Chapter 210: How About a Pyramid?
The various industry controversies surrounding sandbox games did not worry Alex. The promotional model and schedule for Minecraft were practically set.
After the end of the year, on January 3, the first day of the twelfth lunar month, a single-player beta test would begin. Multiplayer mode would not be enabled for now; only standard online modes with friends and single-player would be available for five days. The full online release would take place on February 1, the first day of the first lunar month. Alex and John had already finalized the promotional model.
In addition to advertising, this time they would employ a unique approach: creating impressive structures in Minecraft, along with some simple redstone applications. Put bluntly, it was a demonstration of skill. Its purpose was to let players know what kind of game Minecraft was and what they could expect. This tactic was not exactly new. After all, game promotions always follow the same principles.
It's like some games that immediately inspire nostalgia. In those moments, players reach the maximum level, possess all their skills, and are equipped with legendary gear. Why? To build anticipation for the later content, so they know that this game can be played this way and that they will experience that exciting feeling as they progress.
Similarly, movie trailers and promotional clips follow this same pattern, building anticipation in players for the upcoming content.
However, due to the unique gameplay of Minecraft, Alex and his team had to create all the game content themselves.
The only good news is that at Galaxy Intelligent Technology, Ethan and his team have made significant advances in AI. Alex suspects that this is because the countdown is running out. With so many patent applications, it is clear that Galaxy Intelligent Technology is going crazy.
Galaxy Intelligent Technology simply cannot compete with the most cutting-edge AI technologies in the industry because they do not focus solely on one concept. Alex's focus is on game performance.
Compared to the slow previous performance of Dark Souls: First Flame, significant progress has been made. Taking advantage of Ethan's technology, Alex has also developed a specific tool for quick construction. Similar tools existed in previous lives, saving a considerable amount of time.
Alex's approach is much simpler, leveraging the AI technology of Galaxy Intelligent Technology. By initially building the structure in the software, the AI recognizes it and generates it in the editor's backend, and then performs the subsequent processing. Of course, some tasks that are too complex still require manual work by Alex and his team.
However, this approach is significantly more convenient, and this is the engine of Alex's promotional initiatives. This approach could also be used to periodically release memorable official building complexes.
As for this tool, Alex has no plans to release it. Even if he did, players would not be able to use it due to concerns about the AI's processing power, unless they paid for it. However, Alex estimates that, except for the wealthiest, most players will not be able to afford it due to its price. Therefore, he plans to release simpler brush tools, such as the "Creator God" tool.
After completing a part of the complex, Alex prepared to go out to see what Eric and the others had accomplished. After all, the content of Minecraft was already complete. Although Dark Souls still had DLC for the Ringed City and the Painted World, there was no hurry. It was already in development, so, in the worst case, they could release it around the third anniversary.
So, all the employees of the company were involved in the construction process, and today was the first day. However, Alex did not have high expectations about what they could build. Instead, he planned to use his tools to create the main molds himself and then give them the finished product to make small adjustments and complete it according to the templates.
Upon arriving at the project room, Alex saw a group of people sitting in a row, with their computers full of Minecraft images. They seemed to be in perfect harmony, chatting with each other.
"I'm done with this. Eric, you take care of the interior."
"No problem!".
"Jane, are the foundations ready?".
"You can count on me!".
"Are you building the ancient Egyptian pyramids?" Alex asked when he saw the game's graphics. But as he got closer, he fell silent.
'Had he been wrong?'.
Hearing the chat, Alex was surprised to see that it was quite realistic. They were stunned for a moment. A pyramid? It wasn't true. They had already considered it, but finally discarded it. But then everyone understood what a pyramid was.
'Weren't they just tombs of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs? And they said their buildings were ugly!'.
Everyone instantly erupted in disgust.
"Alex, this is a building that we all built with ingenuity. It's not an ancient tomb at all."
Lisa chimed in: "That's right, Alex, you're belittling us! But we know more about architecture than you. It looks ugly now, but we're actually modeling it after the Musée d'Orsay in France. At first we considered building something like the Sun Palace or the Mogao Grottoes, but then we realized it was too complicated, so we decided to build something simpler."
'Based on the Musée d'Orsay?'. Alex silently opened a search engine, looked for photos of the Musée d'Orsay, and then observed the mess that Lisa and the others had in front of them. 'He couldn't relate the two things.'.
'Musée d'Orsay, who gave her the courage to say that?'.
"Forget it, I'll fix it."
Looking at the crowd, Alex sighed and sat down in Lisa's spot. First he increased his movement speed in the game and then he began to skillfully use the props to build. Everyone gathered around Alex, watching him build. This was much faster than theirs. He just couldn't figure out what it was.
It didn't look like a house.
"What is Alex building?".
"It looks like a statue?".
"I see!".
"Jane, what do you understand?".
"A statue! Remember? Aren't there all these sculptures next to the Musée d'Orsay?".
"Has Alex been there? He didn't even need to compare photos?".
Everyone commented curiously.
After about twenty minutes, Alex placed the last brick, released the mouse, and clapped. "Done!".
Silence invaded the building.
"So, Alex built a sculpture, just as Jane said."
"Well, it's not just a sculpture, it's a cultural relic from ancient Egyptian civilization."
"The famous Sphinx!".
"So, Alex, what are you referring to?".
Observing the realistic Sphinx that Alex had just built, everyone looked at each other, bewildered.
'He was implying that the house they were building looked like a small burial mound!'.
"Ahem, I didn't say that. You guys just said it!". Alex coughed slightly twice.
Everyone was speechless upon hearing his words.
'Was it even necessary to say it? It wasn't just an insinuation, it was an explicit statement!'.
But, thinking about it, it really looks like it!.
It's square, made of a mixture of mud and stone. Since they plan to make windows later, it is now completely sealed, seemingly airtight, and only torches are needed to illuminate it. Doesn't it look a lot like those ancient tombs in archaeological documentaries? Staring for a few seconds, especially with the Sphinx in front of her, Lisa hesitated.
She noticed that, as she looked at it, her mental image of the Musée d'Orsay was slowly beginning to change.
After a moment of reflection, Lisa looked at her colleague and said: "How about we... change it?".
"Change it?".
"How about a pyramid? It seems easier to build!" Lisa suggested.
"And you should know that this architectural modification plan is very normal, like painting. Maybe an artist didn't paint flowers at first, or another person animals, but then they discovered that they had a talent for painting flowers and animals, so they leaned in that direction," Lisa explained.
"Lisa, come on!" Jane exclaimed next to her without being able to help it.
Eric and the others were also excited. During the development of Minecraft, we have all experienced the true fun of Minecraft.
'But building a house is always different from what you imagined!'.
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