Anna and Rachel looked completely confused.
"You're not making a sequel to Undertale, and you're not making another META game either?" Anna just couldn't wrap her head around it.
Rachel felt the same way.
Right now, the media is still filled with reviews and articles about Undertale.
On game dev forums, where many industry professionals hang out, there's a ton of discussion analyzing the design and structure of Undertale.
This new kind of element really seemed like it could become a trend.
Even some studios and designers had already publicly announced that they were starting projects inspired by META concepts.
And now Lucas was saying he wasn't going to do that anymore?
If word got out, it would shock a lot of people.
Before Undertale, no one really cared about META in games.
Normally, with a hit like this, the smart move would be to strike while the iron's hot—like how Mirror got DLC soon after.
At the very least, launch a brand-new META-style game.
In fact, Rachel and Anna had already talked about it in private.
They thought their next project might be a prequel to Undertale.
After all, the stories of the little goat and Chara in the game were only briefly touched on, never fully explored.
And now Lucas was telling them there would be no sequel to Undertale, not even another META game?
"It's not the right fit," Lucas explained, "and META as a concept is very limited. Undertale hit hard because players didn't see it coming. They weren't mentally ready, and most of them had no idea what META even was."
"If we release another META game now, it definitely won't have the same impact as Undertale. In fact, because of those first impressions, players might think the quality is going downhill."
Lucas explained this clearly to the two of them.
Others might not get it, but Lucas understood META games very well.
In his original timeline, META games were nothing new anymore.
ICEY, The Stanley Parable, Pony Island, and the one Lucas chose to develop—Undertale.
These were all standouts.
But the top sellers were Undertale and ICEY.
The Stanley Parable, which was actually the one that introduced META to many players, didn't sell as well as those two later titles.
And Pony Island? A lot of players had never even heard of it.
The main reason is simple: META doesn't work well as the main selling point.
If you look closely, you'll see that ICEY mixed in a lot of action gameplay.
Undertale, though it turned RPGs on their head, was really a mix of RPG mechanics and bullet hell gameplay.
Both Undertale and ICEY used META elements to support the main game.
But Pony Island and The Stanley Parable relied heavily on META, with very little else backing it up.
META can absolutely blow players away when used right.
But it's better as a supporting element—something that adds flavor and creates chemistry with the rest of the game.
Even in his previous life, many big titles followed this idea.
Like the Metal Gear series, with bosses like Psycho Mantis who could read the player's inputs.
Like the final ending in NieR: Automata, where the player's save file is used to help others—that's another example of a META element.
These kinds of things are META in nature, but they're more like supporting features than the core of the game.
The reason Undertale became such a success wasn't just because of its META stuff.
After Lucas finished explaining, Rachel and Anna still looked a little lost.
They understood… but not completely.
Still, there was one thing they did get.
Making another META game probably wouldn't make much money, and might not even be well received.
If more and more game studios start adding META elements, players might just get sick of it.
"So what kind of game should we make next?" Anna asked Lucas.
"We'll go for something small for now—kind of like a transition project. And we'll need to grow the team too," Lucas replied.
"As for the type… check this out."
He opened the laptop next to him and went to a website—the official Game Division homepage.
Rachel and Anna looked on, still a bit confused, as Lucas opened up a public notice.
"Science is the driving force behind human progress; with its rapid development, our lives are changing in huge ways. This time, the Game Division is holding a sci-fi game competition under the theme: 'Technology Changes Life.'"
1. Who can enter: All game designers in the country.
2. Requirements: Any platform is fine. The theme should be positive and meaningful.
3. Organizer: Hosted by the national Game Division, with both expert judging and player voting to ensure fairness.
4. Awards: Based on the total number of entries, there will be one first prize, three second prizes, six third prizes, and several honorable mentions.
Winning entries will be featured and promoted on the official platform homepage.
Winners will also be recognized as "Outstanding Game Designers" as a form of encouragement.
(Registration is open from September 1st to 5th. The event ends at the end of September.)
"Are we really joining this?" Anna asked, clearly surprised.
She had heard of the event before.
Even though it's open to all game designers, most of the participants are indie developers or small studios.
Of course, there are real benefits—after all, it's hosted by the Game Division, which handles game approval, designer titles, engine development, and game policy. They're basically in charge of everything.
Getting visibility from them can only be a good thing.
And being promoted on the homepage of the official platform? That's a huge win.
That platform is one of the biggest in the country.
As for why big studios don't join—well, for them, this kind of contest is a waste of time.
Their high-budget projects already get more than enough attention.
And those big-budget games are mainly made for profit.
Profit-focused games often rely on things that get attention.
Even if you don't count violence or fanservice, stuff like multiple love interests and harem setups… that kind of content wouldn't look good in a government-sponsored event.
So naturally, big-budget games don't enter.
Most of the entries come from indie devs and small studios—though some studios owned by major companies also take part.
(End of Chapter)
---
Read +40 advanced chapters on my patre*n
patr eon.com/GustinaKamiya
Free Tier can read 3 advanced chapters
---