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Whether it was PVE or PVP content, when players were still unfamiliar with a game, they paid more attention to exploration and enjoyment. But once players understood the optimal strategies and routines, their focus gradually shifted toward efficiency, resources, and results.
Take PVE dungeon-based games as an example. In the beginning, when players knew nothing about the mechanics, everyone happily explored every corner of the game world. Players freely chose whatever class they liked and enjoyed the experience without pressure. However, once the community figured everything out, efficiency became king.
"Weak classes" began to appear. Team compositions became standardized. Dungeon runs started feeling less like adventures and more like military operations, where every role had strict requirements and optimized assignments. The joy of discovery slowly transformed into a pursuit of numbers, damage output, clear speed, and resource optimization.
PVP games followed the same pattern. At launch, players experimented freely. Different heroes, weapons, and playstyles flourished. People played for fun. But after strategies matured, every version developed "meta picks" and underpowered choices. Players selecting weaker roles could get blamed before the match even properly started. Team conflicts emerged long before the battle itself began. Victory and defeat slowly became the center of enjoyment.
While it wasn't true for every game, it easily applied to twenty percent, or perhaps even more, of multiplayer titles. Even PixelPioneers Games' most profitable title, Resident Evil Resistance, suffered from this phenomenon. That was why most long-running multiplayer games constantly introduced progression systems.
PVE games added equipment sets and endless grinding loops, encouraging players to repeatedly farm bosses until obtaining their so-called graduation gear.
PVP games introduced ranking systems, performance statistics, kill tracking, assist counts, and increasingly detailed numerical feedback to reinforce the satisfaction of winning.
Some games launched with tremendous momentum and glowing reception, only to collapse months later.
Early on, casual players flooded in. Nobody fully understood the systems yet. Everything felt fresh. Everything felt exciting. But eventually, exhaustion set in. The casual audience left while only the truly dedicated core players remained.
Yet when people experienced the multiplayer mode of Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain, something felt strange. Ordinary players might not notice immediately. Industry professionals noticed almost instantly. The online mode gave people an oddly unsatisfying feeling.
The mode focused heavily on PVP systems: infiltration missions, defense operations, and base invasions. Players could raid other players' bases to steal resources, while defenders needed advanced technologies and heavy defenses to protect themselves.
On paper, it sounded interesting.
In practice? Something felt missing.
The system resembled the online component from The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, but lacked the same depth and richness. The world of Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain simply wasn't built around massive online exploration in the same way.
"PixelPioneers Games barely cared about the online mode at all." After a two-hour test session, combined with feedback from colleagues in the evaluation department, Hirobumi leaned back in his chair and reached a conclusion. It wasn't bad. Far from it.
If an average studio had developed this multiplayer mode, it would easily score above passing standards. But this wasn't an average studio, this was PixelPioneers Games. People remembered what they had done with Resident Evil Resistance. People remembered "The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim."
Compared to those experiences, the online mode of Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain simply felt ordinary. Too ordinary.
At the same time, another detail caught his attention. PixelPioneers Games barely promoted the multiplayer mode.
John only mentioned it casually through posts and announcements. There was no overwhelming marketing campaign. That was strange. This was a AAA blockbuster. Critical reception across domestic and international media had been nearly flawless, yet the multiplayer mode received minimal attention. Something felt off. There could only be one explanation.
Closing the game window, Hirobumi smiled as he had figured it out. PixelPioneers Games simply didn't value the online mode very much, it was likely added merely to capitalize on launch momentum. Once sales cooled down, relying on this online mode alone wouldn't revive player interest. It might even hurt the game's reputation. But right now? Right now it was enough.
The game itself was already exceptional. Hirobumi leaned back slightly. Absolutely.
On April 26th, the promotional machine behind Ansoft officially roared to life. Its flagship title, Interstellar Storm, began full-scale marketing and they spared no expense.
Beyond the three major distribution channels, countless secondary domestic platforms joined the promotion effort. As a strategic partner, UEGame also provided enormous support.
The campaign felt eerily familiar, almost like the overwhelming momentum Epic Continent once enjoyed. The difference was obvious, however. Overseas reception toward Interstellar Storm was far weaker than Epic Continent, and its producers lacked the prestige and reputation Steven once carried.
Still, marketing power could move mountains. Under overwhelming publicity, Interstellar Storm was rapidly becoming May's biggest anticipated release.
Meanwhile, although the three major platforms continued supporting PixelPioneers Games' Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain, momentum naturally slowed. The game had already been out for nearly a month. Global sales had surpassed ten million copies. Most players had already experienced its story. And unlike Resident Evil Resistance, the online mode wasn't groundbreaking enough to create another explosion of popularity. Even heavy promotion struggled to compete against the incoming storm surrounding Interstellar Storm.
Facing Ansoft's aggressive offensive, executives within the Big Three began emergency discussions. Should they temporarily give away some titles? Launch limited-time promotions? Create major events to dilute Interstellar Storm's momentum? Launching another AAA title directly against it?
Impossible. That would be suicide. Every project capable of competing was still deep in development so throwing another game into battle now would only create an easy target. The situation left the Big Three increasingly uncomfortable.
Then, a headline interview suddenly appeared. The moment those executives saw it, the atmosphere changed instantly. It was rain arriving exactly when the drought had become unbearable.