Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: E3 (2)
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“Has it been almost a year? You’re looking much brighter!”
Russo was as boisterous as ever.
His almost bewildering kindness was, of course, part of the package.
As we headed to our lodging in the van, the same question popped into my head once again.
“How did you get here?”
The answer came from Ayado.
“...I apologize.”
He let out a deep sigh, his face etched with fatigue.
Ah, I think I get it.
Since Ayado knew our schedule, Russo must have followed him here.
Ignoring Ayado completely, Russo threw an arm around my shoulder.
“So, are you moved? I’ve always liked friends who come to greet me at the airport.”
“...I’m overwhelmed.”
“Khahaha!”
Russo roared with laughter.
We arrived at our lodging amidst this awkward atmosphere.
Only then did he casually bring up the topic.
“So, how’s the new project coming along?”
So that was his purpose.
I couldn’t tell if he was being direct or just transparent.
“It has many shortcomings.”
“Sounds like it’s going well! I’ll be sure to stop by your booth!”
“I will also…”
I didn’t bother finishing the sentence.
His expression already held the certainty that I would visit Valhalla’s booth.
‘Is there less than a year left now?’
In early ‘14, the title personally directed by Russo would be released to the world on the PS4.
It must already be counting down to launch.
This E3 would be the stage to announce it to the world.
For a competitor, the news was suffocating.
But as a fan, it was news I had been waiting for.
‘Road to Harsin.’
In my past life, it was the game I loved most as a young professional just starting out.
This life would be no different.
I would probably pre-order the game and waste all my free time on it.
And in doing so, I would feel joy and fulfillment.
I gathered my emotions and spoke.
“I’m looking forward to it. Your new work, Mr. Russo.”
“Look forward to it even more. It still won’t be enough.”
He patted my shoulder, displaying his characteristic confidence.
“Well, I’ll be off. See you the day after tomorrow.”
He left.
It was two days before the start of E3.
* * *
The next day was for final preparations.
We were assigned a booth with 24 stations, a prime spot in the PlayStation section.
It was just below Russo’s and the same size as the one for *End of Us*.
It meant Sona had high expectations for us.
What other way was there to prove them right?
“We just need to succeed.”
That alone was enough.
In the temporary meeting room where I had gathered the staff, we began our final check.
“Myeong-gyu, you’ve checked the show floor demo properly, right?”
“Yep, I’ve set the total playtime to 45 minutes. Fast players will clear it in 40, and even the slowest will get a glimpse of Chapter 2 before they’re done.”
“Good. Do one last playthrough today for a final check.”
A show floor demo is different from a regular demo.
The initial demo we created was a full-play version for Sona’s evaluation, which wasn’t suitable for an expo where we needed to rotate a large number of people in a limited time.
So, over a month and a half, we created a separate demo that extracted only the core elements of the chapter.
It included the game’s core systems, combat, and the monster lineup up to Chapter 2.
Shortcuts and sub-routes were presented in the most simplified way.
Just enough for people to understand ‘what kind of game this is.’
“Gil-sang, did we get extra staff to manage our booth?”
“Sona sent over a few more engineers. We shouldn’t have any manpower issues.”
“Great.”
Suddenly, the nightmare of the last G-STAR flashed through my mind.
Back when Myeong-gyu wasn’t even with us, the five of us couldn’t leave the booth for a moment for three whole days. That horrible situation should never happen again.
Next was my direct subordinate, the planning team.
“Ho-su, Ji-seok. You two, in particular, need to closely monitor user reactions. The most important thing in planning is knowing where users find interest and fun.”
“Yep!”
“Understood.”
The two answered in turn.
With that, the main framework was set.
“Booth management will be in two shifts. Let’s just tough it out for about four or five hours a day. Now, for the last thing.”
Tap. I tapped the whiteboard.
It was a tradition that wasn’t quite a tradition at Rewind.
“Let’s pick who’s doing cosplay.”
The moment I said it, I could feel it.
A strange tension filled the meeting room.
Han Seo-rim spoke with particular wariness.
“I’m not doing it. I made that clear.”
“Don’t try to get out of it with strong words. It makes you look weak.”
I replied, emphasizing that the choice would be fair.
To be honest, we didn’t really need cosplay at E3.
One could even say it was excessive.
But still.
“The reaction at G-STAR was pretty great, wasn’t it?”
Just as Jeon Yu-mi had said, quite a few people were looking forward to our developer cosplay.
That memory, which had been humiliating for me, had once again built anticipation among the users.
In fact, those confirmed to attend E3 were naturally expecting developer cosplay and were preparing their cameras.
If they have expectations, it’s the seller’s job to meet them.
You can never do too much image-making.
Besides, unique marketing itself has the power to directly translate into sales, so how could I ignore it?
I had even prepared lottery sticks for this very moment.
“Let’s just pick four people. That’s a 60% survival rate. Fair, right?”
We needed one or two people in cosplay for each section.
This was for that purpose.
Tension enveloped the meeting room.
“Phew…”
It was chilling.
I felt like daggers were flying at me.
A life-or-death sword fight on the boundary between survival and doom, with no room for compromise.
And so,
“Huzzah! I’m saved!”
came the cheers of the hyper duo.
“Oh… it’s me…”
followed by Jo A-yun’s indifferent reaction.
“...No way.”
“...”
And the losing tickets in my and Han Seo-rim’s hands.
…The results were in.
“Did you rig this? If you wanted to cosplay, you should have just said so.”
Yang Gil-sang’s taunt didn’t even register.
No, my mind had gone blank in the face of this unbelievable reality.
I lifted my head.
The winners were me, Jo A-yun, Han Seo-rim, and Myeong-gyu.
“I’ll be the tree from Chapter 1…!”
Jo A-yun had already claimed the easiest cosplay.
What remained were the Corpse Golem (Ayado Goro’s playable character), the Dancer (maximum exposure), and the Scantily Clad Queen (skintight suit).
The losers exchanged glances.
I could instinctively feel that we were all thinking the same thing.
‘Ah…’
What lies ahead… is hell.
* * *
E3 began.
The press conference, the expo’s main presentation, was broadcast live simultaneously online and offline.
It was the process of informing the global public about E3, where attendance was effectively limited.
As such, the number of viewers was skyrocketing.
The chat window was no different.
『Hellic3Hype: Seated!!!
Luka: Is it starting?
T_less_N_Clear: It’s huge lol
Dadbom: Oh, it's Dalin.』
“Welcome, everyone! I’m your host, Dalin!”
On the massive stage, a woman in a suit skillfully announced the opening.
Users hung on her every word, their anticipation growing.
And so, the conference began in earnest.
“First, let’s welcome the director of Sona!”
Ayado Goro walked onto the stage.
With his characteristically weary face, he grabbed the microphone and gave a simple greeting.
Fortunately for the users, he wasn’t one for long-winded speeches.
“Then, let’s get right to it. First, this year’s lineup.”
The screen behind him lit up.
Trailers and in-game footage from various games flashed by.
Among them, one that stood head and shoulders above the rest was *End of Us*.
It was a game set in an apocalypse, hailed as one of the most anticipated titles of the year.
『micetester: Holy crap!!!
jessica: Is that game even possible?
Lord_of_Blood_Bangbae: Wow, that looks seriously fun.』
The overwhelming visuals depicted a world destroyed by a zombie virus.
The combination of a young girl and a middle-aged man, and the in-game footage blending stealth and gun-based action, heightened the tension just by watching.
It didn’t signal a long wait, either.
“The official release is the day right after E3 ends. We are grateful for all the interest you’ve shown us in advance. We will show you the results.”
The release date was the day after E3’s closing.
If it came out as shown, it was sure to be the game that defined the year.
Amidst such assessments,
“Next up.”
as if it was nothing, *it* appeared.
“The new title you’ve all been waiting for, for a long time.”
*Dung dung dung!*
A funky BGM kicked in, revealing a view of America.
People who looked like they were from the real world, somewhere out there.
“GTV5.”
A traditional powerhouse had arrived.
The behemoth that would later shatter every AAA sales record.
* * *
“This is insane. Seriously…”
Bae Ji-hyeok, an ordinary office worker in South Korea whose community nickname was ‘Lord of Blood of Bangbae-dong,’ leaned back in his chair and let out a hollow laugh.
The lineup for the PS3 this year alone included *End of Us* and *GTV5*.
It was enough to make any gamer’s heart pound.
A unilateral agreement with his bank account was already a foregone conclusion.
But what he truly wanted had not yet appeared.
“Ji-hyeok, not yet?”
“Yeah.”
“Ugh, what’s with all the suspense?”
The person who entered the room complaining was his girlfriend, Heo Ji-woo, with whom he lived.
They had met after the *Hellic 2* G-STAR event, and she was ‘Flower Jaehee’s Cherry Lips’ from the same community.
“When is *Hellic* gonna show up…”
Ji-woo rested her chin on the top of Ji-hyeok’s head.
Just as Ji-hyeok was about to reply to the pain, a voice came from the screen.
—We now present.
The Sona director, who had been speaking for a while, announced.
—Sona’s 8th generation console, the PS4.
*Thump.* The two of them froze.
The PS4’s launch had been announced, but revealing it in this order had a different meaning.
They looked at each other.
Their eyes were trembling.
Their gazes then returned to the monitor.
The Sona director had finished introducing the PS4 and was now unveiling its lineup.
It was the title the two of them had been eagerly awaiting.
—*Hellic 3*, revealed here for the first time.
A cinematic began to play.
*Rumble!*
—Waaaaaaah!!!
The scene of a battlefield erupting with explosions and screams was bizarre.
As if transcending time and setting, figures in all kinds of armor and weapons created a sense of chaos.
Four men knelt there.
They, too, were people who had lived in different times and places.
The cinematic focused intensely on their painfully contorted expressions.
They looked up at the sky and murmured.
—Sir.
—You there.
—Oh, heavens.
—You wretched being.
It was a rare Korean dub.
Normally, Korean dubbing would feel awkward, but there was none of that here.
No, instead, it felt like it had a magical power that pulled you right in.
Ji-hyeok and Ji-woo swallowed dryly.
The explosive emotions and the flow of the scene had created a momentary silence.
Their guess was correct.
—Why must I fall into hell?
A voice thick with frustration burst forth.
*Rumble!*
As another explosion rocked the scene, a word was muttered unconsciously.
“Insane…”
A storm raged in Ji-hyeok’s mind.
Just from those few lines of dialogue and the background, he understood the setting of *Hellic 3*.
A hell that doesn't follow human laws, soldiers on a battlefield, their despairing questions.
A wide grin spread across Ji-hyeok’s face.
“It’s an action game. This has to be an action game.”
A thrill of certainty ran down his spine.
Soon after, a brief clip of in-game footage was shown.
Ji-hyeok shot up from his seat.
“Customization!”
Ji-woo also let out a shriek.
The chat window was going wild as well.
『Hellic3Hype: Mom I'm sorry!!! I'm sorry for breaking my savings!!!
T_less_N_Clear: Oooooooh!!!
Dadbom: It's here!!!』
A continuous stream of mind-boggling information.
A customization system, and a parts system to enrich the weapon-building system.
And, on top of that, overwhelming AAA-level visuals.
Ji-hyeok and Ji-woo were certain of one thing.
“...Should we postpone the wedding by a year?”
“Don’t ask the obvious.”
A portion of the savings they had set aside for their wedding would be diverted to purchase the new console and title.
Their hearts were already pounding with anticipation.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Just as their excitement reached its peak, news that would completely knock them over broke immediately after.
—*Road to Harsin*, the new title from Valhalla.
The back of a man holding a scimitar, and a desert landscape with gnarled, ancient trees, filled the screen.
The chat window crashed.
* * *
Right after the conference ended, a certain Korean man who had been watching tucked a notebook into his pocket, his face beaming with excitement.
He was none other than Jin Woo-hyeong, the gaming reporter who used his pet dog’s name as his community handle, ‘S2PoppyS2’.
‘This lineup is insane.’
His heart was already fluttering.
He had come here for work, but his mind had already wandered off, becoming that of a spectator.
Woo-hyeong’s steps quickened toward the booths.
*End of Us*, *GTV5*, and Valhalla’s new title, *Road to Harsin*.
And that wasn’t all.
Flare Soft’s new title, *Demon Soul 2*, which he had been following since its early days, was also unveiled.
Each one was an unmissable, highly anticipated game.
But what guided his steps was, in the end, his personal taste.
‘The *Hellic 3* booth is…’
Woo-hyeong had personally conducted the interview for *Hellic 1* in the past.
It was from that moment.
The moment he developed a profound interest in *Hellic* and the head of its developer, Rewind, Yeon-ho.
People who chase their dreams are beautiful.
Moreover, those who gradually make those dreams a reality ignite a passion in one’s heart.
To Woo-hyeong, Yeon-ho was such a person.
Just from seeing the trailer and a few in-game elements, Woo-hyeong’s mind was already filled with thoughts of *Hellic 3*.
Naturally, his pace quickened.
And so, Woo-hyeong found the *Hellic 3* booth.
And then,
*Halt—*
He stopped dead in his tracks.
‘…Huh?’
There it was.
“Hehe…”
A human tree with only its brown-painted face peeking out, evoking a strange sense of déjà vu.
The tree and Woo-hyeong’s eyes met.
The tree smiled bashfully and asked.
“P-Play game…?”
As if mesmerized, Woo-hyeong nodded and followed the tree.
It was the return of the silver foil fiend.
E3 (2)