Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 592 Choice Support Bias

Sato Kenichi's live stream was filled with his exaggerated screams.

When he shouted out the exclamation, "Has the whole Earth turned into a spaceship?", the chat in his live stream exploded, flooding the screen with various "Siguni" and emoticons.

While looking at the screen full of comments, Kenichi Satoh was still surprised, but inside he was laughing so hard he was practically numb.

It's no wonder that stars have become a traffic magnet in Japan. Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, a line of text appeared faintly on the dark screen.

The simplest and most unadorned white Song typeface presents the Chinese and English versions of the Wandering Earth logo.

Then there is an equally enormous one [Original work: Liu Cixin].

Kenichi Sato was logged into the live stream on the official website of the Japanese website "Starry Night," so when this line of text appeared, the subtitles were simultaneously translated into Japanese, and the subtitles also thoughtfully included a small print listing the author of "The Three-Body Problem."

That's quite cunning.

Sure enough, upon seeing those words, Kenichi Sato let out another howl.

"Huh? Liu Cixin???"

Yes, Liu Cixin.

If we say that StarCraft used a setup of echoing each other in the promotional videos for the Star Core bipart, and used a single PV to simultaneously promote two games as a gimmick, then...

So, in the trailer for "The Wandering Earth," besides the game itself and the movie, the biggest gimmick was actually the fleeting appearance of Liu Cixin.

This is because, as we approached mid-2018, the influence of "The Three-Body Problem" after winning the award was at its peak.

His novels have been translated into dozens of languages, with global sales exceeding ten million copies.

In the European and American markets, sales have already exceeded one million.

A Chinese novel has sold over a million copies. Moreover, Musk, Zuckerberg, Obama, Cameron... from tech giants to political leaders to Hollywood directors, have all recommended The Three-Body Problem through various channels.

These recommendations have also propelled the popularity of "The Three-Body Problem" beyond the science fiction community, bringing it into the global public eye.

Even if most people don't read novels, or even have a vague understanding of what the stories are about, they know the name Liu Cixin and that he is a Chinese writer who has produced some very impressive works.

This understanding, in a previous life, led Netflix to release the American version of "The Three-Body Problem," while simultaneously in Japan.

Because "American daddies" are all recommending The Three-Body Problem, the Japanese literary circle has also elevated it to a near-divine status.

This is absolutely no exaggeration. The Japanese edition of *The Three-Body Problem* sold out quickly after its release, requiring 10 reprints within a week. Publishers including Hideo Kojima and Makoto Shinkai, along with a plethora of others, praised *The Three-Body Problem* on their Twitter accounts.

In particular, the recommendation from Hideo Kojima, a star producer in the game industry, made many Japanese gamers aware of the book, and in the process, Liu Cixin's name also spread among gamers.

As a result, the barrage of comments exploded after Liu Cixin appeared.

"Hey~~~ Is that Liu Cixin? The author of 'The Three-Body Problem'?"

"Really? Xingchen has acquired the adaptation rights to Liu Cixin's work?"

"Wait a minute, I'm a little confused, so 'The Wandering Earth' is also one of his novels?"

Seeing the rapidly scrolling barrage of comments, Kenichi Sato finally snapped out of his shock.

He slapped his thigh, sprang up from his gaming chair, and turned to rush toward the bookshelf behind him.

Amidst a pile of StarCraft game limited edition boxes and figurines, he frantically rummaged through them, finally pulling out a thick book with a cover featuring a deep blue cosmic background.

It was the Japanese version of "The Three-Body Problem." Holding the book, he rushed back in front of the camera like he was presenting a treasure, and almost tripped over the cables because of the force of his movement.

"It's him! It's this author!" Takeru Satoh shouted, his face flushed with excitement. "Do you know what this means?!"

"This isn't just any random story! This is the work of Liu Cixin! The master that even Director Kojima praised highly! This game is definitely very profound!"

"Liu Cixin plus Chu Chen!! Absolutely no mistake!!!"

Actually, the game "The Wandering Earth" doesn't have much depth.

Ultimately, it's a game, and as a simulation game, The Wandering Earth focuses more on simulation construction and resource management.

Although there are some story missions, these missions themselves are not explored in great depth, and they are clearly lacking in "depth".

However, this did not stop Takeru Satoh from shouting and yelling, and his words instantly ignited the emotions of all the viewers in the live broadcast room.

This is often the case; when people encounter something they genuinely love or look forward to, they subconsciously add a halo to it.

This psychological phenomenon of beautification based on self-selection is known in psychology as "selection support bias".

Simply put, it means once a choice has been made.

People tend to remember the advantages of their choices while ignoring their disadvantages, thus justifying their decision as wise.

At this moment, Kenichi Sato is the most vivid embodiment of this effect.

~~~
Meanwhile, in China.

If the reaction of European, American, and Japanese players after the release of the trailer for "The Wandering Earth" was one of surprise and fervor, then the emotions of domestic players can only be described as a "nuclear explosion."

It was already 8:30 a.m. in China, which coincided with my commute to work.

Many office workers habitually open their phones during their commute and then find that Weibo, Bilibili, and TikTok are filled with information about "The Wandering Earth".

Game trailers, movie trailers, simulation management, 3D construction, planetary engines, Earth-Wood handover... and the Star Core trailer from ten minutes ago.

Good guy, really good guy.

"What did I miss!?"

In the early morning subway car, a young man who had just squeezed onto the train subconsciously uttered this question.

His name is Cheng Zhibin, an ordinary programmer. He had just squeezed onto the subway, found a seat, and habitually opened titok, intending to use short videos to pass the time during his commute.

However, as soon as it started to open, it was a PV (video).

The video features a spectacular display of beams of light from planetary engines, accompanied by rousing symphonic music, and is titled "Wake up, Earth is on its way!"

He made a swipe with his finger.

The second video shows a massive transport vehicle speeding across an ice field, titled "[This is the kind of movie men should watch!]".

The third video features long, black-stockinged legs.

The fourth video features the Star Core unveiling at the StarE3 pre-show press conference.
After watching a few videos, Cheng Zhibin became completely interested and casually opened his browser.

(End of this chapter)