After picking up the phone, Chen Xu was surprised to hear the familiar voice of the head of the City Game Department, someone he had met several times before.
"Minister Yang, what's the matter?" Chen Xu asked directly, skipping any small talk.
"Well, it's something big. Have you read the recent news? Overseas, Micro Valley Technology announced a major breakthrough with their new generation of VR game warehouse equipment. It promises to offer players a much more immersive experience," Yang said over the phone.
"I've seen it," Chen Xu replied.
Every day, Lin Rou gathered industry news, so Chen Xu had already come across the report. However, it hadn't left much of an impression on him.
The reason was straightforward. This new immersive mode required players to be fully engaged in the game with an intense level of focus. Players would receive a large amount of information, which consumed more energy compared to regular PC games.
As for a subconscious integration akin to the neural technology seen in Sword Art Online from a previous life, where players could enter deep sleep, that level of innovation had yet to materialize in this parallel world.
Additionally, the cost of VR game cabins remained a significant barrier. While prices had dropped compared to when they were first introduced, they were still unaffordable for most players.
Mainstream VR game cabins were priced around 50,000 yuan, far more expensive than a PC capable of running the latest games smoothly. Higher-end VR gear was even more out of reach for ordinary consumers.
This meant that many players relied on VR experience stores, similar to internet cafes, to enjoy VR gaming.
All these factors contributed to why VR had not yet surpassed the PC platform in terms of market share.
Moreover, VR game development was significantly more expensive than PC game development. While top-tier companies released dedicated VR games annually, second-tier developers typically tested their games on PC first. Only after achieving success would they consider creating a VR version.
Because of these limitations, Neon Games focused primarily on the PC platform under Chen Xu's leadership.
"As for China, our new generation of VR game warehouse equipment has reached the beta testing stage," Yang continued.
"However, there's a shortage of games available for testing. Additionally, the stronger sense of immersion in this new generation of VR game warehouses raises safety concerns. Some games that are fine on PC may evoke intense reactions on VR platforms due to the heightened sensory experience."
"Of course, it's difficult to explain everything over the phone. I suggest logging into the game department's official website to review the letters we've sent you. If you're interested, come to the department tomorrow afternoon," Yang said before ending the call.
Although the specifics were still unclear, Chen Xu already had a general idea of the situation. This was clearly a push to advance cutting-edge platform technology.
For the game department, this new VR equipment held significant strategic importance, much like gaming consoles did in earlier eras.
In the early years, when Nintendo rose to dominate after the collapse of Atari, everyone in the game industry had to align with Nintendo's rules. The power-money system was a product of that era.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xu visited the official website of the game department. After reviewing the details, the numbers aligned with expectations.
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The next day, in the conference hall of the game department building, Chen Xu was a little surprised by the large number of designers present. Representatives from top domestic game makers, such as Tenghua and Net Dragon, were in attendance.
Amidst the crowd, Chen Xu spotted some familiar faces, including the good friend Meng.
"Mr. Meng, you're here too?" Chen Xu greeted warmly.
Meng Zuo, who was chatting with others, turned to see Chen Xu approaching. His mind flashed to the scene of Chen holding the trophy that night. Despite a hint of embarrassment, Meng responded politely, "Mr. Chen, you're here as well."
Before any further conversation could take place, Yang Chen from the game department stepped onto the stage.
"Everyone here is a top player in the game industry," Yang began.
"The purpose of this gathering is straightforward. The new generation of VR game equipment has entered the beta stage."
He continued, "For these new VR devices, the game engine on the development machine has been specially adapted, and a new physics engine architecture is now available."
As Yang spoke, the designers quickly grasped the intent of the meeting. The game department sought game designers to create test materials for the new VR engine. While the technology wasn't yet ready for the market, progress overseas had surpassed over preliminary testing stage, with active promotion already underway. The domestic side couldn't afford to fall behind.
The task wasn't to develop a full game but to create game experience demos. This initiative came with several benefits:
Subsidies and Intellectual Property Rights: The game department would provide substantial subsidies for the work, and designers would retain ownership of the intellectual property produced. However, the quality of submissions had to meet stringent standards, with progress closely monitored by the department.
Priority Access to New Technology: Participants in this program would gain early access to the new technology, while non-participants would need to pay for excess resources or permissions, as before.
Given the calibre of the designers invited, none were likely to misuse this opportunity merely for subsidies.
After Yang Chen's brief introduction, the group of designers from the game department travelled to the scientific research park. Guided by the staff, everyone had the chance to personally experience the new VR technology.
Soon, it was Chen Xu's turn.
Upon entering the game warehouse, the environment resembled a bare-bones, unfinished house. At that moment, the meaning behind Yang Chen's earlier remarks became clear.
Having previously experienced a VR game warehouse in this parallel world, the sense of immersion had always been impressive, yet not without flaws. However, the new generation of VR game warehouses offered an almost flawless experience.
Dressed in sensory feedback clothing and gloves, and lying in the game compartment, the feedback for actions felt incredibly real. Chen Xu tested a few movements—walking, jumping, and throwing punches. While there were still subtle differences from reality, the feedback was strikingly close to being lifelike.
"The level of immersion from VR devices in this world has reached incredible heights," Chen Xu remarked after exiting the game warehouse.
However, he recognized the challenges that came with such strong immersion. The most immediate issue was the potential negative effects of being overly immersed.
Take Dark Souls, for instance. If it were adapted into a VR game with the same level of immersion Chen Xu just experienced, most players wouldn't struggle with its difficulty but with the overwhelming immersion. Imagine the rats in the sewers or the eerie atmosphere of the underground prison—let alone the fear-inducing aspects of horror games!
After everyone had their turn, Yang Chen explained the next steps. Designers interested in contributing could create a demo game for the game department to test. Based on feedback, adjustments would be made to balance the immersion.
This approach might sound contradictory—reducing immersion to improve the experience—but after the trial, Chen Xu fully understood the necessity of these adjustments.
When it came time to register, thirteen senior designers, including Chen Xu and Meng Zuo, decided to stay, while others with pressing projects had to leave.
"Mr. Chen, are you really joining the game department's demo production this time?" Meng Zuo, who stood next to Chen Xu in line, couldn't hide his curiosity.
After all, news of a Dark Souls sequel was making waves online. Shouldn't Chen Xu be deeply immersed in its development? Why take on a task for the game department instead?
Could it be that the development of Dark Souls had progressed so smoothly that Chen Xu no longer needed to oversee it personally? On second thought, it didn't seem entirely impossible.
After all, sequels often reuse a significant amount of art resources in the game industry. This practice greatly streamlines development.
Chen Xu smiled and said, "I'm curious, and this is my first time making a VR game. I also have some interesting ideas."
This was entirely true. Given such an opportunity, he genuinely wanted to give it a try.
Hearing this, Meng Zuo's eyes lit up. "Actually, the design of VR games isn't much different from PC games. The key difference lies in the operation mode and the surprises offered by the camera lens. Although most VR games are designed from a first-person perspective, some specific games and scenarios work better in third person, especially those focused on visual effects and action."
"Then, Mr. Meng, we can exchange our experiences later," Chen Xu suggested, looking at the enthusiastic Meng Zuo. He couldn't help but think that Meng was truly a good person.
"Of course," Meng Zuo replied with a broad smile. Reflecting on past events—the first time he faced defeat, the spotlight stolen at the second gameplay exhibition, and failing to win a trophy for his third game of the year—he was determined to turn things around this time.
As he is called Teacher Meng, then this time, he intended to live up to the title!
"By the way, Mr. Chen, do you already have ideas for a new game?" Meng Zuo asked curiously.
"I do," Chen Xu replied with a smile. "The name for the new PT game."
"PT? What does that stand for? It sounds a bit unusual," Meng Zuo said, intrigued.
"It's short for Playable Teaser," Chen Xu explained. "This demo serves as a kind of playable teaser. We can even add a prefix and call it Silent Hill PT."
"Silent Hill PT," Meng Zuo repeated.
"That's quite meaningful. Well then, Mr. Chen, let's discuss the details in depth later!"
"Definitely," Chen Xu agreed with a nod.