floating Dreams and Long Songs".

A demonstration video showcased all three core elements of "Floating Dreams".

It has a "江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) feel" especially when the old fisherman says, "Little kid, I have no grudges against you in the past or present..." even though he appears in the picture as a speech bubble.

That sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) comes rushing back with just a scratch.

When Fairy Ling Shuang and Junior Sister finally appeared, you have to admit that Junior Sister's character design, with her anime-style Hanfu and long, white legs, was absolutely stunning.

As soon as these female characters appeared, many players shouted, "Here's your wallet, give me the girl!"

Although not much combat or gameplay was shown, the fact that it will be playable this summer makes up for that.

Without exaggeration, this is a perfect demonstration video, and the theme of this video is martial arts.

The martial arts genre is just like the Three Kingdoms period.

For Chinese players, there is absolutely no barrier to understanding it.

Many players, after seeing the character, can not only imagine the character's personality, but also what kind of plots might appear in future "fan fiction" works.
Because the entry barrier is too low.

The moment the promotional video ended, players began to spread it spontaneously.

The number of discussions related to "Floating Dreams and Long Songs" on Baidu search results exploded, jumping from almost zero to hundreds of thousands.

It is foreseeable that the release of this PV will trigger a chain reaction.

After all, no one expected that Starry Sky Games would actually release a new game at this time, in this place, and in this location, and it actually looks quite professional with a very high level of completion.

If we consider emotions as a form of quantifiable energy...

At this moment, the energy density inside the main venue of the Suzhou-Hangzhou Convention and Exhibition Center is high enough to distort space.

how many years?

Chinese gamers play foreign shooting, racing, and sports games, watch foreign superhero movies, and experience foreign fantasy epics. They say things like "Sony is great" and "Nintendo is the master of the world," but there's always a void in their hearts.

They have been waiting for the ultimate form of this "martial arts dream" for far too long.

So long that they even thought they would never see it again in their lifetime.

(End of this chapter)