Chapter 82: Your art style has completely changed!

On the day of the exhibition, the weather was excellent—overcast skies with moderate temperatures.

Players from Modu and across the country had gathered here, lining up in queues to enter. The entire venue was bustling with crowds.

However, for developers like Chen Xu participating in the exhibition, there was no need to queue with players, as there was a dedicated entrance for exhibitors.

Arriving at Pavilion No. 6, invited media and developers gradually entered through the exclusive access通道.

"NetDragon has a strong lineup this year! Seems they’re unveiling a brand-new VR blockbuster!"

"Not just NetDragon—TengHua also has a major title ready."

"Looks like these two giants are going head-to-head!"

"Well, us small studios are really going to suffer this year."

Even though it was a dedicated通道, the line still moved slowly due to the large number of people—not just game developers, but also their showgirls and cosers.

Along the way, designers and company representatives who knew each other struck up conversations.

Chen Xu glanced at the neighboring booths on both sides.

Their styles were strikingly distinct. TengHua had installed a massive LED screen playing a flashy promotional video—likely their flagship title for this exhibition.

NetDragon wasn’t trailing behind. In addition to posters and trailers, they had a uniformly tall lineup of showgirls, so identical in height it was hard to tell them apart—truly eye-catching.

In contrast, Pavilion No. 6, where Chen Xu’s team was located, felt like a mixed bag.

"Teacher Chen? Is this your first time at an exhibition? You haven’t even fully prepared costumes for your cosers and showgirls?" Someone approached to chat.

After all, the buzz generated by Nebula Games last year, especially during the Spring Festival, was still fresh in everyone’s memory.

Within the gaming industry—particularly among independent game designers—many had studied Chen Xu’s work.

The Nebula Games logo was also highly visible.

Another reason was that compared to other developers’ polished setups, Nebula Games’ booth stood out as somewhat odd.

What did other developers have?

Coser dressed in elaborate costumes, holding lightweight props.

Showgirls wore stylish OL or JK uniforms, creating a visually pleasing impression.

But Nebula Games’ team?

A few were dressed normally—wearing armor and holding weapon props.

But the rest?

Men and women, tall and short, all wearing sneakers and casual outfits.

The only indication they were staff was the ID badges around their necks.

Otherwise, one might assume they were players who had wandered into the wrong area—or that the entire Nebula Games company had come to exhibit.

"We’ve prepared everything—we just stored the costumes inside the booth. We’ll change later," Chen Xu explained with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the others displayed a mix of expressions—shock and bewilderment—though it was unclear what they were thinking.

Still, no one pursued the topic further.

"Our booth placement is kind of awkward this time," someone sighed.

"Yeah, I feel like all the attention will be stolen by those two giants!" A designer from another studio looked toward the neighboring booths of the two industry titans and sighed.

"What can we do? They’re the big players, and this year they’re bringing new VR blockbusters."

Hearing the conversation, Chen Xu smiled and chimed in, "Not necessarily. There are so many players attending—NetDragon and TengHua won’t be able to capture all their attention. Plus, their booths will have long queues. Some players will avoid waiting, and from that angle, it might actually benefit us."

"Teacher Chen makes a good point!"

"Now that you mention it, that’s true!"

"When the top two fight, the third dies—but even that depends on the situation!"

"Teacher Chen, could we get your contact info? We could have deeper exchanges in the future."

"Yeah, we should all stay in touch and exchange ideas."

As they queued, the designers chatted, and Chen Xu exchanged contact details with the group, joining a newly created chat.

Although this was the independent game exhibition hall, everyone invited was someone with influence in the gaming industry—either a capable designer or a notable developer.

Building connections here was definitely beneficial.

Moreover, since Chen Xu had decided to gradually expand the Nebula Games Platform, interactions with third-party developers were inevitable.

Early-stage second and third-tier companies weren’t on his radar, but the broad community of independent game designers represented a perfect entry point.

After chatting with the designers and company reps present, Chen Xu’s team finally entered the pavilion.

Since players hadn’t entered yet, the venue was still spacious and quiet.

The cosers and showgirls from Nebula Games began preparing to change.

"What are they all staring at?" Yang Xin grumbled inwardly.

"Right? Why is everyone looking over here?" Ruan Ningxue was also puzzled.

They noticed that people from other booths were curiously watching them.

"Well, we have the largest booth in this section, so it’s natural they’d be curious. Didn’t you two keep staring at NetDragon and TengHua’s booths earlier?" Chen Xu replied.

"Oh, right!" Ruan Ningxue and Yang Xin nodded in realization. That made sense.

But if so, Nebula Games must have quite a reputation now!

They both sighed with emotion.

At that moment, staff wheeled over the mascot costumes that had been prepared and stored at the venue earlier.

The cosers stepped forward, picked up their respective mascot suits, and began putting them on. Meanwhile, staff hung up the prepared game posters.

The most prominent ones were Sanguosha and Fall Guys.

Seen together, they looked slightly mismatched.

One had a realistic art style, the other entirely cartoonish.

But displayed separately, the contrast wasn’t as jarring.

So on the booth, Chen Xu deliberately placed them on opposite sides—one on the left, one on the right.

The center was reserved for showcasing Nebula Games’ old games.

Other developers kept observing Chen Xu’s booth.

When they saw the previously ordinary-looking staff put on mascot costumes and transform into comical Fall Guys characters and chefs like the little crocodile from Overcooked, many developers froze in surprise.

It was just too unusual!

Even though this was the independent game hall, the general trend was still long-legged showgirls and stylish cosers.

But Chen Xu’s booth?

It felt like stepping into a children’s playground. Your art style has completely changed!

But there wasn’t much time to reflect on this.

As the opening time approached, the exhibition areas opened to the public, and players began streaming in.

(P.S. Please give us recommendation votes and Monthly Pass votes! One more chapter to follow~)

(End of Chapter) <>