Agreeing to Create Bad Games, What the Hell Is ‘Titanfall’? Chapter 88
“What a unique gameplay mechanic!”
“Usually, leveling up means an overall boost in abilities, but this game actually decreases your abilities!”
“And yet, this ability downgrade doesn’t kill player interest—instead, it makes the challenge even more fun!”
“Leave it to Kintuo to create such a fresh and exciting concept!”
“What’s more, the higher-ranked the player, the greater the sense of accomplishment when you take them down, creating a positive feedback loop!”
“This is genius.”
“Exactly! As the difficulty of taking someone down increases, I can’t even imagine how someone with just a knife is supposed to defeat a player with a gun.”
“If you actually win the match, the sense of accomplishment must be through the roof!”
“This game format is simply brilliant!”
“Yes, yes, exactly! Park Dongwang is truly a legendary figure, leading the trend in esports shooting games.”
“Whether or not they win the championship, just looking at today’s Most Anticipated Game Award, I think it’s Kintuo’s for sure.”
“Agreed. This design is just too good.”
“A 20-player battle? Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping…”
The entire audience was abuzz with discussion!
Even Angry Flame’s lead designer, Li Xiaofeng, who had just finished his introduction speech, couldn’t help but nod in admiration:
“Although this Park Dongwang has a bit of a bad rep among peers—always acting like the top dog in the industry—
And although he’s been known to mock the Chinese gaming scene for ‘ripping off’ his no-economy system idea with Fireline Rush…
You have to admit, this design is impressive.
Creating fun through reverse leveling,
Avoiding negative feedback while keeping players engaged,
That’s a solid design.
What do you think, Mr. Gu?”
Uh…
Hearing that, Gu Sheng hesitated, stumbling over his words.
What do I think?
I think, are you f**ing kidding me?! Isn’t this just the Gun Game mode from CSGO?*
How is this considered an innovative gameplay mechanic that’s causing such a huge stir?
Seriously?
Gu Sheng was as dumbfounded as when Xiaomi spent two million to hire a master just to round off the corners of their logo.
By this logic…
If I just reskinned Fireline Rush and made a Ghost Mode, wouldn’t that blow everyone’s minds too?
F***.
Just thinking about how he used to be called the “Father of Ghost Mode Bunny Hopping” sent a shiver down Gu Sheng’s spine.
He had clearly overestimated the game design standards of this world.
Originally, he thought entering the Asian Esports Conference would be an uphill battle.
Maybe he’d run into Overwatch-style “hero shooters” or Battlefield-style “destructible environments” and huge battlefields.
With that in mind!
He had brought out PUBG, a once-phenomenon-level title that had taken the world by storm in his previous life.
But in the end?
No Overwatch knockoffs, no Battlefield clones.
In fact, in this world, a 20-player battle was already enough to make people’s blood boil.
What the f** is this?!*
Gu Sheng felt like throwing his phone across the room.
If he had known this earlier, he wouldn’t have bothered with the whole Battle Royale concept!
Ghost Mode, Headshot Mode, Knife-Only Mode, even a Grenade-Throw-Through-Glass Mode!
Any of these would’ve been enough to stir up a reaction!
And to think he had been contemplating Apex Legends?
A hero shooter + Battle Royale + ability combos?
If that dropped, it wouldn’t just blow the roof off the place—it would vaporize the whole building!
“I was too cautious…”
Smack!
Gu Sheng rubbed his forehead, cursing himself for overestimating his competition.
Watching him like this, Shen Miaomiao couldn’t help but smirk.
Angry Flame’s Director Li sure knew how to ask the tough questions—he’d managed to completely shut down Old Gu. Hahahahaha!
It was obvious that after seeing the competitors’ presentations, Old Gu must be feeling annoyed and regretting which wire in his brain had short-circuited to make him develop a cooking game.
And now look!
No buzz, no gameplay depth, not even an edge in innovation—he had to admit, the other teams had him beat across the board!
Profit?
If they didn’t end up losing their shirts this time, Shen Miaomiao would do a handstand hair-wash on the spot.
Just as she was thinking this—
The host’s voice rang out once more on stage:
“Thank you very much, Mr. Park Dongwang, for your presentation.
The Weapon Race mode is indeed surprising, and I believe everyone here shares the same excitement.
As we all know, since the founding of the Asian Esports Conference, we’ve championed a spirit of innovation and exploration to drive the development of esports games.
And just like Mr. Park, today, we also welcome an innovative game designer from a leading game company in the Eastern nation of China.
According to him,
The project he brings today
Will be ‘groundbreaking,’ ‘revolutionary,’ ‘unprecedented,’ and ‘a game-changer that will overturn traditional game models!’
Let’s give a warm round of applause to welcome—
Golden Wind’s Game Director—
Sam Gu——!!!”
Whoosh—
Applause erupted!
Amid the applause, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Clearly, most of the audience wasn’t familiar with the name Gu Sheng.
After all, Golden Wind wasn’t even considered a top-tier game company in China yet, let alone on a continental stage like this.
Among the murmurs, none were as disdainful as Park Dongwang’s.
“Tsk—this host has no sense of importance.
Letting just any random fish and shrimp share the stage with me?
What a joke. It’s disgusting to have some no-name Chinese garbage riding my coattails…”
He sneered openly, his contempt written all over his face.
At that moment—
Gu Sheng took the mic from the host, walking steadily onto the stage.
The moment he stepped up, the audience and media alike couldn’t help but have their eyes light up!
A perfectly tailored Hugo Boss peak lapel suit in slate blue, cinched at the waist to emphasize his lean frame.
Matching trousers and a pair of matte Baroque leather shoes added an air of effortless elegance.
As he raised his hand to wave at the audience, the Mickey Mouse watch on his wrist added a touch of laid-back flair to his formal look.
“Respected committee members, honored guests, players, media friends, and fellow game designers—hello, I’m Gu Sheng.”
He gave a slight bow, then gestured toward the side screen:
“Thank you, Tom, for the introduction.
But there’s one thing I must correct.
That is—Golden Wind never ‘follows in anyone’s footsteps.’
From psychological horror to second-gen FPS, we’ve always been at the forefront of game innovation.
We’re not afraid of failure. We’re not afraid of challenges. We embody the tenacity and unyielding spirit of the Chinese people.
Our goal is to add more color to the ocean of the world’s ninth art—gaming.
It was like this in the past, it’s like this now, and it will remain so in the future.”
The room fell into a brief silence.
Then—
A wave of applause and cheers erupted!
Whoosh—
People always loved a good show, and besides, Park Dongwang wasn’t exactly well-liked in the industry.
One day he’d diss Chinese games for plagiarism, the next he’d claim Japan had fallen behind.
Always acting like esports started in Korea, Korea started with Kintuo, and Kintuo started with him.
For a moment, the applause swelled, and several Japanese designers even stood up, clapping for Gu Sheng.
Chinese-Japanese friendship via Korean shade—truly legendary.
The Tian Tian Game News livestream chat exploded:
“Ohhhhhhhhh——”
“D***! So badass, Brother Gu!”
“He’s throwing down the gauntlet! Brother Gu is throwing down!”
“Savage! I love how bold Brother Gu is!”
“I’ve been sick of that K-jerk designer looking down on us! Hit back!”
“Old Gu is so brave. I love it.”
“Sexy Old Gu, owning him face-to-face!”
“D***, that’s brutal.”
“But… is this too much? Kintuo’s game idea was genuinely impressive…”
“Yeah, boldness is great and all, but isn’t this a bit of a clout-chase, especially for a lesser-known designer?”
“???”
“Nah, let the Korean junior designer do the clout-chasing. I’m not that guy.”
“Never thought I’d see a ‘jing棒’ moment here…”
“You’re really… something…”
“…”
Meanwhile, Park Dongwang sat below the stage, his face twisted in fury.
His glare at Gu Sheng practically shot flames.
He had already been annoyed by the host’s introduction, muttering about how Golden Wind wasn’t worthy of the same stage.
But then—
Gu Sheng stepped up and blasted him directly.
For a moment, Park Dongwang was so stunned he couldn’t even breathe properly, his eyebrows twitching violently.
And now—
He couldn’t exactly jump up and curse him out in front of everyone, so he had to swallow his anger.
But in his heart, he was already plotting to snatch the Most Anticipated Game Award—and when he did, he was going to find this little punk, stand in front of the cameras, and publicly humiliate him.
That was his plan.
With a hateful look in his eyes, he turned to stare at the stage, wondering what exactly gave Gu Sheng the guts to talk such big game.
Whoosh—
As Gu Sheng slowly lowered his hand, the applause and cheers gradually subsided.
He spoke again:
“Thank you all for your support and enthusiasm.
Of course, I know my earlier remarks must have raised some eyebrows.
‘Who is this no-name designer, daring to talk so boldly?’”
Gu Sheng was right.
At least, that’s how Shen Miaomiao felt.
Has he lost his mind?!
Bro, other people might not know what we’re working on, but you should know better than anyone!
Sure, Director Li said that K-jerk designer was annoying.
But there’s no denying—the guy’s design just now was impressive and got a lot of admiration from the audience.
And what do we have?
A Little Chef Simulator?
Most importantly, no matter how you spin it, you need solid work to back up the talk. Otherwise, aren’t we just going to get slapped in the face later?
At that moment, Shen Miaomiao felt her heart racing. She even started glancing around, looking for the best escape route after the event.
And just then—
Gu Sheng’s voice rang out from the stage:
“Because, after revolutionizing shooting mechanics with second-gen FPS,
This time,
We’re tackling the core gameplay.
Completely discarding the old cops-vs-robbers and score-accumulation models,
And once again, redefining the very foundation of shooter games!”
“In this game, the ultimate goal is no longer just ‘winning.’
It’s far more brutal—to survive!”
“Now, allow me to introduce Golden Wind’s entry for this year’s Asian Esports Conference—
PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS!”
As he spoke, he turned slightly.
Behind him, the laser screen lit up, revealing the game’s promotional poster.
A vast wasteland.
A man in a tank top and shorts, wearing a welding helmet, holding a rifle, running for his life amidst explosions and a hail of bullets.
In the sky, a plane flew overhead, dozens of figures parachuting down—some plummeting straight to the ground, others drifting on open chutes.
In an instant, a chaotic and thrilling battle scene leapt to life on the screen!
Above the war-torn game title was an image of a frying pan, pierced through by a bullet.
Buzz—
The entire room erupted!
Without a doubt!
Following Kintuo’s game presentation, Golden Wind had also delivered a shooter game!
And—
It looked even more novel, more intense, and more comprehensive!
In fact, judging by Gu Sheng’s confident demeanor, it was clear:
Golden Wind’s game wasn’t just a shooter—
It was going to be a revolutionary milestone for FPS games!
As the excitement buzzed throughout the room, Gu Sheng began introducing the game from four key angles.
First: The player count—
“A 100-player, all-out brawl per match.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire venue erupted into screams!
A 100-player battle royale?!
No FPS game had ever dared attempt something on this scale—no one had even imagined it!
Second: Vast maps and the brutal shrinking safe zone.
At the start of each match, an enormous map could easily accommodate a hundred players, giving everyone ample time to loot weapons, gear up, and snag vehicles of all kinds.
But as time passed, the safe zone would gradually shrink, forcing all players to converge into a single area—compelling them into brutal, chaotic fights to the death!
This revelation sparked another round of cheers and applause.
After all, the idea of this "gu worm-style" battle, where players were essentially being forced into conflict, was enough to get anyone's blood pumping!
In this rain of bullets, there would be no room for cowards.
If you wanted to survive, you had to jam your gun barrel into your opponent’s face and pull the trigger without hesitation!
Third: The gun customization system.
Not only would players have to scavenge for weapons after landing, but even gun attachments would have to be found and installed manually.
Optics, grips, stocks, suppressors—each attachment would give the gun a certain stat boost!
This level of detail was something no previous FPS game had ever explored.
Finally: More custom player actions.
Golden Wind wouldn’t just carry over the multi-action design from the second-gen FPS; they’d also add leaning (left/right peek), prone crawling, controlled grenade throws, and even more emote animations—giving players the ultimate freedom in gameplay!
By the time Gu Sheng wrapped up his presentation, the entire room—designers, media, and audience alike—rose to their feet in thunderous applause!
No doubt about it.
Just as Gu Sheng had promised, the release of PUBG wasn’t just a big moment for FPS games.
It was a game-changer for the entire industry.
Amid the roaring cheers and applause, Gu Sheng stepped down from the stage, loosening his collar slightly. He turned to Shen Miaomiao, a confident smirk tugging at his lips:
"Well? How was it? Not a bad performance, right?"
However—
Shen Miaomiao didn’t respond.
Puzzled, Gu Sheng turned his head to look at her—
Only to see her sitting there, completely dazed, like her soul had been sucked out.
She just stared blankly at the massive screen, at that bullet-pierced frying pan, utterly transfixed.
Following her gaze, Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow and glanced back at her.
Then at Shen Miaomiao.
"Hey. Hey—what’s up with you? I was only on stage for ten minutes, and you’re already in a daze?"