The setting of the big map resembles The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, yet the actual game aims for a completely different artistic direction. Not in theme, but in narrative presentation. It seeks to fuse cinematic language with interactive design, bringing the tempo, framing, and emotional weight of film directly into gameplay.
Armani, returning to the office, listened to John's question with confusion. A strong film director? Seriously? Were they running a game company or suddenly becoming a movie studio!?
At present, although PixelPioneers Games still carried a faint trace of its formerly immature beginnings, it had already taken shape under Armani's management. The studio had become stable and increasingly confident.
A new studio had been established. Aside from small projects like Resident Evil Resistance Auto Chess, Starlight, and Photo Album, and Red Alert, development on Resident Evil 2 and the new Metal Gear project was underway.
Merchandise sales, IP marketing, and licensing deals with third-party toy manufacturers were now well-structured and profitable. So why on earth was John suddenly talking about finding a film director?
Something felt off. Armani frowned and asked, "Are you trying to film a Resident Evil movie? That's not a great idea. A niche zombie theme combined with modern settings almost guarantees a pure sci-fi production. Sure, we have enough funds to attempt a film, but if it fails, the financial blow, and the damage to the Resident Evil IP, would be catastrophic."
Armani analyzed calmly, using their comic projects as an example. Comics didn't require world-famous painters; the game's own influence and style carried it. Costs were low: including the acquisition of the studio and salaries, total investment barely surpassed twenty million Dollars.
But entering the film industry with today's market scale and with Resident Evil's theme? At least several hundred million Dollars. Failure would be unforgivable, especially for an IP with such potential.
According to Armani's plan, even if the games leaned toward cinematic presentation, they should first build a solid reputation through several successful series entries, then slowly expand into new media.
For now, comics and novels were enough. Animation could follow depending on popularity. But film? Far too soon.
After hearing Armani's long explanation, John stared blankly at him. Who said anything about entering the film industry!? Not at all! He simply wanted a film director to help with the camera design for real-time scenes: shot composition, environmental reactions, and narrative framing within the game. Not to make an actual movie.
Armani was momentarily speechless.
"Okay, my fault, I overreacted." Armani sighed, then grew serious. "But film is fundamentally different from games. Truly great directors won't take on cutscene planning for a game, especially as assistants. And those who would help… probably aren't skilled enough to matter."
He had a point. John slowly nodded. What he wanted was cinematic expression inside the game. But the director wouldn't have his memories or vision. Achieving the exact style John wanted was another challenge entirely. Game graphics were more beautiful than ever. Older titles relied on CG animation for storytelling, but now, real-time rendering has surpassed yesterday's CG.
Yet one thing never changed: cinematic language. Nearly every 3A title included unskippable scenes, not to restrict players, but to ensure narrative coherence and richer character shaping.
"Sign me up for a director's training course. I need to study camera work, color theory, and narrative techniques." John's request stunned Armani.
This wasn't impulsive. John felt he had hit a bottleneck. From Outlast to Resident Evil, his design focus always leaned toward gameplay. Even The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, a 3A masterpiece entering the race for Game of the Year, succeeded largely thanks to Martel, Mercury Studio, and Gemtech. It was still a gameplay-driven project, not a narrative triumph. And with Metal Gear, John wanted to craft a fully immersive war-themed world.
But he recognized gaps in his own abilities, especially when drafting recent GDD documents. He could design gameplay fluidly thanks to the memories in his dream-world experience, like planning stealth mechanics. But when it came to central storytelling, no matter how he revised the GDD, it never reached the standard he envisioned.
For gameplay-heavy titles, his dream-memory foundation allowed him to recreate and even surpass past masterpieces. But for special projects, games needing deep storytelling and strong emotional resonance, he realized he lacked something crucial.
Metal Gear was one of these games. So were titles like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty in his dream memory. If he tried to build them now, he could not yet create a complete narrative or portray their characters with the depth they deserved.