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"For reference???"
"Wedding???"
At this moment, Emily's mind was flooded with thoughts... She thought of the lollipop snatched by the boy behind her in kindergarten... She thought of the whispers of the boys behind her as she walked down the hallway in middle school... Before she could recall more, Evan's next words pulled her back to reality:
"There's a young couple in the art department who are getting married after the New Year."
Speaking of this, Evan felt a bit wistful. He heard that this young couple had been together for several years. They had originally planned to get married this year, but the company ran into a lot of trouble earlier in the year. It wasn't until Evan took over, and the game became a huge hit, leading to salary increases and project bonuses, that they finally decided to hold the wedding. Evan only found out about this when Lana gossiped about it during work. Knowing this, Evan decided to do something to help this deserving couple and give them some beautiful memories.
"So you dragged me here to help you research destination wedding locations for other people?"
Although Emily still had a smile on her face, she was roaring internally: "What kind of oblivious guy is this! If he dares to answer 'yes', you're dead!"
Evan, perhaps sensing the danger, instantly sat up straight and replied:
"Of course not!"
"Remember the game proposals I asked you to look at the other day?"
"I'm using this as an opportunity for a company team-building and entertainment event to give a new couple a destination wedding, thereby winning over people's hearts."
"But in reality, this is an opportunity to do some on-site research during team building. I've already decided which game I want to make."
At the mention of a game, Emily instantly became interested, and her previous complaints were thrown to the back of her mind.
"Which game? Tell me about it?"
Evan, while organizing his fragmented thoughts, began to persuade Emily:
The three nascent ideas Evan showed Emily were derived from Portal, Assassin's Creed, and Left 4 Dead.
The advantage of Portal was undoubtedly its relatively low budget requirement. The core of this game lay in the design of its puzzle levels, which was also its essence. For Evan, this part was effortless and came naturally. However, the biggest drawback of this game was that it wasn't a blockbuster. If he wanted to make money from it, it would require a long period of word-of-mouth fermentation, and without his own platform yet, it would be even more difficult. So, while Evan could make this game for his own enjoyment, it was not suitable to be the next main project.
Assassin's Creed was a game that was difficult to explain in a few words. Before Evan's transmigration in his previous life, the entire Assassin's Creed series was generally viewed with Assassin's Creed Origins as a dividing line. This game series almost gathered all the "cool" elements of popular games: noble creeds, cool wall-climbing, stylish assassin outfits, rich cultural backgrounds, and even interaction with historical figures. It could be said to have launched a very successful series. However, on the other hand, the game's terrible optimization, endless bugs, and the complete collapse of the later scripts led to this series, which could have become a yearly franchise, being met with widespread negative reviews, ultimately forcing a series reboot. They won't discuss the rebooted Origins and Odyssey here. Therefore, if they were to make a game based on this series, it would not be a dream for it to become the flagship work of Redbird Studios and even domestic games. However, the preparatory work required was entirely AAA-level. Funding was just the most basic link. In addition, the writing of the game's chronicle, the search for historical entry points, the restoration of costumes and props, the filling of cultural data, the restoration of historical landmarks, etc.—none of these links were easy. Therefore, Evan believed that this game could only be temporarily shelved, and perhaps after Redbird Studios "developed" further, it could be brought out to be enjoyed.
Left 4 Dead was the work Evan was most interested in. The success of this series in history also had a bit of an accidental factor. The game's initial inspiration came from the "zombie craze" brought about by Resident Evil. Resident Evil was a game developed by Capcom, released in 1996, sweeping the globe. Left 4 Dead was released in 2008. The theme of the Resident Evil series had always focused on the single-player experience, and Left 4 Dead initially had the same idea. They also created a good single-player story. However, at the time, to cater to Valve's push for a digital distribution platform, Turtle Rock Studios first added an online multiplayer feature to the game, which turned out to be a huge success and indirectly boosted the platform's development. The difficulty of making this game was not high, and its core lay in map creation. So, this was the game chosen!
Evan explained his thoughts and choices in detail to Emily. The joy in Emily's eyes completely faded, replaced by a hint of worry:
"Relying on a game to promote a culture... If it succeeds, it's fine, but what if..."
Evan smiled nonchalantly:
"There is no 'what if.' If we want to create a successful work, we must find a new path in the current market. Haven't you heard the saying: 'The first step to a great work is to be controversial.' And there's another saying: 'A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind; excellence invites criticism.' So, how can there be no risk if you want to be outstanding?"
"This is the first time I've seen you drop so many references so eloquently," Emily said helplessly. "Alright, let's do as you say. Research, research. Let's go choose a location."
Three minutes later, Evan and Emily walked side by side into the bridal shop across from the coffee shop.
Even though it was almost New Year, there were still a few couples in the shop, scrutinizing wedding dresses.
People's work was becoming increasingly busy, and taking time off for a wedding had become a relatively luxurious choice. More and more office workers were hastily arranging their weddings during holidays. After all, for many, weddings had long lost their sense of ritual. They were more for the family to see.
As soon as they entered the shop, a very sweet-looking girl, presumably a staff member, greeted them from the left:
"Hello, both of you. Are you here to pick out wedding dresses?"
Evan smiled gently and directly reached out to lightly cup Emily's shoulder, saying:
"Actually, we've just decided to have a destination wedding, but we're completely clueless about it, so we wanted to come and consult."
Evan looked down and saw that although Emily hadn't spoken, her eyes already showed signs of darkening. They clearly said: "Again?"
Evan returned a look that said: "Calm down," and then gave a helpless look that clearly said: "Otherwise, how do I explain this complicated relationship to the staff?"
The sweet girl, seeing Evan and Emily's eye battle, mostly assumed Emily was shy. She gave Evan an "I understand" look and then said:
"For destination weddings, we can also design packages for you. The cost will be much more affordable compared to traditional weddings. You both have excellent taste. Why don't we discuss it in more detail inside?"