Chapter 75: Game Expo
"Come in."
Upon receiving a response, the office door opened and Lynn, the previously hired assistant, approached Alex with a document in hand.
"Alex, the Game Expo has invited us to participate in this year's event. Here are the Game Expo zones." Lynn handed a map of the venue to Alex.
Alex took the document and looked at it. It was a simple file of site renders. According to the data, the exhibition covered a total area of 50,000 square meters, divided into seven exhibition areas.
Nebula Games was invited to the sixth zone, belonging to the indie games section. Nebula Games had approximately 500 square meters of booth space. It was quite large, at least in the indie games section, making it the largest.
But, to be honest, in this parallel world, Alex hadn't paid much attention to expos. Without responding to Lynn, Alex searched online and got a rough idea of what was happening.
In this parallel world, just like in his previous life, various exhibitions were held. However, this "Gameplay" exhibition differs from other typical trade fairs in a way. It is not purely commercial. In addition to industry giants like NetDragon and Aether Games, it also has unique sponsorship: the Game Department.
In short, this exhibition has an official tone, with the motto and purpose of "Promoting the prosperity and development of the video game industry." The venue varies from year to year, but this year it is held in the city in early May, about two months before the event. The exhibition will last five days.
The lack of prior notice is mainly due to the non-commercial nature of this exhibition. In short, the first group of game developers are invited more than two months in advance. If you want to attend, you sign up. If not, other developers will join. Whether you have interesting news at the exhibition, report on new games to players, or simply make a name for yourself, depends on your own perspective. The stage is set, the rest is up to you.
"I've already planned everything. Tell the organizers we will participate. Also, please talk to John and draw up a plan for this exhibition," Alex told Lynn.
"Understood, Alex," Lynn nodded.
He sent Lynn to John. Alex, for his part, took the materials from the table and glanced at the relevant exhibition areas and other details. He had a rough idea of what was happening.
The exhibition area was spacious, with plenty of room for experimentation. However, there were two games that Alex did not plan to bring to the exhibition. Mirror, a game with a harmonious and charming atmosphere, and currently Alex's highest-rated game, could not yet be exhibited. Alex also had no plans to bring Outlast. There was no other option. After all, the theme and setting were too surreal.
He couldn't decorate the Outlast area like a psychiatric hospital, could he? And most importantly, in broad daylight, with so many people around, it wouldn't scare the players. If it didn't scare them, wouldn't it be detrimental to the horror genre?
But showing only Undertale, To the Moon, and Overcooked was a bit monotonous. Coincidentally, Alex had been thinking about what kind of game to develop, and now he had some ideas. It was definitely impossible to complete a medium or large-sized game in two months.
However, during that time, they could create two games of not-so-large scale. This would align with the direction they would take with the Nebula Games platform. Time was pressing, but the Nebula Games team had expanded its staff compared to before the winter holidays. There was still time to catch up.
In addition to these two games, Alex also planned a surprise for players at this fair. Time was pressing, so, after making the decision, Alex began to draft the design document. One of the two games was relatively simple, requiring only artistic resources and voice acting.
The other was a bit more complex and required team collaboration. However, the workload was not large. Although he had finally decided to surprise players at this fair, the deadline prevented even a demo, let alone a game. But Alex was not worried.
After all, promotional trailers existed; they could simply paint a picture of this delicious cake for the players. If someone asked, it meant it was almost ready.
While Alex was working on the design concept, the official fair staff contacted him. Nebula Games was responsible for the distribution of the exhibition area. Additionally, if someone requested cosplayers or other performances, the fair would take care of contacting them. Of course, it would also be possible to contact the relevant agencies on their own.
Given that the event was held in the city, Alex took a break to visit the venue and observe the actual conditions before making a decision. After all, after deciding to participate in this exhibition, he had to give it his all. Furthermore, the video game exhibition was incredibly popular in the country, offering an excellent opportunity for exposure and publicity.
"Areas 5 and 7, next to Area 6, are the exhibition areas for Aether Games and NetDragon?" he asked.
Numerous employees were busy at the exhibition, displaying signs and setting up equipment.
"Not entirely, but they have more games and more studios under their control," explained the employee accompanying Alex with a smile.
Alex nodded, indicating understanding. Video game companies at the level of Aether Games and NetDragon, naturally, could not have only one studio under their tutelage. Even acquired studios represented them by participating in the exhibition.
"I have a general idea of the details. I'll give you a detailed plan on Wednesday," Alex said.
"Alright, Alex, do you need any cosplayers? Do you need our help to contact and select them through the exhibition, or would you prefer to find an agency yourself?" the staff member replied.
"Let's help contact them through the exhibition; that will save some trouble." Alex thought for a moment and said, "Then, Alex, are there any strict requirements for the cosplayers?" the staff member asked.
After all, if it's a cosplayer, it must be consistent with the game's image. For example, if it's a small woman, you can't ask a tall, imposing woman to do it.
"Well... there are no strict requirements. No gender limit, but one thing: physical strength must be a bit higher, not too weak." Alex thought for a moment and said.
Hearing Alex's words, the enthusiastic staff member on the other side was perplexed.
'What... what the heck!'
Did he hear wrong? No gender limit, greater physical strength? You need a girl, and then a little whiter, a little bigger, and a little taller. These requirements are understandable.
But what is good physical strength? Are you looking for a cosplayer to support you or someone to help you move?
A/N Don't worry, Alex, I like strong women too.
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