Zoey Parker's fearlessness impressed Gus Harper. She'd faced giants—StarWolf Interactive, Apex Entertainment, Fury Games, Nebula Games—never flinching. From Cat Rio, when she doubled the budget with a wave, her trust in Gus was unshakable.
Now, they'd clash with Komina, a global gaming titan. Gus, dubbed "King of Horror Games" after Phasmophobia ($2M) and P.T. ($3M), held an edge. Komina's five horror games bled cash—a black hole. Gus was hitting their weakness.
But the market favored Komina. Games need platforms. PCs, with over 3 billion users, were universal. Somatosensory cabins, like Komina's KMN-3 and KMN-2, had tens of millions in sales, a ready audience for Silent Hill. WindyPeak's partner, IndieVibe X2, had just millions in sales—less than a tenth of Komina's reach. Even a Titanfall-level ($170M) miracle wouldn't close the gap.
WindyPeak could pivot to VibeWave, a U.S. giant rivaling Komina. But Gus shuddered. VibeWave, like a parallel-universe Vivendi, was ruthless—hostile takeovers, layoffs, meddling. Nebula Games' copying seemed tame by comparison. Gus wanted no part of them.
Fame? WindyPeak led. Market? Komina dominated. A toss-up who'd win.
Two days later, Gus chaired WindyPeak's project launch. Zoey was in San Francisco for PacificTech's Charity Week, invited by new chair Ethan Camron. PacificTech's annual event bundled classic games, donating 10-15% of sales to charity. It boosted profits and prestige, but an invite-only system ensured quality. Despite WindyPeak's size, its influence—matching Zenith Studios or Nebula Games—earned a spot. Zoey and Chloe Quinn headed out, leaving Gus in charge.
"Zoey's on a business trip," Gus said in the Tech Tower conference room. "I'm authorized to lead."
Jake Rivers, Jonah York, Jade Sierra, Yuki Kamikawa, and Muneki Sato nodded, unfazed. Gus, the company's linchpin, grinned inwardly.
"Zoey and I talked," Gus said. "Komina's betrayal scrapped our Silent Hill plan. They're developing it solo, no announcement yet."
Yuki and Sato nodded, confirming—they'd left Komina over it.
"Komina's move didn't cost us much," Gus continued, "but Zoey's pissed. She wants a head-on clash to crush them. Show P.T.'s success was us, not their deep pockets. Prove we own horror's future."
He raised three fingers, eyes cold. "Her words: 'Crush them.'"
The room erupted. Zoey, the cheerful CEO, was a friend to all. Her fierce stance lit a fire. WindyPeak had toppled giants before—why fear Komina? With Gus, Yuki, and Sato—three of P.T.'s four creators—victory seemed possible.
"Damn Komina!" Jake slammed the table. "Zoey's mad, we're mad!" "We've fought StarWolf, Apex, Fury, Nebula!" Jade roared. "Who's Komina?" "Zoey raised our pay, now this," Jonah said. "We're in!" "Three of us from P.T. are here," Sato grinned. "Komina's toast." "Gus, what's the plan?" Yuki asked. "Show 'em a real sting."
"Dump truck's rolling!" Jake shouted.
The team's fervor matched Zoey's raise three days ago. Komina, the betrayer, was now their enemy.
"We're clashing with Silent Hill," Gus said, clapping. "Komina owns the IP, so we pivot. Yuki's idea gave P.T.'s protagonist a name: Miles Upshur, truth-seeking journalist. His story continues."
Gus clicked the projector. A dark, grim cover appeared: a hulking figure in a debris-filled sewer, eyes glowing eerily. Outlast.
Jake shivered. "Outlast?"
Gus nodded. "Miles leaves Silent Hill, gets an anonymous email: 'The Truth Needs Revealing.' It points to Giant Mountain Mental Hospital, Colorado, where horrific experiments unfold. Miles sneaks in at night."
The pitch: a midnight infiltration, chased by deranged patients and mutants, armed only with a dying DV camera. Pure terror.
Goosebumps spread. Midnight. Mental hospital. Dead camera. Hellish.
"Komina's got nothing on this," Gus said. "Let's roll."