Game Developer in the World of Anime

Chapter 641: Approaching Departure

By mid-October, the demo for the new game was finally released.

Just as Ichin had expected, within a single day of its release, the game received widespread praise from players. Many began looking forward to this development studio, which previously hadn't produced any major hit titles.

Moreover, quite a few players discovered that the game's script was actually led by Kasumigaoka Utaha?

That immediately made things interesting. Many people rushed to the official accounts of both parties to ask about it.

Ichin naturally had no reason to hide it and answered openly.

"It's pretty simple. They approached us, and my boss lady wasn't too busy. After taking a look at the proposal, she found it quite interesting and agreed to the invitation. Judging from the current feedback, everyone seems to think highly of the game. I've played it myself, and it's quite good. Let's all look forward to the full release together."

Even though they were technically competitors, both being game developers, Ichin was still more than willing to recommend good new games from other studios. He had done this several times before.

Soon, the other side also gave a similar response and assured everyone that the game would be released on schedule next year, delivering the best possible experience.

With that, the game immediately gained massive attention. Compared to them, Ichin's side had a much higher level of recognition.

With their help in promoting it, it also indirectly boosted Akane's popularity.

As a result, Akane invited Ichin and Utaha out for a meal that very day as a gesture of thanks.

Although the demo had received excellent reviews, unfortunately the game couldn't be released this year. Otherwise, Ichin was confident it would have been nominated for several TGA awards.

Next year, however, was still possible. After all, among the games scheduled for release next year, there weren't any RPGs, so the two companies wouldn't be competing in the same category.

Throughout October, everything progressed quietly, with no new announcements about upcoming games. Even Monster Train, which was set to release in December, remained silent.

It wasn't until early November that Monster Train released a new PV and opened pre-orders.

Since it was, like Slay the Spire, a deck-building card game, the price wasn't very high. Across regions, it hovered around 7.5 USD, with console versions being slightly more expensive.

In the new PV, the remaining clans in the game were all revealed. The variety and number of cards were no less than Slay the Spire, and the content was visibly rich. Combined with its different combat mechanics, it quickly attracted the attention of card game enthusiasts.

Players with extra money went ahead and pre-ordered, while others chose to wait and see how the game performed after release before deciding whether to buy it.

After all, there weren't any special pre-order bonuses, so there was no real need to purchase early.

By mid-November, Monster Train had basically completed development and entered its final debugging phase.

Looking at the development progress, Ichin began considering that once debugging was finished, they could start working on Phasmophobia.

He had always kept this project in mind. It was a field they hadn't explored before and involved real-time voice functionality within the game.

Moreover, the horror movies Ichin had been watching over the past few months weren't for nothing. He had been watching one or two almost every weekend, and had already developed some ideas for how to present supernatural scenes.

Taking advantage of the gap before departing for TGA, Ichin pulled out the Phasmophobia proposal and worked on refining it alone.

By the end of the month, the promotional PVs for Bloodborne and Salt and Sanctuary were finally completed.

In the meeting room, Ichin watched both PVs and nodded in satisfaction. "OK, very good. We'll go with these. Hazuki, send them to the TGA organizers later and have them prepare."

"Got it," she replied.

Standing up, Ichin looked at everyone in the development team. "We'll be departing for TGA the day after tomorrow. Everyone else, continue working according to the plan here at the company."

After arranging everything, the meeting came to an end.

Back in the office, Utaha and Yukino looked at Ichin. Utaha smiled and asked, "All set? We should start packing when we get home today."

"Yeah, time to pack," Ichin said, stretching.

He walked over to the sofa, sat down, then lay on Yukino's lap, enjoying a lap pillow.

Yukino smiled gently, stroking his head and giving him a relaxing massage.

Seeing Ichin squinting comfortably, Utaha teased, "Ichin, you'll be away for five days. You won't be able to enjoy such a comfortable massage during that time."

"Yeah, that's true," Ichin said, opening his eyes.

He reached out and held Yukino's hand. "That's not a good thing at all. How about I just don't go and leave the work to Hazuki instead?"

Yukino lightly tapped his forehead with her other hand. "No. Everything's already arranged. Go do your job properly."

"Yes~"

After responding, Ichin sighed and rubbed against Yukino's stocking-clad thigh. "But being away for five days… it feels just like last time when you all went traveling with Mom."

Utaha smiled and poked his cheek. "Do you really miss us that much?"

"Of course," Ichin replied softly, looking at her. "I'm already used to having you all around. Even being apart for just a few days feels strange."

"In that case," Utaha said with a smile, taking out her phone and showing him some photos, "finish your work at TGA quickly and come back early. Look at this, Yukino and I just bought some new outfits recently. We'll wear them for you when you get back~"

"!!!"

Ichin's eyes widened instantly as he looked at the photos.

Cat ears, bunny suits, and several cosplay outfits… this was clearly meant to make him completely unable to focus on work.

Looking at Utaha, Ichin said eagerly, "Um… could I get a little preview before I leave? As encouragement?"

"Nope~"

Utaha had him completely under control, smiling as she shook her head. "Wait until you come back from work. Yukino, what do you think?"

"Mm."

Yukino nodded, her face slightly red. "Go do your job properly first. When you come back, it'll all be yours anyway."

"Alright then, I'll work hard."

Scratching his head, Ichin got up from Yukino's lap and returned to his desk, continuing with his work for the afternoon.

...

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