Game Developer in the World of Anime

After making a few calls, Hazuki managed to learn from a friend that there would be a group date happening the day after tomorrow, specifically for single men and women in the gaming industry.

Once she confirmed her attendance, Hazuki ended the call and turned to the others. "What about you guys? Anyone want to come along with me?"

Everyone exchanged glances, but no one volunteered. They all shook their heads in unison.

Even Hafumi, who was naturally shy, didn't even lift her head. She quickly put on her headphones, effectively retreating from the conversation.

Hazuki looked at their reactions and shook her head in disappointment. "Honestly, you're all hopeless! This is such a great opportunity, and none of you are interested? Even if you're not aiming for romance, it's a chance to meet new people in the industry. If you keep this up, how are you ever going to experience the sweetness of love?"

Then again, upon reflection, Hazuki realized that none of them really needed to attend a group date. She might be the only one who did.

"Fine, if no one's joining, so be it."

Stretching her arms, Hazuki smiled confidently as Mozuku jumped onto her lap. She began gently stroking the cat's back, declaring, "Just wait and see the results I bring back!"

Watching Hazuki's confident demeanor, Narumi leaned over to Nene and whispered, "Nene, do you think Hazuki-san will find her ideal man?"

"Ideal man? You're overthinking this."

Sakura Nene responded bluntly, "She's probably just going to have fun. There's no way she'd take it seriously. If she were, she wouldn't have been single all these years."

Although Nene hadn't been at the studio for long, she'd previously worked part-time at Eagle Jump and knew this wandering producer's habits well.

Hazuki's looks and figure were undoubtedly top-tier, but her deep love for cute girls was something ingrained in her nature. With that kind of personality, even if she were to find someone, it'd more likely be a girlfriend than a boyfriend.

Shaking her head, Nene resumed her assigned tasks.

Narumi thought about it for a moment and realized Nene was probably right. She lost interest in the topic and returned to her screen, focusing on her work.

---

By late afternoon, Ichin finally completed the promotional video (PV) for Hollow Knight that would be showcased at the upcoming Cologne Game Show.

Stretching his arms, he watched the completed video file finish exporting. Removing his headphones, he clapped his hands to grab everyone's attention. "The PV for Hollow Knight is ready! Do you all want to take a look?"

"Huh? It's done already?"

Aoba looked up excitedly. "There's still about three weeks until the gamescom, and it's already finished? That's so early!"

"Well, it needs to be sent to Nintendo first for review, and then they'll decide its placement in the Direct presentation. Since our game is an independent third-party title, it'll have its own segment. Based on what they said during negotiations, our game's quality is ranked among the top, so it should be placed prominently in the lineup for promotion. And of course, there'll be both online and offline demos."

The Hollow Knight demo would also be available on both the Nintendo Switch and Steam during the event. It wouldn't just be an in-person demo at the show; people at home would be able to play it too. This would eliminate any notion of it being just "hype without substance."

As Ichin copied the video onto a USB drive, he turned to Umiko. "Umiko, how's the development of the demo coming along?"

"I'm almost done," Umiko replied, stretching her neck. "The demo should be ready tomorrow or the day after. We'll conduct internal testing as soon as it's completed and fix any bugs before submitting it. For now, let's watch the PV."

Everyone gathered in the adjacent lounge area as Ichin plugged the USB into the display and opened the video file.

The PV content followed Ichin's original plan: it opened with a snippet of a cutscene from the full version of the game, transitioning into a sequence of in-game footage.

The enemies showcased were mainly elite monsters and bosses. Even the prominent Dragon Fang boss from the demo made an appearance in the PV. These moments were carefully selected by Ichin during his own gameplay sessions.

The entire PV flowed seamlessly, with no dull moments. Even as developers, the team couldn't help but feel a strong urge to play the game after watching it.

The video ended with a dramatic scene of the protagonist charging toward a boss, followed by the display of the game's title. While the release date and platform details were yet to be included, Ichin intended to add them later. The planned release window was 2021, with a tentative goal of November, depending on the studio's development progress.

After watching the PV, the team's enthusiasm surged. Aoba's eyes sparkled as she turned to Umiko.

"Umiko, I want to be part of the demo testing!"

Aoba's eager expression left Umiko unable to refuse. Even her typically composed face flushed with a noticeable blush against her deep-toned skin.

Turning her head away, Umiko replied somewhat awkwardly, "Don't worry. Everyone will participate in testing. With our limited team, it's impossible to hire external testers. For the demo content, our team alone will be sufficient."

"Yay!"

They watched the PV again before returning to their workstations, fully satisfied and energized.

---

Once seated, Ichin instructed Hazuki to send the PV to their Nintendo contact. He then resumed work on the final version update for Slay the Spire.

"Ah, almost forgot," Ichin muttered.

Checking the time, he opened his browser and logged into Bilibili to post an update:

> "At the end of August, our studio's new game will make its debut at the Cologne Game Show. The new PV will be officially revealed, and there will also be on-site demos at the exhibition. This game is a completely different genre from Slay the Spire. If you're attending the event, make sure to check it out. For now, I'll keep the details under wraps. I'll also livestream the presentation online, so feel free to join if you're interested." <

He posted similar updates on other social media platforms, though he excluded the livestream announcement on those. Since Bilibili was his strongest platform for live broadcasts, other sites like YouTube posed more logistical challenges.

The posts quickly garnered attention, with many surprised by the studio's efficiency in releasing a new game so soon. However, upon reflection, it made sense. After all, Slay the Spire was developed by a single person, whereas now, with an established studio, the pace of development was incomparable.

The mystery surrounding the new game's genre only heightened everyone's curiosity.

...

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