Aden was not born from the wave of modern gaming trends but from the dream of one man.
Notch, the creator of Minecraft, sold his legendary creation to Microsoft in 2014 and vanished from the public eye. Many assumed he had retired from the industry, but in truth, he was concealing something Legendary...
In 2020, Notch returned with the most ambitious vision of his life: to create a virtual world where "anything is possible," under the banner of Project Aden, or the "New Eden." This world was an experiment blending imagination with technology. Notch developed the "Node System," allowing players to freely alter every aspect of the world through Microsoft's Neural Link technology.
The Node System simulated details down to the atomic level to deliver an unparalleled sense of realism. To support the massive data requirements of this system, Microsoft built the world's largest underwater server, capable of processing the immense information load.
Project Aden has received support from major investors worldwide, including billionaires, universities, and even governments. Naturally, some skeptics questioned whether the budget was a wasteful expenditure—but trust me, on launch day, those questions vanished.
The result was Aden, an MMO-Sandbox game launched in 2025. It wasn't just a game; it was a "second world" where people could live a new life in a land without limitations. There were no binding contracts or obligations, save for two strict rules:
1. Players had to be at least 15 years old, with identity verification through strict account registration.
2. They had to consent to data collection. It was said that "Aden is a social experiment."
The Man Named Smith, Who Traded a Gun for a Keyboard
Smith Steinbarden, a 36-year-old former Marine who fought in desert battlefields, didn't return from war with medals but with deep scars. An explosion eliminated his left leg, forcing him into early retirement, and since then, his life seemed to stall.
He went back to college, earning a degree in electrical engineering, and channeled his pain into Minecraft, becoming a master of redstone streamer. But his popularity was diminished with the rise of a new game, "Project Aden." YouTubers creating content about Aden saw their view counts soar into the tens of thousands within 24 hours, even for brand-new channels.
Naturally, Smith was curious about Aden, but five months after its release, he worried whether he could catch up with other players.
.
.
"Hmm, Smith, you wanna try Aden with me? I'm telling you, this game is more than just realistic graphics and vibes. I just saw the in-game market—it's absolutely wild! Makes Ragnarok Online look tame," said the voice on the other end of the call.
Smith paused with his interest as the conversation shifted to the markets of this bold new game and a classic one. Ragnarok Online, a famous Korean game, was known for item trades worth as much as houses. But what could the market value in Aden possibly be?
"This game's tough, bro. Progress is slow even after five months have passed. But the black-market item trading? Players are spending real money. You know, you can build entire empires in this game? This game fricking free. You gotta try it," the voice continued.
"I wanna play too, but what's the deal with black-market prices?" Smith asked.
"Not crazy high, but it's buzzing all the time. The community's tight-knit, and less of toxicity."
"Hmm… but the gear for this game, that Neural Link? It's pricey as hell—$1,000!" Smith noted. As a gamer, he couldn't resist a new experience, but while Project Aden was free to download through the Windows Store, it required the Neural Link device, which cost as much as a PC.
"You didn't know? You can finance the Neural Link, 0% interest for up to 30 months! They're practically begging you to buy it, with a warranty and everything," the voice replied.
"Now you're talking," Smith said.
"You're not trying to rope me into some Ponzi scheme, are you? Haha," Smith teased. The person on the other end was a cousin, someone close to him.
"I got busted for fraud and Ponzi schemes, sure, but look, I've been out of jail for a year now. I'm legit, man!" The cousin laughed it off. To anyone else, the comment might've stung, but for Smith, it was just friendly yap.
After chatting with "Corner," his close cousin, Smith opened a gaming gear website, checked his bank balance on his phone, and ordered the Neural Link with his credit card.
"0% interest in 30 months?, so..."
[Your order has been successfully placed. Please expect delivery in 1–3 days.]
The roar of the car engine echoed from the front lawn, louder than ever before. A man in a cap rang the doorbell.
"Who's that?" Smith called.
"Delivery!" the man replied.
Smith knew instantly—it was the Neural Link he'd ordered. He quickly strapped on his prosthetic leg and walked to the door with the ease of someone untouched by tragedy.
Inside his medium-sized bedroom, a glowing RGB-lit PC setup dominated the space. Cables connected to a helmet-like device, the Neural Link. The monitor displayed:
[Loading client: 25% complete…]
While waiting for the client to load, Smith serf through the internet for Project Aden guides and black-market info:
— What should new players do? 2025 Update
— Help! How do I know what this item is called? There are no names for items, players, or monsters in Aden.
— You can't chat via external apps, and the in-game chat is menu-only. How do you play with friends?
— Where should new players spawn? Why does the game feel so hard? What's the appeal of a tough game?
— Project Aden isn't an RPG—it's a Sandbox-Roguelike.
— Is Project Aden a "woke" game?
— 18+: Can you have sexual relationships with NPCs in Aden?
— Aden's black market today in Hauspringen (to keep NPCs out, name three favorite blockbuster movies to enter the market).
Smith skimmed the guides—fast-paced, well-edited, and easy to grasp. Still, he called Corner.
.
"Hey, Corner," Smith said.
"Yo, Smith, what's up?"
"So, I got the gear for Project Aden. Where should I spawn?"
"Nice! You actually bought it! Awesome. Spawn in Drechuis Village—I know some folks there."
"Usually, we chat while gaming, but this game messes with your brain directly. You can't use chat apps; it's like you're knocked out."
"Alright, I'll wait for you there. My name's Shylock."
Corner ended the call. Smith, now set with his cousin's plan, put on the gaming headset, pressed the power button, and lay flat on his bed.
[For player convenience, please find a comfortable place to lie down and press Start again.]
[Complete]
The ceiling faded to black, leaving only darkness and an unconscious body. The Neural Link system tapped into the brain's REM state, a half-sleep, half-awake phase, to operate.
The screen shifted to Aden's title screen, featuring a Back button, a Service option, and a massive central game icon—a hyper-realistic ancient ruin, with grass swaying gently in the breeze.
By focusing on the icon, the screen zoomed into the ruin, filling the display. In the center, the words "Enter Game" appeared.
"Enter Game," Smith said.
Before anything else, a terms-of-service agreement appeared. Smith read it carefully, accepting all conditions to play.