Chapter 45


Game Market 1983 - Chapter 45




“Judging from the atmosphere of the last conference, the idea of an expensive device didn’t bode well . However, everything seems to be going well for now . Once the initial batch sells out from the 10 day promotional discount, we should be able to see the network effect through kids . ”


“Some students will bring the device to school, if one kid from every class bought one, it would be advertised to 50 others . ”


“Exactly, that’s one marketing benefit of a mobile device . Just like the Game & Watch, people would see our device on the subways as well, free advertisement here lads,”


I can relate . In elementary school, my classmate brought one in and showed it off . When asked to play on the device, he’d be haughty to an intolerable level . In the end, his device was stolen within 3 days causing a huge ruckus…


“Excuse me, is there any more coffee left? Our customers waiting in line are asking for it…”


A worker distributing the coffee came back with an empty mug and asked .


“Oh, there’s still ten more hours to go until the event starts . What are we going to do in this freezing cold?”


“We can’t just ask them to go back either . Our only option is to try and prepare for any disaster that might pop up . ”


Ensuingly, one marketing employee spoke while blowing steam unto his frozen hands .


“Should we buy hot packs from the convenience store and pass those around?”


“Hot packs?” That’s not a bad idea, but to supply a crowd this large we would need to make trips to several stores . ”


“We don’t have any other choice . News reporters should be swarming in soon; should our customers just catch frostbite?”


“You’re right, we should do everything in our power to help these freezing souls . ”


In the end, we scoured the nearby stores for products that could warm the body and loaded the items to our van and distributed them to the people in line . Even after that, the freezing chill showed no signs of withdrawing .


“Keugh… You all are incredible . I would’ve given up and gone home by now . ”


Mr . Gunpei rubbed his reddened nose and stepped into the van . Subsequently, Miss Mina who was trembling in the corner spoke to Mr . Gunpei with a wavering voice .


“Director Gunpei, couldn’t we request the event to open sooner?”


“I’m sorry, but the event grounds are too narrow to bring anymore people in rightnow . We can’t leave someone outside…”


“So that’s why we’re standing here being frozen to death . ”


In response to my last comment, Gunpei heartily laughed and patted my shoulders .


“But I feel reassured with you here, Kang-kun . This will be one hell of an experience to remember . Brace up guys, we can do this . ”


Aside from Gunpei and I, there were five others who were assigned to the Tokyo opening event today . We were barely able to stave off the cold inside the van, but how cold were the people outside?


I was not able to get a proper night’s sleep with the scream of the howling winds that seeped in through the slight openings of the ban .


“Uhh… it’s cold as dog shit . ”


“What?? Did you say anything Director Kang?”


“It’s nothing . It was a Korean phrase to express the freezing temperature . ”


I wanted to move my body a little as my entire body was shivering from doing nothing . As the van door opened, a sword-like gale that was wreaking havoc outside assaulted the interior .


“D . . Director, the door!!”


“Alright, I’ll quickly close it . ”


Slam~!! I felt as if I’d shrunk by at least 5 cm after crouching into a ball all night . I spun my arm in a circle and stretched my muscles as I yawned .


“The snow stopped, thankfully . ”


Crrushh . My ankles sunk into the snow piled road that showed no sign of human footsteps . The snowstorm last night was fierce, what happened to everyone standing in line? As I turned my head around…


“Gasp!!”


Stretching from the event grounds to the subway station were a neat line of snow piles . I saw a few people massaging one another to relax the muscles just like me . It’s a relief everyone survived in the sub zero temperature…


“Wow, this really…”


Realistically, ordinary people would’ve paid the extra 2000 Yen and bought the device at a later date, but the motley bunch gathered here weren’t concerned about saving the measly 2000 Yen .


They were human; they wouldn’t risk harming their bodies for that reason to buy the Gamboy . But their yearning to be the first to experience this new device enabled them to withstand the extreme chill .


Perhaps to them, the agony of waiting for the second batch after the initial had run out was greater than the pain of the bone-freezing cold .


These people would later be coined the title “Otakus” following the release of a particular animation about a boy who was apprehended by his father for vehemently resisting riding on a purple robot .


&


The mobile gamboy was a product that would’ve originally been released on the April of 1989 .


At that time, Mintendo was planning on releasing it on the summer of 19888, but the date was delayed due to internal conflicts .


But today’s date was December 21st, 1987 .


The first mobile gaming devices using the cartridge were placed onto the shelves .


“WoW~!!!!”


Following the release of Karin’s Legend, and Dragon Warrior 2, opening days for new titles weren’t a rare occurrence anymore . But with the unique point of being a mobile device, gathering a large crowd was successful . Even with the expensive price tag, the device had begun selling like hot cakes along with its release .


The co-launching title, Super Marigee Rand, also became an item that people would buy nine times out of ten when buying the device, a successful business move .


The quality of the Super Marigee alone was enough to make a person who came to the event for curiosity, stand in line…


From the four co-launching titles, a baseball game was the second popular title next to Super Marigee . We thought we had prepared enough but almost one fifth of the initial stock was sold out by midday, which caused Mr . Gunpei to skip his meal and tirelessly run around the store .


“Take it easy, you’re not at the height of your youth anymore…”


“I’m still filled with energy after running around?”


“Really?”


Mr . Gunpei took the canned drink I handed him and placed his hands on the lid . But he was unable to open the can due to his trembling fingers .


Tick… Tick… He wouldn’t be able to exert strength into his fingertips by running around all day without having eaten anything…


I opened the drink for Mr . Gunpei and handed it to him . In response, Mr . Gunpei looked at me with a worried expression and spoke .


“President Yamauchi told me that you were a celibate, is that true?”


“Puhp~!! Ah~ This…”


After spraying roughly half the juice in my mouth, I wiped my mouth with a tissue before opening my mouth .


“It’s not like that at all . President Yamauchi was trying to set me up on a blind date with his niece; In haste, I misspoke while barely being able to hold myself back fainting . ”


“The president’s niece? Is she perhaps Miss Smire??”


“Oh? You know her too?”


“Of course I do, I’ve met her a few times in person as well…”


“So that was the case… I only saw her picture… But… She’s…”


“She’s miles away from beauty, isn’t she?”


I wasn’t even hoping for a beauty; I wouldn’t have come out like this if she was ordinary looking…


“Based on President Yamauchi’s tone, it seemed like he would’ve tried to arrange a marriage at any cost, so I had no choice but to…”


“Haha . Knowing our president, he would’ve tried to set up a meeting even if you were dating someone already . That’s how much affection he has for his niece… But the thing is…”


“There’s something else…?”


“As President Yamauchi had been catering to her wants and needs ever since she was a child, Miss Smire does not have the words “giving up” in her vocabulary . ”


After hearing Mr . Gunpei’s explanation, I felt a stream of chill run down my back .


“If you were going to lie, why didn’t you say something more believable? In my opinion, being a celibate is a weak argument… What are you going to do at the company new year’s party for bachelors?”


“Heh, I’ve already scheduled a business trip to America around that time . ”


“Haha, nice! As expected of Kang-kun! There’s an old saying that goes like this: One will get easily tired of a beauty after living together for 5 years…”


“Are you criticizing me for only caring about a person’s outer appearance?”


“No . ”


“Then?”


“If you’re together with an ugly girl, you won’t even last 5 years . Just don’t start the relationship . ”


… A wise saying indeed …


&


After Mr . Gunpei returned to the opening event from our brief break, we saw that the line was still endless .


Even for the model device that was put out for experimental use was swarmed with a group of people who were all too eager to touch it .


“Director, Please save me~”


Miss Mina, who was shivering inside the van at dawn, was sucked of her life force by the customers now .


“I’ll take your place; come back after some rest . ”


“Thank you very much . ”


Of course, her legs would be tired after walking around in high heels all day . After taking over for Mina, I looked around the event plaza .


One student who was holding the model Gamboy muttered with a surprised expression .


“It’s really light…”


Mmm… It shouldn’t be that light? Pragmatically speaking, the design was no different from a brick, and the official weight of the device was recorded as 220 grams barring the weight of the batteries . If the 4 batteries were added, it’s weight would approach almost 300 grams .


But compared SenSony’s latest device the Walkman, the mobile Gamboy could be considered compact . It looked silly in my eyes but to them, it was the newest innovation .


I steadily moved my footsteps towards to the ‘Psychic Battle’ plaza . As soon as Mr . Kashiwaba, who handed out coffee with me until dawn, spotted me, he came running over .


“The Gamboy is a huge hit, but the number of customers that came here to experience ‘Psychic Battle’ can’t be ignored either!”


“Of course it should do well . I’ve been told off by President Yamauchi for wasting needless amounts of money on advertising the game…”


The launching of the mobile Gamboy was imoportant, but the main reason I personally came to the event plaza was precisely for this reason .


And on this day, the demo cartridges for ‘Psychic Battle’ were exploding in popularity . Why? It was because of this text:


-Challenge the newest title, Psychic Battle!!-


The first player to clear the first stage will win a life-size poster of a character .


The first player to clear the second stage will be presented with the demo Psychic Battle cartridge .


The prizes were simple, but its effect was tremendous .


From producing an article with each of the four major game magazines last month, the anticipation for the game was at an all time high; Early beta testers had left great reviews on the articles .


Thanks to that, my game had surpassed Super Marigee 3 in the most anticipated title rankings…


However, I was not satisfied with that and took one step forward .


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