GDYARVE **Chapter 76: The Biggest Hype Master of This Year's E3**
**Chapter 76: The Biggest Hype Master of This Year's E3**
"Heh, is he bold because he's skilled or just young and ignorant?" The Sony representative chuckled softly. Even they wouldn't dare make such a decision.
"Is this the designer known as Black Star?" He turned his head slightly, looking down at the person next to him, whispering.
The young man on stage wore a sharp suit, his angular face exuding a cold, stern aura.
Just by looking at his face, one could never connect him to the nickname Old Thief.
"Yes, boss, that's him."
As soon as they finished speaking, the screen behind Ye Feng changed.
After the title of *Bloodborne* ended, the screen immediately switched to the game's pre-sale interface.
The pre-sale page showed a one-minute countdown, indicating that the pre-sale would begin in a minute.
Sony Representative: ???
His first reaction was that this guy was insane.
If he didn’t display it publicly, no matter how bad the pre-sale results were, it would just be a private joke.
But now, with the results on display, it was like putting his face out for anyone to slap.
The one-minute countdown passed quickly. The audience remained silent, their eyes fixed on the big screen.
Ivan and Carter both picked up their phones, using their accounts to make purchases in the online store.
Though they knew their purchases were just a drop in the bucket, they wanted to contribute.
The launch price was 298, a price reserved for premium games.
Next to the pre-sale, there was a ten-minute countdown, meaning the pre-sale statistics would only count the first ten minutes.
"Heh, there's no way anyone..."
Before he could finish the word "buy," the pre-sale numbers for *Bloodborne* were rapidly climbing, breaking through individual digits, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands...
In three minutes, the sales had surpassed 100,000.
Seeing the sales skyrocket, Ye Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He was also afraid of a launch disaster.
Thankfully, the game's consistent quality had never let players down, earning their trust.
"Old Thief, you're awesome!" A shout came from somewhere in the exhibition, clearly from an unknown fan.
The crowd couldn't help but smile because this was truly impressive.
Starting a pre-sale was a huge gamble. He not only had the courage but also won the bet.
"Old Thief, may I make a small request?" In the media interview area in front of Ye Feng, a gaming journalist raised his hand.
"Go ahead." With the pre-sale countdown still ticking, Ye Feng was happy to answer some questions.
"You've always made games that give players an intense, thrilling experience. Have you thought about making a game that's mentally exhilarating?" The journalist asked cautiously.
His question was very tactful, but the livestream audience understood.
'As expected of a gaming journalist, he knows how to phrase it.'
'High EQ: Thrilling games. Low EQ: Games that make players suffer.'
'He's actually asking Old Thief to make another intense game, just kill me now!'
...
"A mentally exhilarating game?" Ye Feng mused. He understood what the journalist meant.
"You mean a truly exhilarating game." He felt a bit embarrassed, realizing he'd been making players suffer quite a bit lately.
Hearing his words, the journalist felt nervous, unsure what kind of monstrous game Old Thief had in mind.
At that moment, he felt countless death glares focused on him.
"No, no, I was joking. It doesn’t need to be too exhilarating," he quickly backtracked, shaking his head.
The livestream viewers burst into laughter at their exchange.
'At that moment, I almost wanted to stab that journalist's heart.'
'He quickly changed his tune, like a Sichuan opera face changer.'
'It would be great if Old Thief could really make an exhilarating game.'
...
Some sighed lightly, knowing it was just a thought. Every designer has their specialty.
There's a common joke online: 'Players don't need to teach; designers have their own understanding.'
That's the idea. If he can excel in his specialty and present the best, most refined games to players, there's no need to dabble in other areas. No one can be a jack-of-all-trades.
"It’s fine. I actually have an idea," Ye Feng said, shaking his head. He'd wanted to make a certain game for a long time.
He just hadn't chosen to do it earlier because he was completing other tasks.
"Since you want an exhilarating game, I'll make one for you." Ye Feng said seriously.
"I once saw a question: What is a man's romance?"
"This is an eternal topic, but in the future, I'll give you an answer with a game, showing what a man's romance is with a top 10 must-play game for real men."
The journalist blinked, realizing that Old Thief might be talking about a truly exhilarating game, not something torturous.
"Unfortunately, I don't have the relevant materials prepared today. Otherwise, I would show some content." Ye Feng grinned. After all, what man can resist the allure of mechas?
2016 was a year of fierce competition among FPS games, with the shock of *Battlefield 1*, the explosive popularity of *Overwatch*, and the so-called LOL-killer *PUBG*.
*Titanfall* seemed like a minor player, neither hot nor cold.
The main storyline seemed cliché, a rookie rifleman turning into a superhuman Cooper, fighting an oppressive regime, battling for a space-folding weapon, and ultimately saving the planet.
A standard American hero narrative. On the surface, the premise wasn't novel, as gamers had played countless "superhuman" roles, and simply saving the world wasn't particularly attractive.
But adding mechas to this story changed everything.
After hearing his words, the livestream fans went wild.
"Old Thief talks big. A must-play game for real men! Just for that, I've got my wallet ready! When does the pre-sale start? Need funds to make the game? I'll pay upfront."
"Only Old Thief can say something like this and have players believe and support it."
"The biggest hype master of this year's E3 is definitely him."
'Old Thief: I never hype.'
...
Ye Feng glanced back. The countdown on the big screen was almost over, and the sales growth had significantly slowed.
In just ten minutes, 800,000 copies were sold.
This was just the pre-sale, not the official launch.
The screen faded, and no one questioned his pre-sale move or dared to call it a failure.
"Thank you for your support. Our story isn’t over. Now, I'll introduce the launch title for the next-generation Xbox console."
The dark screen lit up again, with fiery letters slowly emerging from the darkness, flickering like a fire in dry wood.
—*Dark Souls*
**(End of Chapter)**