They wanted to make a trashy game, but how come it sold like hotcakes again?

Chapter 43 Who is Zelda?

Hao Zheng's soul-searching question caused the barrage of comments, which had been scrolling wildly due to the promotional video, to pause briefly.

Immediately afterwards, an even more intense barrage of comments erupted in the live stream room.

"Holy crap! Hao Ge, you've hit the nail on the head!"

"Yeah! We fought monsters for three minutes, shooting arrows and parrying with our shields, and then the protagonist's name is Link? Where's Zelda?"

"Could Zelda be that glowing sword? Or that horse?"

"I get it! Zelda must be the female voice-over at the end! This game is about a guy named Link rescuing a princess named Zelda!"

"What the hell is this about rescuing a princess? What era are we living in that they're still using this outdated, cliché plot? And if Link's the one rescuing people, why is the game called 'The Legend of Zelda'? It should be called 'The Legend of Link'!"

Hao Zheng looked at the screen full of complaints and couldn't help but chuckle. He stroked his chin and analyzed the situation with a serious expression:

"Brothers, you just don't understand. Tangren Games is now a pure internet marketing leader. Think about it, if the game were called 'The Legend of Link,' then after watching the CG, everyone would just think, 'Wow, that's cool, I want to play it.'"

But now that it's called "The Legend of Zelda," everyone, like me, will be thinking, "Who is Zelda?"

That's the suspense! That's the buzz! I bet the topic "Who is Zelda?" will be trending by tonight!

Hao Zheng's mouth was like it had been blessed.

In less than two hours, major gaming forums and social media platforms were flooded with the trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Aside from the ridiculous trending topic "Who is Zelda?" which was misled by Hao Zheng, hardcore gamers and major gaming media outlets were more concerned about the terrifying technical capabilities showcased in this three-minute promotional video.

That same night, the well-known Chinese game review media outlet "Steam" produced a lengthy, frame-by-frame analysis:

Is it a technological revolution or just empty promises? In-depth analysis of Tangren Games' new game trailer.

"In this short three-minute video, we see a breathtaking combat system and interaction with the environment."

First, there's the "bullet time" mechanic. After Link perfectly dodges the centaur's attack, time slows down around him, giving players a window of opportunity to unleash a barrage of attacks. This mechanic isn't new to action games, but in Tangren Games' demonstration, the fluidity of the action transitions and the solid feel of the impact are top-notch in the industry.

But what really surprised us was the 'physics and chemistry engine' shown in the video.

Please pay attention to the 1 minute and 45 second mark in the video. Link ignites the grass, and the flames create an updraft. He uses his glider to ride this updraft and fly to the top of the giant's head.

At 2 minutes and 10 seconds, in the midst of a thunderstorm, Link throws an iron weapon at the monster, which attracts lightning that shatters the monster!

Moreover, when I said I would analyze frame by frame, I really meant I would look at each frame individually.

Remember the scene where Link was cooking inside a pile of monster corpses?

He didn't notice the apple in his arms fall to the ground, so he didn't pick it up. By the time he realized it, the apple had already been baked.

What does this tell us?

This means that in this game, wind, fire, water, and thunder are no longer simple visual effects or fixed skill damage, but rather 'environmental elements' that follow the laws of physics and chemistry!

If Tangren Games can truly achieve this kind of underlying element interaction in an open world, allowing players to freely combine environments to fight, then The Legend of Zelda will undoubtedly be a great work that changes the history of gaming.

but--"

The article then shifts its focus:

"I have to pour cold water on this. Developing this level of low-level logic requires extremely large and rigorous algorithmic support. Even the world's top AAA game companies wouldn't dare guarantee they could create such a perfect system interaction, let alone Tangren Games, which was still making 2D card games just six months ago?"

With a 350-day countdown, how can they create an open-world game of this caliber?

We have reason to suspect that this is just a rendered 'concept CG' – what's commonly known as fake gameplay footage. We look forward to a miracle, but we hope players will remain rational and not be blinded by empty promises.

This review article immediately ignited a frenzy among gamers.

Supporters believe that Tangren Games has repeatedly created miracles, and that games like Plants vs. Zombies and Pokémon have proven their strength, so it is definitely not a fake trailer.

Opponents, however, insisted that "developing an open-world physics engine in 350 days is absolutely a boast," mocking Tangren Games for starting to follow the "PPT money-making" formula.

Meanwhile, at Tangren Games, which was at the center of the media storm, the atmosphere was unusually strange.

"Boss... is this code even something a human could write?"

Lead programmer Xiao Li, sporting dark circles under his eyes, clutched a thick stack of documents he had pulled from the project proposal, his voice trembling.

"What? It can't be done?"

"It's not that it can't be done..."

Xiao Li swallowed hard, feeling his worldview being shaken.

"This engine architecture is just too... too damn ingenious!"

Xiao Li slammed the document on the table, pointing to the densely packed algorithmic logic on it.

"In a regular game, to cook an apple by fire, we need to write a specific script: 'When the apple touches the fire, replace the model with a roasted apple.'"

But your design completely overturns common sense! You've labeled all objects with 'material tags' and written 'state formulas' for all environmental elements!

Wood can be ignited by fire, which produces rising hot air. This hot air propels objects with a "wind resistance" rating (such as paragliders). Water conducts electricity, and so do metals.

This isn't just writing games; it's reinventing the laws of physics and chemistry within a game! Once the underlying architecture is built, players can even pull off actions that we developers never imagined!

At this point, Xiao Li became so excited that he gestured wildly, but then his face fell:

"But boss, to type out this underlying physics and chemistry engine code and ensure it doesn't crash, we and those greenhorns in Group Two couldn't finish it even if we plucked all our hair out! 350 days? 3500 days might not be enough!"

Tang She sighed.

He certainly knew how difficult it was.

"Don't worry about manpower; the senior students are already recruiting."

Tang She rubbed his temples.

"Your task now is to lead the team and, within two months, develop the underlying framework of this 'physical and chemical engine.' Don't make any maps; just create a flat area for me, and put fire, wind, apples, and a monster on it."

"Just create a testing ground?"

"right."

Tang She nodded, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"Aren't the online opinions saying we're using conceptual CG to deceive people? Two months later, we'll release an uncut gameplay demo from the test site. I'm not only going to slap those keyboard warriors in the face, but I'm also going to use this demo to attract the best programmers in the country to Tangren Games!"

Since you've decided to make money...

Let's go all out then.