Pokémon Racing from Pokeni looked somewhat similar to Nintendo's Mario Kart, but in reality, it was very different.
GF Racing, Mario Kart, Need for Speed, Asphalt, and so on—they were all racing games, but their gameplay and items were distinctly different.
Pokémon Racing also had its own strong characteristics.
These characteristics were unique to Pokémon.
For example, based on the different Pokémon attributes, the corresponding racing car attributes also varied, which made different racing cars more adaptable to different tracks and terrains.
And the skills of different Pokémon could also play a crucial role in the race.
In other words, Pokémon Racing was a racing game with its own unique gameplay and distinct features.
There were even racing cars that ran fast on four legs, not just four wheels, which looked a bit comical and parodic, but upon closer thought, one would realize that Pokeni's design was truly ingenious and full of fun.
In Pokémon Racing, the way items were used and their effects were very different from Mario Kart.
Items were mostly used to strengthen and activate the skill energy bars of Pokémon, and could even cause their racing cars to evolve.
For example, after Charmander evolved into Charizard, it could not only fly but also breathe fire to damage other racing cars.
The vehicles themselves also had durability, or health, and defense. As long as the health was depleted, that racing car would be out of commission for a period of Time—
In the game, this was represented by entering repairs, and only after repairs were completed could it return to the track.
In other words, in addition to the element of speed, the game also added elements of combat, terrain, skills, evolution… various elements, allowing players to fully enjoy a different kind of racing fun in this game.
It was possible to be behind at first, but once an evolution occurred, a significant attribute boost could be gained, allowing a sudden surge forward. Such situations also brought much varied fun to the game.
So, even though the camera focused on Miyamoto Shigeru at the scene, he could feel it himself—
They both looked like kart racing and cute games, but in terms of gameplay, there were clear differences from Mario Kart.
This was the frustrating part; the opponent had directly created another competing product, but when considering the possibility of suing for plagiarism, the probability of winning seemed not very high.
...
Everyone watched, laughing heartily, leaning back and forth, unable to stop.
They had never seen a game so joyful.
"Is this still the Pokémon I know? It's too funny!"
"I'm impressed, truly impressed. Pokeni's creativity is amazing."
"I always feel like Pokeni is playing a big game. If Pokémon can even make a racing game, what can't Pokémon do?"
"Just wait and see, in a few years, Pokémon will appear in every gaming genre.
Pokémon Baseball, Pokémon Soccer, Basketball, Motorcycles… Pokémon can do everything!"
"Hahahahaha, this is too funny, isn't it? Pokémon does everything, right?"
"I'll ask you all, how would a Pokémon romance game work? Can Pokémon even make a galgame?"
...
Just the two Pokémon videos had already set the scene ablaze, and everyone discussed topics related to Pokémon for a long Time.
Aoki Haruhi smiled, pursing his lips.
Next up was still a live demonstration of Pokémon Racing.
In addition to Lisa Asano, several staff members also came on stage to play the game.
"This Pokémon Racing is designed for family entertainment and supports up to four players simultaneously."
Upon hearing this, the players became excited again.
It seemed that this year's game with friends was already decided. If pokémon: mysterious adventure might still require some hesitation, then Pokémon Racing was definitely a must-buy game, enjoyable whether playing alone or with friends.
It was very challenging and also highly entertaining.
Such a family-friendly game, as long as it wasn't made particularly poorly, would basically become an essential good game for every household.
It was also good for socializing; if you invited a girl over and didn't know what to talk about, why not play a round of Pokémon Racing?
...
After watching the two Pokémon demonstrations, players and media reporters became even more excited about the games Pokeni would showcase next.
According to the music Yoko Shimomura played earlier, Pokémon was already revealed, so would there be a new game with a never-before-heard soundtrack?
On stage, Aoki Haruhi paused, saying nothing.
The audience below slowly quieted down, everyone waiting.
After a while, Aoki Haruhi silently walked along the edge of the stage for a distance, then turned back to look at the large screen.
However, when everyone looked at the large screen, it was empty, with nothing on it.
Oh no, it couldn't be said there was nothing; the large screen displayed Pokeni's LOGO.
To be precise, it was a single PPT slide.
Besides that, there was nothing else.
Is that all? Surely Pokeni wouldn't just show players its logo next, would it?
A hint of doubt surfaced in everyone's hearts, and they looked at Aoki Haruhi in confusion.
Aoki Haruhi smiled slightly, "The development of the era is very rapid; technology is changing every day."
He smiled and pointed to the big screen:
"PowerPoint, 1987."
The birth of PPT was earlier than people imagined; it could be used as early as the Windows 1 era.
"Digital projection technology, 1995."
Thanks to DP's digital projection, at last year's major exhibitions in Europe and America, computer signals could already be transferred and projected onto large screens behind.
That's why everyone at the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo could now see real-Time high-definition images.
"And now, 1997."
"What can we witness?"
...
Following Aoki Haruhi's words, everyone couldn't help but fall into thought.
And just then, the lights in the entire venue suddenly dimmed.
A scene appeared on the large screen:
On a smoke-filled battlefield, gunshots and explosions echoed one after another.
Then a voice-over sounded:
"This is a world where war reigns supreme."
"Through the continuous development of human technology, firearms have been deployed on the battlefield, becoming the most commonly used weapons in modern warfare."
"The life and death of humanity are but a matter of an instant."
"For their country, for glory, soldiers take up arms, fighting to protect the homes behind them, to defend the nation, and for the people."
Soldiers stood tensely in their positions, gripping their guns, their eyes fixed firmly forward.
They wore military uniforms, their faces heavily painted with camouflage, as if they had merged into the battlefield.
Suddenly, a fierce barrage of artillery fire came from the enemy position, shells arcing through the air and slamming heavily onto the soldiers' cover.
The massive impact made the cover sway precariously, and dust flew everywhere.
The soldiers quickly took cover in safer spots, continuing to hold their ground.
As the artillery fire ceased, the soldiers all raised their heads, preparing to counterattack.
They aimed at the enemy position, pulled the trigger, and bullets poured out like rain.
Enemy soldiers were hit, falling into pools of blood, letting out piercing screams.
The battle grew fiercer, with both sides exchanging blows, fighting with all their might.
Soldiers moved through the battlefield, sometimes dodging enemy fire, sometimes seeking opportunities to counterattack.
Their figures were indistinct in the smoke, like ghosts.
During a charge, a young soldier was hit by an enemy sniper and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, his comrades angrily charged at the enemy, vowing to avenge their fallen comrade.
They pushed forward with all their might, engaging the enemy in hand-to-hand combat without hesitation.
After a fierce battle, the soldiers finally defeated the enemy and recaptured the lost position.
They sat exhausted on the ground, panting, but their faces showed the joy of victory.
...
"This is the border between nations, a desolate land, a place of war and conflict."
"Border."
The large logo for "Border" appeared on the screen, letting everyone know the game's name.
The preceding cinematic portion was displayed, followed by a segment of in-game real-Time footage:
In the screen, only a person's two hands and the gun held within them could be seen. Its shape resembled an AK, but there were some specific differences.
This was a modification Pokeni made to differentiate from real weapons, while also allowing players to feel the effect of real weapons.
Not guiding war and slaughter was the game's principle, so a fictional world was specially created.
From the perspective of this [player], several companions could be seen standing not far ahead, all wearing similar dark military uniforms.
Then, everyone, without needing to say a word, ran forward with extreme tacit agreement.
In the game, you could also hear this [faceless] character panting heavily, with loud breathing.
But after they ran for a while, a gunshot suddenly rang out.
Bang!
A teammate in front immediately fell down, a pool of blood beneath him.
The audience at the scene was startled.
Because the gunshot sound was too realistic.
No, to be precise, it wasn't just the sound; the entire game atmosphere was very realistic.
The place where they stood seemed to be a ruin built on an island, bombed out by war.
So, there were high walls, crumbling ruins, and the ground was dirty and black in patches.
The next second, a small squad of enemies also appeared at the intersection, wearing light-colored military uniforms, creating a sharp contrast.
As soon as the two sides met, they immediately opened fire.
Da da da da da…
The sound of the submachine gun quickly rang out, and the main character immediately emptied a clip of bullets, then quickly jumped and ran towards cover.
During this process, his arm movements didn't stop; he was nervously reloading.
Everyone at the scene watched intently, and they felt nervous and uneasy about what was happening on the big screen, holding their breath.
Only the gunshots stimulated their nerves, making everyone tense up.
...
After about 10 minutes, the team in the game was completely wiped out, and then the lights at the scene finally came on.
Everyone at the scene looked dazed, still not quite understanding what had just happened.
Aoki Haruhi's voice rang out:
"This is a shooting game we are about to launch. It uses 3D models and a first-person perspective, completely simulating a real-life view, giving everyone an immersive feeling."
Just then, the large curtain behind the stage slowly rose, and everyone finally saw clearly—
It turned out that about 10 people were sitting behind, each with a computer in front of them.
"The latter half of the footage you just saw was actually a live demonstration of the game."
"What?!"
The scene instantly exploded.
This was too explosive.
Everyone looked at the big screen with disbelief, even though there were no images on it now.
"I thought everything that was just played was pre-made video clips. Was the latter part actually real game content?"
"It's too realistic!"
"It's terrifying; it feels like watching a real-life shooting."
"The quality of this game is too high, isn't it? Can current technology achieve this level?"
...
Aoki Haruhi smiled calmly, picked up the microphone, and explained:
"This is a first-person shooter game that supports local area network connections and 10 to 20 player battles."
"Wow!!!"
As soon as Aoki Haruhi's words fell, there was another uproar at the scene.
Pokeni had given everyone too many shocks today, especially with this game, "Border."
The entire atmosphere of the scene was ignited to its peak by "Border."
"Before introducing 'Border,' I'd like to invite someone up." Aoki Haruhi smiled, then extended an invitation to the audience, "Please welcome Jensen Huang of Nvidia to the stage.
Jensen, come on."
Aoki Haruhi waved his hand.
Jensen Huang, dressed like a fitness instructor, immediately ran onto the stage in a few quick steps.
At the same Time, the host handed him a microphone.
"Jensen, can you explain why the effects of 'Border' we saw are so realistic, completely different from the 3D effects of this era?"
Hahahahaha...
As Aoki Haruhi asked, a burst of laughter erupted from below.
Pokeni's Producer seemed a bit like boasting about his own goods.
However, what others boasted about was fake, while Aoki Haruhi boasting about himself, though a bit excessive, was all true.
In fact, players even felt that he hadn't praised it enough.
Aoki Haruhi exaggeratedly put a finger to his lips, and the scene immediately quieted down.
Jensen Huang took the microphone and then pulled a chip out of his pocket. "This is our newest graphics card chip developed by Nvidia. It computes independently of the CPU and is specifically used to process 3D image effects on computers.
Graphics processing unit, we call it GPU.
A major function of the GPU is independent computation, and its computing power is about 5 Times that of the best current CPU. It is specifically designed to process 3D graphics and then load them.
In a CPU, the cache unit accounts for about 50%, the control unit 25%, and the arithmetic unit 25%;
In a GPU, the cache unit accounts for about 5%, the control unit 5%, and the arithmetic unit 90%.
In other words, the GPU can perform faster and more immediate calculations."
As Jensen Huang spoke, the large screen was playing a PPT that Nvidia had prepared long ago, listing various data and also displaying some working principle diagrams of the GPU.
Everyone at the scene was confused, and only a few experts related to computer hardware were amazed and awestruck.
"The real-Time demo effect you just saw used our latest GeForce 256 model GPU produced by Nvidia, which provides excellent support for 3D graphic effects."
In fact, Nvidia's GeForce has been on the market for almost a year, but before this, not many people had the desire to buy it.
On one hand, the GeForce graphics card was very expensive, with a market selling price of 300 US dollars. This amount of money was enough to buy one and a half Sony PS, so who would be willing to spend money to buy such a small chip?
Moreover, many people felt that inventing such a graphics card was like using a high-powered anti-aircraft gun to shoot a mosquito.
What kind of game could demonstrate the performance of GeForce?
Since there was no game that absolutely required GeForce256 to play, there was naturally no demand for purchase.
Until today—
The appearance of "Border" made everyone clearly realize a terrifying thing.
The 3D era on PC was also about to arrive.
And all of this would begin with Nvidia.
...
Jensen Huang stood on the stage, speaking animatedly, "The graphics of 'Border' are completely rendered in real-Time, and the visual 'mosaic' phenomenon has been reduced to the lowest point.
All objects in the field of view, whether it's the human landscape in the foreground or the natural mountains and rivers in the background, will be constantly refreshed and redrawn as the player's perspective changes.
Only at the closest distances will we find slight 'color blocks' on buildings along the road. As for the game itself, no matter how much you strain your eyes, you won't find a single trace of roughness.
The new engine constructs the 3D world in the game entirely by 'points,' completing the display of images through real-Time calculations.
This not only makes the game graphics more delicate but also more 'accurate'."
Jensen Huang's statement that "not a single trace of roughness can be found" was actually an exaggeration. It was still 1997, and even with the help of advanced graphics cards, realistic and delicate human body simulation could not be achieved.
However, roughness and fineness are actually relative terms, depending on what they are compared to.
Compared to the real world, it was obviously still very rough, but compared to the various 3D game in the world at that Time, it was undoubtedly very fine.
One could even say it was a bit too fine.
More realistic human body modeling, more vivid and soft lighting effects...
These were the breakthroughs pokeni achieved in the shooting game "Border."
Old Huang talked endlessly about a lot of hardware-related knowledge on stage before ending his speech.
Awesome.
As he left, there was an exceptionally warm round of applause.
"Alright, Jensen, thank you, and thanks to Nvidia, thanks to GeForce. It is precisely because of the existence of such a magical GPU that our 'Border' has reached its current level."
Aoki Haruhi invited him down, then picked up the previous topic and continued,
"Early 'real-Time lighting' engines usually depicted game graphics in the form of 'geometric shapes + vector dot matrices'.
The character's outline was actually a polyhedron. Because it involved 'lines,' which are relatively large drawing units, when the player's perspective changed only slightly, the game screen was difficult to display accurately.
Some lines with slopes of only a few degrees might still be drawn as horizontal lines.
The inherent flaws of this engine often caused distortion of character outlines and breakage or loss of contour lines in many situations.
However, in 'Border,' thanks to new technology, we used this brand new drawing engine that is entirely based on 'points'."
Aoki Haruhi used these words to tell the world—
Besides the powerful graphics card from Nvidia as hardware support, it was not enough. More importantly, pokeni had its own software technology, and it was precisely pokeni's composition engine that maximized the potential of GeForce256, allowing everyone to see such vivid and realistic game effects.
"We adopted a new 3D game engine, completely eliminating this phenomenon and accurately outlining object shapes to the greatest extent.
The quality of textures is another important criterion for measuring the level of game graphics.
Border also adopted some new approaches in this regard."
He stepped back, making way for the large screen.
At the same Time, the real-Time footage of "Border" was also displayed on the projection.
"Players will see exceptionally detailed surface texture processing of objects in the game: the folds of rocks, the smoothness of snow, the clearness of waterfalls, and the lushness of grassy slopes are all depicted vividly.
We can see:
The rocks in the game are covered with various concave and convex ravines, greatly increasing the player's visual realism.
There will absolutely be no simple shadows.
The fake large rock effect under highlight processing; you will never confuse sparkling, smooth snow with a white cloth;
The cascading waterfall will reflect dazzling light like a mirror;
The grassy slope is no longer a tilted green paper.
It will show you a fluffy, furry texture...
The quality of the texture effect depends on the level of artistry on one hand, and on the other hand, the production of its 3D skeleton.
If there is no corresponding entity and the texture is simply placed in the required position, then the player's visual realism will be greatly reduced, which may lead to many ludicrous scenes.
In the backgrounds of many previous 3D game, have we often seen rocks and buildings 'hung' like murals on the roadside, or placed like photographs by the road?
This is ultimately due to the game engine not being powerful enough—it couldn't balance drawing textures with the texture's skeleton."
Here, Aoki Haruhi used the word "power," which caused a burst of laughter.
At the same Time, many people turned their gaze to the face of Tobey Gard, the father of tomb raider and the Producer of the game, who had been smug just yesterday because of the performance of Tomb Raider 2.
The live director was simply ruthless, cutting directly to his live expression.
The latter's face was flushed, and he laughed and applauded along with everyone, but deep down, he felt extremely bitter.
Who would have thought that yesterday everyone was praising him to the heavens, constantly boasting about how strong the Voodoo graphics card was and how good the effects of Tomb Raider 2 were, only to be completely crushed the very next day?
And it was the kind of crushing that left no trace.
Now Tobey Gard was like a clown, his face alternating between red and white.
Damn it!
Why does a game company like pokeni, with such utterly unreasonable strength, exist?
This year's E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo should have been our Time to shine, but pokeni suddenly appeared.
How good would it have been if you had just honestly attended your Tokyo Game Show?
...
Aoki Haruhi indicated that he didn't mean to embarrass him because these were all things within the development plan. Whether Voodoo and Tomb Raider 2 existed or not, "Border" was going to be showcased.
You can only blame your bad luck for running directly into the gun's muzzle.
"Due to the use of a brand new drawing engine, in Border, players will no longer see these mood-affecting scenes. What will be presented before you is a charming and vivid 3D world:
We can see the unevenness of rocks from the side; appreciate the towering buildings lining the road from different directions;
We can look up at planes constantly changing angles as they fly overhead... The enjoyment brought by this quality of texture is hard to describe, but for careful players, it will definitely excite you."
...
Everyone at the scene was speechless, only able to describe it as breathtaking.
This game feast today was unforgettable.
"Are we witnessing history?"
"It feels right to come to E3 and see such an amazing work."
"How terrifying. Yesterday, when I saw Tomb Raider 2, I already thought it was quite remarkable. Today, comparing it to Border, I realized how incredibly wrong I was."
"No wonder Aoki Haruhi said before that technology is developing too fast, and what will we witness again today? It turns out this is what was waiting for us here."
"It really is witnessing a miracle. Thinking about it, poor Tomb Raider 2. Yesterday it represented the most advanced computer technology and PC game graphics, but today it no longer does.
After seeing the effects of Border, I no longer want to buy Tomb Raider 2."
"You can still buy it, right? After all, the game genres are different. The most important thing about Tomb Raider 2 is playing puzzles and solving various mechanisms, which gives a great sense of accomplishment.
From the current effects, Border seems more suitable for game players who like gun-fighting types. The two don't conflict."
"Ah... I don't know when pokeni will release this game. To be honest, after watching the game demo just now, I'm already itching to play."
"Me too, I really want to try the feel."
Europe and America players truly have no resistance to firearms.
Just the shooting effects in the game, the various similar yet different firearms, and the blood-pumping battles have already made countless players unable to stop.
...
On the stage, Aoki Haruhi actively invited the production team of the "Border" game, asking the Producer and also the firearms detail adjuster, Ricardo Sean, to demonstrate and explain to everyone:
"Border adopted some more advanced 3D technologies.
The world in the game is also created as a true 3D space, instead of rendering a 2D map with height information into a 3D image.
At the same Time, it also combines highlight textures and dynamic light sources, instead of using the vertex static lighting from past game.
We adopted a fluid control scheme, which uses the mouse to look/aim/orient, and the keyboard to move forward/backward/sideways..."
As the staff on stage demonstrated, everyone below watched in stunned silence.
Gunshots occasionally rang out from the scene.
Those who knew understood this was a game demo; those who didn't might have thought something terrible had happened in the venue.
Fortunately, it couldn't be heard outside, otherwise, the police might have already rushed in by now.
"Wow, this is too impactful, isn't it?"
"Great game graphics, incredibly immersive experience."
"How terrifying, is this a game I can afford to play?"
"The game itself might not be expensive, what's expensive should be that..."
One of the reporter friends pointed to the Nvidia 3D chip displayed on site.
To be precise, it's called GPU, a discrete graphics card.
GeForce256, the world's first GPU.
Although reluctant, many people already had a strong premonition—
As soon as "Border" is released, Nvidia's display chip will sell like hotcakes.
As hot as the game.
It's terrifying. Both Nvidia's hardware technology capabilities and pokeni's software technology capabilities have made the entire world tremble.
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