The stage was dark, the only light on the chair with Ryan Zegmoyer, one of the world’s premier game journalists. The assembled crowd buzzed in anticipation, in their own quartered-off space at E3. Of course, broadcasting was online as well. They quieted down as the next spotlight turned on. Devan Richelu strode to the chair beside Ryan, flashing a winning white smile in a sharp grey suit. There was a hush as thousands drew in a collective breath. This was the official announcement. The moment they’d been waiting for.

“Welcome, everyone. I’m joined here by Devan Richelu, the CEO of OceanWide Studios. We’re all very excited from the teasers shown, the most recent of which has over two million views in the last week. I’m your host Ryan Zegmoyer, and let’s get this started. Thank you for coming, Devan? May I call you Devan?

“Thank you for having me.” Devan said, running a hand through his immaculately curled hair. “And Devan’s fine. I’m quite excited to talk about our latest development. It was hard not to say anything before now.”

“I’ll bet. The rumors have been wild, and we’ve heard of a tentative release date, and some test footage. Which looks beautiful, by the way, I can’t even imagine the rest. But we haven’t even been given a name for this new game, it’s had some people worried. It’s quite a risk, as reports say you’re banking the entire company on this.” Ryan said. Devan chuckled.

“While a normal studio would never admit to that, my vision for this company has never beat to anyone’s drum but mine. Yes, it’s sink or swim for us on this one. I can say without hyperbole that we’re ruined if the game doesn’t do better than nearly any other game in history. But I’m not worried in the slightest. It will.” he said confidently. Ryan raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Your company’s been responsible for some of the megahits of the last decade like Illuminary Flight and Zero Plus One, but that’s an awful bold claim to make.”

Devan sat back, smiling. This was it. This was the moment these gamers the world over were waiting for.

“I’m afraid it’s just that simple. You see, for this one, this one alone we’ve acquired Transcend Tech to develop the next gen game for the next gen system, the NeWorld.”

“The VR console? I’m familiar with the potential of it, but the NeWorld’s launch titles failed to impress.” Ryan said skeptically. “Complete immersion gaming isn’t the reality we were hoping for just yet. You’re saying you’ve taken the next step?” Devan smirked.

“Not the next step. The final step. And I’d like to correct you there. Complete immersion gaming isn’t a reality. It’s a fantasy.”

Fire shot across the stage. People gasped and screamed as an enormous, magnificent golden-brown spiked dragon crawled across the stage. Even Ryan jumped, and he knew the screens were there. It reared up and roared, the speakers reverberating with the beast’s timbre. Devan stood up, and the dragon leaned down so he could pat the snout on the screen. It was incredible; if it weren’t for the assembled giant screens, everyone present could swear the dragon was real. It breathed, it blinked, it shifted, growling softly.

“Say hello to Spot.” Devan said, chuckling. “Currently he is being generated by a mere fraction of the NeWorld’s processing power. Advancements in this technology have made the impossible real. We aimed to create a seamless, completely immersive world. No loading screens, no connectivity issues, minimal displays and pop-ups. Instead of relying on product placement and ad revenue, we’ve been contracted by government and military personnel to tap into the potential of the NeWorld for training simulations and therapy. And I’ve taken that money to create my dream. This isn’t just one of my games, this is a passion project. I’ve waited my entire life to create this. And I say with full confidence this is the greatest videogame of all time…at least, until a sequel.” He winked, and Spot roared. The blackness on the screens fell away into a lush mountain valley view, perfectly photorealistic. -ACTUAL GAME FOOTAGE- flashed across the screen. “Because we feed the graphics directly into the brain, perfect realism is possible. Sight, sound, smell, touch taste, all accounted for. Of course, pain inhibitors have been installed, and at the highest setting will never go beyond a paper cut. Welcome to the NeWorld, ladies and gentlemen. Anything you can think of, you can do.” The dragon crouched and leapt off the mountain, taking wing into the sky, illuminated by the sun.

“This…this is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it!” Ryan gushed excitedly. Devan nodded.

“This is the world’s first MMO on this scale. You don’t play the game, you live it.” He raised his hands as sprites floated up from the flowers and danced around him, jigging and twirling, separated only by the screen. And soon, he mused, not even that. “All my years of work have led to this. I won't give you a game. I give you a fantasy. A real fantasy. Real Fantasy Online, coming August 12th.” Spot wheeled in the sky, breathing out the title in a burst of fire.

The crowd went wild, and Devan bowed.