In the office of PixelPioneers Games, Luna played through the internal test version of Metal Gear Solid using a plug-in, sweeping effortlessly from start to finish. By the time the credits rolled, she leaned back in her chair, satisfied with the game's plot.
Compared to her earlier projects, this one felt entirely different. The games she had worked on before had been somewhat superficial and hadn't really required much of her input.
But this was different. Although John was responsible for designing the core gameplay and outlining the narrative direction, all the cinematic shots in the game were handled by her. It had to be said, her talent in visual storytelling far surpassed John's.
After collaborating multiple times, their workflow had become second nature. John would describe the effect he wanted in words, sometimes vaguely, sometimes in detail. Then she would take over, handling the camera work, editing, and post-production. Once everything was assembled, John would review the final product, point out issues, and the team would refine it further.
"Who exactly is Zero? And… where is the other bomb on Paz?" Luna asked curiously after finishing the story.
John, who had been posting, paused when he heard her question. He turned slightly, thinking for a moment before answering.
"Well… for that, you'll have to check the comics. Spoilers aren't fun," he said with a faint smile. "As for the other bomb… honestly, I don't know either. It's there to serve the plot and maybe to leave players with something to think about."
Hearing this, Luna narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Still, players are definitely going to complain," she said.
She hadn't even needed to watch the follow-up promotional video for Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain. After all, she had personally worked on those scenes; she knew them by heart. Scrolling through gaming communities and forums, Luna had already seen plenty of player feedback pointing out the same issue.
"Of course." John nodded calmly. "That's why we need to give them some benefits."
As he spoke, he hit the publish button on a carefully prepared post. In truth, the development of Metal Gear had progressed far beyond what was currently shown. However, due to the aggressive competition from Alien Crisis and the structure of the story itself, they chose to hold back content. They wanted to avoid disrupting the narrative flow of the story or creating a fragmented experience for players.
The post read:
"Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain" will launch with a 15% discount and exclusive DLC costumes; "Red Alert" will receive a new free story DLC exploring THE BOSS's career as an agent. The comic "Metal Gear: Messenger of Peace" will go online, telling the story behind "Metal Gear Solid."
After reading it, Luna summarized everything in her head, then slowly turned toward John, her eyes widening.
"What's wrong?" John asked, glancing up from reviewing the work log.
"This… this is a full harvesting cycle strategy, isn't it? You learned this from Armani's IP linkage tactics!" Luna said, staring at him.
At first glance, everything seemed like pure benefits for players: discounts, free content, and even comics to expand the story. It all looked incredibly generous. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized how deep the strategy went.
Metal Gear: Phantom Pain offered a 15% discount and exclusive DLC, but players still had to pay.
Red Alert: World War provided a free DLC, telling THE BOSS's story; it sounded generous, even admirable.
But once players were drawn in by Metal Gear: Phantom Pain, those who hadn't played Red Alert might buy it just to experience the DLC. And if the story was compelling enough, those Red Alert players might, in turn, be drawn back into the Metal Gear series.
Then there was the comic, pulling in both players and non-players alike. If the story were strong enough, it could attract entirely new audiences into the games. It was a perfectly interconnected loop.
Listening to Luna's detailed breakdown, John froze for a moment, then laughed helplessly.
"Honestly, that does sound like a comprehensive plan," he admitted. "But what if I told you I never thought about it that deeply? Would you believe me?"
"Yeah, right…" Luna replied with a playful, skeptical expression.
Taking advantage of her distraction, John reached out and lightly pinched her cheek. She shot him a disgusted glare in response.
Stretching lazily, John smiled, then suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned to her again, his tone becoming more serious.
"It'll be New Year's in less than three months…" he said. "How about we take some time this weekend to visit a bridal shop and pick out a wedding dress?"
Luna, who had been scrolling through news about the game, froze. She looked at him, surprise clearly written across her face.
"Let's get married this year," John said softly, his voice determined. He had wanted to say those words for a long time.
For a brief moment, silence filled the room. Then Luna smiled, a bright, genuine smile. She gently touched the ring on her finger and nodded decisively, "Okay."
It was a sentence she had been waiting to hear for just as long.
The timing couldn't have been worse. The dog, apparently caught in a nightmare, rolled over, scrambled to its feet, and barked loudly before looking at the two of them in confusion.
Meanwhile, online, players who had completed the game were in an uproar. This story… how could it just end like that?! Right at the most critical moment, it just cuts off?! Was BIGBOSS alive or dead in the end? What kind of story was Metal Gear really trying to tell?
Sure, everyone knew it was essentially a demo, and expectations had been adjusted accordingly. But its short length still caught players completely off guard. Even though the price felt reasonable for the quality, this wasn't just about money.
After finishing the game and watching the promotional trailer for Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain, players became even more agitated. Was this even fair?! The trailer clearly showed real gameplay footage of BIGBOSS riding vehicles, operating tanks, planting mines, and even using specialized equipment to extract enemy supplies. There were also cinematic scenes featuring intense confrontations with a mysterious girl. Everything, from the UI to the mechanics, screamed that this was actual in-game content. And yet, they showed them none of it.
"Please, just be reasonable!" countless players cried out online.
But the moment they opened John's account and saw the latest announcement, their attention shifted instantly.
"Wait, Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain is getting a 15% discount AND exclusive DLC costumes?!"
"Red Alert has a THEBOSS storyline DLC?!"
"And there's a Metal Gear comic expanding the story before this?!"
In an instant, the anger that had been building up began to dissolve, replaced by curiosity, excitement, and anticipation.