C92: Done, Already Doing

The promo isn't long. It doesn't dive into the game's gameplay content, but it's enough to excite everyone.

One reason is the sudden surprise, and the other is the beautiful promotional video. It clearly shows Neon Games really put some serious effort into it.

This cinematic clear aim is no less than a masterpiece for this title. No one will spend so much on a CG if it's not an AAA production.

As soon as it ended, the crowd roared with cheers and applause.

___________

"Amazing! I didn't expect such a mind-blowing surprise at this year's exhibition!"

"Yeah, I was totally caught off guard! I mean, who would've thought Chen Xu would come out with something like this—this has to be his first major production from Neon games!"

"When Aldritch, the Devourer of Gods, the Faran Undead Squad, and King of Giants Yhum appeared on screen… oh man, the way that eerie background music hit just sent chills straight down my spine!"

"Same here! The atmosphere was so intense. The way everything was unveiled—I was speechless. This game is going to make the whole year worth it!"

"Exactly! The level of detail in those boss designs, the art style, and that trailer? I'm still thinking about it. I seriously can't wait to get my hands on this game!"

"I know, right?! With the promo dropped at the exhibition, that means the game must be in its final stages of development. Maybe we won't have to wait too long before it launches!"

"That's what I'm hoping for too! This is shaping up to be the kind of game you dream about—the visuals alone are next level!"

"Those Undead Squads, Aldritch, the Giant King Yhum… they've got to be some of the main bosses, right? I'm already imagining the epic boss fights! It's probably going to take hours just to figure out their patterns, let alone beat them. Can you imagine going up against the King of Giants for 300 rounds? It's going to be legendary!"

___________

The crowd buzzed, and more players from other areas started to gather. Once they heard Neon Games' big announcement, they rushed over.

Everyone was shouting, asking Chen Xu to play the promo again.

Meanwhile, the booth was packed, and the security staff could barely contain it. Company employees had to step in to help manage the situation.

It was like a chain reaction—similar to when you see a crowd forming on the street, more and more people start to join. This kind of scene brings out that herd mentality, especially at an exhibition like this.

I stepped off the stage. Some players were making a racket in between,

"When? When?"

"Can you tell us more about it?"

"Is the new game related to Warriors of Love?"

The players were very enthusiastic, and naturally, some couldn't resist throwing in a few playful remarks.

'If you're asking about a new game, just ask about the new game—why bring up Warriors of Love?' I mused.

But once someone mentioned it, others joined in, and soon the topic gained quite a traction.

I couldn't sit there in silence, so I answered their questions.

Looking at the mob of excited players, I smiled and nodded lightly. "When will it be released? Well, that will depend on the title development progress. Since this is Neon Games' first large-scale project, apart from technical issues, there are quite a few other challenges to overcome."

"But what I can tell you is that the game development progress is steady."

"We want to create an ideal experience for players, so there are no tentative dates yet. After all, no one wants those rushed, mediocre games that meet deadlines but fall short in quality."

The players seemed satisfied with this response.

Behind the exhibition area, Qin Yi, Ruan Ningxue, Yang Xin, and other members of the development team lowered their heads, silently reflecting.

Yes, the development progress is coming along nicely.

The game is already underway. When have I ever lied to you? The folder has been sitting there for two months already.

Meanwhile, I continued to answer questions from the crowd.

"As for what type of game Dark Souls is, it's broadly categorized as an ARPG, but compared to other ARPGs on the market, its style is entirely different. It will introduce a brand new style within the ARPG genre."

"And finally, about whether the game contains any themes of love—I've explained this many times before. Every game I create is filled with my love for the players. As for whether the game itself has a love attribute, if does in a way, many players who've seen the trailer have likely picked up on that."

["I want to clarify—when I say warrior of love, I'm talking about my passion for the players, not some romance within the game."]

["As for love in Dark Souls, it's not immediately obvious. But for the determined player, it reveals itself in subtle, beautiful ways—a quiet motivator amidst all the despair. It's found in the bonds between characters, in the sacrifices made, and in the hope that flickers even in the darkest corners. For those who persist through the hardship, love becomes a driving force, both lovely and inspiring, encouraging you to keep going despite the overwhelming odds."]

"The world of Dark Souls, as the name suggests, is filled with despair. And in this desolate chasm, players will take their role, carrying the will forward."

The players were incredibly excited.

This time, with the exhibition, the interesting JellyMan and the playable Three Kingdoms made quite an impression.

Meanwhile, many players expressed that they were mentally prepared for what was to come in Dark Souls. Everyone expected that the plot would be brutal. After all, the world in that game is full of despair, with only a glimmer of hope, unlike my earlier game.

Although the styles of Three Kingdoms and JellyMan seemed to hint at a new spring of The Warrior of Love, it was clear that Dark Souls was not a happy story.

From the trailer earlier, one could feel that desolate and decayed style.

As a result, many loyal fans and players were prepared for some pain. After all, a little suffering isn't bad, right? It's not like they hadn't been through emotional turmoil before, like when playing Undertale.

Throughout the previous four days of the gameplay exhibition, most players were drawn to JellyMan and Three Kingdoms. But on this final day, everyone was mesmerized by Neon Games' Dark Souls.

The discussions among the players were non-stop, and the trailer was uploaded to the streaming media, and official accounts of Chen Xu and Neon Games within two hours after its release at the exhibition, sparking countless fan discussions.

Finally, it was clear that Neon Games was the biggest winner of this year's event.

Even though the booth wasn't the largest, and the game's scale wasn't the biggest, they managed to steal the spotlight.

Chen Xu might not know how felt, well he didn't care. But as far as Neon Games was concerned, this year's exhibition was a massive success.

The following day, back at the Company, the employees who attended the exhibition were still excited, recounting all the interesting moments from the event.

"This exhibition was really something!" Ruan Ningxue exclaimed, still not fully satisfied.

Yang Xin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, especially when Tenghua and NetDragon both showcased VR games, yet we ended up stealing the show. It was thrilling."

"But Mr. Chen, about our game? We haven't even finalized the project requirement!" Qin Yi scratched his head, looking over at Chen Xu.

Since returning from the exhibition, that thought had been on his mind.

Even though the promotional video was done well, they hadn't made much progress on the game itself—some original concept drafts.

Hearing this, Ruan Ningxue, Yang Xin, and the other core development members turned to Chen Xu.

Given the discussions happening online, there were even some overly optimistic players who believed that Dark Souls would have a real machine demonstration within a month. But internally, the team knew better. They were far from ready.

In reality, the game barely had more than a folder at this stage.

"No need to rush," Chen Xu said. "We didn't announce an exact release date at the exhibition. We just said it's in development. If players ask about the progress, we'll tell them we're working on it."

"A game like this, especially on such a large scale—even if for the PC—has a long development cycle. And we don't have much experience in this area. I'll complete the concept and design plan, and I'll share the details with all of you as we go."

"For now, let's follow the two directions I laid out earlier. We will start with the art resource designs and the mechanics for various in-game actions. The action elements of this ARPG are crucial."

"Also, we can't forget about Three Kingdoms and JellyMan. These two games are still very important for Neon's platform," Chen Xu concluded, looking around at the team.

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I might manipulate Dark soul date and speedup some month skip. The reason being I don't want a game like dark souls to be finished in just 5–6 months. 

So I will move it to at least a year or more in time.

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