Chapter 365: First Game Experience (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)
January 16th, "Red Dead Redemption" officially launched.
However, "Beautiful World," which launched a day earlier, had already become the main topic of discussion among players.
This was because Atrai had indeed created a good Western-themed game this time.
Many players who purchased Zeus online immediately bought "Beautiful World" and then shared their gaming experiences on forums and communities.
While the graphics had some gap compared to first-tier games like "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare."
The vast map had already made many players feel very cool.
Moreover, in terms of art, the various Western backgrounds were exceptionally well-crafted.
As for the story and gameplay, since it had only been online for one day, most players were just starting and hadn't delved deep yet.
But the story, being adapted from a best-selling novel, ensured its quality.
And the gameplay? At least in the early stages, it was quite satisfying.
This instantly attracted many players interested in the Western theme.
Players who had played "Beautiful World" were enthusiastically recommending it on the forums.
Meanwhile, some casual players who hadn't decided whether to buy Zeus or Huanyu VR were now in a dilemma.
In a certain game chat group, a group of people were discussing recent Western-themed games.
"Have you guys bought the latest generation VR? I want to buy Zeus, but Huanyu VR also feels really good. I just don't know about the quality of 'Red Dead Redemption'."
"'Red Dead Redemption,' is that the new game from Nebula Games!?"
"My damn credit card can only support one purchase, and I haven't decided whether to choose 'Red Dead Redemption' yet!"
"You don't even have a gaming pod, what game are you agonizing over?"
"If I don't have a gaming pod, can't I go to a VR experience store to play?"
Many people in the chat group were discussing.
Similarly, many were in a dilemma.
That was whether to buy "Red Dead Redemption" or "Beautiful World."
"Are you guys talking about 'Red Dead Redemption'? Although Nebula Games has strong development capabilities, I think Nebula Games won't surpass 'Beautiful World' in the Western genre this time," said a player named Old Dai in the group.
"Why? Wasn't Atrai previously thrashed by Nebula Games?" As Old Dai replied, another player who had been lurking in the group chat jumped out.
"'Beautiful World' has already proven its quality, and with the added bonus of the original work, it has such expressive power. Nebula Games has only revealed a promotional video and an environmental theme so far; the specific gameplay is still unclear. How can it compete?" Old Dai analyzed very professionally.
But soon, the other party began to refute: "Old Dai, that's just your own guess. 'Red Dead Redemption' isn't out yet, how can you conclude it's not good?"
"Practice makes perfect. I'll play it, and then its quality will be clear at a glance."
Old Dai, who initiated the topic, no longer paid attention to the discussion in the group.
He got up from the sofa and walked towards the bedroom, preparing to enter the Huanyu VR device to experience "Red Dead Redemption."
Old Dai's full name was Dai Jiezhou. The reason he was called Old Dai was due to his work, which made his hairline somewhat concerning.
He considered himself a mature and steady middle-aged man in his thirties, but he looked more like he was in his forties. Some friends he knew jokingly called him Old Dai, and he got used to it. Although he played games, it wasn't often. Compared to playing games, he preferred arguing with others online.
He had directly bought both the newly released Huanyu VR and Zeus VR.
Although he didn't play much normally, he still considered himself a gamer.
And as a gamer, some things were of the type: "I might not play it, but I absolutely must own it."
Previously, with "Storm Action" and "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare," he had blindly sided with Nebula Games. After all, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" had indeed given him more shock, and it was the only game he had fully completed recently.
But this time, he felt that Atrai, having learned from its past defeats, would make a comeback and win this round.
Because yesterday, after experiencing "Beautiful World" for over two hours, he genuinely felt very impressed.
Plus, he himself was very fond of Western-themed movies and novels, and he had even read the original book. With such a filter bonus, his favorability directly shot up to MAX. At least from his personal perspective, Old Dai felt this was likely the second game he would complete recently.
Although "Red Dead Redemption" hadn't officially launched yet, he felt that "Beautiful World" was already so excellent, how could "Red Dead Redemption" surpass it?
So this time, his playthrough was more with a critical eye.
After all, when arguing with people online, you might never convince your opponent, but the purpose of arguing online isn't to convince your opponent.
Because your arguments aren't meant to convince your opponent, but to convince the third-party onlookers.
Only when your arguments are well-reasoned and supported can you convince neutral bystanders.
Therefore, as a professional debater, Old Dai usually made sure to have first-hand information when arguing with others, rather than arguing out of thin air.
Finally, he did have a tiny bit of interest in "Red Dead Redemption," though this interest had significantly faded after "Beautiful World" appeared.
Now? There was still a little, but not much.
"Eh, is the theme scene connected to the game? That's quite convenient." Old Dai was surprised by the prompt that appeared after entering the game.
His VR gaming pod still defaulted to the theme previously given by Nebula Games. His farm was quite prosperous, with cattle and sheep, and a Stable next to it.
"But why does this game take so long to load! Is the optimization not done well?"
Looking at the wheel-like loading screen, Old Dai frowned.
He knew that "Beautiful World"'s loading screen only took about ten seconds.
But this "Red Dead Redemption," its loading time was too long, wasn't it?
Old Dai calculated the current percentage progress bar, and it was going to take about two minutes?
The first negative point appeared!
Old Dai silently noted this down in his mind.
However, even though it was a loading screen, there was still something to do.
It was a good time to manage his farm. As the farm expanded, there was more work to be done.
Although there was an employment function, allowing him to hire an NPC to help manage the farm.
But after looking at the price, as a practical farmer, Old Dai didn't consider it.
Wouldn't it be better to use that money to expand his farm and raise two more pigs?
If he just sat there bored, watching the percentage numbers slowly fill up, even two minutes would feel like a long time.
However, with something to pass the time, two minutes flew by in an instant.
Before he finished dealing with the farm, a prompt popped up in front of Old Dai.
Without rushing into the game immediately, after cleaning his Stable, Old Dai clicked to enter the game.
In the darkness, a line of text slowly appeared.
'1899, the era of gunslingers and outlaws has come to an end...'
'This country has gradually become a nation of law...'
'Even the West has been almost completely conquered...'
'Only a few gangs still roam free, but they cannot escape capture and will eventually cease to exist.'
Old Dai read the subtitles aloud, showing a surprised expression.
Because the time setting of "Red Dead Redemption" was quite special.
He was relatively knowledgeable about this area; most Western-themed movies, novels, and games.
Most chose the glorious era when the West was being developed, or rather, the most savage era.
For example, Atrai's "Beautiful World" was like that.
But "Red Dead Redemption"'s specified year, 1899, was very unique.
(End of Chapter)
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