Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: G-STAR (1)
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The general gaming community was usually a lively place.
Especially in the late 2000s, when AAA masterpieces were pouring out, there was a constant stream of hot topics to discuss, one after another.
Of course, even in such places, there were times when the excitement died down.
Now was one of those times.
『(Chat) S2PoppyS2: No games to play...^^』
As mentioned, a general gaming community thrives when there's a blockbuster title sweeping the scene.
But that was the problem.
Most AAA game releases were concentrated in the first or second half of the year, so a new title to heat up the summer was nowhere to be found.
『(Chat) Lord of Blood of Bangbae-dong: Seems like all the big anticipated titles are scheduled for the latter half of the year.
┕National Paladin Association: Is Uncharted 2 coming out this year?
┕zZoneHanSoo: There’s also Ninja Creed.
┕Guksinanayo: Wasn’t Call of Honor also in the second half?
┕HighSchoolerGreatsword: Ahㅋ the gaming market is dead.』
The gamers in the community were thirsty for new releases.
They had already picked the bones of the last new games clean. As such, conversations were limited to self-deprecating and bitter remarks like, “That game was good,” or “This community is dead.”
It was then that the post appeared.
『(Promo) SeorimSeorim: Hellic 2! Showcasing at G-STAR!』
Studio Rewind, the indie game developer that had once set the community ablaze, had returned with news of a new game.
At the moment of their greatest thirst, and in the most anticipated form.
『(Chat) National Paladin Association: Whoa, a new game already? That’s fast.』
『(Chat) FlowerJaeheeCherryLips: Showcasing at G-STAR lol Oh lol』
The previous game, *Hellic*, had been a success.
Its reputation for being a bigger hit abroad than in its home country spoke volumes about its impact.
Naturally, anticipation for a sequel was already high. With the official account ‘SeorimSeorim’ announcing its debut at an exhibition, it was only natural for the sluggish community to heat up.
Among them, some people were the most ecstatic.
The hardcore fans of *Hellic*.
In other words, the hardcore players who possessed the ‘Cancer Bat’ Easter egg.
『(Chat) FlowerJaeheeCherryLips: Weren’t there some guys here who got the Cancer Bat?
┕Lord of Blood of Bangbae-dong: Me, WaitingForZodiac3, Poppy, TlesslyClear, and HighSchoolerGreatsword, yeah.
┕FlowerJaeheeCherryLips: Whoa, lucky you. But isn’t that high schooler kid taking his college entrance exams this year?
┕HighSchoolerGreatsword: Heh;』
While the first person to acquire the Cancer Bat was an American player named James Han, the country with the most owners was Korea.
The reason was simple.
It was a Korean game to begin with, and given the Korean players' style of obsessing over collection and achievement, it was inevitable.
A total of five Easter egg holders. They began to spread the news about *Hellic 2* throughout the dormant community.
『(Chat) WaitingForHellic2: Whoa! This is crazy, crazy! Hellic 2 is coming!!! It’s coming to G-STAR!!!
┕LovesSpaceWar: Who’s this guy?
┕S2PoppyS2: That’s WaitingForZodiac3-nim^^
┕Guksinanayo: I don’t think he was asking because he didn’t know.
┕HighSchoolerGreatsword: Ah lololol it’s right after my exams lololol nice~ lololol
┕Lord of Blood of Bangbae-dong: But the news of a new game came really fast, huh? I mean, I’m happy, but I’m worried.
┕TlesslyClear: Yep~ㅋ They’re rushing it, so it’s gonna flopㅋ』
Voices mixed with anticipation and concern rose simultaneously.
But regardless, the news of a new installment for a game they had enjoyed was enough to set their hearts racing.
Moreover, in 2009, concerns about a ‘sequel not living up to expectations’ were not yet prevalent in the gaming market, which only fueled the excitement.
And so, something else came into the spotlight.
It was ‘G-STAR,’ an event that hadn't shown much promise in previous years and therefore hadn't received much attention from the community.
『(Chat) SweetBelfGuy38: This year,,, G-STAR,,, is in Busan,,,^^
┕WaitingForHellic2: Gotta book my train ticket right now lol
┕Lord of Blood of Bangbae-dong: Anyone live in or near Busan? Kinda weird to go alone.
┕FlowerJaeheeCherryLips: Wanna go with me? I live in Gimhae.
┕TlesslyClear: So what’s at G-STAR anyway?』
In a community that primarily enjoyed international games, a domestic exhibition focused on online games was clearly not a major topic.
Everyone knew of G-STAR’s existence, but this was the first time they had shown such interest.
For the first time in a while, a substantial piece of news was posted in the community.
『(Info) S2PoppyS2: Here’s some info about G-STAR^^』
From the origins of G-STAR to various incidents and accidents from past events, followed by the major titles showcased each year…
『(Chat) LovesSpaceWar: Space Craft 2 is coming to G-STAR this year@@@!!!』
…and information about this year's representative titles.
On a hot summer day, the community finally had a productive topic to discuss.
In the midst of it all.
『(Chat) LovesSpaceWar: Who cares about Hellic lol Blizzid is coming with a vengeance, I’m telling you. Just go see Space Craft lol For the next 10 years, Space Craft 2 will dominate lololol』
…tragedy was quietly unfolding.
***
Before long, it was October.
The cool autumn air had arrived, dispelling the heat.
There were about 40 days left until G-STAR.
I woke up after a long, deep sleep.
“Yeon-ho! Time to eat!!!”
I opened my eyes to my mother’s voice and checked the clock. It was 2 PM.
I had fallen asleep at midnight the previous day.
That meant I had slept for nearly 14 hours without waking up once.
Ah, so my body really was crying out from fatigue.
It was a relief to have gotten rest like this.
It seemed I would have to cut back on work for a while.
‘There’s nothing urgent to do right now anyway.’
The demo version was finished, right down to the final bug fixes.
I had completed the submission and made plans for November, but with development already done, there was no need to push myself further.
Of course, I could start working on the full version, but… there was no need to rush.
I’d start production in mid-December, after G-STAR.
I stretched, and my stiff body loosened up.
When I went out to the living room, I saw my father with a sullen expression.
“Dad, what’s wrong?”
“Just leave him be. Your father’s been like that for a month now.”
“?”
“It’s because of that darn baseball. Baseball!”
“Ah.”
It was that year.
The year the Giants made it to the postseason for the first time in ten years and…
“Gwang-ta…”
“Ahem!”
…my father cleared his throat loudly.
There was no force behind it.
It was like… he was a man who had lost all hope in life.
“Leave your dad and eat first. Gosh, I wonder how long that man is going to live and die by baseball.”
*He’s still watching it twenty years from now.*
I kept the thought to myself and sat at the table.
Kimchi stew.
It felt like it had been a long time since I’d had a home-cooked meal.
As I picked up my spoon, my mother spoke.
“So, are your studies going well these days? How is it that we live in the same house, but it’s so hard to see your face?”
My mother’s complaint made me feel a pang of guilt.
I still hadn’t told them I was making a game.
It was a decision based on both personal ambition and practical considerations.
I recalled my past life.
-You’re quitting? To start a company?
-Yes, there’s something I really want to do.
-…Alright.
It wasn't a good memory.
From the moment I started as a solo developer, my parents had always lived with worry for me.
If I revealed the truth too early in this life, their reaction would likely be the same.
They were the kind of people who would support me if I told them I was starting a game company.
But even as they did, their hearts would be wracked with anxiety.
Physically, I was twenty-three. For a son to start a business on his own, a parent would never have a day without worry.
As their child, how could I do that to them?
I quickly pushed the gloomy thoughts away.
‘I just need to finish this project properly.’
Build a foundation to challenge AAA titles at the very least.
In other words, win an Indie GOTY award.
If they saw the awards or the studio’s sales figures, my parents would be able to support my work without any nagging worries.
It was best to delay telling them until then.
I cleared my throat and answered.
“I’m just busy with school and building up my resume.”
I was managing my grades meticulously.
I had already been the top student once, and with the practical experience from my past life, it was even easier now.
As I ate, my mother added another comment.
“Still, you have to take care of yourself, okay? Your health is your wealth.”
“I know, I’m being mindful of that. You’ll probably see me at home more often for a while.”
Should I start working out?
The thought suddenly occurred to me.
Just then.
“Ah.”
I should mention that.
“I’m going to Busan around the end of November. I think I’ll be there for about a week.”
It was a casual remark, thinking I should at least get permission to stay out overnight.
My father reacted.
“Busan… Sajik…?”
“Huh?”
“…No, it’s nothing. Why Busan? Are you going to see your grandmother?”
“No, for work. I’ll see her too if I have time.”
He was thinking about baseball again.
What exactly was baseball to my father?
“…Alright, go ahead.”
It was a complete mystery.
Then again, if I couldn’t figure it out in twenty years, how could I possibly understand it now just because I’d gone back in time?
I just nodded my head.
“Okay.”
Permission from the family: check.
***
Time flew by quickly.
No matter how fun development was, it was still work, and the rule that holidays pass by faster seemed to hold true.
It was now mid-November. I had been resting, even skipping days at the office, so the gathered employees felt a little unfamiliar.
“Did you all get a good rest?”
“Why is it November already?”
“How? For what reason?”
The hyperbole duo spoke with dazed expressions.
Jeon Yu-mi, who was in her graduating year, looked particularly exhausted.
“…Yeon-ho, Yeon-ho. I’m graduating soon.”
“Congratulations. You won’t have to worry about finding a job. You can just work here.”
“…Yeah, but I have to do my graduation project.”
“That must be tough.”
“It *was* tough. I couldn’t rest while everyone else did.”
Aha, so she was just bitter about not getting a break.
“Think of it as a graduation trip. We’ll have a lot of free time before and after G-STAR. You can even go to Haeundae Beach if you want.”
BEXCO, where G-STAR is held, is right next to Haeundae.
A winter beach… if my schedule allows, I might want to visit for a bit myself.
“…Yeon-ho, you don’t understand the human heart.”
Jeon Yu-mi spouted nonsense.
I ignored her.
Clap!
I clapped my hands.
“We leave the day after tomorrow. I’ve booked the train tickets and arranged for lodging, so just bring the necessary equipment and yourselves. I called you all here today because there’s something else we need to discuss.”
The employees’ attention focused on me.
Yes, this was a meeting about an indispensable element before G-STAR truly began.
“I don’t need to tell you, but G-STAR is a huge exhibition. We’re not the only ones showcasing. Besides us, dozens of other developers will be bringing their games.”
In other words, it was like this.
“Just attracting attention is a competition in itself. You know, think of it like a car show. They use racing models to draw attention to the cars, right? It’s the same principle, broadly speaking.”
We needed a marketing strategy.
When the primary target of that marketing is male, there was one surefire way to grab their attention.
“I need one of you to cosplay.”
Cosplay.
In other words, a booth babe.
Han Seo-rim asked.
“Do we have to go that far?”
“Yes, we have to go that far.”
Of course, the best method would be to overwhelm with sheer size.
To attract people with the developer’s name alone and have them demo the game.
But unfortunately, we were a small-time studio.
We were the ones who needed aggressive promotion.
There is an immutable truth.
Marketing must stimulate the instincts that lie deep within human nature.
Also, human instincts are quite far from the sophisticated side of things.
There was a reason even those high-and-mighty major game companies used booth babes.
“If I could, I’d do it myself… but that would be a stretch.”
Let’s be honest.
How many visitors at G-STAR would want to sit down and play a game after seeing a burly man in cosplay?
At least, I knew I wouldn’t be one of them.
“So, who wants to do the cosplay?”
As I spoke, my gaze fell on Han Seo-rim.
It wasn't just me.
Jo A-yun and the hyperbole duo also looked at Han Seo-rim.
The corners of Han Seo-rim’s mouth twitched upward.
“…What? Why are you all looking at me…?”
Why, you ask?
Jeon Yu-mi gave the answer.
“Seo-rim, Seo-rim, your mask is really pretty, you know?”
“What…!”
Han Seo-rim’s face turned deathly pale.
Well, it looked like she wouldn’t need any foundation.
G-STAR (1)