Chapter 996: Start with a Video, Rely on Imagination
Many players were deeply disappointed that "Earth Online" wouldn't be compatible with the Matrix Game Pod, but just as many firmly believed that since Chen Mo had created games like "Uncharted," "The Last of Us," and "A Way Out," making his own version of "Earth Online" shouldn't be too difficult.
The only issue might be time. No one could clearly predict Chen Mo's development schedule. Even if one day Chen Mo decided to make "Earth Online," when exactly would that day come?
But with the release of the first promotional video for "Grand Theft Auto," players suddenly realized... maybe that day wasn't too far off?
……
Under the cover of night, a game character in a suit was sprinting wildly.
This promotional video used a first-person perspective, so the character's face couldn't be seen. Based on running speed, voice accent, and other clues, viewers could only infer that he was likely a white male from the Lighthouse Nation.
In the pitch-black night sky, a police helicopter circled in the distance, the sound of its rotors clearly audible. Behind the character, police sirens blared, and gunshots rang out intermittently.
Mike jumped into a sports car parked by the roadside, started the engine, and launched forward with a burst of acceleration, heading straight for the blockade of police cars ahead.
Police cars were everywhere. Armed officers got out of their vehicles, trying to intercept the car. Behind him, police used loudspeakers to shout for him to stop immediately. The circling helicopter focused its spotlight on the car, tracking it from the air the entire time. Officers continuously fired at the vehicle, bullets striking the body with sharp, clattering sounds.
But Mike showed no hesitation. Under the dark night sky, the sports car's speedometer climbed wildly. He drove with expert precision, weaving through gaps in the police blockade, drifting sharply around tight curves, tires screeching against the asphalt.
A moment later, the scene shifted to the sky, still in first-person perspective, but now inside a helicopter cockpit.
Trevor piloted the helicopter, engaging in a mid-air dogfight with police choppers, spiraling and weaving through the sky.
Near the slums, Franklin was in the middle of a gang shootout. He raised an automatic rifle and sprayed bullets at the thugs in front of him, then casually tossed a grenade, sending nearby gangsters and their cars flying into the air.
Mike drove a sports car through the airport, chasing a red vehicle. Police cars followed closely, blaring their sirens and trying to force both cars to stop. Passenger planes took off and landed on the runways as the cars raced across the vast airport tarmac, occasionally brushing past planes about to depart, making viewers break out in a cold sweat.
Flying propeller planes, riding motorcycles, piloting fighter jets...
A variety of missions and all kinds of vehicles were showcased one after another in the video.
At the end, the screen went black, and the game's title appeared: "Grand Theft Auto"!
……
As soon as this promotional video was released, it immediately sparked heated discussion among the player community!
In truth, this promotional video was quite different from Chen Mo's previous ones. Judging solely by its content, it wasn't particularly satisfying.
First, it was too short—only a little over two minutes—and the content was monotonous, focusing entirely on driving vehicles: motorcycles, cars, helicopters, planes, and so on. Second, it barely showed any storyline, and there wasn't much character dialogue. As a promotional video, its content was somewhat lacking.
But it had one crucial element: it was entirely in first-person perspective!
Most previous promotional videos used third-person perspectives and were deliberately crafted to resemble movie trailers, mainly to showcase characters and plot while creating a "blockbuster" feel for the game.
This promotional video had none of that. In the past, it wouldn't have been considered a good trailer, at least not up to Thunderbolt Interactive's usual standards.
However, in the era of next-generation VR led by the Matrix Game Pod, this video carried special significance.
Without Chen Mo even hinting at it, many players had already started using their imaginations, wildly filling in the gaps.
First-person perspective! If this were experienced in the Matrix Game Pod as next-gen VR, what would that feel like?
Riding a motorcycle? Drifting at high speed? Gang shootouts? Flying a plane and dogfighting? Damn, that sounds thrilling!
Although the promotional video didn't reveal much information... players had vivid imaginations!
Clearly, this was a game about urban crime. With scenes of speeding away from cops and gang shootouts, the protagonist was obviously no law-abiding citizen. And judging by the mini-map visible in the first-person perspective, the game's map was definitely large, with playable areas at least spanning entire city districts.
In other words, this was a game rivaling "Earth Online," but even more outrageous and exciting!
Players instantly erupted. They had just heard that "Earth Online" wouldn't cooperate with the Matrix Game Pod, and now Chen Mo was dropping a bombshell?
Everyone understood perfectly well what kind of thrilling effect this genre would have when combined with next-gen VR. Chen Mo deliberately kept the promotional video simple, leaving the rest to the players' imaginations. And the players didn't disappoint him—through collective brainstorming, they managed to piece together most of the game's theme.
However, the main point of contention among players was this: was it a single-player game or an online game?
Most players believed it would be an online game, citing two main arguments. First, although the promotional video used first-person perspective, it clearly showed three different characters, distinguishable by their hand models. The driver was a well-dressed white man in a suit, the gang shooter was a young black man, and the pilot wore jeans and leather boots, appearing somewhat unhinged.
Careful viewers could tell them apart by skin color, clothing, and voice.
Thus, many players thought this was an online game where players could customize their models or bring their "Oasis" avatars into the new game.
Second, now that Chen Mo had the Matrix Game Pod as his ultimate tool, gathering all players together to create a massive online game was an excellent choice, much like "Earth Online." Many players argued that if you were building a vast virtual reality world, having it filled entirely with NPCs would be far too monotonous.
Regardless, this promotional video confirmed the name and theme of Chen Mo's next game, thrilling many players who had already purchased the Matrix Game Pod. As expected, following Chen Mo's lead was the right move—new games kept coming, one after another!