PixelPioneers: The Birth of a Gaming Empire

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After "Outlast," "Ghost 4" did not achieve much success. Instead, "Soul Hunter" became the biggest winner, and soon the entire gaming community began studying it. This is also a phenomenon in the gaming world. A slightly popular game will always lead a group of people to study or follow the trend. It's just like "Binding of Isaac" developed by John before.

However, the horror theme is still a bit distant. Balancing horror and business is the biggest problem for ordinary game developers. Although the sales of "Outlast" were disappointing, it was well-received, and with its small to medium development cost, it managed to turn a profit.

After the "Outlast" project was completed, some well-known second-tier game publishers, approached John. Although compared to the previous "Octopath Traveler" and "Binding of Isaac," the recently released "Outlast" was not particularly successful in terms of sales, it was still profitable.

Although John's three games have been released through Social Tap so far, it was mainly because he had not yet proven his worth.

With the combination of "Binding of Isaac" and "Octopath Traveler," the recent performance at the "Golden Owl Game Award," and the results of "Outlast," it's clear that as long as John doesn't develop games without market appeal, even the major players will make concessions for him. As for previous rejections? What do they matter now?

***

On a workday at PixelPioneers Studio, in addition to some new technical members, John also commissioned a headhunting company to find someone to help him manage the studio. PixelPioneers Studio may seem large, but it's still a small, informal team.

When there were only a few people, it was manageable, but with "Outlast" development and the recent expansion, the studio now has 20 members, a significant size, so John needs managerial talent to help oversee the studio.

The headhunting company quickly recommended a candidate. Armani Baker, 35 years old, graduated from college and held a senior position in a company. John didn't fully understand this background, and Armani wasn't from the gaming industry but rather from film and television entertainment.

But it didn't matter that John didn't fully grasp this; he would conduct a thorough interview and then rely on the consultant company for analysis. This approach would provide him with a rough conclusion.

At the agreed time, John met Armani, recommended by the headhunting company, in a private room of a business café downtown in the afternoon.

"Mr. John, hello." With a smile, Armani stood up and shook John's hand.

John smiled and greeted him. From the initial simple conversation to the deeper discussions later, John found Armani suitable for the role. Though not from the gaming industry, he did his homework.

After discussing the terms, Armani was set to join PixelPioneers on Monday. Once on board, Armani made some adjustments and promptly recruited relevant positions after understanding PixelPioneers' current situation.

John didn't delve deeply into these matters; his focus was solely on core game development. He knew that as long as this aspect thrived, PixelPioneers would not falter.

Meanwhile, the project for "Resident Evil" was officially established within the company. Compared to the earlier "Outlast," the preparation for "Resident Evil" was much more extensive.

The establishment of the art style and the game's story script, which John wrote based on dream memories, were challenging to refine alone. Outsourcing was necessary, especially for motion capture, which was more intricate than in "Outlast."

Even though the project had started, formal development would take time. So during this period, John was probably the most relaxed.

Koch and Christy needed to master advanced applications in the official game engine. Evelien was tasked with defining the art style of "Resident Evil," while the others coordinated with the outsourcing and motion capture teams.

Armani was forming the administrative team at PixelPioneers. John also informed him that the studio would not rely entirely on third-party publishers. The relevant marketing department was also being set up by Armani, though initial investments would be modest.

"John, John, the Official Gaming Union sent you a message!" As John entered the office, Luna, seated at her computer, quickly waved to him.

"Official Gaming Union?" John was puzzled.

"Yes, the Official Gaming Union released the latest news about the game development support review team invitation," Luna nodded.

Checking the notification on his official account, John quickly understood. Every year, official game support plans are available for independent game studios and teams, offering financial support and recommendations from official game platforms. However, the requirements for participants are stringent, with strict controls on development costs and team size.

"Forget it, it's not important, and I don't have the time," John shook his head and declined the offer.

If it had been when John was developing "Monster Dungeon," he would have been thrilled by such an invitation. But now, his focus was elsewhere. Despite being busy, he wasn't occupied with things like this.

"Playing games at work again?" John glanced at a game icon on the taskbar and looked at Luna, sitting next to him, with mild exasperation.

"I have nothing to do. I can't participate in the 'Resident Evil' project. I spend all day in the office, and besides posting a few official blogs, I haven't done much. Plus, I'm not just playing games, I'm studying hard. After all, you can't develop games without understanding them," Luna said, defending herself, her voice gradually rising.

She wasn't just playing games, she was seeking inspiration and learning about game development.

"Alright, alright, I believe you," John said, raising his hands slightly in surrender.

"But aren't you bored? Want to develop a new game with me?" John smiled, ruffling Luna's hair.