Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: The Awards Ceremony (3)
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It was the end of the year, a time when the whole world was wrapping things up.
Some were finishing up a year of school, others were wrapping up their work and being dragged to company dinners, and still others were enjoying one last fling before the new year.
Such was the world, such was the time.
The gaming community, too, was keenly focused on the year-end wrap-up.
Specifically, the competition between two indie games that had set the awards season ablaze.
『(Chat)WaitingForHellic3: Wow, the awards ceremony is a real nail-biter.
Is that Minecraft game really all that?
Honestly, I’m not into crafting games so I didn’t pay it much attention, but I had no idea it was on par with Hellic.
DraftDodger: I have a friend in the US, and he says the Western geeks are crazy about it.
└ S2PoppyS2: The reaction to the demo version was apparently insane! I looked it up, and overseas it’s considered an irreplaceable game!
CrystalClear: It’s fun
BangbaeBloodlord: My nephew really loves it. Seems like they made it easy and fun enough for kids to play.』
Within the community, the reception for Minecraft was also favorable.
Survival in the wild, and building your own space from the ground up.
How could anyone dislike a game that satisfied the creative urge in such a freeform way, combined with the thrill of a survival adventure?
Minecraft was often compared to online Lego.
Especially since few men hadn't played with Lego at least once as a child, it was hard to have a negative opinion of the game.
Of course, that didn't mean they wanted Minecraft to beat Hellic.
After all, the game that community users were currently enjoying more, the one that had shocked them, was Hellic 2.
Besides, the universal desire to see a homegrown game win was an underlying sentiment, so it was only natural for them to cheer for Hellic 2.
This tension wasn't confined to online communities.
The impact of Hellic 2 had already spread beyond the game industry, reaching the general public to some extent.
Even in the South Korea of 2011, which was quite hostile to gaming, the moment it stood on the world stage as a national representative, the media began to promote Hellic.
It was what you might call calculated patriotism.
『South Korea's University Student Development Team, Studio Rewind. Advancing onto the World Stage.』
This was an online article published by a few major media outlets that covered gaming news.
It was even briefly mentioned on the morning news, boosting Studio Rewind's public recognition.
But not everyone could cheer for Hellic.
The situation in North America, however, was different.
There, Hellic had to be judged solely as a game, stripped of any national affiliation.
Therefore, to put it bluntly, it was a warzone.
『It’s Minecraft. Don’t try to compare it with some one-and-done package game that’ll be forgotten after a few playthroughs.
└ I’ve got nothing to say to a brat who giggles while playing with Lego. The GOTY is Hellic.』
Both games had clear selling points that appealed to their respective fanbases, as well as the recognition, fun factor, and performance to back them up.
In such cases, the average person naturally wants the game they play to win.
It wasn't a grand clash of ideologies or philosophies, just a natural phenomenon.
It was a well-known fact, wasn't it?
The anonymity of the internet has a high probability of amplifying a person's aggression.
Furthermore, the formation of factions within a community group was a pattern that perfectly aligned with the human desire for group formation, a trait passed down since ancient times.
『Don’t people graduate from playing with Lego in elementary school? Isn’t it childish to still get excited about stacking blocks with a blocky character in a blocky world?
└ It’s better than you guys, swinging swords while staring at a girl’s ass. You disgusting lolicons.』
The heat intensified.
Of course, it was a temporary phenomenon.
The result would be final, and history always remembers the winner.
They knew this well.
『Good thing there are no ties. Just you wait.』
The Spike Game Awards.
There were five awards allocated to the indie category, and Hellic and Minecraft had split them evenly across various fields.
Therefore, the victor would be decided by the final award, the one that summed it all up: ‘Indie Game of the Year.’
The two groups, attacking each other.
They said in unison.
『Fucking idiots who know nothing about games.』
...Times may change, but people never do.
***
We had come a long way.
A journey that started with the first awards ceremony in the US, detoured to Europe, and then culminated back in the US.
The schedule was so tight that even the team members, who had been excited about traveling abroad, were exhausted. And now, we were at the final destination.
“We’d like to thank all the distinguished guests for attending the awards ceremony...”
The host recited a congratulatory speech in front of the massive stage.
In that moment, I, and the rest of the team, couldn't help but be completely absorbed, as if we'd forgotten all the fatigue from our journey.
Han Seo-rim, right next to me, was a prime example.
“...Ugh, this is so frustrating.”
All dressed up, Han Seo-rim chewed on her nails, her head bowed low.
Frustrating. She said that, but it was easy enough to tell her true feelings were anxiety.
She had been particularly tense throughout this awards tour.
Of course. For someone as sensitive to evaluation as Han Seo-rim, these past two weeks had been more than enough to burn her out.
And with the outcome still uncertain, how much more must she be suffering?
Han Seo-rim wasn't the only one.
Jo A-yun was taking deep, shaky breaths, clutching her chest, while Myeong-gyu was trembling with his head down.
Even that lively, boisterous duo was now quietly holding hands, their eyes squeezed shut.
It was as if they were praying.
I was the same.
My mind wasn't exactly rational.
I had expected a close match, but I hadn't anticipated it would be this neck and neck.
It couldn't be helped.
At the very least, I thought the winner would have been decided at the D.I.C.E. Awards just before this.
‘...Exactly 17 to 17.’
The award categories were all different.
Hellic received high marks mainly for its art, sound, and narrative, including the story.
Minecraft received high marks for its revolutionary innovation.
The minor awards were split exactly fifty-fifty, each in their area of expertise.
The Game of the Year awards from the previous four major ceremonies were also split.
If you included the Independent Games Festival, IGF, Minecraft had the edge.
Now that things had come to this, I was keenly aware of what a formidable opponent it was, one we couldn't gain an advantage over even with our initial sales figures and advertising.
Truly a titan among titans.
However,
‘...It's not over. Don't give up.’
I steeled myself.
‘We can win. We just have to win here.’
This awards ceremony was the predecessor to The Game Awards.
In other words, it was a stage prestigious enough to be considered the most credible awards show, meaning whichever side took home the final trophy here would win in both number and renown.
This was the very place where the final winner would be decided.
I looked at the stage.
The team that made Portal 2 was currently receiving an award.
Even as I watched the creators of a game I once loved, I felt nothing.
I suppose that was how nervous I was, too.
As I watched, something else came to mind.
It was, of course, from my past life.
‘It was here.’
In 2027, I died just before standing on this stage.
Perhaps that was why.
The time is different, the place is different. Even the name of the awards ceremony is different.
And yet, I couldn't help but attach a special meaning to this particular ceremony.
The memory of being on the verge of grasping the GOTY, only to have it slip away because of the sins I had accumulated throughout my life, was just too painful.
“Sunbae...”
Han Seo-rim called my name. A quick glance showed she was more than a little on the verge of tears.
She looked like a prisoner wasting away as the hour of sentencing approached.
Being so soft-hearted, the mental toll must be even greater for her.
I took her hand.
“...It’s okay.”
Even as I said it, I wondered.
Was I saying this to Han Seo-rim, or to myself?
I didn't know.
Perhaps it was both.
I couldn't quite tell what kind of expression I was making.
I should be showing a composed, leader-like demeanor, but I couldn't, and that was frustrating.
At the same time, I had another thought.
Wouldn't it be better if this moment just ended quickly?
So we could just accept the result, win or lose.
The thought didn't last long.
“Next up is the indie category!”
The moment had arrived.
The moment the result would be revealed before our eyes.
“The competition in the indie category was especially fierce this year. And given that the two front-runners are tied coming into tonight, I’m sure the anticipation is even greater!”
Silence fell over the hall.
It was a silence born purely of tension and curiosity.
All eyes were on the host.
I had the illusion that time was slowing down.
Would you believe me if I said I could even see the host’s eyes rolling as they scanned the audience?
“And the Indie Game of the Year award goes to...”
The moment those words came out, I forgot to breathe.
Only then did I realize I was still holding Han Seo-rim’s hand, that Jo A-yun was gripping my collar, and that Myeong-gyu had his hand on my shoulder.
All my senses became incredibly sharp.
My tense mind began to pick up on my own heartbeat, the flow of my blood, even my irregular breathing.
I closed my eyes gently and lowered my head.
I tried my best to compose myself.
To do so, I repeated it over and over.
‘Right.’
If we fell short, we just have to improve.
To have come this far against an unbeatable opponent is an achievement in itself.
We did everything we could.
There was nothing we hadn't prepared for, and changing my mindset now wouldn't change a thing.
A chain of similar thoughts followed, one after another, until I was just repeating one phrase in my head.
‘Accept it with humility.’
Even if we lose, let's not be too disheartened.
And so,
“Congratulations! Studio Rewind’s ‘Hellic 2: Hell of Alice’!”
The words pierced my ears, but I couldn't comprehend them at first.
“Please come up to the stage!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!!!”
A jolt ran through my body.
A thunderous roar hammered against my entire being.
It felt as if someone had grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head forward.
And yet, my hearing seemed to go numb.
The stage lights blurred, obscuring my vision.
No, was that right?
It was hard to tell, as all my senses, which had been so sharp a moment ago, suddenly felt dull.
“...bae!”
A voice bored through my muffled ears.
“Sunbae!”
Whoosh! The sounds rushed in.
The sound of applause, Han Seo-rim’s voice, and the feeling of being shaken.
“We got it! We won the award!!!”
“Yeon-ho!!! We got the GOTY! The real GOTY!!!”
Han Seo-rim, beaming, shook me by the collar.
Myeong-gyu shouted in my ear.
Jo A-yun had a dazed look on her face.
The boisterous duo shrieked with joy.
That very scene was being broadcast on the screen behind the stage.
The face reflected on the screen—my face—was completely blank.
“Would you please come up to the stage now?”
The host said with a wide grin.
Even then, I was still in a daze.
Han Seo-rim pulled me to my feet and dragged me forward.
The other team members helped.
And so it grew closer.
The stage, the thing I had lost, the thing I thought I might never get back.
“A few words for your acceptance speech, please.”
The host handed me a microphone, and I took it.
When did I get on stage?
The moment I lifted my head in a daze.
Clap, clap, clap—!
The still-roaring applause, the faces of countless people, their smiles, and their gazes.
And the spot where I stood.
A chill ran down my spine.
A dazed gasp escaped my lips.
“...Ah.”
So this was it.
This was what it was like.
—Team Leader! Congratulations on the award!
The reality I couldn't grasp from those words alone was right before my eyes.
I finally understood that this was that feeling of fulfillment, of euphoria.
“Sunbae, what are you doing...!”
Han Seo-rim’s urgent whisper brought me back to reality.
Right, I was giving an acceptance speech.
My lips twitched.
Even then, my thoughts drifted between the past and the present.
‘The speech, the speech...’
In my past life, I had prepared quite a few speeches.
This time, too, I had prepared a script in case we won, not wanting to seem careless.
All I had to do was say it.
I remembered it all.
But,
“...Thank you.”
Nothing else came out.
Nothing but those foolish words.
“Thank...”
My mind was filled with a single thought.
‘...I did it.’
Indie GOTY.
The Awards Ceremony (3)