Chapter 134: New Items (Subscription Request)

Chapter 134: New Items (Subscription Request)

Uniformly positive reviews—so overwhelmingly favorable that one might suspect these media outlets had been paid.

Well… okay, admittedly, Target Software did allocate some public relations fees.

But this was mainly due to the intrinsic quality of Dark Souls itself.

Otherwise, for major gaming media like GameSpot, a simple business expense wouldn’t be enough to make them blatantly lie.

As for the results, they were exceptionally impressive.

Players who actively followed review news from major gaming media were mostly seasoned enthusiasts, not casual players who simply bought and played a game because they saw news, ads, or streams on live streaming video platforms indicating it was currently popular.

Dark Souls’ hardcore nature naturally attracted significant attention.

On a large overseas game forum, players from various countries were discussing topics related to gaming.

Among them was a hot post currently gaining traction, centered on Dark Souls.

"Have you heard? There's a new game that just launched called Dark Souls?"

"Of course. GameSpot and several other outlets gave it extremely high scores."

"I heard it's a game from the East."

"Let me check… My God! Did GameSpot get paid or something?"

"Haha, friends upstairs, you should really go check out Dark Souls’ promotional CG animation on YouTube. I guarantee it’s insanely cool!"

"Right! Go check it out—it really is amazing, unless it's just a misleading trailer."

"Friend, I can assure you this game has already been launched in their country for nearly a month. There are videos on YouTube uploaded by streamers and content creators from that region. You can clearly see the game’s actual performance."

"I watched them. But the players die constantly in the game. Now I’ve already learned those three Chinese characters that appear after death!"

As Target Software expanded its overseas promotion, Dark Souls’ popularity was gradually rising.

High scores from major gaming media, combined with its high-quality CG animation, sparked anticipation among many international players.

Was this game truly as exceptional as the hype suggested, or was it unworthy of its reputation?

Many players were driven by a desire to uncover the truth.

………………

Regarding the overseas promotion, after reviewing Target Software’s promotional strategies and policies, Chen Xu temporarily stopped paying close attention.

After all, everything that could be done had been done. The rest would be determined by the market.

Moreover, for Chen Xu, something even more exciting was unfolding right now.

The golden gashapon he had drawn earlier had finally accumulated enough points due to Dark Souls’ recent performance.

In his office, Chen Xu excitedly opened the golden gashapon he had previously drawn from his item inventory.

With a burst of golden light upon opening, a card appeared before him.

【Game AI Performance Technology】: Optimizes AI behavior in games, making it more akin to life-like intelligence.

Prerequisites for use: Own a wholly-owned AI technology company (X), 20 million research funds (X).

Staring at the golden card in his item inventory, Chen Xu was stunned.

This was the first time he had drawn such an item.

Game AI was no stranger to Chen Xu.

For any game, AI was undoubtedly one of the most critical elements.

The strength of AI performance greatly influenced the player’s sense of immersion.

In this Parallel World, AI performance was already significantly more advanced than in his previous life.

Yet, it still couldn’t be called true Artificial Intelligence.

In Chen Xu’s understanding, true Artificial Intelligence should at least reach the level of the ‘Terminator’ from his previous life.

However, whether such technology would benefit or harm the world remained uncertain.

In this Parallel World, AI was already widely used in many industries—such as smart home systems and hazardous work industries.

But these applications weren’t suitable for the gaming industry. Compared to AI designed for gaming, their level wasn’t particularly high.

Moreover, AI used in games differed significantly from AI in other fields.

Still, the gap between major game developers and small studios in this area remained vast.

Just as with the accumulated expertise in action feel, AI also required deep technical foundation.

Previously, one of the reasons Chen Xu chose to develop Dark Souls was that it had relatively modest requirements for both action mechanics and AI.

Dark Souls was primarily a game focused on level and BOSS design.

However, for games that emphasized player interaction with the game world, the quality of in-game AI was crucial.

In Chen Xu’s original plan, Nebula Games’ subsequent development would not only continue research into action performance, but also include related technologies like AI.

This item had arrived at the perfect time.

The only issue was the prerequisites for use.

And judging by the × symbol afterward, it seemed there were additional undisclosed requirements for the AI technology company.

Chen Xu then checked his accumulated points. Undoubtedly, Dark Souls was a score-farming tool.

136 draws’ worth of points—this was the wealthiest Chen Xu had ever been.

Yet, he didn’t draw immediately. On one hand, his current ability points were sufficient, and he didn’t have any major projects coming up.

On the other hand, the overseas version of Dark Souls was about to launch. He’d save up a batch and have a satisfying draw all at once.

After pondering in his office for a while, Chen Xu called Lin Rou into his office and asked her to compile a list of AI technology research companies, both domestic and international, to identify which ones might meet the card’s conditions.

It was also a chance to understand the scale of such companies. The prerequisite required full ownership, meaning he’d have to acquire an AI technology company himself.

Of course, founding one from scratch should also satisfy the system’s requirements, provided it met the criteria.

But building one from the ground up would be much slower than acquisition.

Still, Chen Xu wasn’t in a rush. Unlike previously drawn timed items, this card had no specified time limit.

Even if he couldn’t use it now, he could simply store it for later.

Then, Chen Xu called Qin Yi into his office. Judging by the players’ current progress in Dark Souls, it was time to start preparing the special gift he had精心 prepared for them.

Besides, the brand-new mode would be another powerful tool for grinding points!

(End of Chapter) <>