Tokyo Video Game Tycoon.

Takeyusei took a look and realized that it was the complete script for Final Fantasy VII that he had previously given to his subordinates.

He didn't recall ever cutting Hayasawa Ai's hair, because she wouldn't be involved in the game's development, and Takeyusei felt there was no need to show her the game's story.

Normally, Airi Hayazawa wouldn't get involved in game development. Her main interest is in the development and manufacturing of game consoles and related hardware peripherals. At most, she would occasionally assist game developers with some custom peripherals for specific games.

How did you get this script?

"It was Aya Tsukino who gave it to me. Don't worry about that. I just want to ask you why you wrote such a story. It's too painful! Why did Alice have to die?"

“Uh…” Zhu Youxing was speechless for a moment.

If you ask me why I wrote this kind of plot, I really can't answer that. I can't exactly say that I traveled through time and copied the whole game plot, can I?

"Do you think it's good to play tricks on the players like this? They will definitely curse you for your evil actions and eventually reject you. You can clearly not do this."

Airi Hayazawa was somewhat agitated.

Clearly, she was truly immersed in the storyline of this script.

The fact that the script alone can draw the player in and make them grieve over the deaths of the characters seems to prove that the game's storyline is almost flawless.

"Come, come, sit down first, let's talk slowly."

Hayazawa Airi still seemed a little unhappy, but she sat down as Takeyusei had instructed, waiting for him to say something.

It's so heartbreaking! It's truly so heartbreaking! Why did such a lovely and strong Alice have to die? Wasn't there any other way?

Given the huge reaction to the game's storyline, Takeyusei had anticipated it, but he hadn't expected Hayasawa Airi to come looking for him.

"Airi, what do you think of this Final Fantasy VII story?"

Chapter 323 Leaving Room for Reconciliation

In the main storyline of Final Fantasy VII, the main characters include Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, Red XIII, and many others, as well as the well-known villain Sephiroth.

The story of Final Fantasy VII is naturally the adventure story of the protagonist, Cloud.

However, at the same time, many of the supporting characters and the female lead in this work also have their own shining points, and they all have their own unique personality traits.

It can be said that, apart from the occasional chuunibyou (delusional) moments, the story of Final Fantasy VII is almost flawless.

Players will grow to love each character in the game more and more as they progress through the main storyline.

Claude's determination, fearlessness, and somewhat rough-around-the-edges nature, along with his minor flaws, make him seem like an ordinary person, making it easy for viewers to empathize with him.

The female protagonist, Alice, has a compassionate and saintly personality. She is kind to everyone, but at the same time, she is also very strong. When the necessary sacrifice comes, she chooses to save the world without hesitation.

Tifa, the female protagonist, appears strong on the surface, but she also has a soft side. She always remembers her promise to Cloud, the male protagonist, and is willing to stay by his side, help him, and support him. When Cloud is vulnerable, she will do her best to protect him.

The main villain Sephiroth, even though he was destined to be a villain, possesses a very strong personal charisma.

He is charismatic, decisive, and ambitious, but also reveals some of his sad past through interspersed stories, making it impossible for people to truly hate this villain.

These vibrant characters are the core of Final Fantasy VII.

This time, Takeyusei poured his heart and soul into it. He practically pulled out all the memories of Final Fantasy VII from his brain in order to recreate this legendary work.

In this story, the final ending abruptly occurs when players witness one of the female protagonists, Alice, being stabbed to death.

The ability to release emotions in that instant is very strong.

"Airi, what do you think of the story of Final Fantasy VII this time?"

Takeyusei looked at Hayazawa Airi and asked.

After thinking about it seriously for a while, Airi Hayazawa said, "Very good, this is the game with the best storyline I've ever seen."

Previously, most games had compelling storylines, but they always felt like they were missing something.

When people play these games, adults, except for children, generally think that these are just fictional stories and not worth getting upset about. At most, they might feel a little emotional because of the tragic sacrifice of a character in a certain plot, and then they would go back to work.

But this time, Airi Hayazawa really got into the script.

She was fully committed from the very beginning.

She couldn't explain what happened either.

She really liked this story.

Upon hearing Hayasawa Airi's reply, Takeyusei smiled and said, "You also approve of the story's plot this time. What I want to say is that sometimes a story is not as perfect as you imagine. Not all stories have a happy ending. This is not because I deliberately wanted to write it this way, but because the story should develop this way."

Airi Hayazawa didn't understand. She wanted to refute something, but for a moment she didn't know how to answer.

"In your view, the story is written by me, so naturally I am in control. I can write it however I want. But sometimes, the characters you create really seem to come alive. They all have their own souls. At those times, when I look at the characters I create, I am like a silent observer, silently observing everything they do. And everything will be beyond my control. Whether they live or die is their own choice."

“But you can still forcibly change the plot,” Hayazawa Airi argued.

"Of course you can. I've tried to force changes, but every time I do, it's as if those characters come out of the paper and keep telling me that we have our own will and won't change because of your modifications, so please respect our wishes."

"Do they... really possess independent souls?" Hayazawa Airi asked, somewhat incredulous.

Whether or not an independent soul exists is hard for Zhu Youxing to say. After all, the story of this game was not written by him, but by a well-known game developer from his previous life, and he couldn't say what the other party's state of mind was at the time.

But this is indeed the best explanation at present.

This interpretation can also be described as a unique charm of literary creators: bringing their characters to life and allowing them to develop on their own is truly the ultimate pursuit of every author.

Zhu Youxing nodded firmly: "That's right, they all have independent souls, so please respect their choices and don't force a story that doesn't belong to them onto them. That way, they will be very gratified."

As Hayazawa Airi listened, she seemed somewhat engrossed, and she began to imagine the vivid characters in those scripts.

"Cloud is so pitiful. Someone he loves is gone just like that. But Sephiroth is a villain that's hard to hate. Even though he killed Aerith, even though I really wanted to go into the script and give Sephiroth an over-the-shoulder throw the moment he killed Aerith, I still can't hate him."

Zhu Youxing smiled: "That's the charm of the character, so let the story continue like this. And... there's something else I want to tell you."

"what's up?"

"Actually, this story is not over yet. It's not entirely a bad ending yet; there is no predetermined conclusion."

"What do you mean?" Hayazawa Airi was taken aback.

"I plan to create a separate series for Final Fantasy VII, which will include related novels, animated films, other spin-offs, and a future Final Fantasy VII sequel that will truly make up for it. However, this sequel is just a plan of mine, and I didn't originally intend to tell anyone. But seeing you like this, I feel that if I don't let you know, you probably won't be able to concentrate on your work during this period."

Airi Hayazawa's eyes immediately lit up, and she asked expectantly, "Really? Can it really be salvaged? Alice won't die?"

"Well... this is just a rough idea of ​​mine. It will probably be many years before this idea is actually realized. It's too early to talk about this now. I can't say how the story will develop. So, let's wait until then to talk about everything."

Takeyusei's words were clearly not enough to satisfy Hayazawa Airi, but they also left her with a glimmer of hope, not completely extinguishing her chances.

She doesn't care whether others know or not; she just knows she has a chance to make amends, and that makes her feel much better right now.

"By the way, can I talk to Aya Tsukino about this? When she showed me the script, I could tell she was very sad, but she didn't show it. She just gave me the script and went home. I wonder how she is now."

Goodness, there's still one more person I need to explain things to. But it's okay, we're going to do it all anyway. In order for Aya Tsukino to get back to work, it won't hurt to explain again.

"Oh, I've got that sorted out. You can just go back to your work and relax now, right?"

"Uh-huh."

Chapter 324 The Hardworking Players

Yusei Takeno also went to Tsukino Aya's house to explain.

Takeyusei never expected that Tsukino Aya, who is usually emotionally stable, would have such an abnormal moment.

I was even moved to tears by the storyline in the game.

Although Aya Tsukino remained calm when Takeyusei visited her home, Takeyusei patiently explained the plot and reassured her to relax and continue working. He said that Final Fantasy VII's sword seemed sharp, but it would eventually have a chance to turn things around, although it would take a long time.

This was something Zhu Youxing had planned long ago.

Final Fantasy VII, whether it's the original story or the Final Fantasy VII Remake released in 2020, has become a classic work that is passed down by word of mouth.

The 2020 Final Fantasy VII Remake was not just a high-definition remaster of the original; it also deconstructed the original storyline, giving a chance to avert the tragedies that seemed destined to happen, and rekindling hope for players who were heartbroken by Final Fantasy VII.

Square Enix, the company that created Final Fantasy VII in its previous life, probably didn't plan for a high-definition remake in advance. But now, Takeyusei has already made preparations. He even plans to leave some clues in the original story. However, it won't be easy for anyone to find these clues. They will have to go through many trials to find the evidence left by Takeyusei.

After persuading Aya Tsukino, Takeyusei returned to his development job.

This time, he truly disappeared from the public eye and devoted himself entirely to game development.

From character illustrations to the construction of new 3D models, Zhu Youxing supervised everything, which was much more meticulous than some of the game developments he had participated in before.

This is an opportunity to showcase the company's strength in game industrialization. If the performance is good enough, the company's future will be immeasurable.

Of course, in addition to developing the game behind closed doors, the promotion and marketing of Final Fantasy VII has also been ongoing.

Zhu Youxing has arranged for community staff to regularly release some plot settings in the community every month.

For example, the overall world view of Final Fantasy VII.

The story background includes elements such as magic crystals, the life source, Shinra Corporation, artificial soldiers, Genova, and ancient species.

By regularly posting updates on the community, people can stay informed about the game's progress.

Some true Final Fantasy fans were naturally very happy as well.

They can piece together the general outline of this world by receiving new game background information every month.

"This is a truly modern world. It's quite interesting. It seems that the Final Fantasy series is going to take a completely different path, no longer relying on the boring settings of heroes, dragons, princesses, and knights. To be honest, after playing so many role-playing games over the years, I'm actually quite tired of these similar settings."

"Upstairs, I agree with what you said. Ever since Dragon Quest pioneered role-playing games, countless game companies have followed suit and developed many similar games. I'm really tired of it. This Final Fantasy is a completely new breakthrough. Look at this world, there are trains and modern industrial steel buildings. You could say this world is a parallel world to Earth."

"Speaking of which, isn't the Life Stream similar to oil? Our world is currently frantically extracting oil from underground, but sooner or later the oil will be drained, just like the Life Stream in Final Fantasy VII."

"No, it's still a bit different. At least when our oil runs out, it won't cause any damage to our lives. It's just a matter of finding a new way to obtain energy. But in Final Fantasy VII, the Life Source is directly related to the lives of people in this world. Using even a little bit will make life wither faster. It's really a form of slow suicide."

"I think that the God of Games this time probably drew on the current situation of our modern society to some extent. Even though the source of life is different from oil, it is a warning in a roundabout way that we cannot over-exploit it."

"Hey, upstairs, you're exaggerating a bit. It's just a game. Why are you making it sound like an entertainment product needs to have a warning or educational message?"

"Who says games can't be educational? Movies and literature are also entertainment products, can't they also be educational?"

"I disagree with your point of view, I think..."

……

In the forums, the new plot settings have sparked heated discussions among many people. They have even begun to extend the discussion beyond the game itself, connecting it with reality, as if the players are genuinely considering the world as a whole.

Some more extreme players have even publicly stated on forums that they will never drive any gasoline-powered car again.

Zhu Youxing felt that this was completely unnecessary, but he welcomed such a heated discussion.

This is because it can generate buzz for the game. A good game also needs good promotion, otherwise it may fade into obscurity.