Game Developer in the World of Anime

The porting and optimization of Slay the Spire went incredibly smoothly. By the end of June, Ichin and his team had successfully completed the optimization process and implemented touchscreen functionality. The game now ran seamlessly on the Nintendo Switch.

With the porting complete, Ichin brought the game along with a partial demo of Hollow Knight to Nintendo's headquarters, accompanied by Hazuki.

The Nintendo staff were impressed by the efficiency and skill of Ichin's studio. Several team members who tested the ported version of the game marveled at the team's expertise.

The Switch version of Slay the Spire was greenlit effortlessly. Moreover, due to the studio's impressive efficiency, negotiations for exclusivity agreements went smoothly. After two hours of discussions, both parties finalized the terms.

Regarding the game's release, it was agreed to launch the Switch version alongside the PC game's final content update, marking its official release.

With Slay the Spire sorted, the discussion shifted to Hollow Knight, the first game being developed collectively by the entire studio.

Development had been progressing exceptionally well. The game now had enough content for a solid demonstration, including a playable initial area. At Ichin's request, Haiko prepared a demo, which Nintendo staff got to try out.

Hazuki's friend was among those testing the demo. After five minutes of gameplay, she exclaimed, "Games like this have been rare in recent years. We actually have a similar game from an old IP in development. I can't share the name, but it's scheduled for release early next year and will be officially announced soon."

Same genre, an old IP?

Ichin pondered for a moment before his eyes widened. "Metroid, isn't it? Don't worry, I won't say a word."

Her expression confirmed his guess—it was indeed the next installment in the Metroid series, a beloved Nintendo IP that hadn't seen a new game in over a decade.

As a Metroidvania game, Hollow Knight was directly inspired by Metroid, one of the genre's pioneers. Knowing that Metroid was being revived brought Ichin genuine excitement; he resolved to buy and play it as soon as it released.

Hazuki's friend wasn't surprised that Ichin had guessed correctly. After all, Hollow Knight was a game in the same genre, and anyone developing such a title would naturally have some familiarity with Metroid.

She smiled and said, "The release of Hollow Knight is going to be very close to that game's launch. Are you confident about competing?"

"Of course, I'm confident," Ichin replied calmly. "Who wouldn't be confident in their own game? What I'm curious about, though, is whether I'll have the chance to meet the developers of Metroid. I'd love to exchange ideas with such talented professionals."

"That's possible. I can ask about it later. Considering the quality and development progress of Hollow Knight, I think they'd be happy to connect with you," she replied.

The agreement they signed allowed for potential collaboration, and she thought it might even pave the way for closer ties in the future.

In her mind, if the partnership went well, Nintendo could consider acquiring Ichin's studio. Even though Hollow Knight wasn't finished yet, the studio's potential was already evident.

After the demo session, Ichin naturally brought up the idea of showcasing Hollow Knight at Nintendo's Direct event.

Although the Tokyo Game Show was still a ways off, there was another major gaming event coming up first—the Cologne Game Show (Gamescom) in August, which Nintendo would also be attending.

"For the Gamescom Direct presentation, are you interested? If you can prepare a richer demo than the current one, we can secure a spot for you in our third-party games showcase. After all, we've signed an exclusivity agreement," a Nintendo representative suggested.

Ichin froze for a moment, realizing he had almost forgotten about Gamescom.

Since this world hadn't faced the disruptive events that could halt public gatherings, in-person gaming expos were still being held normally. Securing a spot at Gamescom would be a massive boost to the game's publicity.

Ichin exchanged an excited glance with Hazuki before replying, "Tell me more about the Cologne Game Show."

Nintendo Direct events had a reputation for showcasing games with strong appeal, especially for fans of Nintendo's IPs. While other platforms had bigger announcements, Nintendo's presentations were smaller yet impactful.

Since the release of the Switch, which combined handheld and console gaming, many third-party indie developers had started creating games for the platform. The portability of the Switch made it ideal for smaller-scale indie games. Nintendo often included third-party games in its promotional materials and provided opportunities for them to shine at events.

Apart from Direct presentations, Nintendo also featured game demos at offline booths during such events.

After hearing the details about Gamescom, Ichin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We can create a playable demo that provides a good experience, but I'll need confirmation. I want assurance that our game will be included both in the Direct presentation and the offline demo showcase."

"That's doable. I'll prepare the contract and make the necessary adjustments. We can finalize it shortly," the representative assured him.

Half an hour later, after reviewing the agreement and confirming everything with Hazuki, Ichin signed the deal.

By Gamescom, Slay the Spire would likely be ready for its Switch release. However, Ichin decided not to showcase it there. The game's genre didn't lend itself well to offline demos, especially with touchscreen functionality being less engaging in such setups. Moreover, Slay the Spire had already achieved excellent sales on Steam, and its Switch release was simply an added bonus. Ichin's main focus was on promoting Hollow Knight.

After concluding their business, Ichin and Hazuki didn't linger in Kyoto, heading back to Tokyo straight away.

In the elevator of their apartment building, Ichin said, "When we tell everyone about this, they're going to be thrilled, don't you think? By the way, Hazuki-san, back when you worked at Eagle Jump, did you ever attend E3 or Gamescom?"

"Nope," Hazuki replied with a smile. "The games we developed mainly targeted the Japanese market, so the furthest we went was the Tokyo Game Show. Having Hollow Knight featured at Gamescom? That's definitely going to be an unexpected and exciting surprise for everyone."

...

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