"Welcome to the first ever private demo of The Realm Online, a project that Radical Interactive has been working on since its inception over twenty years ago." Crystal Fedler did her best not to look nervous as she stood in front of the small classroom full of people. She had been tasked with ushering this group into a new age of technology. A representative for the future of gaming.
Twenty participants had been selected to demo Radical Interactive's new version of their previously failed VRMMO. These were the elites, a mix of professional gamers and investors. Half would be able to find all of the flaws in the game, the other half were just there to see the progression of what their money had bought. All had to sign non-disclosure agreements before they were even allowed to enter the building. For as advanced as it was, The Realm Online was far from ready for the retail market. This was just a small sample of where the game was headed. "I'm sure you are all eager to begin." She smiled at the faces staring back at her. "In a few moments, you will be taken to the sleeping bay. There, you will each be assigned a bed. One of our nurses will hook you up to a vitals machine and electroencephalogram to monitor you during gameplay."
Reaching to the table next to her, Crystal lifted the Felote to show the device to the beta group. Radical Interactive had done their best to design the helmet with comfort in mind, but that was difficult when it was made of hard materials and needed to cover most of the player's head. They had been tirelessly working on trying to get implant technology to take off, but society was still reluctant to accept the installation of permanent apparatuses inside of the human body, so this was the best they could do for now. It had a familiar look to it, reminiscent of the gaming helmets on the market today, which should make the players feel comfortable, but the functionality was different on many levels.
"Now I know you're probably wondering why this is an overnight demo. You probably thought that you came here to sit in front of a computer, plugged in playing a video game all night, but that's not quite the case." Crystal gave her audience a slightly mischevious smirk. "I would like to introduce you to the Felote." She held up the helmet and slowly turned it so that the group could see its sleek design. Round like a motorcycle helmet, it was completely white except for the black visor on the front that would allow the player to see once they logged off from the game. "This is a revolutionary new gaming peripheral that will allow you to...wait for it..." Crystal moved the Felote to one hand and held up a finger for dramatic suspense, "game while you are asleep."
There was a mix of collective gasps and looks of confusion from the demo group. Silent questions hung in the air as they waited for Crystal to continue.
"Many consumers come home from a long day of work and plug into their favorite games, often staying up too late and suffering fatigue the following day. This results in decreased productivity and job performance. With the Felote, all of that is eliminated because players are able to get rest while they play. Utilizing technology that taps into your REM cycle, the Felote is able to induce a type of controlled lucid dreaming. As you can probably guess, this has multiple benefits for the player and the gameplay experience.
"Right now when you game for extended periods, you have to take breaks to eat and use the restroom. While you sleep at night, you're typically in a fasting period. Most people also do not wake up to use the bathroom. Having said that, the Felote allows the player to experience up to twelve hours of non-stop gaming. Of course, we don't recommend more than eight." She smiled again, amused by all of the gawking faces. This device was indeed a gamer's dream come true.
"The Felote induces sleep almost instantly to immerse you into the game," Crystal continued, casting her gaze down at the device. "This eliminates the problem of insomnia that many people suffer from on a day to day basis. It will also eliminate the need for prescriptions to control the condition. Embedded within the device is an internal alarm clock. You can set it to wake you at whatever time or after however many hours you prefer. For safety reasons, the device does not allow playtime for more than twelve hours. It also has an internal system that monitors your vitals. If it detects anything beyond its parameters, it will kick you from REM sleep so that you can seek medical attention, if necessary." She finally turned her attention back to her audience. "Does anyone have any questions about the Felote's safety features?"
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A man dressed in a suit at the back of the room raised his hand. When Crystal called upon him, he asked, "What about those of us who already have insomnia. Will it be possible for us to wake up during gameplay?"
"No." She shook her head. "The Felote works much like the helmets currently available on the market and provides undisturbed gameplay. You will not be pulled out of the game unless you will it."
The man smiled, pleased with this.
"What if you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?" A woman asked out of turn.
"Currently, eliminating within the game does not exist. If the urge to use the restroom arises, it means that you have to go in real life. At that point, you would simply log out of the game to do your business."
The last person with their hand raised lowered it.
Crystal silently thanked the heavens that there was no bombardment of questions. It seemed that everyone was eager to jump into the game.
"Now we will discuss what you guys are probably really interested in. Gameplay."
A few people nodded in agreement, their eager smiles speaking volumes about their hunger for the lecture to be over and the demo to begin.
"While I know you're all eager to explore everything that The Realm has to offer, unfortunately, we're still working out the kinks for the world at large. Having said that, you will only have access to a limited amount of features and locations.
"Today, you will be assigned a specific race and class. When the game launches, you will be able to choose how to build your character. There are currently twelve planned races and seventeen classes, including what you will be demoing today. Mind you, many races will be able to mix and match classes. For the purpose of this demo, classes have been assigned to give you specific starter abilities.
"Considering that this is a short demo and we want it to be as exciting for you as possible, leveling has been accelerated. This will allow you to unlock abilities and customize your character faster.
"Once you log in, you will be able to customize your avatar and set your emersion preferences. This is all explained within the game. If at any time you become confused or lost, you can concentrate on the help function, and a screen will pop up to provide you guidance.
"While we encourage you to explore and get a feel for the world, we do not encourage you to be reckless. One of the features we've been considering implementing into the game is a consequence system for dying in-game, one of which we are going to test in this demo. If you die in the game, you will immediately be rejected and will not be able to play again for 24 hours."
Brows furrowed around the room and the sounds of upset whispers could be heard. Hands raised, but Crystal ignored them.
"In too many games, the only consequence for death is losing your items. Death is a finality, and Radical Interactive wants to make it feel that way. Having said that, if you die during this demo, your demo experience will come to an end. The Felote will automatically set you to sleep a full eight hours, and you will experience a peaceful, dreamless sleep until the end of your demo time."
It was clear that many of the participants didn't agree with this. Crystal was done taking questions, though. She was on a set schedule to get the volunteers to the sleeping bay. Any questions and complaints could be submitted after the gameplay.
"Now, if you'll all stand and come with me." She took a few steps toward the door and gestured for everyone to follow. "Your demo for The Realm Online is about to begin."