Publishers and Leaks

When looking for a publisher for Dark Souls, John and I eventually settled on Sony. About seven months ago, I reached out to all the major publishers to gauge their interest in what Arcanum was developing. Sony was the one that responded the quickest.

Their interest seemed genuine, and they were eager to discuss what Arcanum had to offer. It wasn't lost on me that my name being attached to the project might have been a major factor in their enthusiasm. At the time, my name was splashed all over the entertainment industry—from books and movie adaptations to the DCU and now a game—so I understood that might've helped speed things along.

John and I went to present our pitch. It was comprehensive: John had put together a detailed pitch deck covering Dark Souls' unique selling points, target demographics, gameplay features, projected revenue, and most importantly, how it aligned with Sony's vision and goals for their gaming division.

I made sure to coach John on how to emphasize that Dark Souls was creating something unique—a new subgenre of RPGs altogether, if it succeeded. The difficulty, the sense of mastery, the satisfaction of overcoming a tough challenge—that was what set this game apart, and I asked him to make that shine through. And of course, I wanted him to highlight the fact that it was a "Daniel Adler story," as much as I personally cringed at the term. The name recognition worked in our favor.

Sony, predictably, brought up the difficulty. They were apprehensive, unsure if the mainstream audience could handle a game as challenging as Dark Souls. But I was there to address that concern, and I was adamant: it was precisely the difficulty that made Dark Souls unique. It wasn't about being punishing for the sake of it—it was about making every victory meaningful, attracting a different kind of gamer, one who wanted to earn their progress, not have it handed to them.

Sony seemed receptive to the pitch. Of course, it wasn't without pulling some extra strings. I had to ask a couple of favors from acquaintances and, in the process, made some new connections at Sony. That helped tilt the balance in our favor and secure a more favorable deal.

I was determined to maintain Arcanum's independence throughout all of this.

Sony did push hard for exclusivity—they wanted Dark Souls to be a PS3 exclusive. But John and I steered the negotiations toward a broader release: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. It took some convincing, but eventually they agreed to a three-platform release, much to our relief.

The deal we had with Sony was straightforward—since I had already covered the development costs, Sony would handle marketing and distribution as the publisher. In exchange, PlayStation would get an exclusive early release, a month ahead of the other platforms. After that month, Dark Souls would be released on Xbox and PC as well. We also managed to negotiate a very favorable profit-sharing model.

With all that settled, I stepped away from Arcanum to focus on the DCU, Midas, Netflix, and my books.

Last month at E3, Sony showcased the trailer for Dark Souls, and unsurprisingly, my name was heavily used to promote the game. It worked out perfectly; the buzz surrounding Dark Souls skyrocketed after the event. And though I tried to temper my fans' excitement, warning them on social media that Dark Souls was not like a typical RPG, it only seemed to add fuel to the fire. The word spread quickly—people were intrigued and excited by what they had seen in that trailer.

Sony, of course, was ecstatic about the buzz, and it led them to treat Arcanum with a new level of care. They no longer saw it as publishing a niche game; they were about to release a title that was turning into a major one.

I finally found time to visit today, and to my surprise, I arrived at a very busy office. I stood watching as the developers worked diligently on the game. There were only three months left until release, and the pressure was mounting. I could see it in their faces—the worry, the fatigue, the hope that everything would go perfectly. John, in particular, looked like he was carrying the weight of the world.

I spotted him sitting on a beanbag chair, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. I walked over and nudged him gently, asking about the QA testers—was everything moving forward smoothly on that front?

John looked up at me, dark circles under his eyes. "They're finding it... difficult," he said, letting out a tired chuckle. "So, it's taking time."

"That's..." I began, trying to find the right words.

"Good," John said, managing a small smile. "The testers are enjoying it too, so... it's good." His voice trailed off, eyes struggling to stay open.

"How long has it been since you last slept?" I asked.

John waved a hand dismissively. "I don't know. I need to check on the PlayStation build, though. There was this bug that—"

Before he could finish, I noticed someone approaching. I quickly waved them off, then turned back to John, speaking in a slow and deliberate voice, "John, get some rest. Seriously. You're no good to anyone like this."

John tried to argue, but he could barely muster a coherent thought, let alone an argument. He let his head fall back against the beanbag as I stood up and walked away.

Outside the room, I met the developer who had approached earlier. She looked a bit nervous as I asked, "What's up? Is there something important?"

She nodded. "Yes, the rep from Sony is here. They're asking for John, but—"

"Don't disturb John," I interrupted. "I'll meet them." Before I walked off, I added, "Also, tell everyone not to go into that room for a while—let him rest."

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The meeting had gone well—the Sony representative was pleased, even enthusiastic. He had really been there to meet with me as well. He asked if I could be more involved in the marketing, which I accepted. An interview or two, sure—but nothing more than that. I was too busy, and the barrage of calls I'd received during the meeting was evidence of just how full my plate was.

"We hope you'll be more involved in any future games as well," the rep said as he wrapped up.

I smiled politely. "Well, John and I have a lot of ideas. I think, especially with the new generation coming, you're going to love what we've got in store."

"Ah, we look forward to it," he replied before shaking my hand and taking his leave.

As soon as he left, I pulled out my phone to see who had been calling. It was Dave, and I had a slew of messages too. I opened them, my eyebrows knitting as I scanned through the texts:

We have a problem.

Casting info for Wonder Woman got leaked.

It's everywhere.

Call me.

'What the fuck?!' I thought, quickly dialing Dave's number, my fingers moving with urgency.

Dave picked up after a couple of rings. "Hey, Daniel—"

"What the hell, Dave? Comic-Con is, like, a week away!" I practically growled into the phone.

The plan had been so meticulously orchestrated—reveal the cast and drop a teaser trailer for Batman this year at Comic-Con. We had worked tirelessly to build that hype, but now that surprise was ruined.

Dave sighed. "I know, I know. We're trying to figure out how it happened. We don't know yet."

"Well, someone leaked it," I shot back. My voice was sharp, not because I was angry at Dave specifically, but because of mounting frustration. "And you'd better figure out who, Dave. I don't want to see the script on the fucking internet next."

Dave promised to look into it, but I was already done with the conversation. I hung up and let out a sigh, slumping onto a nearby couch in the hallway outside the meeting room. I rubbed my temples.

"Hey, man," came a voice, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see Peter, who headed the audio and sound department of the studio. He approached me with a casual grin. "I just saw who you cast for Wonder Woman. Great choice, by the way."

"Where did you see it?" I asked, sitting up straighter. I was genuinely curious now to see just how much had leaked.

Peter opened his laptop, turning the screen toward me. There it was, right on the homepage of a major entertainment site—photos, rumors, quotes from "inside sources."

"So, I take it this wasn't supposed to happen?" Peter asked, glancing at my less-than-happy expression.

"No," I shook my head. "It was supposed to be revealed at Comic-Con."

Peter grimaced. "Bummer, man."

I leaned forward, skimming through the article:

Major Scoop: Meet Your New Wonder Woman!

From a very credible source, we have some exciting—and perhaps slightly premature—news to share. While this was meant to be a big reveal at next week's Comic-Con, we couldn't wait to tell you about it: the new Wonder Woman is here!

[Image of Alexandra Daddario smiling for the camera]

Say hello to Alexandra Daddario, Princess Diana of Themyscira

The 25-year-old actress, though relatively unknown, is said to have impressed the folks over at DC. She has previously appeared in TV and movies; she had a recurring role in the USA Network procedural drama series White Collar and appeared in the comedy film Hall Pass.

While the casting of Daddario as Wonder Woman is the big news, we've also heard some tantalizing tidbits about the plot, which is set to be a period piece. According to our source, Wonder Woman will be set during World War II, with Diana crossing paths—and swords—with Nazi soldiers. It all seems very similar to the recently released Captain America movie. Are DC just copying Marvel?

The plot is rumored to dive into Diana's decision to leave Themyscira and join the Allies against the Third Reich. There are whispers about the presence of a powerful magical artifact—a kind of mystical MacGuffin—that could change the course of the war, bringing Wonder Woman into direct conflict with Axis forces and setting her apart from other DC heroes we've seen so far...

I laughed as I read their so-called leak of the plot, shaking my head. "Well, at least they didn't get their hands on the actual script."

Peter looked over. "So, the plot hasn't been leaked, has it?"

"No, thankfully," I said, glancing up from the screen.

Peter let out a relieved sigh. "Oh, thank God. I really hoped this wasn't the actual plot. I mean, fighting Nazis in World War II sounds fun and all, but it's way too close to the Captain America movie."

I stood up, giving Peter a nod of thanks. "Get some rest, Peter; you look as tired as John."

Peter nodded, exhaustion showing through his forced smile. "Yeah, I think we all need a bit of a break."

I patted him on the back. "Well, I'm going to deal with this shitstorm now. I'll see you all next week, alright?"

Peter gave me a wave. "Good luck, Daniel."

I walked out of the office, my mind racing. This leak was going to mess up some of our plans, but not all of them. We still had the teaser trailer for Batman to reveal, and I knew that would blow people away regardless. But the fact that we had a mole among us was more troubling than anything else.

I had to find them before anything else ended up on the internet.

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