Game Director from Hell - Chapter 25: News

One idea, leading to numerous ideas branching out from it, collectively formed a theme.

Ayoon created the theme.

Crash!

With Yeonho’s assistance, she recorded the sounds of twelve different types of breaking light bulbs.

Among them, the most ideal sound was the one created when the fluorescent ceiling lights in the office were shattered. It had to be smashed forcefully, not just broken casually.

Of course, it was a sound that required further processing, but that was something to think about in the production process. As Ayoon listened to the sounds, she became convinced.

“It’s the shattering sound.”

Only then would the calmness feel ominous, the heretics’ retribution palpable, and the image of the God appear imperfect.

Ayoon felt a sense of urgency.

“I’ll be going to the recording studio!”

Without further ado, Ayoon rushed out of the office.

Her hurried steps took her to the studio of her teacher, Chanyong.

“Ayoon? What’s all of a sudden…?”

“Teacher! I need to record something!”

Chanyong was momentarily taken aback but soon nodded.

Ayoon took a seat.

“I need to organize my thoughts one by one.”

She started to rearrange her ideas, which had expanded wildly.

“Composition is an art of accumulation.”

So, let’s start from the basics.

It was only at this point that Ayoon’s lessons began to make sense.

All the sounds she had “collected” so far could now be used as references.

“Bass will be represented by the orchestra.”

Low and slow, especially emphasizing the grandeur of the wind instruments and the trembling of the strings. This would highlight the external aspect of utopia.

“A synthesizer will be used for electronic noise…”

By processing the orchestral bass with this, she could add a sense of tension to the sound.

The bass was created, and now it was time for the deeper aspects of the idea.

Ayoon felt an exhilarating rush.

“It’s a game, so I should create background music.”

She remembered a technique of creating music that was unique to games.

Ayoon found her focal point.

“We need to utilize sound effects.”

This meant turning sound effects into instruments.

Impact sounds, noises following interactions, even hitting sounds and screams.

When combined with background music, they could produce fairly convincing results. No, they could become musical components in themselves.

“Crash!”

Ayoon processed the sound of the breaking light bulb into a file.

She inserted it at random intervals.

“Let’s work on it simultaneously.”

“Percussion instruments should be strictly excluded. The rhythm will be filled by sound effects.”

By excluding the rhythm from the BGM, the irregularly ringing sound effects would stand out. The rhythm might become distorted, but that was okay.

“It should be distorted precisely because it will intensify discomfort.”

This was precisely the music that would suit the indeterminate form of the God, expressing the fear, reverence, and grotesqueness existing within the human psyche fully.

Ayoon gave a name to the theme: “Dissonance.”

There were two key points:

“The music must be subtle, nearly inaudible when focused on.”

As the name “background music” suggested, it would be placed as a vague presence in the player’s perception. It was a supporting role rather than the main character.

But…

“Just for one moment…”

That was when it would detonate.

“Crash!”

The shattering sound of glass, drawn from stained glass, would serve as the God’s sound effect. It would act as a detonator, and the BGM would finally penetrate the player’s perception. In other words, it would elevate the game’s tension.

The heightened auditory senses prepared the player for the next shattering sound, instilling unease, and the game would maintain its tense atmosphere with each new round.

“Let’s create it!”

With her conclusion reached, it was time for implementation.

Tap!

Ayoon’s hands swiftly moved.

Watching her from behind, Chanyong couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

The growth of his student, the enthusiasm of his junior—these feelings couldn’t be expressed merely with words.

Chanyong, somewhat humorously, remembered a conversation from the past, back when he had created a masterpiece in the Korean commercial music industry.

“Oh, that song? It took me 30 minutes to make. It just flashed in my mind while I was taking a break during a slump.”

Masterpieces arise from a momentary flash of inspiration.

This is what makes it one of the most artistic conclusions emerging from the realm of intuition.

Chanyong felt anticipation, but he also recognized that it was best to leave Ayoon alone until she produced the final result.

Squeak!

He quietly closed the recording studio door.

The next day, with the entire art team at work:

“It’s all done!”

Returning from the recording studio out of the blue, Jo Ayoon handed over a USB drive.

How could she create music so quickly? He couldn’t help but wonder, but for now, he decided to give it a listen.

The first impression he got was quite something.

“…It’s a bit dull, isn’t it?”

The music itself was fine. The sound was much richer than before and blended well with the game’s atmosphere. However, the boredom was the most significant aspect.

His evaluation was cautious, as even a slightly negative review might have a detrimental impact on Jo Ayoon’s mental state.

But Jo Ayoon’s reaction was unexpected.

“Yes! The BGM is a bit dull!”

There was not a trace of shadow on her cheerful face.

No, it was more like she was delighted as if she had received the reaction she had wanted.

There was a sense of doubt, but at the same time, there was hope.

“Do you have something in mind?”

“Yes!”

Today, she was remarkably fluent with her words.

Was this an expression of confidence?

I straightened up without realizing it.

“Alright, should we talk about it?”

“For now, please apply the sound to the game!”

This was an easy request.

He applied the files as Jo Ayoon instructed, using the prototype file she had prepared.

Then came the next instruction.

“Now, you can play the game!”

He didn’t quite understand, but he followed Jo Ayoon’s instructions.

The art team gathered behind her.

“…Why aren’t you guys playing separately?”

“Is it necessary?”

“…”

That made sense. They were just confirming it.

Taking a deep breath, he launched the game.

That moment had arrived.

[Screams]

“…”

“…”

The intro sound played.

Han Seorim’s gaze became piercing.

Instinctively, she tried to signal Jo Ayoon.

“Uh, the boss asked me to do this…”

Jo Ayoon, who had been shrinking, made an excuse!

“Let’s discuss it separately later.”

Han Seorim’s hand on his shoulder put pressure on him.

This person had an incredible grip.

“Okay.”

Since it had come to this, there was only one way to avoid it.

He could only hope that Han Seorim’s attention would be diverted by Jo Ayoon’s sounds.

He became a bit more desperate.

And so, the demo with the applied sound started.

***

Ayoon focused on Yeonho and the art team’s reactions.

As expected, after the first game run, they seemed somewhat disconcerted for a few minutes.

The prologue by the beach featured melancholic and lyrical music. The sound didn’t add much to the immersion, but that part had already been considered and wasn’t particularly important. The real impact would come with the chapter featuring the Hell of Heretics.

“Ba-a-am!”

The music, which layered the trembling of string instruments processed with a synthesizer onto the bass, began to play. At this point, Yeonho’s expression subtly changed. Her intention was beginning to show.

“It doesn’t need to be recognized consciously,” Ayoon thought. In the game, sound is an immersive element, a supporting role rather than the main character. Ayoon had understood this and created the BGM accordingly, reserving sound’s moment to shine for just one brief moment.

“Ah, someone’s going to get punched here.”

While following the map, the ground shook three times. Red circles appeared on the floor, and Yeonho deftly avoided them.

Scre-e-e-e-e-ech!

“Kyaa!”

Accompanied by the shattering sound, Seorim screamed, and it happened right after.

“Huh?”

Yeonho’s expression changed. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze intensified on the monitor. It said that now the music had started to occupy a larger part of Yeonho’s consciousness.

Not only Yeonho but also the art team watching silently began to focus on the monitor. The sharp and heavy BGM echoed through the office.

The moment the circles reappeared, their expressions stiffened.

Then came the shattering sound again.

Scre-e-e-e-e-ech!

The office fell silent until the demo playthrough was over.

“So, how was it?”

Ayoon was confident in her abilities. She had created a result that surprised even herself. It was a level of self-assuredness that erased her usual lack of self-assertion.

The anticipated response was praise, and her slight anxiety turned into thirst, pounding at Ayoon’s heart. The reward was sweet.

“…You did well, better than I imagined. No, even beyond my imagination.”

“Ayoon Ayoon! What is this? You’re amazing!”

“Come here! Unni will hug you!”

“Kyaa!”

The two noisy duo hugged Ayoon, pinching and twisting her cheeks. They ruffled her hair, lifted her up, and shook her around.

As her vision spun and her mind grew hazy, Yeonho’s hand finally touched her head.

“You did really well, Ayoon.”

The rhythm of tapping on her forehead matched the sensation of her heart pounding. Ayoon shivered and soon burst into laughter.

“Hehe…”

At that moment,

“But, were some sounds missing? Especially the sound when the last punishment pattern with the black apparition chasing comes.”

“Ah… that?”

It was the expected question. He hadn’t included the sound because he hadn’t ‘collected’ it yet.

“Could I get some help for a moment? It seems it would be better to include sounds like actual laughter just like the screams.”

Yeonho’s shoulders twitched, “Uh, sure…?”

Yeonho looked at Seorim. The duo also looked at Seorim. The corners of Seorim’s mouth twitched.

“What’s up with you all staring at me?”

As she stepped back,

Chin!

Yeonho grabbed Seorim’s wrist. But Ayoon intervened.

“Oh, no… Unni’s screams are already available in many sources…”

Ayoon glanced at the noisy duo.

“…We need laughter sounds, a lot of them.”

Upon second thought, this would require some adjustments.

Alright, come with me to the recording studio.”

Ayoon grinned mischievously.

The noisy duo blinked their eyes, then nodded vigorously.

After that, no one dared to play pranks on Ayoon.

“Hehehe!”

“Hahahaha!”

“Again.”

“Hehehehe!”

“Hahahaha!”

“Again.”

“Ahahahaaha!”

“Again.”

Ayoon’s enthusiasm was intimidating, just like Yeonho’s, maybe even more so.

“Again.”

“Ahahahaha!”

“Hehehehe!”

“This is great… hehe…”

What was particularly impressive was her ability to immerse people in laughter with her smiling face.

“Th-thank you!”

Anyway, the sound was completed!

***

The demo version was completed to a presentable state by the end of summer, in September. Rewind Studio wasted no time and submitted their game to G-STAR.

With the release of Space Craft 2 and the move to Busan, there was fierce competition at the booths, even more so than in previous years, especially among small studios.

In the midst of such competition, they learned one thing for sure.

“We’ve succeeded. We’ve secured our booth.”

The reputation of their previous game, Hellic, had a significant impact at G-STAR.

“Eight computers, a prime location. In two months, we’re heading to Busan.”

That’s the way it was in this era. If you created a game recognized overseas, it would naturally receive higher evaluations domestically as well. These were the times when such achievements became a source of pride in terms of gameplay.

Hellic had scored impressively in that regard.

The “Cancer Giant Bounty Case” that took place in North America had clearly left an impression on the organizers as well.

Of course, they didn’t receive support on the same level as major game companies. It was only natural. Nevertheless, what this small studio could receive was the best support available.

Now, it was time to start the actual promotional work. There was one thing they needed to focus on.

“Let’s get the word out that we’re participating in G-STAR.”

In simple terms, that was the plan.

“Seorim, can you lend me a community ID?”

“Sure, but are you sure?”

“Okay, send it to me via email.”

On the evening after they had finished the preliminary work, I posted a message on a community forum.

“(Promotion) SeorimSeorim: Helic 2! We’re Submitting It to G-STAR!”

It was one of the most blatant wide-scale aggro tactics I knew.

The effect was evident.

The news spread quickly.