Chapter 212: The Most Representative Sandbox Game
In the Nebula Games project room, Alex was working on the game model.
As for promotions, the trailer had already been published. However, the players' response was diverse. After all, it is difficult to guess the gameplay of a game from a single video. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many misleading trailers. Many game trailers are about to be proclaimed masterpieces of all time, but upon entering the game, not even instant noodle commercials and the real product look as downgraded as yours.
Although many players denounced Alex as a scam, even some who had been tortured to death by Dark Souls called him a thief in a rage, and his self-proclaimed "warrior of love" became a running joke among Alex's fans, they all agreed that Alex usually didn't beat around the bush with his trailers.
But this time, Minecraft left many players perplexed.
A pixelated game, what else could be possible?.
Alex observed the confusion among online players and the debate in the video game industry. But he didn't offer any explanation. Players would naturally understand after the early access test and the subsequent promotion.
Nothing he said now would be as convincing and impressive as a direct demonstration to the players.
On his computer, in the project room, Alex's screens were changing rapidly. The construction tool and the AI directly built repetitive blocks. Meanwhile, Alex was building a more complex scene. With his current skills, building a single structure in the game was a piece of cake.
In addition, Alex had already copied several templates with Memory Capsules. Now, he basically copied them. Soon, the buildings appeared in Minecraft one after another.
"It's incredible, Alex!".
"It looks like it!".
"Oh my God!".
"Alex, this is incredible!".
Eric and Lynn, two adult men who had just finished their modeling tasks, were behind Alex, watching him build various structures in the game with an expression of astonishment on their faces.
Jane and Lisa, who were recreating the 3D image that Alex had given them in the game, looked at them with disdain.
"Sycophants!".
So far, the building complex is one-third complete. According to Alex's plan, in addition to promotional purposes, a "Nebula Game Museum" will be created within the game. The IDs of the employees involved in the project will be included for players to visit. Later, unique content will be added.
Players will also be able to place these buildings in their own worlds, although only in single-player mode.
"Okay, I'll find something for you to do. And while you're at it, you can try something more complicated."
"Go build redstone circuits and create a railroad that crosses this hill." Alex looked helplessly at the two people who were behind him. With nothing to do after building the buildings, let's build a railroad.
Minecraft was promoted step by step, while Aether Games' Voyage had also begun its promotions.
During this period, the promotional initiatives of Minecraft, in addition to publishing some simple creature illustrations, focused mainly on presenting a trial mode.
Originally, Alex had planned a small-scale test. He had chosen a mode in which players who pre-ordered the game would register and participate in a raffle.
However, this plan was quickly rejected by Alex. After all, it seemed a bit unfair to the players. While they were all players, some could easily get SSR and golden halos with a single shot, while others could spend 100 shots and still only get a guaranteed Great Boss.
So, finally, Alex decided to allow players to pre-order the game and participate in a five-day early access test. Those who pre-ordered the game could also request a refund within five days if they felt that the game was not to their liking. This attracted a significant number of players, as the true nature of Minecraft would soon be revealed.
However, something that surprised the video game industry was that Wasteland, previously a rival of Voyage, had gone silent.
Although others did not know the reason, Alex did. Because at that moment, Alex was experimenting with Wasteland, developed by Mark.
The game begins with a simple introduction. The story begins after a nuclear war that decimated surface civilization and generated various mutant creatures and plants. The player takes on the role of a member of a shelter. However, everyone else in the shelter has perished, leaving only the protagonist. Most of the shelter's functions have been deactivated, leaving them doomed.
The player must then leave the shelter and reach the surface.
The good news is that, regardless of the cause, the radiation from the nuclear war mutated creatures and animals, but by the time the protagonist emerges, it no longer poses a threat to humans.
The game's main plot is simple: rebuild civilization.
As for the gameplay, the combat is not in real time, but a turn-based melee combat system similar to previous UFO games. A dodge system is also incorporated. During the game, Alex witnessed the famous "missed shot" scene, which caused an uncomfortable smile from Mark, who was sitting next to him.
The solution is not as simple as one might imagine. With a guaranteed hit in close-range shots, the question is: what constitutes a close-range shot? Does being two body lengths away count? The removal of the dodge solved the problem, but it affected the entire game's combat system.
Beyond these problems, the main gameplay revolves around exploring the wasteland, gathering resources, and building your own camp. Another unique feature of the game is the team system. During the game, players will meet various NPCs in the wasteland, each with their own personality, represented in the game by their attributes. These NPCs can become doctors, fighters, weapons manufacturers, and more. It is essentially the construction system of the normal game, presented in a different format.
Alex believed that this was a survival strategy game that would test players' resource allocation. As for its sandbox nature, it was undoubtedly a long game, capable of keeping players busy for many hours.
"What do you think, Alex?", Mark asked.
"Very interesting," Alex nodded.
"By the way, Alex, is your new game, Minecraft, a pixel game?", Mark hinted.
"Indeed," Alex nodded.
"So, Alex, what are the differences and distinctions between Wasteland and Minecraft, two sandbox games?".
Mark half-raised the cover.
"There's no comparison," Alex shook his head slightly.
Mark was a little bewildered, and Alex continued: "Since both games are of completely different genres, if we were to compare them, it would be a duel of ghosts and dragons. And, in reality, Wasteland is not what I would call a sandbox game."
"So, Alex, what do you think a sandbox game is?", Mark asked.
"What is a sandbox game? Hmm... I think Minecraft is currently the most representative sandbox game. You'll know next week, Mark," Alex said with a smile.
Hearing Alex's words, Mark was stunned.
'The most representative sandbox game? Too much! Bragging, a joke? But Alex's tone didn't seem like it!'.
Confused, Mark did not continue the conversation. After they parted, Mark's mind was still full of Alex's words.
'Is Minecraft currently the most representative sandbox game? Isn't Wasteland a sandbox game?'.
After thinking about the question several times, Mark finally made a decision. He took out his phone and sent a message to his assistant.
Announcing the launch delay, at least, would delay the launch of Minecraft.
Meanwhile, Alex felt a little affected. Based on Wasteland and other previous games, Alex had reached an approximate conclusion: these games could be excellent, but they do not at all reach what a sandbox game is. The quality of the game is very good, but it cannot be called a sandbox game at all. It can only be said that it borrows some features from sandbox games.
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