Game Director from Hell

Chapter 81: Development Team 2(2)

Jelen Copson, the representative and director of Evil Scale.

Today was a momentous turning point in his life.

A proposal that came flying across the American land to meet him, asking him to take charge of the newly established Development Team 2 at Rewind.

It was electrifying to his entire being.

After all, the the director of Hellic wasn’t someone to extended his hand so easily.

The impact of Hellic on him was undeniable.

From the first play of Hellic 1 to Hellic 2, shaped by Yeonho’s influence, opened up a new world for him.

How many ideas did the simplicity, depth, and subtle correlations of Hellic unlock? It was truly remarkable.

It was so good.

As a fan, Copson admired Yeonho, and the hand that was extended was an opportunity that would never come again in his life.

Except for one small flaw – Copson wanted to bow or something Korean-style at this moment.

“···A two-director system, you say?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm···.”

With a displeased expression, Copson’s gaze turned to the adjacent seat.

Nishimura something.

From the moment he entered the reception room, he seemed more interested in watching anime on his smartphone than in the games. He looked like an otaku who preferred otaku culture rather than just the games.

In fact, the game he developed were dating sim.

To work with such a person?

Setting personal preferences aside, this seemed to lower the value of the Rewind name significantly.

The similar thought occurred to Nishimura Keisuke.

‘Ugh, this guy, he definitely doesn’t seem like someone I want to work with.’

Nishimura also came from Japan because of his admiration for Yeonho.

He didn’t really know Hellic 1 well.

What Nishimura knew was solely Hellic 2 and Yeonho’s figure while developing it.

The girl overcoming crises and her mother, Butterfly.

How much did the emotional narrative and moe elements of these two captivate the audience?

Especially, Alice’s modelling was undeniably perfect, a masterpiece brimming with the soul of a craftsman.

Just that was enough to understand Yeonho’s sincere love for moe.

But Yeonho went a step further.

Cosplay.

Reaching the level of being completely one with the character through overflowing love for the characters.

In other words, the ultimate love…!

Yeonho courageously put that into practice in front of the public.

For Nishimura, both as an otaku and as a director, there was no choice but to be captivated by Yeonho.

Ideally, he wanted to spend the night discussing anime with Yeonho or talking about the insertion of moe elements into the game.

For that reason, and to create the ultimate moe game, the director’s position of this Development Team 2 was an area he couldn’t give up.

But to do that with such a sensitive guy?

And the game he made is called ‘Evil Blood’?

It definitely seems like a bland and boring game.

Displeasure was evident on the faces of the two.

And then, that moment came.

“···Did I make an overly impolite proposal?”

Dudung!

Both of them jumped at the same time.

Their eyes widened and turned towards Yeonho.

“No!”

“No!”

Even saying the same thing felt unpleasant.

After exchanging glances once, without anyone waiting for the other, they both spoke.

“We’ll do it!”

“We’ll do it!”

It was a dramatic agreement.

***

It’s been about 50 days.

After finalizing the contract terms, signatures, and completing various procedures including visas, it’s already winter.

I welcomed them in the office of Development Team 2, where I had completed the modelling during this time.

“Starting from today, please take care of us.”

As I extended greetings, they lowered their heads awkwardly.

The atmosphere still didn’t seem good.

From now on, they have to work together as Development Team 2…

“Hi!”

“Yes!”

Cobson and Nishimura were like water and oil.

They couldn’t mix, and it seemed like they were ready to fight at any moment, glaring at each other.

Meanwhile, their team members, brought along just behind them, were happily laughing and cheering, but it seemed like they didn’t even notice.

It was an unexpected situation.

As far as I know, these two were soulmates who recognized each other and shook hands at an indie game festival!

Jo Ayoon said so…

“Well, you can go to your seats, team members. Directors, please go to the meeting room.”

…No, I shouldn’t judge hastily.

It might be because the work hasn’t started yet.

Oh well, who knows?

Discovering each other’s strengths while working together, finding better directions through discussion, the relationship might improve.

Expecting a smooth social skill from an indie director is a bit absurd.

Most young indie developers formed teams with close friends after graduating from college.

They haven’t experienced things like relationships with investors or hierarchical relationships within a workplace.

That’s something to be taught from now on.

Awareness of teamwork is also a problem to gradually realize from now on.

So, I’ll watch for a while.

After seating the two in the meeting room, I spoke.

“First of all, thank you again for agreeing to the proposal. It’s an honor to have you here.”

After reiterating the welcome, I went on to the main topic.

“As I mentioned, Development Team 2 will take charge of a new project separate from my series. And I plan not to interfere much in the development process. Maybe just a glance at the final confirmation stage. I made that decision because I trust you all.”

The two nodded with a twinkle in their eyes.

It was burdensome.

“…Of course, if I suddenly ask you to do a project, it might be awkward. Since we haven’t properly coordinated with the team members you brought.”

Expanding Rewind was different from this situation.

We were originally a form where six core developers, cantered around me, moved as one body, operating the lower organization. The noise was minimal when enlarging our scale.

But this time, it was very different.

It’s mixing two teams that have been operating under different systems.

Teams with even different nationalities.

Noise? It’s inevitable.

Work approach? It’s weird from both sides.

First, the process of coordinating them needed to be done, and fortunately, there was a project that suited that purpose.

“I’m sorry, but there’s something I’ve already marked. It seems you’ll have to handle that first.”

“Marked?…”

Nishimura swallowed dryly.

I answered.

“Hellic 1’s remastering work.”

“What!”

Cobson let out a surprised breath.

His cheeks turned red, and his body was trembling.

“Remaster…!”

“Yes, remaster. When I think about when we first created Hellic 1, the market has changed a lot.”

It was not just a project thrown because there was nothing to do.

It was necessary in many ways.

“Our development skills have improved a bit. We also have more manpower.”

Since Hellic 1 was created by a two-person development, there were many shortcomings.

As another point…

“This time, the upcoming Hellic 3 has chapter that intertwines the narratives of 1 and 2 and concludes as a trilogy. This is one of the preliminary tasks for that.”

Unfortunately, Helllic 1 didn’t sell as much as Hellic 2.

In other words, there are people who know the hell of Hellic 2, but the number of enthusiasts who understand how the world works is less than expected.

This time, we needed to increase that population.

The process of solidifying the world during the Hellic 1 annexation point play would add depth.

And, another thing.

“I have two things I want to entrust to you specifically.”

I spread two fingers, and folding one, I said.

“First, script insertion and pixel graphic upscaling.”

This is a task to present Hell from the perspective of the guardian more intuitively.

Now, the following is particularly important.

“Secondly, smartphone adaptation.”

“Smartphone, you say…?”

“That’s right. Hellic 1 Remaster will release optimized versions for smartphones and high-spec versions for Steam simultaneously.”

Accessibility.

It’s a problem that every game company thinks about and is one of the most directly impactful factors on revenue.

The times have changed.

Exactly, it was a challenge that could be taken on only in this era.

The trend in the smartphone game market was shifting from casual to increasingly monetizing automatic hunting games.

In that transitional market, there were a few low-spec games using AAA-grade IPs.

The smartphone adaptation of Hellic 1 was carried out with those in mind.

“In broad strokes, that’s correct. The release date is likely to be between next summer and fall.”

With less than a year remaining, it is entirely feasible.

It doesn’t require significant resources both in terms of personnel and development, as it involves reworking something that already exists.

The main game, Hellic 1, isn’t it?

It’s not voluminous, and system-wise, there aren’t many operational elements, so developing the main game itself took only about a year.

“We deliberately set a relaxed schedule. Regardless of success or failure, the ultimate goal of the project is to synchronize the rhythm of your team.”

Before expanding the scale, Development Team 2 had to find common ground among themselves.

No matter how many times it was emphasized, it wasn’t enough.

The remaster of Hellic 1 is a small-scale project for that purpose.

“May I ask for your cooperation?”

As I said this, Copson and Nishimura nodded their heads.

It was good to see their enthusiasm.

“I will make it a success!”

“Just trust me!”

…As long as they don’t grumble.

“Uh, sure…!”

“Profit…!”

The two of them glared at each other.

Suddenly, they became uneasy.

***

It’s December.

The development team 2 has more or less adapted to the life in the foreign country and has started working in earnest. On the floor above, there is development team 1 struggling with the development of Hellic 3, but this doesn’t really concern the team 2, who commutes from the lower floor. They are engrossed in their own battle – the remastering of Hellic 1.

It wasn’t a metaphor; they were literally fighting.

“No! Why are you emphasizing the prisoners’ chests there?”

“Well? Isn’t it obvious? How can you think there are only male prisoners in hell?”

“It’s because of game budget! Game budget! There were no female prisoners in the original!”

“Maybe that’s before the remaster? Boss gave us autonomy for the remastering work, didn’t he?”

“That autonomy is not this kind of autonomy!”

Copson and Nishimura were arguing about the direction of the directing.

It was an inevitable outcome.

As evaluated by Yeonho, Copson was a director who was extremely restrained, producing a tough and unyielding flavour, while Nishimura was a director who used excessive seasonings, resulting in a tasteless outcome.

Even the smallest things highlighted the stark difference between them.

The team members had become accustomed to this sight and were focused on their own work.

In other words, for about a month, these two fought as much as they worked.

“Hey, if you’re going to make a romance, at least tone it down a bit. Huh? Please, I’m begging you.”

“Well~? How can you not understand that discussing the chest of a prisoner is within the game budget? Were there only male prisoners in hell in the first place?”

Copson, with rising anger, retorted harshly, and Nishimura smirked as if he wouldn’t yield.

When Nishimura’s actions went as far as provocatively rubbing his ears, it was enough to make Copson lose his temper.

Copson’s face turned bright red.

“I… I!”

Boiling with frustration, Copson thought to himself.

‘I’ve endured this much! I let that guy say something so ridiculous! Enough is enough!’

It had been like this since the first development.

Nishimura suggested focusing on the personality and character of monsters in the script, Copson didn’t outright reject the idea and instead compromised by putting half of the opinion into practice, suggesting to focus on the protagonist.

Whether it was due to overconfidence, Nishimura continued to insert elements not present in the original.

Cobson couldn’t forgive that.

He endured it all because he wanted to meet Yeonho’s expectations.

But it was becoming increasingly difficult.

Nishimura felt the same way.

“Are you not making it too tough? Do you want to create a game that’s just pure labour?”

According to Nishimura, the key to the Hellic 1 remastering was ultimately ‘script insertion.’

In other words, establishing the world of hell.

To achieve that, he believed that various forms of prisoners needed to be shown, upscaled in a more vivid form to match the pixel graphics.

Copson didn’t like Nishimura’s idea.

For him, there was no romance.

Only mechanical rules existed.

The well of emotions couldn’t get any deeper.

Both of them instinctively felt that.

“Hey.”

Copson said with a glare.

“Let’s settle this with our fists.”

“What?”

“Neither of us likes the other’s method, right? Let one person be the protagonist, and the other be the sidekick.”

It wasn’t a common solution.

If it had been resolved in that way, the conflict wouldn’t have escalated to this point.

Copson didn’t like Nishimura.

Nishimura didn’t like Copson either.

It wasn’t just a simple dislike.

“Decide it with fists.”

He hated Nishimura so much that he wanted to throw a punch.

Copson chuckled.

“There’s a gym nearby. Let’s spar.”

Nishimura stood up with a snort.

“Alright! Let’s decide it like real men, with our fists!”

So, the sparring was arranged.

Jelen Copson, a second-year boxing enthusiast, had learned boxing during his free time for two years.

He was confident he could win.

Nishimura Keisuke knew the difference in strength from their weight class.

He was confident he could win.

The result was as expected.

Smack!

Copson’s victory!

Although there was a considerable weight difference, it wasn’t enough for the dramatic difference in skill.

At least at an amateur level, the skill gap was clear.

“Ugh…”

“I’m the protagonist. Got it? Fatty.”

Copson thought everything would return to normal now.

“Delete the female prisoner with the big chest. There’s no need for that in the Hell of Self Harm.”

It was a misconception.

***

“Lets do it again.”

A week later, Nishimura said.

He challenged Copson again with wild eyes full of determination.

Copson gladly accepted the challenge.

However, this time the outcome was different.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

In the second sparring match, Copson fell victim to Nishimura’s learned jab-straight combo.

Nishimura said, “I erased the royal chest prisoner, so it cant be helped. But the prisoner dialogues we are inserting.”

Thunk! Nishimura poured out his coffee and turned away.

He, like Copson before him, thought that now everything would return to normal.

Of course, it was a misconception.

“Lets do it again!”

They fought whenever opinions clashed.

“Lets do it again!”

As if there was no other way, they clashed in the gym as casually as having a meal.

“Again!!!”

Thus, an implicit agreement was reached.

In case of differing opinions, they would listen to the one who won in the sparring.

The events that took place on the rooftop of a building in LA in a previous life were now being reproduced in Pangyo.

It was a bit forced metaphor, but it was like that.

“Ayoon, where are you going?”

“I-I’m going to watch the sparring! Would you like to come, sir?”

“…”

Proving the right and wrong of beliefs with martial arts.

The belief of the weak is trampled upon, and the strong is respected.

No matter the era, no matter the background, the development team 2 here was the martial arts world.

In the ruthless forest where the weak could not survive, today, the Lord of Balance (Copson) and the Black Assassin (Nishimura) were still fighting.

Of course, there was one fact that should not be forgotten.

“Write the postmortem report.”

In modern martial arts, there is no such thing as inviolable official martial law.

In the eyes of the emperor (CEO), they were nothing more than equal subjects (employees).

***

The prototype of the Hellic 1 remastered version came out.

I was in confusion.

Two people who came, it was unclear whether they came to spar or to make a game.

I thought it must fail, but…

“Why is this so fun?”

…The completeness was tremendous.