I Am Cat

Kukhululwe ngokuphelele ngomhla kaDisemba 5, 2024, *I Am Cat* ingumdlalo we-virtual reality we-sandbox adventure owakhiwe futhi washicilelwa yi-New Folder Games Ltd. Leli gama limelela uhlobene olukhulayo lwemidlalo ye-VR yokulingisa egxile ekusebenzeni kwezibalo (physics-based interaction) kanye nokudlala izindima kunokuba indaba ehamba ngobugujwa obuzenzakalayo. Ngokubeka abadlali ngqo ezandleni zesilwane esikade siphazamisayo, umdlalo ushaya umphakathi we-VR ukuze ukunikeze umbono ohlukile emhlabeni wasekhaya—olapho izinto eziyinqaba zasendlini ziba amathoyizi, izithiyo, noma iziqondiso zokonakala. Nakuba umbono usuka ekuthokoziseni, umlando wokuthuthukiswa komdlalo, imishini, nokwamukelwa kwawo kukhombisa isu eliqondile elenziwa abaklami baseCyprus ukuze bathole ithagethi yentsha enamandla kwe-viral ngohlelo lokuhamba oluhlukile kanye nomdlalo ovulekile. Okukhangayo okukhulu ku *I Am Cat* kusekugxileni emugqeni wayo oyinhloko wokudlala, obuzama ukulingisa umuzwa womzimba nokuziphatha bokuba ikati. Ngokungafani nokuzulazula okujwayelekile emidlalweni, leli gama lisebenzisa uhlelo lokuhamba ngemicabango yezandleni olufana nomdlalo odume kakhulu we-VR othi *Gorilla Tag*. Abadlali bayahamba ngokulingisa umgqugquzi wokuhamba ngaphansi kwezinhlanga zonke, besebenzisa izandla zabo (noma amapawa) ukuzisusa ngaphambili, ukwenyuka ezindlini, nokundiza phakathi kwezigaba. Le ndlela yokulawula yomzimba ihlose ukugxilisa umdlali emzimbeni walesi silwane, idinga umzamo womzimba ukuze ukweqe isigxobo noma ulandele i-laser pointer. Ukuxhumana kulezi zinto kusezingeni eliphakeme lomthetho we-physics; abadlali bangalimaza izimbobo ezisemnyango, bajikeleze izindwangu, bashone ukudla etafuleni, noma badlale ngezinto eziqhakazayo ezilele. Umzamo wokuziphatha okuqukethwe kulowo mdlalo ukuzwa ngohlelo lwe-quest oluboniswa ngesikhathi sokusethwa kwe-smart-watch noma ngokuxhumana nabanye izilwane, njengomprofethi wengonyama ibandla elithi ngungena esigabeni somphakathi obuzayo. Umhlaba womdlalo uqala endaweni yasekhaya ebizwa ngokuthi “Indlu kaGogo,” okuyindawo yokufundisa nothile wokuqala. Le ndawo igcwele izinto zokuxhumana, ukusuka kuthelevishini engashintshwa ibe “isiteshi somdanso” kuya ezibekweni ezimfihlo eziyimfanelo ukufinyelela ngezinga lokuhamba ngokucophelela. Ngemuva kokukhululwa ngokugcwele, uhlaka lomdlalo wakhulisa kakhudlwana ngaphesheya kwezindonga zokuqala. Isibuyekezo sika-1.0 sethule izinhlobo eziningi ze-biomes ezintsha, okuhlanganisa igaraji eligcwele izinto, isitolo esidayisa izithako, ingadi enkulu, nezitaladi zombuso. Lezi ndawo zaletha abalingiswa abasha—kanye nabantu nabanye izidalwa—okufana nomthakathi, inja enobutha, noNandabazabazi omdala. Yonke indawo inikeza izithunzela zezindawo eziyinkimbinkimbi nezimishini “ezikhonjwa ikati” ezifana nokweba ukudla kokudla kwemilenze noma ukuhamba phezulu ezindlweni ukuze ugweme abantu abakhathazekile. Ngemuva kwesigcawu, ukuthuthukiswa kwe *I Am Cat* yi-New Folder Games Ltd kugqamisa indlela yesimanje yokukhiqiza imidlalo. Iqale ngo-2019, insimu ihlukaniswe nethimba elincane elingaba ngu-15 abantu, ubuholi bayo bubuyele ezikhiqizweni zemidlalo yeselula (ikakhulukazi izinkampani ezifana ne-Estoty). Lolu hlobo lwe-DNA lweselula lwabonakala emcabangweni wabo wokuthi “ukushesha kobungqondo” (fast prototyping). Ithimba lithiwa ukuba lasebenzisa amanye amathimba amabili ababhali kanye nabaculi ababili ukuze zibe ngokuqhubekayo kwezimbynzo kumjikelezo we-3-4 amasonto, kugcizelela ukwenziwa kusebenza okujabulisayo kanye nemishini eyinhloko kunokubukeka okuphelele. *I Am Cat* ivela kulolu hlelo njengombono ophawulekayo wokuhlolwa ngaphakathi, abakhiqizi bakweleta izinkundla zokuxhumana ezifana ne-TikTok ne-YouTube ukuze bathengise umdlalo, lapho iziqeshana zabadlali benza ukuphazamiseka kwezingonyama zaya i-viral, zikhulisa ukulangazelela ngisho naphakathi nesigaba Parsing ngaphambili, emnandi ngesikhathi sokuqalisa esiveleka ngo-2024. Noma ngabe ukunwetshwa nokudume kakhulu komdlalo, u *I Am Cat* ubhekene nokuhlaselwa okuhlukahlukene kwezibuyekezo. Ngaphezulu kokuhle, abadlali bakhuthaza inkululeko nokuvumbulwa kokuhlangenwe nakho, bekhomba ukuthi “umbono wecat” uyakwazi ukungena ngaphakathi futhi unikeza indlela eyanelisayo yokonakala okungalimazi. Izithombe, nakuba zingafansi futhi zinezingxenye ezi-racacile, zibhekwa njengokujabulisayo futhi kulungile esigxotweni somdlalo. Nokho, isihloko akekho kwikamu. Ezinye izibuyekezo ziqinisekisa izinkinga zobuchwepheshe, echaza indlela zokuhamba njengokungaphenduli “janky” lapho ukweqa izakhiwo eziyinkimbinkimbi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umdlalo ubhekane nobuhlakani bokuhlanganisa mayelana nezinsiza zobuciko lapho abanye abathintekayo bekhomba ukusetshenziswa kobuciko obudalwe nge-AI kwezincazelo zokuphromotha kanye nezithombe zomdlalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, inguqulo yeselula yomdlalo ibhekane nezikhalazo ngaphansi kokuqhuba kwezikhangiso, nezikhalazo ezibhalelwe ekuthengiseni okuqhamuka kwe-VR efana neMeta Quest ne-Steam. Ekugcineni, *I Am Cat* isimisiwe njengesifundo esibalulekile embonini ye-VR yanamuhla. Kubonisa ukuthi isisekelo esilula kodwa esiphezulu—“yiba ikati”—singaguqulelwa siphumelele umkhiqizo ngokumaketha okuyiviral kanye nezimidlalo eziqine ngokuqondisa komzimba. Ngokuvumela abadlali ukuba baphuthe imithetho yemphakathi yabantu futhi bajabulele izimo eziyinqaba zengonyama yasekhaya, i-New Folder Games yadalela isihloko esihambisana nabathandi bezilwane nabathandi be-VR. Njengoba abakhiqizi beqhubeka nokuxhasa umdlalo ngezibuyekezo ezihlosiwe ezihlanganisa izindawo ezintsha ezifana ne-lighthouse kanye nezindawo zomswakama, *I Am Cat* remains isibonelo esibalulekile salokho ukuthi izimboni ezizimele zenza kanjani ubunikazi bokuzijabulisa bempilo ye-VR enobuchopho.