My game is depressing worldwide.

Inside the studio.

"A demo for the new project 'Escape'?" Shen Qingtu was taken aback. "Why do we need to make a demo first?"

"DeepVision Technology acknowledges that horror games are the best genre to leverage the advantages of the Vision V1 VR device, but our studio started by making story-driven games, and they are worried about whether we can do a good job with horror games."

For once, Zhou Qian was serious. He didn't joke around; after thinking carefully for a while, he said, "But, creating a sense of horror requires a lot of art direction and plot development before the horror effect can be achieved. That means the scale won't be small. With only a few of us, won't it be too late to finish it?"

Chen Xuan shook his head: "No need. A simple gameplay and an ordinary scene are enough to convey the sense of horror."

Upon hearing this, disbelief was written all over the faces of the three people present.

Seeing their expressions, Chen Xuan said helplessly, "You guys have been watching too many horror movies, haven't you? We're making a game, and the greatest charm of a game lies in its interactivity. The key is to let the players scare themselves."

The three of them stared at each other, completely bewildered, their expressions screaming "I don't understand."

"Let me put it this way. Who has ever been a kid who got a beating, hid in a corner of the house, and had their parents lock the door and search the whole house for them?"

Zhou Qian raised his hand sheepishly: "I remember it vividly. I was hiding in the cowshed at night, and I felt that my dad's footsteps were really scary."

"You have absolutely no chance of beating your dad. What if your mission is to evade your dad, find two keys in the house, and escape?"

Upon hearing this, all three of them were stunned.

Although Yu Xiaoming and Shen Qingtu did not have this experience, they could still immerse themselves in that environment.

yes?

Isn't this just a level in a horror game?

There was no way to resist; if caught, you would be beaten severely, and you would have to endure the immense pressure, even being chased around the house searching for the keys.

Just imagining it is a scene of adrenaline rushing.

"However, when monsters chase players in the game, their routes are always relatively fixed. Players can fully observe the monsters' behavioral logic before taking action. What can be done about this?"

"Of course, it's survival resources that are never enough." Chen Xuan gestured to the remaining battery indicator in the upper right corner of his phone screen. "For example, a camera that can use night vision to see the surroundings in the dark, but it consumes power. Once it runs out of power, you can only stay in the dark in despair."

Zhou Qian gasped.

Can horror games really be made like this?

The darkness intensifies the oppressive feeling of the monsters, which in turn increases the player's anxiety about resource consumption. The root of this anxiety lies in the fear of darkness that is etched into human genes.

It's a closed loop.

"Brother Xuan, you're simply a genius!"

Zhou Qian's eyes lit up, and he looked eager to try. He was excited at the thought of players being so scared that they threw their controllers away.

Although this game mode sounds like hide-and-seek.

But who says hide-and-seek can't scare people?

...

...

A week later.

DeepVision Technology, inside the project manager's office.

"Hello, Mr. Chen Xuan, I am Cheng Shuo, the project manager of Vision V1."

"Hello, nice to meet you."

After shaking hands, the two sat down separately.

Chen Xuan came with Cui Manzhou today, but after she introduced them, she went to attend to her own business.

Whether Chen Xuan can persuade Manager Cheng depends on himself.

"I've already heard about the situation from Director Cui. Using a horror game to showcase the ultimate immersion of Vision v1 is indeed a good idea." Cheng Shuo pondered for a few seconds. "I acknowledge the talent of Asylum Studio in story-driven games. Both To the Moon and Invisible Guardian win with their storylines."

"But?" Chen Xuan added two words.

"However, your company lacks experience in producing 3D games and horror games, so I doubt the quality of the final product," Cheng Shuo stated bluntly. "Furthermore, the equipment must be launched simultaneously with the game, and with only two months available, can the game be completed in such a tight timeframe?"

Chen Xuan nodded: "I understand, so I'm here today to dispel your doubts."

"Oh? Are you planning to show me the design proposal? To be honest, I'm not from the game industry, so showing me this is like talking to a brick wall."

Chen Xuan shook his head: "Of course not. Facts speak louder than words. We've already created a playable demo this week, and experiencing it in person will give you a much better feel for it. However, the demo is indeed frightening. Manager Cheng, do you have high blood pressure or any heart-related illnesses?"

Oh?

Cheng Shuo instantly perked up.

Although he is a project manager, he also has a technical background and hates making empty promises; he prefers to let the facts speak for themselves.

When doing a project, the most important thing is to produce something tangible.

Otherwise, no matter how elaborate your PowerPoint presentation is, it won't be of any use.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shuo's impression of Chen Xuan instantly improved.

Even if the demo content is mediocre, this attitude of letting the product speak for itself is still admirable.

As for what's so scary about it, you can't have heart disease or high blood pressure.

Ha ha.

It's just a horror game.

Should I avoid its sharp edge?

"Okay! I'll give it a try. But let me make it clear, I watch horror movies a lot, and my tolerance for horror is quite high, so don't be discouraged."

"Now?"

Cheng Shuo nodded: "Okay."

Chen Xuan helped him install the game, then double-clicked to launch it.

Since it was a demo, Cheng Shuo originally thought it wouldn't look very appealing.

But I didn't expect it to be so rough.

Upon opening, you'll find a very crude UI with only two options: Start Game and Exit. There's no background image, just the words "Escape" in large letters.

this......

It looks awful; I don't even want to play it anymore.

Cheng Shuo couldn't help but look up, which earned him a "please" gesture from Chen Xuan.

Forget it.

Try the salty flavor.

Click to start the game.

It has no beginning and no end; the plot is unknown.

They didn't even know the protagonist's name or identity.

In short, the protagonist inexplicably finds himself hiding in a closet.

Old Wang's Happy House.

Cheng Shuo mentally complained.

At this point, you can only see the outside scene through the gaps, and you are temporarily unable to control your character, making the field of vision cramped and uncomfortable.

This is a security room. A body lies in the corner, with some bloodstains.

Murder case?

Just then, I heard footsteps outside.

Then, a huge man covered in blood and with some physical deformities walked into the security room.

Although you can now operate the software, a prompt appears.

Hide in the closet and don't try to fight.

After the monster left, Cheng Shuo pressed the corresponding button and stepped out of the cabinet.

It's not that scary, is it?

Cheng Shuo doesn't usually play games, but he could still tell that the demo version's modeling was very rough, and the character had a generic face.

It's like using the free assets that come with the game engine.

Sure enough, it's a bit too difficult to create a decent-looking demo in a week.

Cheng Shuo shook his head inwardly and continued walking forward.

But as soon as I stepped out of the security room, I immediately sensed that something was wrong.

black.

It was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Although there were some lights on both sides of the corridor, the area illuminated by these lights was very small, and only some dilapidated buildings and garbage could be vaguely seen.

Darkness is inherently frightening.

This is written in the genes.

To see the road clearly, Cheng Shuo had to control his character to raise the camera and use the night vision function for illumination.

However, the noisy and snow-like images, the cramped POV angle, and the repeated beeping sounds when the battery was about to run out all brought him some psychological pressure.

Cheng Shuo stared at the screen for a couple of seconds, then asked, "This camera's battery... it's not a consumable item, is it?"

"That's right. If the power goes out, we'll be groping our way forward in complete darkness. So, I suggest you turn the camera off where you don't need to use it." Chen Xuan gave a warm, sunny smile. "The process isn't long, Manager Cheng, you enjoy yourself, I'll go have some tea and wait for you."

After saying that, Chen Xuan leisurely walked out of the office.