Chapter 369: One Game, N Pleasures, Nebula Games Suffers a Huge Loss (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Like Old Dai, many players didn't feel much amazement when they first entered Red Dead Redemption.

While Red Dead Redemption's graphics were excellent, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, also developed by Nebula Games, didn't have bad visual performance either.

In fact, many players even complained about the loading time of about two minutes before starting the game.

Although Chen Xu had built in an environmental theme for Red Dead Redemption, allowing players to treat it as a farm life game to manage.

Not all players were interested, however.

Furthermore, at least until settling down and rescuing John Marston from the snowy mountains in the game.

It remained a linear cutscene, making many players feel that Red Dead Redemption wasn't much different from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

As for the seamless map Chen Xu mentioned online previously, many players didn't take it seriously, and even quite a few Nebula Games fans were a bit disappointed.

After all, it didn't look seamless from any angle.

However, as the story progressed, after players followed Charles to hunt two deer in the snow-covered mountains, and after they completed their first train robbery, leaving the snowy mountains and arriving at the livestock town of Valentine.

An entirely new world unfolded before the players.

Here, players realized that Chen Xu's previous words weren't bragging; this vast Wild West world was indeed seamless.

Moreover, the map was frighteningly huge, and the content available for exploration was incredibly rich.

Along the way, players would constantly encounter strangers in need of help, and after saving them, they could even meet them again in nearby towns.

The other party would remember them and offer some reward.

Many players hadn't yet touched more content, but just the first town they arrived at, the livestock town of Valentine, already offered enough for players to explore.

They could hunt in the wilderness, then sell the skinned meat, pelts, and other items.

At the same time, the camp could also be upgraded; Pearson and Dutch's money box both allowed for camp and personal upgrades.

In this Wild West world, there was simply too much they could do.

Become a wild bandit, put on a mask, rob and kill, or if they took a fancy to a girl, they could just tie her up with a rope and throw her onto a horse.

Help strangers in the wilderness, or go to the local sheriff's office to become a bounty hunter.

Play a common feature found in all RPGs by the lake: fishing.

Engage in revolver duels with desperate gunmen, or compete with cowboys in horse racing.

Take a bath in the hotel and have a waitress give you a good scrub.

Enjoy delicious food in a saloon, then play Texas Hold'em with the local residents.

It had only been online for a few hours.

But the online buzz had already astonished all game industry designers and media outlets.

Because from the current demonstration.

Red Dead Redemption was simply too extravagant.

Especially the open-world design showcased in the game.

It made all game designers drop their jaws in astonishment.

Before this, there wasn't really a mature concept for open worlds.

There was only an embryonic form.

For example, portraying a more realistic story.

But such worlds often served the story and player gameplay better; Beautiful World, which launched not long ago, was a typical example.

However, Red Dead Redemption was completely different; it stood alone.

Aside from the main storyline.

Everything in the game was independent, as if the world was operating on its own.

Extravagant!

Even if all the game's content was far from being fully explored.

But just the content revealed in these few hours left all game designers with only two words to describe it.

That was: Extravagant!

I made a game with a lot of rich content, but I won't force players to play it, and the guidance is even very weak.

So weak that you wouldn't even notice if you weren't paying attention. For example, the first time I went out with the blonde bombshell Karen and her two other girlfriends, plus the uncle, the girls kept singing raunchy songs. There, players would encounter a stranger whose horse had gone missing, and they could choose to help him find it or simply leave.

This actually hinted to players that they would encounter many similar random events on their journey through the game.

But the game never explicitly stated this, including mini-games in saloons, hunting, and so on; they were interspersed throughout the main quests, making you think it was just a mundane daily routine, rather than drawing attention to it as a gameplay mechanic within the game system.

Their presentation wasn't forced at all; it wasn't about letting players know there was such a gameplay style and then making them eager to try it.

It simply told players that this gameplay existed in the game.

Whether you played it or not, it was there, as if it were a natural part of the world.

All NPCs and characters not controlled by the player would operate independently.

For example, everyone in the camp had their own habits and behaviors.

They weren't just stuck in the camp like wooden NPCs.

Sometimes you would find a companion missing, and after a while, if you opened Dutch's money box, you'd find a record showing that the missing companion had donated money.

Especially with the two-minute loading screen at the beginning, many game designers had previously racked their brains, unable to figure out how to make such visuals into a seamless map.

Now they finally understood: Nebula Games was so whimsical that it made players wait two minutes to load part of the map before playing.

As for the players, they obviously didn't need to delve into the details like game designers.

Analyzing the game in various ways to understand what made it excellent.

They simply found the game fun.

In the Wild West world, they could simply do whatever they pleased.

Unlike other games where players had to follow the main story and the explorable content in certain areas was limited.

Red Dead Redemption offered an incredible amount to explore, and even without progressing the main story, the gameplay was highly diverse.

For example, on live streaming platforms, many streamers showcased various playstyles.

Some, after starting the game, wouldn't advance quests or wander aimlessly, but instead dived straight into a saloon to play Texas Hold'em with local patrons.

After all, Texas Hold'em was truly an enduring card game and a classic feature of the Wild West era. It emerged in New Orleans in 1829, spread along the Mississippi River, and was carried westward with the gold rush, becoming the most popular pastime.

These streamers and players played the role of gambling pros with great immersion.

'Hello everyone, where do I collect my money?'

'Playing cards? Make some room for me, I'll show you what a true God of Gamblers looks like.'

'Didn't Dutch want to take us to buy land in the West? Where does the money come from? It comes from this table.'

Half an hour later.

'Did you cheat?'

'You're all in on it! Fine! You're all in on it to scam my money, huh! I'm going to play cards with you!'

'I'll blow you up!'

Accompanied by screams and explosions from the saloon, a wanted poster appeared, turning the map red, and the town's sheriff arrived upon hearing the commotion.

'I did it! Kill me! I don't want to live anymore, I did it!'

............

Some became outlaws.

'Today, I'll show you what it means to be an outlaw.'

'See that sheriff's wagon escorting prisoners up ahead?'

'Shoot them in the face! Rob the prison wagon! Bang bang bang, am I crazy?'

'Crazy is good, try and catch me if you dare!'

Five minutes later.

A new character respawned at the spawn point.

Besides these, there were many other playstyles.

Everyone seemed to find something enjoyable in Red Dead Redemption.

Hunting, fishing, or even just enjoying the scenery.

One game, yet N amounts of pleasure – Nebula Games truly took a huge loss!

(End of Chapter) <>