Yin led his Twitch crew to the Apex Interactive booth, hyped by chat for Fearless Sniper's visuals.
The demo revealed its story: a special forces team infiltrates an overseas crime syndicate's stronghold, botches the op, and gets wiped out. The lone protagonist must escape and dismantle the group, sans support.
Standard anti-terrorism fare—nothing groundbreaking.
But Yin, stepping out of the VibeX1 pod, was impressed. "Graphics are insane in-person. Big screen doesn't do it justice."
Chat buzzed:
"Plot's stale as hell."
"Multiplayer's the draw, not story."
"Heard Apex wants this to kill CrossFire."
"Back to $10 draws, 100 for a hero-tier skin?"
"Apex knows their scam."
"Graphics upgraded, but gameplay? Same old."
"FPS hasn't evolved in a decade. What's left?"
"Haha, what, drive a semi-truck in an FPS?"
"I'd play a trucker FPS, ngl."
"If you're broke, no pipes; if you're starving, no rolls."
"This chat is unhinged."
Yin's group moved to IndieVibe Tech's booth for Ford Rally 3, by partner Nuyan Games.
As chat noted, guns and cars—FPS and racing—are locked genres.
Ford Rally 3 stuck to racing's core: speed. Tracks, formulas, off-road, rallies—same deal.
After queuing, Yin, Jada Brooks, ShuBro, and Pineapple test-drove.
Compared to Nuyan's last game, it shone—better car mods, maps, visuals, and driving feel.
Solid, not revolutionary.
Met expectations, didn't exceed them.
Innovation on the Ford Rally IP? Tough when the genre's stuck.
Post-demo, the crew split: Yin and Jada took the east wing, ShuBro and Pineapple the west.
"Find something dope, ping each other," Yin said.
ShuBro nodded, firing up her Twitch phone. "We'll stay in touch."
At WindyPeak's booth, the expo roared to life.
Media flooded in, crowding Apex Interactive and IndieVibe Tech at the entrance—prime real estate.
Central booths drew decent crowds, with reporters filming and interviewing.
The deeper you went, the thinner the crowd.
Herd mentality—people flocked to the action.
WindyPeak's corner booth?
A desert.
Jake Rivers and Luke Bennett slumped. "No one's coming, Gus," Jake sighed.
They believed in Left 4 Dead 2—its $1,000,000 promo video and demo level were fire, and second-gen FPS (iron sights, no crosshairs) smoked every shooter out there.
But no visitors, no banquet.
A chef can't eat his own stock forever—customers matter.
Gus Harper stayed chill. "Patience. Small hall, tons of media. Someone'll wander over."
He needed one spark—one curious soul.
Gus was 99% sure he could hook them.
Left 4 Dead 2's second-gen FPS would turn heads among game media pros.
Worst case, even if the game sucked, the novel aiming system would draw curiosity.
As Gus spoke, a voice cut in: "Uh… is this Mr. Gus Harper?"
Teacher?
Gus turned. A thirtyish guy in a plaid shirt, black-framed glasses, elite vibe.
"No teacher here, just Gus," he said, extending a hand. "And you are?"
The man, flustered, shook with both hands. "Director Chen, Bluebird Games. Heard of you since IndieVibe's Game Fest. Missed you there, thrilled to meet now. Here to learn."
Gus grinned. "Director Chen! Heard of you too. Honored to have your guidance."
Business pleasantries flowed.
Gus led Chen to the booth, gesturing at the LED. "We're doing a zombie shooter, The Walking Dead. Bold twist—second-gen FPS mode."
He'd clocked Bluebird's booth—slightly bigger than WindyPeak's 100-square-foot nook, but still modest.
Chen mentioned IndieVibe's fest, so Bluebird wasn't top-tier.
Gus vibed with these fellow underdogs.
His pitch, prepped for USEA, was sharp, detailing second-gen FPS's feel—recoil, focus, immersion.
Mid-spiel, Gus glanced at Chen and froze.
Over a dozen people stood behind him, listening intently.
Not media—work badges read: Qunfeng Games, Meiying Tech, Jifeng Studio, Jiahua Games.
Directors, deputy directors, even a deputy GM.
Friendly competitors?!
All staring like star pupils in a lecture hall.
"Uh… you all here to swap notes?" Gus asked, bewildered.
Crash!
They swarmed, hands out:
"Director Gus, I'm Li Xiaoqiang, Qunfeng Games!"
"What's the diff between second-gen and first-gen FPS?"
"Love your zombie designs—where's the inspo?"
"Can I try the VibeX1 pod?"
"This is game-changing, Gus. Another WindyPeak history-maker!"
"Here's my card!"
Gus's brain short-circuited.
What the hell?! I need media, not you lot!
In the west corridor, ShuBro waved her phone at chat. "Score this game, five max!"
They'd just played Horror Portrait Gallery by Star Games—ghost hunting, evidence collecting, like Phasmophobia, but with haunted paintings, not spirits.
Chat spammed:
"1/5, next."
"Same as Phasmophobia, just reskinned."
"Thought it was DLC, lol."
"Fun 'cause Phasmophobia's fun, but no originality."
"Copycat vibes, 1.5/5."
ShuBro nodded. "Scary, but samey. 1.5/5."
She jotted it in her notebook and moved on with Pineapple.
Next: Bluebird Games.
The LED looped a virtual figure smashing colorful arrows to music—a Dance Dance Revolution clone.
"Looks fun," Pineapple said, nudging ShuBro. "Try it?"
"Dancing game?" ShuBro peered in. "Hello? Anyone? We're Twitch streamers. Can someone explain this?"
Normally, booths had designers ready to pitch.
Not here.
After three calls, a young woman with a badge emerged. "Hey, want to try it?"
She moved to open a VibeX1 pod.
ShuBro blinked. "Are you the designer? Can you intro the game?"
The woman laughed awkwardly. "Not a designer, just a guide. I handle pod setup. Our designer's at another booth."
What?
Designer ditched during peak expo?
To visit another booth?
ShuBro and Pineapple exchanged looks.
"Uh… we'll come back," ShuBro said, smiling stiffly, and moved on.
Next: Phantom Technology's Sacred Spear, an FPS.
A young man greeted them. "Welcome! Try Sacred Spear in the VibeX1 pod."
ShuBro hesitated. "Just a shooter? Any unique features?"
He smiled. "Our director can explain details. I'm just a guide for pod setup. He's at another booth."
Again?!
ShuBro's jaw dropped.
Small studios, sure, but all designers ghosting?
A wild theory hit her.
"Thanks, we'll circle back," she said, dragging Pineapple to the next booth.
First words: "Is your designer here?!"