Chapter 985: Remastered Version Price
Amid the booming sales of the Matrix Gaming Pod, Chen Mo announced a new piece of news, primarily concerning plans for future VR game remasters.
The beachfront mansion area in *Oasis* would be the first content to be remastered. Once the remaster was complete, all Matrix Gaming Pods would undergo a default system update, and *Oasis* would become the default login space for every pod.
In other words, after players lay down in the Matrix Gaming Pod and opened their eyes, they would find themselves in the beachfront mansion of *Oasis*.
Moreover, the player’s awakening position would no longer be the bedroom bed, but rather the Matrix Gaming Pod in the study.
This was a small joke. The player’s login location in *Oasis* was a virtual Matrix Gaming Pod inside the beachfront mansion, giving them the sensation of stepping from one pod into another, maximizing their sense of immersion.
Traditional VR gaming pods came from many different manufacturers, and there were also numerous companies making VR games. As a result, most VR pod login interfaces adopted a conservative design approach, much like a computer desktop—often just a pretty scene with very few interactive elements.
But the Matrix Gaming Pod was different. Now that there was only one next-generation VR pod in the world, and it was Chen Mo’s own brainchild, he could naturally do whatever he wanted with it.
This meant that the Matrix Gaming Pod and the Thunderbolt Game Platform formed a highly closed system, from hardware to software. Since it only needed to work with its own products, there was even more room for creativity.
Another major piece of news was that all remastered VR games would adopt a unified pricing model. If players already owned the original version, they would only need to pay an additional 10% of the original price to obtain the remastered version.
For example, *Assassin’s Creed: Origins* was priced at 1980. Regardless of how much the player had paid for it, the remastered version would only cost an extra 198. If a player hadn’t bought the original, they would need to purchase it at full price without any discounts.
As soon as this news came out, players were thrilled, all exclaiming that Serent was truly the embodiment of good conscience!
In reality, the price of a game’s remastered version was entirely up to the developer. If Chen Mo had said that all remastered versions would cost the same as the originals at 1980, players would have had no choice but to curse, “Selling remastered versions as new games—Serent’s conscience has gone bad!” while still declaring “So delicious!” upon release.
But now, with the remastered games costing only 10% of the price, it was incredibly generous for veteran players. For 1980, you could buy ten remastered classic VR games—it was practically a giveaway.
Of course, that was assuming you had already bought all the old versions…
Still, no matter how you looked at it, this pricing strategy was extremely favorable.
The Matrix Gaming Pod was Chen Mo’s brainchild, and it would definitely be equipped with the Thunderbolt Game Platform. Players knew that this device would never lack games, given that Thunderbolt Interactive’s development capabilities were among the best in the world.
Now, by announcing the prices of these remastered games, Chen Mo was essentially sending a message to all players: Feel free to buy the Matrix Gaming Pod—there are plenty of games to come!
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On the other hand, independent game designers collaborating with the Thunderbolt Game Platform were also racing against time to develop next-generation VR games.
For these designers, after receiving the development rules from Chen Mo, the difficulty of creating these next-gen VR games wasn’t particularly high. However, the key challenge lay in designing games that perfectly matched the new device’s features.
*PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds* was a great example. When adapted to the new VR version, players would gain absolute freedom in the game, allowing them to execute more complex and varied tactical maneuvers. Want to crawl sideways in a prone position? No problem. Want to pick up a brick from the ground and throw it at someone? No problem. Want to disassemble your gun, toss the magazine aside, so that anyone else who picks it up can’t use it? Also no problem.
Compared to the original VR version, the new *PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds* would take a giant leap toward “realistic” elements. This was the biggest advantage of the Matrix Gaming Pod as a new device.
Of course, to simplify game rules and player operations, not all content was suitable for such “realistic” changes. Designers would need to carefully balance this themselves.
For these designers, the Matrix Gaming Pod represented the future trend. With such strong global sales, creating a game specifically for next-gen VR was bound to be highly rewarding.
Moreover, even setting aside the money, these designers were eager to work on next-gen VR games because they represented the latest trends in gaming!
Aren’t designers constantly striving to create better games just to keep up with—or even lead—the latest gaming trends?
The arrival of the new gaming pod also affected Chen Mo’s ongoing “Oasis Project.” Fortunately, the project was scheduled for release in November, leaving plenty of time for designers to make adjustments. With VR technology entering the next generation, the Oasis Project was bound to take on new significance.
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In the second week after the Matrix Gaming Pod’s release, *Oasis* was simultaneously updated to players’ VR pods.
Although many players saw it as just old wine in a new bottle, once they took a sip, they realized, hmm, so delicious!
Under the framework of next-gen VR technology, everything in *Oasis* became more realistic, and players’ freedom increased exponentially.
However, some detail-oriented players noticed a specific line in the update notes: “Nuan Nuan has received an epic enhancement.”
Players who hadn’t read the update notes naturally didn’t care about this. Those who did read them were left scratching their heads—what did “epic enhancement” mean?
Most people didn’t think much of it. After the *Oasis* update, they immediately ran to their mansions to pet their dogs, having neglected their canine companions for a while due to their obsession with the new gaming pod.
But a few players, driven by bold ideas, attempted to do some daring things with Nuan Nuan.
Well, they succeeded, but the consequences were severe.
One player touched Nuan Nuan’s thigh. In response, Nuan Nuan immediately locked him in place and unleashed a combo.
Pile driver + brain slam + meteor drop + burning hammer + war stomp…
Yeah… the scene got completely out of control. Even the loyal dog only dared to peek half its head out from the side, watching cautiously, not daring to bark.
After the combo finished, Nuan Nuan clapped her hands, returned to her spot, and continued reading her book as if nothing had happened.
The player was left lying on the ground, his mind a blank.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?