Chapter 60: The American Gamers
I didn't have to worry about the schedule in the United States. Unlike three years ago when we had to launch the Family console with Gameboy, this time, there was no need for my direct involvement. The portable Gameboy seemed to secure its place in the American market quite stably, considering there was no console that could rival it in popularity across the entire USA.
Gunpei-san seemed to share my thoughts as he puffed on a cigarette after our meal, murmuring, "It's receiving great reviews compared to three years ago..."
During our meal, we organized a plan for the next month to efficiently utilize our time. We decided to entrust the launch plan of the portable Gameboy, scheduled for three months later in the USA, to Mr. Yamashita and Gunpei-san. As for promoting Psychic Battle, it was left to me, Wilson-san, and Ellis.
Wilson-san had been doing remarkably well by increasing the number of premium stores for Mintendo and achieving far better results than Toy World when it came to Mintendo devices.
Gunpei-san commented, "Wilson-san, you've really made a name for yourself."
Wilson-san responded, "It's all thanks to meeting Mr. Kang. I still remember that Korean young man who nervously opened the door to my small store and took out the Family with a tense expression."
I chimed in, "Oh, come on, don't be so modest."
Wilson-san continued, "No, really. If someone asked me about the best moment of my life, I'd say it was that day."
Wilson-san chuckled, deep wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. After observing the two Japanese men conversing for a moment, I turned to Wilson-san and said, "You're expanding the premium stores as I suggested, right?"
"Of course. Every time we open a new store, Mr. Kang and I jointly contribute half the funds under our names."
"You're doing a great job. Please continue."
"But I'm curious. Where does all that money come from? Even if you're the head of Mintendo, it's unlikely you're earning that much..."
"I have a fair amount of money, and although Mintendo's headquarters doesn't know, I own several cartridge factories and engage in software development."
"What!? How can one person manage all that?"
"In reality, I've lined up personnel and resources in the same way that Wilson-san handles everything even when I'm not in the US."
"Well, your young network is impressive. With that level of workforce and capital, have you ever thought about starting your own company and making a game console?"
"I will eventually. But not yet."
"Why not?"
"At the moment, it's about third-party developers and the users. Everyone loves Mintendo. The high device adoption rate means that if we were to enter the console market at this stage, we'd most likely struggle to break even. NEGA, which heavily emphasized its superior performance, eventually had to back off and announce the production of the next generation device. The verdict for this generation is already in."
"What about the next generation?"
"Considering how Mintendo has gained the trust of users this generation, we will only rise higher. For the next Family console, it's almost certain that gamers from all over the world will flock to it."
Wilson-san was taken aback by my confident words and countered, "So, are you saying that Mintendo will maintain its monopoly in the next generation as well?"
"Why not? Isn't that good news for you, Wilson-san?"
"Of course, from my current position, it's good news, but as with any market, a single company's monopoly eventually causes trouble, like the Atari Shock era. Honestly, I'm still apprehensive that those times might return."
"Don't worry too much. At least until the next generation, there's no chance of Mintendo collapsing."
"Until the next generation? So, what are you aiming for?"
"Yes. It's precisely the generation after the next."
"You're aiming for a generation that hasn't even been developed yet?"
"Sitting on the throne for too long can make everything seem too easy. There will undoubtedly be a crack, and when that time comes, the games we enjoy now will likely become a massive entertainment industry."
"That's a lot to take in. If someone else said this, I'd tell them to stop talking nonsense. It's strangely believable coming from you."
"When that time comes, you'll have to dispose of everything related to Mintendo in your stores without any hesitation, just as you did during the Atari Shock."
"But there are still fun games for the Family, aren't there? It's not like the cartridges will go bad or anything."
"When that time comes, no one will use cartridges anymore. Haha..."
"What do you mean...?"
Wilson looked perplexed by my words. Just then, Ellis, who had finished settling the bill, joined us and called out, "Mr. Kang, and gentlemen, let's head to the hotel first. You should unpack your luggage."
Huh? Did you already make a hotel reservation? You didn't book another third-rate hotel like last time, did you?
"Ellis, I have a separate..."
"Don't worry. I've booked a 5-star hotel business room for Mr. Kang, according to his taste. It may not be as grand as the suite you used three years ago, but you won't have any discomfort during your one-month stay."
"Wow... What's the occasion?"
Yamashita, who had unexpectedly risen from his seat, told me, "Even the hero who lifted Mintendo USA deserves better than to sleep in squalor."
"Thank you. Well, I owe you one."
With our luggage in the trunk, we headed to the hotel in the heart of New York City.
...
The next day, before Wilson's store opened.
I demonstrated the converted English version of Psychic Battle with store employees. Their mouths gaped in astonishment as they witnessed the spectacle of bullets filling the screen. However, after explaining the commands and gameplay, they soon began to enjoy playing.
The enhanced Psychic Battle, courtesy of Chandra's coding, received a very positive response from the employees right from the beginning.
"This is incredible!"
"How can you achieve such effects on an 8-bit console? I can't wrap my head around it."
Wilson also tried his hand at it, but he couldn't even get halfway through the first stage.
"Wow, is this game really going to sell? It's so challenging."
"Recent trends in Japan show that extremely difficult games are in demand. Not just Psychic Battle, but the difficulty level of games overall has increased. Please promote it to customers as a demo until the official release here. Offer one illustration to players who clear the first boss and a demo cartridge to those who clear up to the second stage. After a few deaths, they should develop the knack for it and become determined to conquer it."
"Understood. I'll relay that to the employees. But where are you headed?"
"I have some business to attend to with Ellis for a while. Handling Psychic Battle promotion with the premium store staff should be sufficient, right?"
"Sure. You've come to the United States after a long time; there must be some places you want to visit. You can leave this to me and take your time."
"Thank you, Wilson."
After bidding the store employees goodbye and leaving the store, Ellis, who had been waiting for me with a car parked in front, asked, "Where would you like to go first, sir?"
"First, let's go to Boston's MIT."
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