Chapter 30: Interview
The initial reaction to Hellic 2's demo version was like this.
『(Game) Bangbaedong-Lord-of-Bloodshed: It's fun. Really fun.
At first, it felt a bit different from the previous game, just like the G-STAR review mentioned. But as soon as I got into the gameplay mechanics, it became familiar quickly.
What I liked the most is the increased freedom in character builds compared to the last game.
In the first playthrough, I used a sniper build, but I'm thinking of mixing it with a drug build next time.
In the second playthrough, I'll try a hybrid build.
<Comment>
Hellic2Waiting: It seems like they made build utilization more accessible. They provided both easy and challenging options, which I really appreciated.
┕TWithoutTurbidity: Gamer
┕FlowerJaeheeCherryLips: Homo
┕Hellic2Waiting: ?』
The most praised aspect was the game's systems.
Hellic 2 allows players to progress with simple builds without needing research. Additionally, it offers scalability for in-depth character builds, so even in the demo version, players could enjoy the game in various ways.
Other aspects were also noted.
『(Game) S2PobiS2: I really like the game design^^
The concept of "Hell for Heretics" was quite interesting. It challenged the stereotype that Hell should be a terrifying landscape.
Especially, the design of the God was impressive.
It seemed to use artistic techniques for conceptual expression...
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·
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... Apart from that, the sound effects, like the glass shattering effect, are excellent. The uniqueness of the sound blending with the background music is also commendable.
The art and sound teams are really creative.
I heard there are up to 4 chapters. I hope the main game is released soon^^
P.S. There's still a lot we don't know, but the story seems quite interesting. I'm curious about who the Butterfly really is. Is it some kind of Hell's caretaker like a guardian spirit?』
There were discussions about the game's artistic techniques and even the story. Users who cleared the first chapter and started sharing build strategies began to appear.
The average playtime for the demo version was around 30 minutes. As the resources available in Chapter 1 were limited, discussions in the comments section revolved around how to optimize builds within those constraints.
And then, it happened.
『(Game) TWithoutTurbidity: ?
(Screenshot of 3-meter Alice looking down at a deity)The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.
???』
One of the players who had cleared the Easter egg in the previous game, "TWithoutTurbidity," discovered a bug. It was a physics engine bug, and it had quite a humorous appearance, resulting in an explosive response.
『<Comment>
Helic2Waiting: ᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏ
Bangbaedong-Lord-of-Bloodshed: What is this?ᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏ
S2PobiS2: Alice defying even the gods...!
FlowerJaeheeCherryLips: Is this an Easter egg?ᄏᄏᄏ』
The positive response was possible because it was a free demo version. Since the game wasn't completed, players were more forgiving of such bugs.
No, it could be said that the discovery of such bugs became part of the fun of the game.
Following this, a video was posted, overtly showcasing this theme.
『(Game) TWithoutTurbidity: Quoting gameplay video. Using the bug extends the attack range.
(Video of 3-meter Alice dominating a deity)
Alice is a real troublemaker, haha.』
At moments like this, the inherent tendencies of anonymous online communities surfaced.
There were elements of instigation and fabrication, where the weak could not survive.
This time, the target of the sniper was Yeonho.
『(Chat) FlowerJaeheeCherryLips: Hey guys, do you still not get it?
(Screenshot of 3-meter Alice looking down at a deity)
(Photo of Yeonho wearing a golden wig and performing as a charlatan)
This was intentional, right? They even dropped hints at G-STAR.
In fact, Alice was the girl our director wanted to become...
<Comment>
Bangbaedong-Lord-of-Bloodshed: Ah... Is that how it was...
┕ zChonHansu: He really was homo.
┕ Helic2Waiting: ?』
Among the in-game bugs, there were often types that were challenging to identify the triggers for. These bugs resulted from code conflicts, and what made them particularly troublesome was that you had to dissect the code one by one to understand the mechanism.
Therefore, resolving them required a large number of cases.
The event was conceived for this very reason.
"The effect is quite good."
It was a choice inspired by experiences from a previous life.
Bug reporting events were not uncommon among online game companies. Especially those that operated test servers and regularly released content for early testing often organized such events.
The company in Seorim's previous life did the same. Although he eventually stopped participating, in the early days, he remembered organizing bug reporting events on the test servers.
He knew this event had more impact than she initially thought.
"Seorim, can you help me sort the emails?"
"Well, I don't have any other work to do right now."
When they checked the reported bugs in the overflowing mailbox, it was indeed quite horrifying. Hidden bugs mainly occurred in unusual situations. Users were reporting a multitude of bizarre and unexpected scenarios related to 3-meter Alice.
One example stood out:
TWithoutTurbidity: 3-meter Alice bug case 4.
(Video showing Alice battling cultists while holding a dagger)
"Grows bigger after stabbing around ten times."
Seorim couldn't help but wonder, "Why on earth are they playing like this?"
But then she thought, "Let's not dwell on it." The way people played games was ultimately their choice. She needed to respect that.
In any case, the event was effectively producing results. As they gathered a certain number of cases, they slowly began to understand the mechanism behind the 3-meter Alice bug.
"Ah, it's a bug that occurs during collisions."
Most bugs occurred when objects and Alice collided. Alice's code had already been thoroughly checked multiple times, so they turned their attention to the code of the objects causing the bug and quickly found the issue.
The bug fix went smoothly.
As days passed, the year was coming to an end.
It was Christmas Eve, a day when carols celebrating the birth of Jesus echoed all around.
Rewind Studio gathered in the office, nervously staring at their monitors.
"Today's the day, right? The first sales figures will be calculated."
Seorim nodded.
Today was indeed the day when the sales figures for the demo version were calculated. Although it didn't directly translate to revenue due to the free distribution, it was an important metric.
"It's a gauge of Hellic 2's standing."
The question of "How much interest is directed toward this game?" was closely related to "How many people are looking forward to this game?".
They had promoted the game both domestically, starting with G-STAR, and internationally, thanks to James Han. Depending on the sales figures they achieved, it would determine the performance potential of Hellic 2 in the future.
As the tension built up, Yeonho said, "Let's check."
Click!
The sales figures appeared on the monitor, and upon seeing the numbers, Han Seorim couldn't help but exclaim, "This is incredible!"
I also couldn't help but feel delighted as the sales figures were much larger than expected, even for a free demo.
[210,302]
A total of 210,302 copies.
Even when considering the free distribution, it was an astonishing number.
At least 210,000 people were interested in Hellic 2, which was a significant achievement.
"Wow!"
The enthusiastic duo exclaimed.
Jo Ayoon was startled, her eyes widening.
Han Seorim grabbed me by the collar and shook me, asking, "Is this not a lie? Is it really 210,000 copies? Is it ours?!"
My head was buzzing.
Yet, there was a sense of fulfilment.
"It's a success."
The demo version had been a great success.
Though there was a long way to go, a promising beginning like this filled us with hope.
"GOTY."
My gaze remained fixed on the monitor.
My fists clenched for no reason.
The goal felt closer than ever.
"Great job, everyone. Let's take a break today."
And so, 2009 ended with significant achievements.
Then came 2010, and the world was shaken once again.
... The era of smartphones had arrived.