The Hollow Knight NS cartridges were freshly produced, delivered directly here according to the number of people in the studio. The plastic seals on them were all intact, straight from the factory to their hands.
Picking up a box, Ichin couldn't hide the uncontrollable smile on his face. "The day has finally come."
The game itself was already complete, but they still needed to make some launch-day patches to fix a few yet-to-be-discovered bugs and further optimize the game's loading speed.
But these minor issues wouldn't affect the normal gameplay.
After handing out the cartridges to everyone, Ichin tore off the transparent film from his own cartridge, opened the case, and took out the small game card inside.
"So, this is our game."
Looking around at everyone, Ichin said to the art team, "You guys all brought your NS consoles, right? Take your copies and start playing. While you're at it, act as testers and check for any bugs you encounter in the NS version."
"No problem!"
Everyone agreed enthusiastically, grabbing their copies and eagerly returning to their desks to play.
Ichin wasn't in a hurry himself. After giving his NS to Utaha, he walked over to Umiko.
"Umiko, how's the bug fixing going on the PC version?"
Umiko replaced the cartridge in her NS and put it aside, continuing her work on the computer. "Don't worry. Those major bugs we found a few days ago are mostly fixed. Only about a dozen minor ones remain. If you help me, and with Narumi's assistance, we'll definitely fix them all within the next few days."
"No problem. Give me a few to handle, and I'll take care of them."
Returning to his desk, Ichin looked at Utaha, who had just started playing the game. "Don't forget to message Eriri. I saved her copy of the game, so tell her to remember to come and pick it up tomorrow."
"Yeah, I'll message her tonight," Utaha nodded while cradling her NS. "But I'm not telling her right now. Otherwise, that girl will definitely rush over from home right away."
Ichin thought about it and agreed. After all, Eriri was a hardcore otaku. Knowing the physical copy of the game she helped develop was finally out, she'd definitely be itching to get her hands on it.
Better to let her know later. No need to make her run over here unnecessarily.
Before starting today's work, Ichin thought for a moment and opened Bilibili to post an update.
"The development of the PC and NS versions of Hollow Knight is almost complete. The NS physical version has entered the cartridge production stage. Please look forward to the release date!"
As for photos of the physical copies, Ichin decided not to post them just yet. They'd enjoy playing for a couple of days themselves before letting the fans know.
It was already late October, and with only 20 days left until the game's release, there was no need to rush.
After work in the evening, since there wasn't much left to do, and they hadn't been pulling all-nighters, Ichin let everyone leave on time as usual.
Of course, everyone took their copies of the game home with them. After all, they were all so engrossed in playing that it would be impossible not to let them take it home.
When they got home, Utaha didn't forget to message Eriri.
Just two minutes after the message was sent, Eriri called.
"Did the cartridge come out? When did it release? Has it already arrived today? I'm coming over right now!"
"Stop! Stop!"
Utaha quickly interrupted, "Why are you coming over so late at night? Are you trying to disturb my precious time alone with Ichin?"
"I'm not trying to disturb you two! I could just go to the studio and find Kō, right?"
Sitting beside her, Ichin waved at Utaha, took her phone, and spoke to Eriri, "Alright, just calm down. It's already late. You're coming over tomorrow anyway, so let's just wait until then. If you get your hands on the game now, you'll definitely pull an all-nighter and won't make it here tomorrow. I'm the boss, so my word is final."
Ichin's words finally made Eriri drop the idea.
"Alright, fine. I'll come over tomorrow morning." On the other end of the phone, Eriri had just finished showering and was looking at her pajamas and damp hair, realizing it would be a hassle to get herself ready to go out now.
"Oh, by the way, Ichin, with Hollow Knight's release approaching, when are you planning to start the new game project?"
"No need to rush."
Ichin chuckled, "You didn't join the Hollow Knight development project from the very beginning, so you're not as exhausted. But the others have been working on it from day one. As their boss, I need to give them a proper break after this project, right? Don't worry. By the end of November, we'll have a meeting to discuss the new game's development. Just be ready by then."
After chatting a bit more, Ichin ended the call and looked at Utaha.
"Come on, let's go take a bath. Then, finish the rest of your assignments so we can get to work on our own stuff."
Tugging on Ichin's sleeve, Utaha said, "Ichin, I've already finished writing the fifth volume of my novel. With only two volumes left, it'll be complete. So, when will you give me the settings and storyline outline for the new game?"
"Already eager to start writing?"
Utaha, brimming with confidence, replied, "While you've been studying your professional skills, I haven't been slacking off either. I've been studying game writing techniques. Even though I'm still a beginner, I'm confident in my skills!"
"I see."
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Ichin snapped his fingers and said, "Alright then. Once you finish your assignments, we'll start discussing the Persona project."
The next day, Saturday.
Ichin woke up earlier than Utaha, changed into workout clothes, dragged the treadmill to the living room, and began his morning jog.
While jogging, he pulled out his phone and opened Bilibili to check the post he made yesterday afternoon.
Just as expected, the post about the game's completion had already gained over two thousand comments overnight, with new ones still coming in.
"Looks like Hollow Knight has built up a decent amount of hype domestically. I'll try doing a livestream tonight and showcase some content that hasn't been revealed before."
After jogging for half an hour, Ichin stepped off the treadmill and posted a livestream announcement scheduled for 8 p.m.
As he finished washing up and started preparing breakfast, Utaha woke up.
Dressed in her nightgown, Utaha walked into the kitchen and hugged Ichin from behind.
"Good morning, Ichin."
"Good morning, Utaha."
Placing the fried eggs on a plate, Ichin turned to glance at the still-drowsy Utaha and smiled. "If you're tired, you can go back to sleep for a while."
Utaha shook her head.
"Nope. Eriri already called, practically like a death reaper urging me to get up."
Honestly, that comparison was pretty fitting, considering how eager Eriri must be to get her hands on the game.
...
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