Started as a comics editor

Chapter 330 Dilemma, Interview, Preparation
As the time goes.

The progress of both "LOL" and "Rogue" is advancing by leaps and bounds every day.

Meanwhile, Tang Yao's 'runaway legacy' was becoming increasingly substantial... and she was thinking of more and more things.

Actually, the development of open worlds is quite easy to trace. From the beginning when it was all about size, to the later when you could sit on chairs, and then to the later flourishing of diverse styles and ideas, there are traceable patterns in all of these.

However, the new-era The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has indeed pioneered a unique open-world design philosophy.

After all, this was Nintendo's first time making an open-world game, and they didn't even know what an open-world map should look like. So, in order to establish this concept, they designed three map experiences for themselves.

These are sense of distance, sense of density, and sense of time.

Then, by incorporating the principles of gravity and triangulation, the open-world map for Breath of the Wild was finally created.

The game uses gravity to define the main storyline and the triangular design principle to create certain variables for exploration. Players make choices, and while everything seems autonomous, it is actually all within the game's control.

This is what is known as the invisible guidance, and it's also why players feel free in the game.

Through these three design methods, Breath of the Wild breaks away from the traditional concept of guiding players step by step. Instead of giving players a strong sense of guidance and control, it provides a great deal of freedom.

of course.

This is the breath of the wilderness.

We arrived at Kingdom of Tears.

That would be even more outrageous.

They essentially went back to the beginning and then used the same concept to steer the game in another direction.

And the final product, hey, achieved the same effect.

can only say.

Sometimes, a solid foundation is truly useful.

This is especially true given that the Japanese game industry as a whole still relies on a star producer system.

It's important to understand that the producer of the new generation of The Legend of Zelda worked with Shigeru Miyamoto on Ocarina of Time. Ocarina of Time was of an exceptional level; where else can you find such a legacy? Even if you do, who can guarantee you can handle an IP of the same caliber? Who can guarantee continued innovation?
But from Nintendo's perspective, it has indeed succeeded.

Because their internal production team retained a large number of 'old members' even after multiple iterations.

For example, the Zelda development team.

They tried using cartoon-rendered Wind Waker, returning to the realistic style of Twilight Princess, and introducing motion-controlled Sky Sword.

There were also criticisms and controversies during this period.

But by working on each installment one by one, with experience, reflection, and theory gradually being refined, the new era's "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" was finally born.

This is what makes century-old businesses so remarkable; they can effectively pass on their experience and philosophies.

There will definitely be some really bad works during that period.

This is inevitable.

But as long as not everyone is gone, as long as the foundation remains, there will always be a day when they can turn things around.

For example, Mario U, this 2D Mario game, really makes you feel like 2D Mario is finished after you finish playing it...

This feeling became even stronger after Mario was created.

But they somehow managed to create another movie later, "Mario Marvel".

All I can say is, that's really impressive.

In comparison, Sony seems to be declining.

Although the internet has made rapid progress since then, changing people's lives and entertainment, and also changing people's preferences and needs for games, it was indeed the era of highly competitive and social games, or rather, service-based games.

However, Sony switched to a general-purpose architecture during the PS4 era, abandoning its ambitions and using the PS only as a cash cow.

It really leaves players speechless.

And then there's DEI...

can only say.

Before Tang Yao transmigrated, she had a feeling... that the game console business was already declining and about to go out of business.

It's clear that Microsoft is no longer planning to continue with the Xbox; all its decisions point to this fact.

As for Sony's first-party games, let alone a sharp reduction, it would be an understatement to say that they were cut in half. Coupled with all sorts of messy decisions that followed, it all feels awkward.

In the end, Nintendo became the only patchwork in the console market, which is truly impressive.

But their broken machines...

"...The more I think about it, the more I feel that the gaming industry is failing."

As Tang Yao wrote, her thoughts wandered. After recalling the situation of the three royal families in her past life, she felt her Dao heart was about to become unstable, and she muttered a complaint under her breath.

But soon.

He gently shook his head, then looked at what he had written on the screen—things about the game itself, about the open world, and about the development philosophy.

I couldn't help but chuckle softly.

What are you thinking!

This is not the past life I remember.

And even if the gaming industry here eventually develops to that point... it doesn't really matter.

The industry has problems: high costs, wavering giants, changing player tastes... these are all cold realities.

But what about the game itself? What about the core elements that create fun and explore possibilities?
The Nintendo Switch's crappy capabilities have been criticized for years, and she herself complains about it when she plays it.

But that didn't stop her from having a blast while playing.

Ultimately, fun games are what really matter.

As long as the love for games and the spirit of exploration remain, and as long as the pursuit of excellence and the willingness to try new things are still there, new directions can always be found and amazing works can be created.

The life force of games, the ninth art, has never truly ended.

The rise of indie games, the emergence of new technologies, the formation of global player communities...aren't these all signs of new vitality?
Why are you worrying about nothing?

Tang Yao transmigrated here carrying some kind of future legacy. Wasn't her goal to light her own bonfire in the possible coming winter? Wasn't it to make something fun?

Nintendo's 'foundation' is the result of accumulation.

Isn't what she's doing now also building up her own and her team's "foundation"?

of course.

She never imagined that she could become successful overnight, turning Avalon into a century-old company in just a few years, nor could she allow Avalon to replicate any known game company.

But you can move in a certain direction!
Even if we fail this time, it doesn't matter! She can always cover for us!

This thought felt like a heavy stone being gently placed down, which actually made Tang Yao feel relieved.

in fact.

The word "failure".

From the moment she decided to prepare her "escape legacy," it has been a constant companion.

Perhaps it's because of their consistent success.

Perhaps it was because she worried the project would fail while she was away from Avalon, worried about technological barriers, market reaction, and the team not being able to keep up with her forward-thinking ideas… and also because of a vague, pessimistic prediction about the entire industry stemming from memories of a past life. Anyway.

She had a bad feeling about this.

But now, she suddenly feels that these worries are the heaviest shackles.

What does Tang Yao have to be afraid of? She has an almost cheat-like vision, a core team that she is nurturing and that has enormous potential, and... most importantly, she knows what kind of game she wants to make—a fun game.

So what if what we were given didn't come in handy? So what if the experiment failed?
When she comes back, we can start over!
Anyway, she's Avalon's biggest boss! Even if things get out of control and all projects, including mobile and online games, collapse, she's confident she can bring Avalon back on track!
By then, she would be leading a core team that had already failed, but had gained experience and reflected on its mistakes.

Think of this.

Tang Yao immediately cheered up, stopped overthinking, and instead hummed a song softly, her gaze returning to the document on the screen.

She continued to flesh out the framework and details of the experimental project, cleverly integrating inspirations from the future with currently achievable technologies and design concepts.

The sound of keyboard typing became frequent and rhythmic again.

On the screen, the blueprint for Avalon's future, under Tang Yao's focused attention free from distractions, began to be constructed more clearly, stroke by stroke.

……

Early July.

this time.

Avalon has started releasing concept art and artwork for "Rogue" and "League of Legends" at irregular intervals.

As a result, external players are increasingly looking forward to these two games, and some are even getting a little anxious.

Many players only realized this at that point.

Avalon is really an anomaly in some ways... They seem to announce games in a way that doesn't follow any established patterns.

This time, with "Vagabond" and "LOL", they deviated from their usual approach and followed the established formula.

...They began to imitate other manufacturers and systematically promote their products and services.

Very sociable.

But this was unacceptable to the players! They were incredibly eager to try it!

Ah!
Why don't you launch a surprise attack like you always do? And release it already!
The players' enthusiasm and anxiety surged forth!

Faced with this overwhelming wave of enthusiasm, Avalon timely offered a second reassurance – just as the hype surrounding Rusty Lake subsided and players' hunger for new titles reached its peak, the second trailers for Rogue and League of Legends were quietly released.

This time, following Tang Yao's previously established strategy of gradual release, the trailer's content has undergone significant changes:
"Vagabond" is no longer just about creating an atmosphere.

The video begins with a desolate battlefield and a lone figure in the reeds, but then the camera switches to a more specific scene—a dilapidated coastal town.

Players see the protagonist walking through the town, having brief conversations with a sorrowful blacksmith and a child with shifty eyes; the camerawork hints at quest clues.

Then came several carefully edited clips of actual gameplay footage, labeled as being under development.

The protagonist stands on a high place and looks out. A strong wind blows by, swirling up countless golden leaves that clearly point to a farm that has been occupied in the distance.

A red fox suddenly darted out of the bushes, glanced back at the protagonist, and nimbly ran into the depths of the forest.

The protagonist follows closely behind, the camera follows, showcasing the mountain and forest landscape ravaged by war yet full of natural wild beauty.

then.

The footage is fast-paced, showing the protagonist using stealth, tools, and direct combat to clear out the invading soldiers one by one within the farm stronghold.

The protagonist assassinates his way through the battlefield, then switches from stealth to direct combat. The smooth dodging and blocking, the skillful use of items when facing sieges, and the flashing swords in close combat... all these scenes are enough to get the player's adrenaline pumping.

Meanwhile, League of Legends (LOL) focuses entirely on the intense gameplay footage of MOBA battles.

Hero skills, bush vision, turret aggro, last-hitting gold...

The various interesting mechanics also caught the players' attention.

So these two trailers were like a timely rain after a long drought, instantly igniting the player community!

Although it's still unknown how far we are from actually playing the game, the words "actual gameplay footage" and the more detailed gameplay demonstrations have greatly alleviated players' anxiety and further confirmed that Avalon is indeed making its promises!

Therefore, players' expectations not only did not decline, but instead became more concrete and enthusiastic as they saw something more substantial.

Players began analyzing the details of the combat system, discussing whether the hero skills were reasonable, and speculating about the story background of "Rogue"... The community discussion entered a more rational and in-depth stage.

This has led to the game's increasing popularity!

In addition, this promotion not only swept through ordinary players, but also accurately struck a nerve with game media professionals.

For example, Zhang Da...

At this moment, he was also watching the second trailers for "Vagabond" and "LOL" released by Avalon, as well as the volcanic eruption of player comments below them, and he was deeply excited and had an indescribable itching desire.

He wasn't much better than the players.

The whole time they were shouting "Awesome!" and "666!"

"Holy crap...it's that amazing! Putting everything else aside! The art style! The feeling of the wind guiding the movement, the gameplay that combines stealth and direct confrontation, and the LOL-style elements that just look interesting."

"Wow!!!"

"What's wrong with this company?!"

"How do they know so much?!"

Holding the mouse, Zhang Da felt a strong thirst for knowledge and curiosity scratching at his heart like a kitten's claws.

He really wanted to know the thought process behind these design decisions! He wanted to know how Avalon balanced innovation with established gameplay! And even more so, he wanted to know how they managed to simultaneously advance two large projects with vastly different styles so efficiently and with such high quality, all while constantly releasing new games!

All this curiosity ultimately points to the name shrouded in mystery—the owner of Avalon, whose name seems to be Tang Yao.

This legendary girl, who was extremely young, single-handedly founded Avalon.

There is very little public information about her; there are no interviews, no photos of her giving public speeches, and even official press releases rarely mention her personal details.

She's like a behind-the-scenes operator, only speaking to the world through her work.

"I really want to interview her."

Zhang Da stared at the screen, muttering to himself.

Because in his opinion.

The owner of Avalon is far more than just a technical genius or a business prodigy. With so many excellent games to her name and the courage to take on two AAA projects at the same time, she must possess an extremely unique and profound game philosophy and insight into the industry.

If we could interview her and uncover her thought process, it would be a bombshell in the gaming media world!
just.

Is this really possible?
Zhang Damo stroked his chin and began to think.

……

And at the same time.

Just as Avalon's gaming division was forging ahead.

ANF.

A small incident also occurred on this Avalon-owned website.

Their masterpiece in the comic book category, Chainsaw Man, is about to come to an end.

(End of this chapter)