Chapter 812: Countdown
By the end of March, the weather in the Imperial Capital had already warmed up.
Although, like most northern cities in the country, the Imperial Capital didn't have proper spring or autumn seasons, there were at least a few days each year where one could experience the pleasant feeling of blooming flowers and suitable weather for going out.
The prerequisite was that it wasn't windy.
"Elven World" was about to officially launch. For the players, it happened to be spring, giving them another reason to go outside.
A good thing about this season was that the major markets—China, Japan, South Korea, the US, and Europe—were all in a period suitable for going out. The major countries and regions in the Southern Hemisphere were about to enter autumn, and the weather was still acceptable. Of course, areas near the equator... as usual, it was hot all year round, so no difference.
After this period of promotion and preheating, many players who had purchased Matrix Glasses were eagerly looking forward to experiencing this brand-new MR game.
From the time the smart glasses were released until now, this new type of wearable smart product had created a craze worldwide. On one hand, the number of suitable users was increasing; on the other hand, applications and developments for this device were growing more numerous and deeper.
Walking on the streets of major cities, especially in crowded areas like shopping malls where young people gathered, one could see people wearing smart glasses everywhere. Most were young people, but there were also many children or middle-aged people wearing them.
Driven by the Matrix Glasses, the vast majority of smart glasses had disabled functions like camera recording and live streaming. The cameras on the glasses were only used to capture information within the player's field of view.
As a result, people who didn't wear smart glasses gradually stopped worrying about privacy infringement. When they saw someone wearing smart glasses approaching to strike up a conversation, most responded with a more tolerant attitude.
Moreover, smart glasses gave strangers an excuse to chat. While waiting for a bus, resting in a mall, or queuing for shopping, some players wearing smart glasses could start a simple MR game with each other to pass the time.
In any case, this new type of smart device was gradually entering people's lives, just like the popularization of smartphones before it, making life more convenient and changing people's lifestyles.
...
Thunder Entertainment's New Headquarters.
The overall structure of the building was fully formed. From a distance, one could clearly see the massive sphere and the surrounding thunderbolt structure. However, this was still a construction zone, so entry was prohibited.
But on the streets around this area, quite a few people had gathered.
They were all wearing Matrix Glasses, chatting idly while waiting for something.
Lin Xue got out of the taxi and was startled to see so many people around.
"Wow, so many people! Are they all players waiting for 'Elven World' to launch? Hey, isn't that Zou Zhuo? He's here too!"
Lin Xue sneaked up behind the chubby guy and suddenly poked him in the side.
"Whoa!" Zou Zhuo jumped in surprise. Turning around, he saw Lin Xue grinning mischievously at him.
"You scared me! Why are you here too?" Zou Zhuo asked.
Lin Xue chuckled: "Isn't that obvious? The new headquarters isn't finished yet. What do you think I'm here for? Of course, I'm waiting to catch some elves!"
Zou Zhuo glanced at the Matrix Glasses Lin Xue was wearing—yep, definitely a developer version.
"Are you streaming too?" Lin Xue asked.
Zou Zhuo nodded: "Looks like we're going to have a battle between streamers today! Anyway... I hope I can catch a Red Dragon Baby here! What do you want to catch?"
Lin Xue said: "Uh... a Peashooter, or maybe a Pixel Bird. I want an elf that looks different from everyone else!"
Zou Zhuo: "...Alright, let's cheer each other on!"
Although the retail versions of the Matrix Glasses didn't have camera functions, some major streamers could still get developer versions. Of course, these recordable Matrix Glasses had strict identity restrictions. Only particularly influential streamers could get them for specific streaming needs.
For example... streaming "Elven World."
This MR game also needed streamers to promote it through live broadcasts. But because the device's special nature mixed virtual and real visuals, only a few major streamers had the permission to do so.
The reason many people gathered at Thunder Entertainment's new headquarters was that they had gotten a little inside information: certain specific locations would spawn rarer elves and increase the chances of rare items appearing.
And what were these specific locations?
Obviously, Thunder Entertainment's new headquarters was one of them...
Although no one knew if rare elves would actually appear, coming to this place to catch elves when "Elven World" launched was definitely a good idea.
"So, there are 10 minutes until the official launch. I heard this game has a global server, meaning if you have a really awesome elf, you can go abroad, challenge local gyms, and battle with a bunch of foreign friends." Lin Xue chatted awkwardly with the live chat while waiting for the launch.
The game client had already been available for download, so interested players had downloaded it in advance, ready to start playing as soon as the servers opened.
Just then, Lin Xue saw a small creature with brown fur, rabbit-like ears, and a bit like a squirrel flash by in her field of view.
"Huh? Did I see things?"
Lin Xue thought she was mistaken, but the barrage of comments on her stream told her she hadn't—something had indeed just flashed by.
"Look, in the sky!"
Someone shouted. Lin Xue looked up and saw a huge 3D artistic countdown in the distant sky: 10:00:00.
It wasn't just at Thunder Entertainment's new headquarters. Landmark buildings in cities worldwide also displayed the artistic countdown for the launch. Players nearby could see it just by looking up.
Of course, these countdowns were displayed directly on the players' glasses using MR technology, with the angle of the artistic text adjusted based on the player's location.
As for the time zone differences across the world... whatever, let it be. Each country basically used its own time zone, ensuring it started on the hour.
Not just the countdown—many players noticed that various elves were starting to appear around them.
These elves were scattered, possibly only encountered every few hundred meters, hiding behind buildings or darting away as soon as a player spotted them.
"Wow, so fun! There's another one! And over there too!"
Lin Xue was like a kid seeing toys, finding everything fresh and exciting.
Moreover, these elves didn't exist in just one person's view. They were displayed based on algorithms. That meant if Lin Xue and Zou Zhuo stood in different positions and looked at the same elf, they would both see it.