After we launched the official versions of Three Kingdoms and JellyMan, we saw incremental growth in the data. Particularly JellyMan is a buyout game that dispersed at an astonishing speed. This growth was led by the viral aspects within JellyMan.
On major video-sharing websites, live broadcast platforms, and player community groups it was everywhere. Even players who had never tried the game knew about it. You could tell how trending the game is.
There were even character crossovers from other games, and players created all sorts of secondary content, turning some classic characters into Jelly beans. This, in turn, helped promote JellyMan even more. The alluring and wobbly art style and quirky design, combined with the jolly, casual levels design, were key reasons for its success.
While some players jokingly declared frustration with the game after a while, for most of them, it was a source of joy. Various media outlets were not to be left out. They started covering videos, news, and statistics related to JellyMan.
In comparison, Three Kingdoms didn't achieve the same response, it maintained a steady player base. On forums, players were actively discussing strategies, the best generals to have as teammates, and which ones were considered pains.
Soon, we released the data for both games. JellyMan sold 620,000 copies in three days, while Three Kingdoms sold 170,000. This shocked many industry insiders following these two games.
Three Kingdoms didn't draw too much attention, but what caught people's eye was the sales of JellyMan. The numbers were too outlandish. But the real surprise still awaits them.
While Three Kingdoms remained stable, on the fourth day, after JellyMan landed on third-party platforms outside our Platform, the incremental sales broke one million in a matter of time. And there was no sign of slowing.
This left the industry stunned. No one expected it could sell a million copies in five days. Sure, the game was cheap, but that didn't matter. Even if it sold for just a yuan, hitting a million sales in five days was still incredible.
Once the sales figures were out, the industry buzzed with discussions.
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"Did you see that? JellyMan sales blew up! It broke a million in five days. I can't believe it!" Song ZiaoMing posted on a private server.
"Yes, they announced the figure. Our boss has already called for a team meeting to deliberate on a similar project" Yao Bai added.
"Yes, and the players' reviews are still overwhelmingly positive!" Song added, As he also posted a screenshot of official game store evaluations and rating metrics.
While everyone was focused on JellyMan, some also noticed something else. Although Three Kingdoms didn't generate on-sale revenue, its operational strategy is in-app purchases. Yeah, but no forced in-app purchases, not even any subtle nudging toward spending money.
[Three Kingdoms has a growing player base and in-app purchases will be a sure way of milking players.]
[It may be due to Neon Game's fear of destabilizing and destroying their player base. Game companies often fear a stigma that becomes attached to their image.]
We were deep in discussion, but opportunities had already started working on it.
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Countless designers were studying it, hoping to enjoy a pie of this cake.
Streamers were busy with streaming JellyMan, Players were divided into melon munchers and participants.
As for salted fishes, they were surprisingly interested in the highlights of this year's exhibition.
On the final day, Chen Xu's surprising reveal of Dark Soul had the rest of the above talking.
In many communities, players were buzzing in anticipation regarding Dark Soul.
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"Dark Soul? Is this Chen Xu's latest work? Is this a fantasy theme?" many speculated.
"The trailer has a Western fantasy vibe, forget Eastern fantasy, it looks like a major production!" Cat Empire added
"The story of the fire-bearer sounds a bit bleak and desolate 👹," SuperNoob added.
"I think the fire bearer will be the new warrior of love 😱" Jiang Ping added.
"N times, This is the N times someone has mentioned warrior of love.🥲" Xue Chen added.
"Haha, that's pretty interesting—so we will be warriors of love and fire-bearers, passing on hope in a world filled with despair 🤭!" Ruan added
"Haha, I can't wait to play it—I want to spread the fire 🥳!" Cat empire added
"By the way, did you see the concept art? It looked cool!" Bigbooba added.
"So, are those the character classes we can choose? I'm so hyped!"
After the official post went live, as fans of Chen Xu, we were all excited. Some of us experienced everything firsthand at the exhibition, while others followed along through official blogs and media reports. Everyone flocked to Chen Xu's post.
Everyone was buzzing with excitement.
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[Chen Xu POV]
Meanwhile, I had a ton of points saved up over the past months, and now it's time to gamble 😭. I had enough for a hundred draws to support the development of Dark Soul and improve upon the game's numerical balancing.
This time, I turned on my computer and changed my desktop background to a prosperous Fu symbol. Then, I opened up Spotfei and played the very music. Even though the lyrics and melody were different, it still had a good vibe and fortune.
After everything was in place, I tore open wet wipes, cleaned my hands, took a breath, and started gambling.
"Wow! A golden draw!" I cried as the golden light showered my eyes, my mind filled with alluring voices and tempting images.
One after another, common books popped up... until finally, a rare one appeared.
Among them, a bunch of memory capsules were mixed in.
"Wow! Another golden draw!" I couldn't help but shake in excitement. From afar my comfy chair was shaking provoking an R-18 sight and imagination.
I had the feeling, I had picked up something great!
[Mysterious item: After meeting some conditions, you'll get a mysterious item.]
A golden ball appeared before me. I noticed several advancement bars on the ball, each labeled with diverse emotions: happy, sad, resentment, and anger.
"Well, I took a gamble and, what do you know, I ended up with another gamble?" I muttered, a bit speechless.
Isn't this wrapping up a surprise in another surprise?
Still, I couldn't help but feel a bit excited about it. After all, the requirements are easy, and it's from a golden draw. It won't be an ordinary item?
While thinking this over, I used up the relevant skill books I had drawn to boost my capability stats.
[The ridiculous thing was that I had never seen my cumulative stats.]
For happiness, I figured JellyMan, should provide plenty of it. As for resentment and anger, once Dark Soul launches, it won't be lacking either.
With that in mind, meeting these conditions seemed relatively easy!
The best part is that this new item doesn't interfere with my points. It's independent.
After spending some time exhausting my points and doing a bit of research, I refocused on Dark Soul.
I still needed to finalize the design concept draft for Dark Soul.
>>
Melon munchers - people who watch from the sides. They love to watch dramas and shows.
Salted fish - a slang term for a dead body. It can also refer to someone who has no intention of doing anything.
Fu symbol - The Chinese character fu, means fortune or good luck.
..
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Let's focus purely on gameplay.
Whether it's about numerical value additions, equipment, or combat mechanics like rolling, shields, and backstabs—there's nothing truly groundbreaking compared to other Action or RPG games. What truly sets Dark Souls apart is how all these elements, when integrated with its map design and boss encounters, come together to create a unique and level-driven experience.
Everything is designed to push players through levels, defeat powerful enemies that come their way, and ultimately give them a sense of pride and accomplishment.
With the memory capsule, it took me nearly an entire day to sketch out the concept draft. And even then, it's not a complete draft—only the core elements of the game without diving into extensive details, such as the plot.
There are still aspects to be refined before moving forward, but it will do for now.
[Fast forward to Dark Souls meeting]
When I entered the conference room, the team was already seated, discussing quietly. As I stepped inside, the room fell silent.
"I believe most of you have a rough idea about the purpose of today's meeting. Yes, it's for our new game."
"I won't waste time with pleasantries. Let me introduce the project. The theme is set in a Western-based fantasy story."
"The art style will differ significantly from our previous games."
"We're going for a deep, dark, naturalistic aesthetic. The overall feel will draw heavily on Western European architecture. Different regions and areas, namely Flange Fortress, Undead Town, and Cold Valley, will each carry their own cultural influences, incorporating elements such as Baroque and Romanesque styles."
I switched on the remote, and the slides behind me converged to show various sketches and art of the game areas.
If the story of Dark Souls is its skeleton and the gameplay is its soul, then the artistic expression is undeniably its skin.
This is the first aspect players will interact with, so we've invested heavily in creating top-tier CG, that was showcased at the exhibition.
Meticulously crafted medieval armor and weapons are combined with a dark art style, all set against the backdrop of classic Western European architecture. The art style we've revealed has struck a chord with players.
I proceeded to explain the systems in Dark Souls.
For instance, in the combat system, alongside mechanics like invincible rolls, shield counters, backstabs, and durability—common in most action games—we've made subtle but significant adjustments.
Moreover, we've added special mechanics.
Each weapon will have unique combat abilities, and thanks to the advanced technology available in our world, I've been able to push the game's visual fidelity even further.
Of course, while these details enhance the experience, they're not the main focus.
"In the early stages, we'll concentrate on art assets. Qin Yi, I also want to make sure that the game's action mechanics are executed to perfection."
I looked at Qin Yi as I said this.
He and the others nodded in agreement.
While Dark Souls may not be classified as a traditional action game, but rather a level-driven one, the importance of action mechanics is undeniable. They remain a core part of the player's experience.
In any action game, there are hard requirements for effects.
When it comes to action feedback. It's easy to explain. It's all about impact and fluidity.
Take, for example, the famous Old Roll Dameon from my previous life, whose sense of impact felt like cutting through the air. As an ARPG, it had many great features; however, the combat experience was lacking, which caused some players to quit.
One of the most common ways to create a sense of impact, besides using sound effects, is through a freeze frame. To explain it: imagine swinging a weapon at a monster. If it takes 60 frames from start to finish, the animation will pause for a few frames when the weapon hits the enemy, simulating the sensation of cutting into flesh. This creates that satisfying feeling of impact.
Games like Monster Hunter, God of War, and Street Fighter have mastered this technique.
However, for a game like Dark Souls, creating the right sense of impact is necessary—avoiding the feeling that you're just cutting through the air, which requires careful tuning of various parameters.
Of course, this technique isn't suitable for all games. In fast-paced games like Ninja Gaiden, where combat is swift and smooth, and similarly, in Devil May Cry, which is quite flashy, the flow would be disrupted by such pauses.
These adjustments require constant refinement from the team. Relying solely on myself to handle everything would be impractical.
And it's not like I won't make more action games in the future.
So the team will need to keep experimenting and optimizing. I had this idea while working on Escape.
During the two months spent developing JellyMan and Three Kingdoms, Qin Yi focused on improving the game's action feedback. Although the results weren't significant, they were gratifying.
As for other parts of the game, outsourcing made it easier to produce art resources.
For example, the design of map levels is more complex. In Dark Souls, different areas are interconnected, which adds a mix of curiosity and mystery.
A player might be in Area A, move to Area B, and then discover a path in Area B that loops back to Area A. Later, upon reaching Area C, they may find yet another route back to Area A.
This design is Metroid-style. It was adapted to a true 3D environment in Dark Souls, compared to the 2D horizontal layouts of the past.
With some exploration and deciphering, this is also a unique feature in Dark Souls.
In the previous iteration of Dark Souls 3, many players who had experienced the first Dark Souls felt dissatisfied, believing that Dark Souls 3 didn't live up to its predecessor, primarily because of the changes in map design.
For new players, however, this design can be seen as a form of mercy.
Even with that in mind, after hearing my explanation of the game's details, Ruan, who is responsible for the map level, still seemed confused.
"There's no minimap in the game?" Ruan Ningxue asked, her face reflecting evident confusion as she picked up on one of the core points I didn't mention.
"Exactly. This is a level design game. The game itself will push the player. This way, players won't get lost and can truly appreciate the intricacies of the game's world. Have you noticed how today's games are minimizing their UIs, or even attempting to eliminate them altogether?"
"The reason is simple: to enhance player immersion. Think about the Dark Souls context. It's a world filled with despair. By not providing a minimap, we're increasing the player's sense of immersion. When players stumble across hidden areas, it gives them a real sense of excitement," I explained with a smile.
The absence of a minimap is one of the key characteristics of the Souls series.
Although Elden Ring later introduced a map, players must first collect fragments to gradually uncover it.
Worried about getting lost? Well, die a few more times, and soon enough, you'll know the way by heart from running back and forth.
This is all for the players!
They've paid for the game, after all. If we're not striving to make it as immersive as possible, then what are we doing?
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