Players are now viewing Dark Souls more objectively. Discussions in major Dark Souls community boards have become less hostile, with many expressing newfound appreciation for the game.
At the same time, its rating has started to climb, albeit gradually. While some players continue to buy and refund the game, this is a normal phenomenon. Even with the unique charm Dark Souls offers, its relatively steep difficulty curve doesn't appeal to everyone.
For some, Dark Souls isn't their cup of tea. However, those who persist and manage to overcome Ash Judge Guda and the Lothric Walls find themselves utterly captivated. The game unfolds like a fine wine, releasing its full fragrance only after being savored, drawing players deeper into its world.
The buzz surrounding Dark Souls is reminiscent of the original Escape, except this time, the fire burns even brighter, and it spreads even farther. The game's distinctiveness—unmatched by any title before it—has driven passionate players to recommend it to their friends. Many enthusiastically spread the word:
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"Chen Xu's Dark Souls! You have to try it! What type of game? A grass-cutting one! It's so cool!"
"Look at this big sword! And the bosses—aren't they amazing? Let's fight together online!"
"A shield, a long sword, and a desperate world—join me in Lothric to spread the flames!"
"The Fire Keeper is gorgeous! The knights are dashing! Come spread the fire with me!"
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Players have gone out of their way to bewitch friends into joining the grand cause of spreading the fire.
Adding fuel to the fire is Chen Xu's increasing popularity among the community. Photos from a recent exhibition and an earlier online press conference have resurfaced. Players paired these with his famous remark from last year's media interview: Warrior of Love. These have since gone viral.
Creative minds on the forums have even turned Chen Xu into memes. In one popular edit, the microphone he held at the exhibition is replaced with the Dark Souls game icon, captioned: Are you spreading fire?
Under Chen Xu's official post announcing the game's launch, players have flooded the comments with variations of: I want to spread the fire and This fire must be spread. Ironically, many also admit: Whoever likes spreading fire can do it—I'm not cut out for it!
In-game characters and challenges have also inspired memes, such as:
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Teacher Ash Judge Guda
The Lothric Knights
The Winged Knight
The Sword Master
The Crystal Lizard
The Mimic
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These notorious foes—responsible for countless player deaths—have been immortalized in emojis and phrases:
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"Have you felt the fiery enthusiasm of the producer?"
"This is what I love about players!"
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This creative humor has further fueled the game's popularity, driving secondary waves of attention and boosting sales.
Naturally, this fire is filled with a mix of love and exasperation from players.
As the popularity of Dark Souls continues to grow, some players have resorted to less-than-honest tactics. Many have tagged Chen Xu's personal account on the official blog, expressing their hope that he might step up as the leader of the fire and guide everyone in spreading the flame together.
At the online press conference, it was revealed that the impressive promotional video for Dark Souls was created by Chen Xu himself. Despite this, many players seem to fan the flames of the game's discussions, partly out of curiosity to see how Chen Xu would handle the attention.
While countless content creators and streamers on major video and live broadcast platforms are grappling with the game's challenging mechanics, the involvement of its creator adds a different layer of excitement and novelty.
[Nebula Gaming's Office]
"Mr. Chen, about the follow-up arrangements?" Zhang Yi from the Marketing Operations Department hesitated, seeking clarification.
Although he was confident in the quality of Dark Souls, Chen Xu understood that the success of a game doesn't solely rely on its intrinsic quality. Effective marketing and promotion play a significant role. The quality of the game sets the baseline, ensuring reasonable sales, but achieving higher sales and influence requires robust publicity and strategic engagement.
There are plenty of precedents for this. One notable example is Titanfall 2. Despite its stellar quality and glowing reputation, its sales faltered. Aside from the short single-player campaign, the game was nearly flawless, improving on its predecessor in every aspect. Yet, it struggled due to fierce competition from Battlefield 1, COD13, and Overwatch, all of which dominated the multiplayer FPS market at the time. Titanfall 2 also suffered from poor marketing, ultimately sealing its fate.
Reflecting on the mixed reception of Dark Souls among online players, Chen Xu examined the available data and found no major issues. However, he and Zhang Yi decided to plan follow-up measures, including steering the game's hot topics to maintain momentum.
Interestingly, before Neon Gaming could take significant action, the game's trajectory began shifting positively, fueled entirely by spontaneous player-driven discussions.
[Plans for Engagement]
"Let's keep maintaining our official game forum and community," Chen Xu instructed Zhang Yida.
"Additionally, we should prepare to launch the Dark Souls creative workshop soon. Beyond that, hold off on further operations aside from targeted advertising."
The two discussed additional strategies for Dark Souls, focusing on post-release initiatives such as merchandising. However, Neon Games planned to only grant licenses for these products, retaining oversight through quality reviews rather than direct involvement.
Once Zhang Yi left the office, Chen Xu turned to his computer and opened Dark Souls. He took a moment to browse through player comments and the tags mentioning him on the official blog.
While he had no intention of live-streaming, he considered creating a video clip related to Dark Souls. It would offer players some guidance and reassurance as they navigated the game's challenging mechanics. This way, he could contribute to the ongoing buzz without interfering too much in their experience.