Chapter 392: Game Trial Experience (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

For this expo, Nebula Games brought 150 Switch consoles for players to try out.

However, even with that many, it was still a drop in the ocean for the number of players in the exhibition area.

And because the games were somewhat special, players couldn't just play for five minutes and then rotate. So, the method adopted was basically the same as NetDragon and TengHua's VR experience booths.

That is, a lottery system, with each round lasting an hour and a half. Whether you got to experience it depended mainly on the player's luck.

If you didn't win the lottery, you didn't have to stand傻站着排队 there foolishly; you could go explore other exhibition areas. At worst, you could come back later and try your luck again.

Of course, if you were drawn, then you couldn't participate again.

But even so, many players who didn't win still didn't leave; instead, they gathered behind lucky players and watched them play.

Thus, a spectacular scene quickly emerged. Players huddled together in groups of three to five, sitting around a Switch. If they couldn't play themselves, they could at least watch others!

Zhang Yi and his four friends also waited in line for half an hour and finally got a Switch to try out.

"It doesn't feel very heavy, actually, lighter than my power bank," Zhang Yi said, sitting at the small trial table with Song Ren and the others, taking turns handling the Switch.

"The main thing is convenience. When I travel for work in the future, playing this on the high-speed rail will be much more comfortable than playing on my phone," Wang Yifan, who often travels for business, remarked.

"And it's really comfy to play tucked under the covers in winter," Joey chimed in.

"I say, let's not talk about the feel of this console right now. There's a time limit for the trial! Old Song won't have another chance, and we four don't even know if we'll get picked again!" Wang Han spoke up from beside them.

"Right, Old Song, you pick a game and let's see how this Switch performs. Speaking of which, no wonder you can't get the decorations you want in Monster Hunter: World; all your luck must have been used up here!" Zhang Yi exclaimed.

"Shut up!" Song Ren, whose sore spot had been poked, retorted 'indignantly', then looked at the games on the Switch.

At the expo, Chen Xu didn't put many games on the Switch for players to try.

There were Overcooked, Fall Guys, It Takes Two, as well as Animal Forest and Super Mario Odyssey (demo version).

He instinctively skipped the three ported older games, as everyone had played them before, and the changes were mostly in controls. As for new games, Super Mario Odyssey was just a demo, which didn't surprise him too much since it was only for trial purposes.

But what caught Song Ren's attention was that Animal Forest was a full version? After thinking for a few seconds, Song Ren decided to open Animal Forest first, eager to see what it was about. Although he knew the 'must-play for tough guys' tag was just a joke, he was curious.

Both games had a cartoon-like art style. In this situation, compared to the demo of Super Mario Odyssey, he was more interested in the full version of Animal Forest.

After clicking, the Switch went black for a moment, then an LED sign appeared. A leaf-shaped LOGO with a small missing corner displayed 'Nook Inc.' and its business: the Deserted Island Getaway Package.

The camera slowly zoomed up, appearing to be in an office. On the back wall was a tanuki-like poster and several island photos.

Then, hurried footsteps sounded, and two adorable little tanuki ran over.

'Hello! Welcome!

'This is the counter for the Deserted Island Getaway Package!

'We are your guides for this getaway package, Timmy and Tommy of Nook Inc.!

'We will accompany you to the island and assist you with your life there. We look forward to your continued support.

'So, without further ado, let's begin the preparations for your relocation!

'First, let's confirm your application. May I have your name and birthday, please?'

As the two little tanuki introduced themselves, their voice acting sounded as if it were playing at 2.5x speed. However, with the subtitles, one could generally understand what they were saying.

After character creation, choosing between the Southern or Northern Hemisphere, and selecting a starting island, it was time to take a plane to the destination.

It was completely different from the island in the previous video—empty, with nothing but trees and rocks.

"This is probably the difference between advertising and the actual product," Zhang Yi grumbled from the side.

"It seems like a simulation management game? Playing house?" Wang Yifan guessed.

"So this is the 'must-play for tough guys'?" Song Ren couldn't help but retort.

As a veteran gamer, he felt he probably understood what kind of game Animal Forest was. Clearly, it was about players slowly developing on this deserted island. So, 'tough guys' meant shaking trees, picking up branches, and pears?

And he couldn't even pick them up yet!

Upon arriving on the island, he followed the two tanuki guides to find their boss. Looking at the branches and pears scattered on the ground, Song Ren couldn't help but complain. It was clearly a story-driven segment, and he couldn't interact yet.

"I think this is very cute and adorable!" Wang Han offered a different opinion.

"Yes, indeed! If the content is rich, I think it could be quite good," Joey also shared her feelings.

For now, both thought it was pretty good. As for whether it was fun, they couldn't conclude yet.

Controlling his little character, he ran all over the deserted island. After getting a tent from Tom Nook and setting it up, Song Ren received a quest through a dialogue. He had to help two other island residents who arrived with him settle down.

One was Sister Ran, who looked like a small tiger, and the other was A'Zhu, who looked like a rhinoceros. However, after talking to these two small animals, Song Ren quickly discovered some differences. The personalities of these two islander NPCs seemed unique.

And their dialogue feedback was completely different, which he found a bit refreshing.

After helping the two islander companions set up their tents, he received more quests from Tom Nook: picking up branches and gathering food. This was an exploration of the map and a preliminary tutorial of the gameplay.

Currently, players could only access a third of the island. Other areas were separated by small rivers, which clearly couldn't be crossed for now. It would likely require unlocking certain items later.

Picking up branches, pears, and weeds from the ground, Song Ren felt a bit speechless. Actually, while playing, he felt quite good; the atmosphere was relaxing. But the thought of Chen Xu's 'must-play for tough guys' joke made it all quite ridiculous.

(End of Chapter) <>