Chapter 110: Online Live Broadcast Press Conference

On the official Weibo account, numerous players were @-mentioning Chen Xu every day.

Aside from loyal players of ongoing titles like Sanguosha and Fall Guys, the majority were fans eagerly anticipating Dark Souls.

So far, the official information released consisted mainly of a promotional teaser from the exhibition, along with concept art showcasing various weapons and environments.

The only things players knew about the game were that the protagonist appeared to be tasked with carrying the fire of hope, and that the game's worldview would be quite dark—likely delivering a heart-wrenching experience similar to Valiant Hearts: The Great War.

Still, many players said they could accept that.

After all, it was just a slightly emotional story.

Having just endured the tear-jerker that was Valiant Hearts: The Great War, they could certainly handle it.

The real question now was: when would the game be released?

In response to the players' enthusiasm, Chen Xu didn't make them wait long.

Advertisements for Dark Souls began appearing on various gaming media websites and video websites.

Many people were excited by these ads, which mentioned numerous appealing features.

Unique freedom of exploration, a combat system unlike any other—these details had players buzzing with anticipation.

Meanwhile, physical editions of Dark Souls were already in production.

Unlike in Chen Xu’s previous life, in this Parallel World the primary medium remained digital games.

Physical editions were more for collectors—especially the deluxe edition, which would include special items such as limited edition collectible figures and the official art book.

But what excited players the most was the announcement that Nebula Games would be hosting an Online Live Broadcast Press Conference for Dark Souls, showcasing the game’s first Actual Gameplay Demonstration and revealing the release and launch date.

Combined with the ongoing promotional warm-up, this news sent the popularity of Dark Souls soaring.

The gaming industry was stunned.

‘Chen Xu really seems to be taking Dark Souls seriously!’

‘Yeah, the promotional scale isn’t quite at the level of TengHua or NetDragon’s top-tier projects, but for the PC platform, this is definitely a major investment.’

‘It’s Chen Xu’s first big-budget production. Plus, Nebula Games has a pretty strong risk resistance capability now.’

‘No kidding. Forget the long-term operation of Sanguosha—post-New Year, Fall Guys alone made Nebula Games a fortune.’

‘Still, I’m more interested in this ARPG, Dark Souls. Judging from Nebula Games’ external promotion, it seems different from traditional ARPGs.’

‘How different could it be? Can an ARPG really break new ground? It’s either story-driven, action-oriented, or focused on numerical balancing. Aren’t those the only mainstream types?’

‘I don’t think it’ll be that simple. Ever since his debut, every one of Chen Xu’s works has been full of surprises.’

‘True, but his previous games weren’t large-scale. This is the first time he’s involved in a major project. There’s no guarantee he’ll perform well.’

As Nebula Games began its promotional warm-up for Dark Souls, industry designers across the gaming scene began discussing it.

But ordinary players didn’t care about such details. They were simply eager for time to pass quickly so they could attend Nebula Games’ online press conference and learn the official launch date for Dark Souls.

………………

Time passed swiftly, and the day finally arrived.

The live broadcast venue was set inside Nebula Games’ office, specially decorated for the occasion. On the table sat a custom-made Fire Keeper figurine and a bonfire with the Coiled Sword embedded in it.

Behind Chen Xu hung the art concept posters of Dark Souls.

On major live streaming platforms, Nebula Games’ live stream room was featured on the homepage.

This had been pre-arranged through a business cooperation agreement with the platforms—a win-win arrangement.

The live stream would also include a bullet comment lottery, giving away limited edition collectible figures and deluxe edition games. A number of ordinary players would also randomly receive standard edition game CD keys.

Even before the broadcast began, the stream screen showed only the background.

Yet a massive number of players, having arrived upon hearing the news, were already flooding the chat with bullet comments. Despite the setting of one comment every thirty seconds, the screen was blanketed in a snowstorm of text.

Clearly, thanks to its string of quality independent titles, Nebula Games had earned substantial player attention.

Though, admittedly, many were just here to watch the excitement.

After confirming all segments—video stream, screen transitions, and technical setups—Chen Xu appeared on camera precisely on time.

“Hello, players tuning in. I’m Chen Xu, lead producer of Dark Souls. I know you’re all here for one reason, so I won’t waste time with pleasantries. Let’s get straight to the point. First, let’s take a look at the actual in-game performance of Dark Souls!”

With no unnecessary opening remarks or pleasantries, Chen Xu dove straight into the topic.

After all, this was an online press conference for a game—why bother with irrelevant things?

As Chen Xu finished speaking, the stream instantly switched to a new screen.

Unlike the previous promotional animation, this was a pure Actual Gameplay Demonstration animation.

The UI display interface was clearly visible.

The video lasted about one minute, featuring a BOSS battle and a regular mob battle.

The first thing to catch the eye was Ash Judgment Gundyr in the Firelink Shrine.

His massive body was incredibly imposing, and the glaive-like weapon in his hand looked terrifying.

When the BOSS swung his weapon, the video clearly showed the ground cracking under the impact.

The character in the video was controlled by Chen Xu himself, re-recorded specifically for this demo.

It was designed to showcase basic in-game operations: blocking, rolling, Perfect Guard, execution moves, and backstabs against mobs.

Of course, to preserve sufficient surprise for players, the second phase of Ash Judgment Gundyr was completely omitted from the video.

Other mechanics—jumping while running, in-game messages left on the ground as hints—were all demonstrated clearly.

Viewers, including players, media, and industry designers, discussed animatedly, each with their own opinions.

[Daily request for recommendation votes, Monthly Pass (2/2)...]

(End of Chapter) <>