On October 8th, right after the National Day break, Lucas called Anna, Rachel, and the heads of all departments into his office.
"I already mentioned this before the break—next, we're going to develop a much larger game."
"It'll involve quite a bit of action, so Hector, get in touch with a motion capture studio. We'll need a lot of that material later on."
Lucas was talking to a young man who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, though he was already starting to go bald.
"No problem, Boss Lucas," Hector replied with a nod.
Motion capture wasn't exactly cutting-edge tech in either his past life or this world.
Compared to manually animating movements, motion capture has clear advantages.
It's cheaper, faster, and looks more natural.
If it weren't for the high cost of building a full motion capture studio, Lucas would've already started one himself.
After all, with more game development in the future, there'd be a constant need for new assets.
"Alright, let's take a look at the game we're going to work on."
After a few quick words, Lucas cast his laptop screen onto the wall.
He had already rushed out the rough concept design for Outlast over the past few days, with the help of the memory capsule.
"H-horror game?" Anna looked at Lucas in surprise.
Not just Anna—Rachel, Hector, and the newer hires all looked a bit stunned too.
It was a genre none of them had expected.
They had imagined story-driven games like To the Moon, meta-style games like Undertale, or classic RPGs.
But horror? That came out of nowhere.
The truth is, horror games are in kind of an awkward spot in the market.
And on top of that, didn't Boss Lucas say before that he was a warrior of love?
What the heck does love have to do with horror?
Seeing everyone's reactions, Lucas could pretty much guess what they were thinking.
Because this type of game really is hard to pull off.
Horror games are a serious test of a dev team's skill.
If the game doesn't manage to scare the player, it usually just turns into unintentional comedy.
And because the horror market isn't big enough to interest the big studios, it's mostly made by indie or mid-size companies.
Without a lot of budget, most designers fall back on the usual horror trick—jump scares.
Jump scare, simply put, is when you're looking at an image—say, a tall, pretty girl slowly walking toward you—and just as you're excited and ready to aim and shoot, she suddenly turns into a bloody, terrifying old witch, right in your face. That's the classic jump scare.
Even though it's often considered cheesy or outdated, there's no denying that in scary games, jump scares are a classic and effective way to create fear.
But jump scares are a double-edged sword. If done right, they can make a game great.
If done badly, they ruin the whole experience.
The best horror games often use jump scares, so saying that any game using jump scares is bad is just wrong.
A good horror game keeps players feeling tense the whole time.
The scariest part isn't the actual scare—it's the fear of not knowing when the scare will come.
Jump scares are fine in horror games, but they can't be overused. The real skill is using them in a way that makes players scare themselves as they play. That's the hardest part—and the heart—of a good horror game.
Back in the office, Lucas was explaining the important parts of Outlast to the team.
"It's just that we don't have enough time to develop this part. Otherwise, I would've taken everyone on a real visit—find an old, abandoned hospital, set the mood, and help everyone really feel it," Lucas said with a look of regret.
Anna and Rachel stared at him with wide eyes.
Hector and the others just looked down silently.
"Don't worry. Next time we make a horror game, I'll definitely take everyone there," Lucas said with a smile.
Everyone went quiet.
Who would want to do something like that?!
"Also, Ethan, when it comes time to promote the game, we'll need to focus on video and streaming platforms. Create some buzz. I'll need you to write a plan for that," Lucas added, turning to Ethan in marketing after cracking a joke.
Ethan, who had been quiet the whole time, simply nodded and replied, "Got it, Boss Lucas."
Nebula Games had a bit of money now, so of course they wouldn't skimp on marketing.
And horror games naturally perform well on livestreams and videos. They can go viral quickly through reactions and clips.
A lot of players are too scared to play horror games themselves—but they still love watching others play.
And watching and playing are two very different experiences.
Some players watch a horror game and think, "That's not so bad," and then buy it—only to get scared so badly they can't keep playing.
Still, it all helps spread the game.
That's all part of building hype.
It's important.
In Lucas' previous life, the Outlast series sold over 15 million copies, and a big reason was the rise of livestreaming back then.
After a few quick words, Lucas went back to explaining the core elements of Outlast.
Just like the game's name suggests, the player plays as an unarmed reporter. In the face of danger, there's only one choice: run.
The game also includes a camera mechanic. Unlike other games with nuclear-powered flashlights that never run out, Outlast makes the player use the camera's night vision to see in the dark.
And unlike magic flashlights, using night vision uses up battery power.
But players only get a limited number of batteries, and that creates pressure and tension.
Lucas explained every detail of the story and pacing to the team, breaking it down piece by piece.
"For the found-footage style and building the right atmosphere, Rachel, you'll need to pay extra attention. Try turning off all your lights at night and playing it to get the full experience."
"I've got a prop ready too. You can take it home to help with the feel."
As he spoke, Lucas pulled a handheld camcorder from his desk and placed it next to Rachel.
Rachel: ??????
Her smile faded as she looked at the camcorder.
Be human, Boss Lucas!
(End of The Chapter)
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