NIP #393 - The Pokémon Company and Konami were defeated by Taoyuan Township one after another, and they
#393 - The Pokémon Company and Konami were defeated by Taoyuan Township one after another, and they
The first day of the Tokyo Game Show came to an end, and the neon-lit venue was still filled with excitement.
G-chan, who had been streaming live until now, paused in front of the booth for a moment, savoring the thrill of the duel just now.
She turned around and saw a large group of Japanese players gathered behind her, their eyes shining with admiration.
"So cool! Xiao Roubao is getting better and better!" A pink-haired girl was so excited that her voice trembled a little.
"I didn't expect the story mode of 'Peach Blossom Land Battle Cards' to be so exciting. Can you pick up girls in the academy city while playing cards?"
"Indeed, I was stunned to see Xiao Roubao skillfully using various cards to trick her opponents," two young men whispered excitedly.
"I like a lot of beast girl cards. The card faces have a lot of cute outfits!"
"What's the use of being cute? Being able to fight is the key. I really like Audrey's evolved form. It's simply a humanoid weapon!" Students nearby argued endlessly as if they were about to fight.
"I prefer the design of the duel disk. I also want to shout out chuunibyou lines and pose with cool card-drawing gestures like I did when I was young."
A middle-aged player who looked portly kept staring at the duel disk, his eyes moist, as if he was remembering his lost youth.
Seeing this scene, Liu Mengyuan and the project team members were filled with immense pride!
Look, her and her colleagues' efforts were not in vain. Their work has captured the hearts of so many people, and in Japan, the home of card games!
So, Liu Mengyuan quickly arranged for staff to replay G-chan's gameplay footage on the big screen at the exhibition and posted it on major video websites, instantly attracting countless eyes.
In these videos, new passersby constantly entered:
"What the heck? Playing cards and dating at the same time? And it's in a girls' school? Isn't that awesome?"
"I want to see the sequel. Why is the principal of the academy city wearing stockings on his head in the middle of the night at school?"
"It seems that G-chan said in the live broadcast that she will continue to play this game at the booth tomorrow. Let's wait and see."
"As a die-hard fan of Peach Blossom Land, I'm moved to tears to see so many classic game characters competing on the same stage!"
"Indeed, I just don't know how much it will cost?"
The players chattered, some praised it, some worried about the price of the game, and some imagined future card competitions.
Of course, soon card players began to have heated exchanges on social platforms about card lineups.
They analyzed G-chan's live recording frame by frame, shared tips for clearing the game, unlocked card sets, revealed the appearance of new cards, and some even started trying to create fan works.
Soon, topics and fan works related to 'Peach Blossom Land Battle Cards' sprung up like mushrooms after a rain:
"Opening a stock market, are you betting on Sakura Yuko or Elena?"
"Beginner's Guide? Complete analysis of duel disk operation!"
"Ultimate card set recommendation for Peach Blossom Land Battle Cards! There are no blind spots in this game!"
"Audrey Kiki's Dreamy Singing Voice! Healing AMV Edit!"
"Under the Willow Fifty Arashi Doujin Manga! Within ten meters, it's an ice cave!"
"Game Easter Egg: Did you find the hidden plot? Spoiler warning!"
At the same time, many players on the scene also shared their recorded gameplay on YouTube and Twitter.
As a result, many Japanese players began to excitedly inquire about the game's news online.
They spied on the development team's background, tracked the release plan of the new series of card packs, and discussed the possibilities of various functions of the duel disk.
Whether in the comments section of online stores or in front of the counters of physical card shops, the excited voices of players could be heard everywhere.
"I heard that this game was co-designed by a well-known game manufacturer in China? But the name Peach Blossom Land is very unfamiliar."
"You haven't heard of Peach Blossom Land? You're ignorant. They are one of the three giants of VR consoles in China!"
"Damn, just for the texture of the beautiful girl simulated by this VR device, I can't wait for the game to be released!"
"Try the games that Peach Blossom Land has released before, such as 'NekoPara Adventure', 'Time-Traveling Moe Girl', 'My Wife is a Savior'... basically all of them are related to beautiful girls!"
"Moreover, the sensing system and holographic projection technology of the duel disk are also very advanced."
"Tsk tsk tsk, is the Japanese game industry really going to be surpassed by Chinese games?"
Whether online or offline, all kinds of discussions, expectations, and yearnings rose and fell one after another. Even the always calm veteran players couldn't restrain their inner excitement and curiosity!
Everyone's eyes were focused on the card battle dark horse that was emerging, with infinite yearning and reverie for the future.
......
Just as the popularity of 'Peach Blossom Land Battle Cards' soared at the Tokyo Game Show, the new works of many established game giants exposed unavoidable flaws, causing their booths to be shrouded in a haze.
The first to bear the brunt was 'Pokémon: Mythical Beast Duel' launched by TPC and GAME FREAK.
After this new work was opened for trial play, it was quickly bombarded by players on the scene.
"After so many years of this game series, can't they just change the skin and change the vest?"
"Indeed, the modeling is as rough as plastic models from the last century."
"Cartoon rendering? This 3D quality is too LOW!"
"After all, we have to sacrifice the graphics for the sake of gameplay..."
Players' scolding voices continued to come from the scene.
Even more players pointed the finger directly at the foundation of the game - the Pokémon battle system.
"This mechanism is really unchangeable. Why don't they have any innovative ideas?"
"It's a waste to buy SWITCH. It hurts every time I play this kind of outdated thing."
"It's a pity that even rich scene interaction can't be achieved."
Faced with the tide of criticism, the staff at the Pokémon booth looked at each other, all completely shocked.
One of the designers, who looked very senior, was even more pale and his hands kept shaking, looking caught off guard by the players' attitude.
"H, how could this happen? We spent most of the year and manpower developing new graphics."
He stammered, incoherent.
When the trailer was released not long ago, weren't the players quite excited? Why did they suddenly start criticizing the product?
"Hey, is this all your company is capable of? It's really not worth mentioning!"
A player girl with brightly colored hair and heavy makeup pointed at their noses and shouted mockingly,
"I've feasted my eyes on this TGS. The 'Peach Blossom Land Battle Cards' next door is a good game! Why don't you learn from it?"
"That's right, they use their own 'Peach Blossom Creation' engine, the graphics are so gorgeous, and the characters are so cute and charming!
Even the game mechanism is unique, fresh and fun!"
The boy next to him also booed as if he was afraid of the world not being chaotic, "As an old brand manufacturer, why are you less creative than a small company? You are really incompetent!"
The words were sharp and ruthless, like sharp blades piercing the hearts of the staff. They looked at the next door in unison, and saw young players surging like a tide in front of the Peach Blossom Land booth, happily commenting on the game.
Some people were praising the cuteness and sexiness of the beautiful girl characters, some were vying to discuss the wonderful use of scene props, and some were shouting that the game experience was too novel and interesting...
Everything in sight was praise.
The developers were stunned there, as if they were having a nightmare-like dream. In that dream, they, the once mighty game developers, had long been reduced to the ranks of clowns.
......
This nightmare-like predicament was suddenly awakened by an angry shout of "Baga".
The voice came from Taro Oda, the head of the 'Pokémon: Mythical Beast Duel' project team at GAMEFREAK.
His face was livid, and he was roaring at his subordinates:
"You idiots! You actually let a small company's game be inferior! This is a great insult to the Pokémon brand!
We have to think of a way to completely suppress this craze and show the spirit that our GF company should have!"
Saying that, Taro Oda's eyes were like electricity, looking around at everyone present: "Now, immediately think of a countermeasure for me!"
The staff looked at each other, all lowering their heads with guilty consciences.
This is really tricky. How easy is it to fight against that dark horse game that came out of nowhere?
Not to mention the gap in engine and graphics, GF can't even reach the VR interaction and physical duel battle disk. To fight against Peach Blossom Land is simply to fight against the trend of the VR era.
For a time, the entire booth fell into a suffocating silence.
The latest novels are first published in 6 9 books! !
After an unknown amount of time, a young planner stood up and slowly spoke under everyone's attention.
He first explained the major elements of the success of 'Peach Blossom Land Battle Cards': beautiful and gorgeous visual style, unique and novel mechanism, rich personality and popular characters, etc.
"We must give a strong response in these areas in order to reverse the current unfavorable situation."
He paused, his eyes firm, "But simply imitating is not enough. We must maximize our advantages.
"My suggestion is to make drastic reforms in terms of graphics and character modeling. Although the Pokémon series has always been known for its cartoon texture, we must also keep pace with the times and fully embrace next-generation real-time rendering and physical engine technology. Not only must we greatly improve the quality of details, but also give each Pokémon more realistic facial expressions and body movements."
"At the same time, we must also make bold innovations in the battle system. The past stagnant routines are difficult to attract the new generation of players. We may as well learn from some trendy gameplay, such as real-time battle action elements, strategy elements of chess deployment, etc."
Hearing this, the people present looked incredulous, especially those veteran employees with deep qualifications.
But the planner didn't mean to stop:
"The most important thing is to inject more personality and charm into the elves under our banner. In the past, we paid too much attention to practicality and ignored the subtle influence of these images on players. Therefore, we may as well put on gorgeous costumes for the elves, equip them with unique exclusive accessories, and give them completely different new forms and new personalities."
"Wait!" A veteran employee in his fifties suddenly interrupted him,
"If you say these changes, then how can it be considered a Pokémon game? It's completely putting our traditional style and characteristics behind us!"
"Yes, what's the difference between launching a brand new product line?" Another person became uneasy, "You have to know that Pokémon players care most about feelings, they don't care about the graphics, it doesn't matter if our game is made into a dot matrix, as long as it has the word Pokémon, it will sell out!"
The young planner knew that the old forces in the company were deeply rooted and could not be easily shaken, so he had to settle for the next best thing:
"Then at least, we have to draw a cake for the players, whether we can cash it or not is another matter."
"Oh, if you want to draw a cake, I understand now!"
Taro Oda suddenly slapped the table and stood up,
"Tell me to go down, our video team will immediately use the materials on hand to produce a new trailer. I want to see this film on the exhibition stand immediately.
In this film, we must upgrade our classic Pokémon as a whole to a brand new image. Whether it is the style of painting, the way of fighting, or the personality charm, it must be brand new and unprecedented!
And add a slogan: Pokémon will change the tradition, conform to the trend of the times, and consolidate the No. 1 throne of card games!"
After Taro Oda excitedly gave the instructions, he specially added:
"Oh, by the way, add a very inconspicuous line in the lower right corner of the promotional film: The advertising content is for reference only, please refer to the game content."
Soon after this trailer was broadcast, there was a burst of enthusiastic cheers and applause in the entire booth.
The originally sluggish atmosphere was finally replaced by the rekindled enthusiasm of the players!
An old Pokémon player excitedly commented on the scene:
"As a legend in the game industry, the Pokémon company will never be easily defeated by a new trend. They will reappear in the world with the most tenacious posture, suppress the heroes with an unprecedented domineering image, and continue to write legends!"
......
The new work of Peach Blossom Land set off a public opinion rhythm that not only affected the Pokémon family, but also swept towards the booth of Konami's 'Yu-Gi-Oh! Light Speed Duel'.
"Why is it this old routine again?"
"There's no progress at all!"
"There are too many routines, which makes people feel bored."
Players' sighs and curses were constantly heard on the scene.
Konami's new work continues the long-standing ills of the 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' series.
The complicated and complex game rules are dazzling;
The operation is cumbersome during the duel, like chanting scriptures;
In addition to playing cards and competing, there is no entertainment at all, not to mention Konami's oppressive settings for the card pool and the built-in purchase traps in order to make money.
Some core mechanism designs of 'Light Speed Duel' were also bombarded by players.
Some people bluntly pointed out that the added "teleport" system has serious balance loopholes; some people questioned the physical engine of the duel disk, claiming that it is far from the real thing; and there is also the much criticized chain aftermath effect.
For a time, the mood of the visiting players reached a new low. Even the die-hard fans who were staunch supporters of "Yu-Gi-Oh!" wore expressions of disappointment.
"'Peach Blossom Paradise Duel Cards' is a true masterpiece! The mechanics are super simple and fun! There's no loading from beginning to end!"
"I really love that game. Not only can you woo all kinds of beautiful girls, but it also balances PVE and PVP. The production quality is also top-notch!"
"Exactly! The most important thing is that they're actually using physical duel disks to play cards! Aren't we just engaging in armchair strategy with Yu-Gi-Oh? It's so outdated!"
Layers of mockery landed like a heavy uppercut, knocking the Konami booth staff to the ground.
At one point, they even stared blankly, looking dazed, their faith in life shaken by the scene before them.
One of the blonde, blue-eyed female staff members trembled, on the verge of tears.
"H-How could this be... We put so much effort into it too... Why can that Chinese company make games to this level?"
Another corpulent man stood up indignantly, pounding his fists on the table beside him.
"It's because we blindly repeat the old ways and never innovate! Alas, we're reaping what we sowed."
In this oppressive atmosphere, an abrupt voice suddenly rang out: "You guys are so pathetic! Can't even handle a small Chinese competitor?!"
All eyes turned to the source of the voice, and they saw the project's chief commander, Ikeda Isao, glaring angrily, his eyes almost spitting fire. His aggressive gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on the corpulent man.
"Hey, Kino Masamune! You're the executive producer of our project. What's with this useless appearance? You're too disappointing!" Ikeda Isao said sternly.
The named Kino Masamune's expression stiffened, and he straightened his back, swallowing hard. "S-Sorry... I-I'll pull myself together!"
"Pulling yourself together is not just lip service," Ikeda Isao glanced at him, suddenly sneering.
"Look at how well Peach Blossom Paradise is doing! It's the same theme of card games, but they not only successfully integrated popular elements and popular IPs, but also the production level far exceeds our imagination. What about us? We don't even have the determination to catch up with the trends, aren't we too outdated?"
Hearing this rebuke, Kino Masamune's face was filled with shame. "I-I'm sorry."
"Hmph, what's the use of apologizing? The key is to come up with a killer move!"
Everyone was stunned and lowered their heads in silence. At this moment, Ikeda Isao suddenly waved his hand. "Forget it, I won't say more. Right now, we have to think of a way to give Peach Blossom Paradise a lesson!"
With that, he personally began editing videos in front of his laptop. After editing, he shouted loudly:
"Hey, you guys! Quickly prepare the large screen equipment at the exhibition site and connect the signal source!"
The Konami booth staff swarmed out, heading in different directions. They carried computers and shouldered equipment.
Infected by the fiery atmosphere, many players stopped and curiously watched the progress of everything.
Before long, a line of eye-catching words flashed on the big screen: "'Yu-Gi-Oh!: Light-Speed Duel' latest promotional video coming soon!"
The players were dumbfounded: Konami has something new?