Game Making: Start By Healing the Player

Chapter 58

Afternoon, in the offices of Nebula Games.

Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were loafing about on their phones, sinking into the fancy massage chairs Chen Xu decided to purchase more of.

“The players have started messing around and tagging you in their posts, Chen Xu.”

The person in question was currently lying almost horizontally on his own massage chair. A plush eye mask made it difficult to know if he was awake or asleep.

“The official page for ‘Outlast’ also got a huge engagement boost. The comments section jumped from almost a thousand to 20 thousand, and it’s still climbing!” Yang Xin added in amazement.

“Huhu… What can I say? Who told you to make that warrior of love comment in that interview? You’re gonna be a meme for a loooong time,” Ruan Ningxue chuckled as she browsed, pressing like on every single ‘Outlast’ related meme she came across.

Like a zombie, Chen Xu slowly adjusted his seat and took off his eye mask. Glancing at his phone, he spoke in a languid tone, “Who says this game has nothing to do with love?”

Savoring the confusion in their eyes, he went onto the company’s social media accounts, “We can work with this, watch and learn.”

Online, the players were still passionately discussing the game when Chen Xu’s wall of text hit the web and caused a bit of a stir among the boards.

Especially among those who actually experienced the game in person.

Looking at the content of his words, which one could mistake at a glance for some kind of incoherent rant, people felt a strange sense of contradiction. It made sense, but it didn’t seem quite right either, many were rendered speechless at the sheer gall.

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[ My dearest players, it pains me deeply to see my dedication to love being questioned.

Why do you make these false claims about ‘Outlast’ being lacking in love?

Truly, this piece of work embodies my burning passion towards you, my beloved players.

Take the storyline, for instance, see how it brims with love.

Our protagonist, Miles Upshur, heads off alone into an asylum funded by a giant corporation to investigate the dark secrets within.

What kind of mindset does a normal person have to be willing to risk their lives to expose such a conspiracy? To defy such a powerful and evil conglomerate? The answer is simple: Justice! And what is justice, if not a universal love?!

In the asylum, what does he face? Uncooperative lighting, uncooperative patients, and uncooperative doctors who constantly work to obstruct him.

But what does he do? He labors to restore power while never looking to actively harm the inhabitants, only defending himself when needed.

In the face of hardship, the protagonist continues his investigation, ultimately uncovering the truth and giving up his own life for the cause.

What kind of spirit is this? Isn’t this the very definition of courage? Of passion?

Being a “Warrior of Love” isn’t just about romance! It’s about a mighty, selfless love that benefits the world!

In conclusion, ‘Outlast’ is a piece of work that is filled to the brim with love, both inside, and out.

I hope you all feel the burning love while enjoying ‘Outlast’. Thank you! ]

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Back in the office, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were scrolling through the post with complicated expressions. They took occasional glances at their boss, wanting to say something but not knowing the right words.

They looked at each other and shook their heads in resignation.

Forget it, It was their own fault for expecting this eccentric individual to respond sincerely with some long-winded explanations or official sounding rhetoric.

Isn’t that what companies or game designers were supposed to do when faced with similar ‘criticism’?

They certainly never expected Chen Xu to give such a bizarre answer.

And the worst part is that he was technically correct, which is the best kind of correct.

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Meanwhile, most players on the forums weren’t even expecting a response from Chen Xu at all.

After all, this was just a big meme and everyone was having fun with it.

But now, they were stunned to see that he had, and the contents left them speechless. The situation was about to turn into an even bigger meme.

[ Chen Xu, you’re killing me here! ]

[ What do you mean he doesn’t actively harm anyone? You never even gave him a weapon! You prick! ]

[ Miles: Where’s my gun? Where’s my gun? Isn’t this America? Where is my gun?? ]

[ Sorry, here’s a camcorder, good luck out there. ]

[ I swear this post is bullshit. But I’m also kinda seeing the point. ]

[ Based on his logic, the asylum patients seem super friendly too… ]

[ Exactly! How could anyone call those patients dangerous? They’re so incredibly kind! ]

[ During the investigation, the patients and doctors enthusiastically interacted with the protagonist. They invited him to do indoor parkour, play hide-and-seek, and even arranged a quick manicure for hygiene purposes ]

[ Let’s not forget the chubby security guard, who was so concerned for the protagonist’s safety, that he kept close and even gave him a cute little nickname. In the end, he bravely sacrificed himself in front of the protag. ]@@novelbin@@

[ RIP uncle security guard, he was such a good person. In the sewers, he helped separate my head from my body to prevent me from bumping it, so considerate. ]

[ The nail-care doctor was so worried about me eating with dirty hands that he decided to trim my fingers completely. What a pal! ]

[ The protag captured so many heartwarming moments with his trusty camcorder. As thanks, he bravely extinguished many fires and even helped the doctor with some abdominal exercises. ]

[ sob sob, ‘Outlast’ is such an extraordinary tale of human kindness. Such boundless love! The only downside is the new pair of underwear I need every time I feel the ‘love’ ]

[ Suddenly, I can’t look at ‘Outlast’ the same way… But I also can’t quite tell what’s wrong… ]

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And thus solidified another solid entry of Chen Xu’s contribution to this new world. His response quickly snowballed into a spammable copypasta that was adapted into many other communities.

Going viral gave ‘Outlast’ an additional boost in sales and popularity, pushing the numbers up beyond Chen Xu’s initial estimates.

Meanwhile, in the internal world of the gaming industry, other developers and designers were paying close attention to the statistics of ‘Outlast’, trying to glean whatever information they could out of the recent hype and how it translated into profits.