Chapter 193: New Directional Plans
Upon leaving the office, Alex entered the living room. Many people were playing Dark Souls's Death Mode. Judging by the screens, it was clear that they had all died miserably.
"Are you all playing? But you two didn't even die in the first phase!", Alex said with a smile, opening a can of soda as he approached Jane and Lisa.
"Alex, this is too difficult! How about you show us a demo?", Jane gestured, handing him the controller.
"It can be done, but it's not necessary. It has a classification function. If I, a designer, were to do it, wouldn't the players suspect that I'm behind the scenes? To protect my good reputation, I can't do it," Alex evaded righteously.
"Alex, you're overthinking it. Your reputation among the players is enough to make a child cry at night!". Lisa grumbled.
"By the way, Alex, will our next game incorporate the latest AI technology?", she continued.
"No, judging by the performance of 'Death Mode,' it's still quite a way from what we imagined. The difficulty for players is mainly due to the battle rhythm and related data. The bosses are, without a doubt, stronger than in the original, but the AI's empowerment is quite limited. It requires more research and optimization before it can be truly implemented in the game," Alex said, shaking his head slightly.
After chatting for a while with Jane, Lisa, and Eric, who had approached after hearing the noise, Alex returned to his office, reclining in his chair, slowly spinning a pen.
He still hasn't started working on a new game. He has two other pending work areas.
One is the subsequent downloadable content for Dark Souls. Alex directly incorporated the original DLC from Dark Souls: Age of Fire into the original game. As for the previous game, Dark Souls 3, due to its plot, progression, and difficulty, the Ringed City and the Painted World were not directly presented to the players.
Now, they can be used in subsequent updates to complete the Dark Souls series.
Regarding the question that many players raised about the existence of book eaters in the Ringed City, both Dark Souls I and the final Dark Souls III offer ambiguous details about the complete history of the Firelink Bearers. The conspiracy, Gwyn's altruism, and the precise nature of the so-called Abyss and Dark Souls remain unclear.
In addition, Dark Souls I is a decade-long IP, initially tacit in the game. However, thanks to the discussions of the plot theorists and the growing consensus among players, it has gradually become the accepted "truth."
To be honest, these are mere speculations by the players, not official confirmations.
There is no need to rush the development of these two DLCs; take your time and release them with a discount. After all, they are simply meant to complete the broader worldview of Dark Souls.
As for the plot, players can speculate on their own, just as they are doing now.
On another note, there is the matter of Galaxy Intelligent Technology's AI technology. The current Death Mode uses the latest AI technology, and although it is certainly causing considerable pain for players around the world, it is still a topic of debate. However, the actual performance was still far from what Alex had hoped for.
It was also quite different from what Alex had seen before. Clearly, there was a difference between a simple demonstration and the actual implementation in the game. The AI still needed continuous optimization and development. However, considering the golden object stolen last year, the launch time had not yet been completely shortened. Alex estimated that it was still in its incubation stage.
In any case, at least the current performance of the AI in video games is not enough to be a key selling point.
Reclining in his chair, Alex narrowed his eyes, thinking.
He only had to plan new games.
In retrospect, in the last two years, the main titles include the two Dark Souls trilogies. As for It Takes Two, it barely counts on its own on the Nebula platform.
Combined with various promotions and the accumulated success of Three Kingdoms Tactics and Fall Guys, the user base of the Nebula platform is not exactly low. As for active users, it is still supported, to a large extent, by Three Kingdoms Tactics and Fall Guys.
Although it cannot be compared with the main platforms, it is already at the forefront of the indie market. In addition, the two Dark Souls games have consolidated Nebula's reputation.
Therefore, Alex does not plan to focus on major releases until the end of the year. This is partly due to the limited time and partly because Dark Souls: First Flame had just been released, so a smooth transition to a major title was not necessary.
Alex also had a clear direction for future games. He focused on maintaining the user base of the Nebula Game platform. From scratch, Nebula Games had already built a solid foundation. The next step was to gradually develop it before releasing it externally.
As for the game's genre, Alex already had an idea in mind.
Monday, in the Nebula Games conference room.
"Let me briefly explain the next steps. First, Lynn will form a dedicated team to develop the subsequent downloadable content for Dark Souls. I will provide the corresponding conceptual designs when the time comes. We have plenty of time for development, so there is no need to rush. If things don't go well, we can wait until the next holidays for the release, as it would coincide with the third anniversary of Dark Souls," Alex joked.
"After that, our next steps will focus on developing small-scale games for the Nebula Game platform," Alex said.
"Small-scale?" Eric and the others were bewildered and a little disappointed by Alex's words.
"Don't underestimate small-scale games. Large-scale games have their advantages, but also their own characteristics."
"Don't forget Fall Guys. In terms of sales, how many supposed blockbusters can be compared to it?", Alex asked with a smile as he looked at everyone.
After hearing Alex's words, everyone became serious. At the same time, some who thought long-term understood the meaning of Alex's words. Obviously, the next game is mainly intended to promote the development of the Nebula Game Platform.
They also understood one thing: what it would mean if the Nebula Game Store could be carried out.
"Okay, let's look at the new work that will be developed next." Alex smiled and connected the laptop. A draft of the design concept appeared on the large screen in the conference room.
It read the game's title: Don't Starve.
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