Giving Interstellar Players a Horror Ghost Game Shock - Chapter 19
The first promotional and educational video received overwhelmingly positive feedback, keeping the already skyrocketing popularity steady rather than letting it fade quickly.
Moreover, the intriguing setup of “ghosts” and the game’s backstory captivated more people, prompting greater interest in the game itself.
From the top executives to the operational staff at the DouDou platform, everyone was grinning ear to ear.
“Honestly, Miss Ye is amazing! Not only is her game top-notch, but her video editing is incredible too. All we did was tweak the color grading and add subtitles.”
Having such an easy-to-work-with designer partner was a dream come true. The promotional and operational team, who initially expected to micromanage the whole process, couldn’t be more satisfied.
“That said, to maintain the hype, should we push for a release date for the full version? Strike while the iron’s hot, right?”
“Absolutely!” Lin Ruoyun firmly agreed. She had grown to value the collaboration with Miss Ye, personally overseeing all updates related to her.
“But let’s be subtle. We don’t want to upset Miss Ye. If the game isn’t ready, maybe we can suggest making a second promotional video. That way, when the buzz starts to wane, we can stir things up again.”
For a game of such high quality, two promotional videos would be the minimum, and it wouldn’t feel like they were leaving players hanging.
When Ye Yuxi received the message from DouDou, she began pondering the issue.
She knew full well the current hype wouldn’t last forever. Riding the wave and releasing the full version quickly would be ideal.
However, Campus Nightmare was positioned as a fast-paced yet narrative-heavy game lasting at least two hours per run. The May Bridge storyline was already too lengthy, and the map covered nearly half the campus. There was no way she could finish it in just a few days.
But a second video? That was worth considering. The first video had been more about introducing the NPCs and lore with little revealed about the actual gameplay.
She could cut together a few hair-raising clips from the game, paired with some cryptic hints about the main storyline. It could spark more discussions about the plot among players rather than just focusing on the ghost.
A slight smile curved on Ye Yuxi’s lips. She was thrilled to see people embracing the allure of her supernatural concepts, but she also hoped her carefully crafted narrative would gain recognition too.
“Siqi, have you heard? That video is from the trending horror game Campus Nightmare. Even our professor mentioned it, saying it’s clear that Miss Ye, the up-and-coming designer, has ambitions far beyond this game. She might even create something as grand as the Starfall series someday!”
“What? Are you joking? A niche horror game being compared to Starfall? Do you think that so-called Miss Ye is the legendary Yuan Shen? Does she have the skills for that? Besides, the full version isn’t even out yet. The current hype is just good marketing.”
Ye Yuxi froze in her tracks at the dormitory door.
Clearly, while she was out, her roommate Bai Siqi had brought a friend over.
That in itself was fine. But what a coincidence—they were discussing none other than her alias as a designer.
Now, let’s clarify: while Ye Yuxi had a slight tendency for scaring others, she didn’t have a habit of eavesdropping.
Yet here she was, seriously debating whether barging in now would make Bai Siqi feel awkward.
It probably wouldn’t be an issue. After all, Ye Yuxi hadn’t made a big deal about her designer alias. So far, aside from Liu Yuling and Professor Wang, there was likely no one who knew she was the up-and-coming designer “Miss Ye.”
Ye Yuxi chose to conveniently ignore the crowd of classmates who had swarmed around her game during testing, deciding that the longer she could keep her alias under wraps, the better.
She headed alone to the school’s computer lab, swiftly logged into the virtual space, and began searching for Starfall.
Starfall was a massive open-world exploration game, but its genre defied simple categorization.
Regarded as an idol by every design student, the renowned designer Yuan Shen had an extraordinary creative vision. He seamlessly combined RPG, romance, combat, and exploration to create a multi-faceted, large-scale online open-world experience known as the Starfall Universe.
The main storyline of Starfall was relatively loose, centered around players taking on the role of a new starship captain, traversing the galaxy as an individual adventurer or as part of a team. Players would occasionally land on planets, embarking on romantic encounters or thrilling exploratory quests.
While traveling through space, players might face pirate attacks or engage in fleet or player-versus-player combat, introducing a robust starship battle system. Once landed on a planet, players could trigger hand-to-hand combat or strategic conflicts with NPCs, influenced by local customs and conditions.
To top it off, both starships and planets were populated by exquisitely designed NPCs, many of whom were romantically interactive, within a meticulously crafted world. It was no surprise that such a masterpiece had become a dominant force in the gaming world.
In just one week, Starfall 2 was slated for release.
According to posts from Chu Yuanming’s designer account, the sequel would introduce brand-new maps and fresh, engaging mechanics. Fans had been eagerly awaiting it ever since the initial announcement.
Ye Yuxi did some quick mental math and was horrified to realize that her own game’s launch might coincide with Starfall 2 dominating the charts.
As confident as she was in her own work, she wasn’t delusional enough to think her debut project could compete with a blockbuster franchise backed by a massive fanbase.
“Not now doesn’t mean not ever,” she muttered to herself.
“To better understand my future competition, playing their game now is totally fair, right?”
“I’m not playing; I’m studying the competition!”
Having convinced herself, Ye Yuxi eagerly hooked up her VR gear, skipped over the $199 price tag for Starfall: Fleet Journeys, and cheekily opted for the free demo of Starfall 2.
Before she knew it, the entire afternoon had flown by. She stumbled out of the computer lab, drained, and headed to the cafeteria for dinner.
Just as she finished eating, her light screen popped up with a message from Senior Liu.
[There’s a club meeting tonight to discuss something important. Make sure you’re there before 8 PM!]
What?! A massive question mark hovered over Ye Yuxi’s head.
“Senior Liu? She’s a fourth-year who already left the club. Why is she suddenly so eager to participate in club activities again? Did something catch her interest?”
For some reason, Ye Yuxi couldn’t shake an indescribable feeling.
It wasn’t necessarily good or bad, just a vague sense that what was about to happen would exceed her expectations.
8 PM, in the clubroom.
“What? You want to host a courage test event too?!”