After the eting of Smash Bros Update there were many things that happened. First Zaboru asked team NIWA if it was possible for them to take more work. At the mont their only major projects were Suikoden 2 that would release in August and The Legend of Zelda Majora Mask that was planned for next year. Compared to other teams their schedule looked a bit lighter, so Zaboru wanted to see if they still had room to expand their workload.
What surprised him was the answer. It turned out Team NIWA was already very far into the developnt of Suikoden 2. Most of the core systems were finished and the remaining work was mainly polishing, balancing, and slight story adjustnts. Because of that the leaders of Team NIWA said they were confident they could handle more responsibility. After a short internal discussion they told Zaboru that the team was ready to receive three additional tasks, though they suggested that one of those projects could be slightly longer so the team would have ti to properly experint with it.
Zaboru smiled when he heard this. It seed that the workers of ZAGE had slowly beco true workaholics in the best possible way. The energy inside the company was always high and the developers were eager to create new things. Because of that Zaboru had no problem handing them more projects. Even though Team NIWA specialized in JRPG developnt, Zaboru decided that so of the new assignnts would not be JRPG at all. Giving them different genres would challenge their creativity.
First Zaboru decided to assign Team NIWA to develop two JRPG projects that he clearly rembered from his previous life. Both of them were considered excellent JRPG during the PlayStation 1 era. The titles were Valkyrie Profile and Vagrant Story.
In Zaboru's previous life Valkyrie Profile stood out because it was very different from the typical JRPG formula. Instead of a simple hero journey the story followed a Valkyrie who gathered the souls of fallen warriors before Ragnarok. Each character had their own tragic story and short narrative chapter, which made the world feel emotional and mature. The combat system was also unique for its ti. Every party mber was tied to a controller button, allowing players to chain attacks together in a very dynamic way. This made battles feel fast, strategic, and satisfying instead of the slower turn based combat common in many JRPGs at the ti. The side scrolling exploration mixed with platform elents also gave the ga a distinct identity compared to other RPGs on the PlayStation.
The second ga Vagrant Story was also highly respected in his previous life because of its deep combat and dark storytelling. Unlike many JRPGs that focused on large parties, Vagrant Story centered around a single protagonist exploring a mysterious ruined city. The ga used a complex weapon crafting system where players could customize blades, affinities, and damage types. Combat relied on timing chains and positioning which gave it a tactical feeling closer to a strategy RPG. On top of that the writing and atmosphere were far more mature than typical JRPGs, with political intrigue, betrayal, and a strong cinematic presentation. Many players in Zaboru's previous life considered it one of the most ambitious RPGs on the PlayStation.
Because of these qualities Zaboru believed both titles would be perfect projects for Team NIWA. One focused on emotional storytelling and experintal combat while the other emphasized deep systems and world building. If the team could successfully recreate and adapt these ideas it would greatly strengthen their ability to design future JRPG titles for ZAGE.
Zaboru then gave Team NIWA around eleven months to complete these projects so the gas should be ready around March 2001.
Next the ga that Zaboru decided to assign was Yu-Gi-OH GX. In this world Yu-Gi-Oh had already existed for quite so ti and it was actually created under ZAGE itself. It first started as a ga in ZGB before expanding into ani and finally a real card ga that people could play in stores, schools, and tournants. Because of that the franchise had already beco extrely popular among young players and collectors. Card shops often held small competitions and many children spent their afternoons trading cards with their friends.
Even though the ga had already evolved a lot, Zaboru personally still preferred the first generation style of Yu-Gi-Oh. In his opinion the early era of the card ga felt simpler and more fun. The rules were easier to understand and the focus was more on clever plays instead of complicated combinations. That simplicity made the ga feel very accessible for new players.
However Zaboru also understood that the franchise needed to continue evolving. Because of that he planned to introduce the GX era which would heavily focus on Fusion based gaplay. Fusion monsters would beco a central chanic and new card designs would be created to support that style of play. This would refresh the ga and allow both old and new players to explore different strategies.
For the ga itself Zaboru planned the story to follow a structure similar to the Yu-Gi-Oh GX ani from his previous life. The setting would revolve around a duel academy where young duelists trained to beco the best. Players would slowly progress through the academy, challenge rivals, and unlock stronger cards as they improved their skills.
Because of the large amount of card designs and artwork needed for the project the developnt ti would be longer than usual. Many new monsters, spell cards, and fusion creatures needed completely original illustrations. On top of that Zaboru also wanted the physical trading cards to be printed and distributed at the sa ti the ga released so players could experience both the video ga and the real card ga together.
For that reason Zaboru scheduled around thirteen months of developnt ti for the project. If everything went smoothly the ga and the card set would both release around May 2001.
Next after Zaboru assigned all of these tasks he decided to take a rare five day leave from work because he wanted to spend proper ti with his family. Monts like this were extrely unusual for him. Zaboru was known inside the company and even within his own household as soone who almost never stopped working. Most days he just work , work and more work.
Because of that decision the whole family was genuinely surprised. A workaholic like Zaboru suddenly taking five full days away from the office almost felt like a miracle. Even the staff at ZAGE Tower were shocked when they heard the news.
The reason was simple. During this period there were two important celebrations in the family. The first was the birthday of his daughter Arumi who was turning one year old. Even though she was still very young, Zaboru wanted to be there for the mont instead of hearing about it later while sitting in an office. The second celebration was Ayumi's birthday, and Zaboru felt that his wife deserved proper ti together after constantly supporting him and the company.
Instead of staying at ho the family decided to travel to Korea for a short holiday. The trip was not related to business at all, which made it even more refreshing for Zaboru. They visited parks, walked through busy shopping streets, and tried many different local foods. Zenshin was clearly excited to explore a new place while little Arumi simply enjoyed being carried around and surrounded by her family while observing the city.
For once Zaboru allowed himself to relax. He spent ti playing with his children, talking with Ayumi, and enjoying simple monts without thinking about ga developnt schedules or corporate strategy. Those five days passed quickly, but they reminded him that no matter how large ZAGE beca, his family was still the most important part of his life.
After the holiday finished, Zaboru began planning a new project. This ti it was not a ga. He wanted to create a video call application, and not just a basic one but sothing truly reliable and easy to use. At the mont Microsoft already had a form of video communication software, but Zaboru felt it was still lacking in many areas. The connection was unstable, the interface was confusing for normal users, and the overall experience was far from smooth. Because of that Zaboru started preparing a plan to build a far superior version.
This project was mainly for ZAGE itself. In his previous life Zaboru had seen how powerful online eting platforms like Zoom and Google et eventually beca. They allowed people across the world to talk face to face instantly without needing to travel. For a company that operated in many countries this kind of technology would save enormous amounts of ti and energy.
Zaboru was already thinking about the future of internet infrastructure. Sendou FTTH technology would definitely spread across the world sooner or later, and once fiber internet beca common the global network speed would improve dramatically. When that mont arrived video communication would beco far more practical for everyday work. Zaboru wanted ZAGE to be ready before that wave arrived.
There were many things that could easily be discussed through a video eting instead of physical travel. Right now Zaboru often had to visit multiple countries within the span of a few months or weeks. One week he could be in the United States discussing developnt plans, then he would fly to England, return to Japan for internal reviews, then travel again to Korea and sotis even Brazil to check distribution operations.
Even though he used private jets the travel still consud a large amount of ti and energy. Long flights, scheduling delays, and constant movent between ti zones slowly beca exhausting. Zaboru realized that if a stable video communication system existed many of those etings could be handled online instead.
Because of that he decided this would beco a long term project inside ZAGE. The goal was not simply to create a communication tool but to build a system that could support the entire company's global operations. If successful it would elevate the way ZAGE worked and connect all of its offices across the world in a much more efficient way.
Related to these plans, Zaboru also decided that ZAGE would expand its internal structure again this year. The company now managed several large online platforms, including YouTube, Gahouse, and Z-Store, and each of these services was growing quickly. Because of their scale, Zaboru believed they could no longer be handled casually by existing teams.
To solve this, he planned to create dedicated teams responsible only for maintaining and developing these websites. The first groups would be established in both the United States and Japan, where most of the current traffic and infrastructure were located. Their responsibility would include server maintenance, feature developnt, moderation systems, and long‑term platform improvents.
Zaboru also believed that this structure would eventually expand to other regions as the platforms continued to grow. As ZAGE's global presence increased, additional teams would likely be ford in Europe, Korea, and other markets to support regional users more effectively.
At the sa ti, the recruitnt process for ZAGE China was still ongoing. The hiring phase had taken longer than expected because Zaboru wanted to ensure the team was composed of highly capable developers and engineers. If everything continued according to schedule, the new branch would officially open in July.
Aside from this, the YouTube community was already growing quickly even though the platform had only been released a couple of months earlier. New videos appeared every day as more users discovered the website. So uploaded simple recordings of gaplay, others shared funny monts with friends, and a few even experinted with small creative projects. Zaboru often spent a little ti watching these clips whenever he had a free mont. It reminded him strongly of the early days of YouTube from his previous life. There were no advertisents, no complicated algorithms pushing certain content, and no corporate influence yet. It was simply a place where people shared things they enjoyed, and that sense of community made the platform feel alive.
Many of the most popular videos were related to gas produced or supported by ZAGE. Players recorded their matches in Counter‑Strike, Warcraft 3, StarCraft, and other competitive titles. So videos showed impressive strategies while others were simply funny monts between friends during chaotic matches. Zaboru found it interesting to see how players interacted with the gas his company helped distribute.
ZAGE also created a second official channel called "EPIC." The purpose of this channel was to highlight the best community gaplay monts each week. Users could submit their clips, and the ZAGE dia team would compile them into a weekly showcase video. These videos featured incredible plays, unexpected strategies, and sotis hilarious mistakes.
Many of the featured clips ca from competitive gas such as Counter‑Strike, Warcraft 3, and StarCraft. Another surprisingly popular source of content was DoTa, which at the mont still existed as a custom map inside Warcraft 3. Even though it was technically just a ZAGE map modification, the map already had a growing player base and produced many exciting monts worth sharing.
The EPIC channel quickly beca very popular among players. People enjoyed watching the weekly highlights and often tried to create their own impressive plays in hopes of appearing in the next video. Seeing this growth made Zaboru grin with satisfaction.
He even decided to add music that he rembered from his previous life. The track was "We Are Electric," the sa song that had once been used in classic WoDoTa montage videos. Sohow the energy of the song matched perfectly with fast‑paced gaplay highlights. When it played over dramatic in‑ga monts the entire montage felt far more exciting, and Zaboru could not help but feel amused seeing a small piece of his previous life return in this new world.
Then the ga Gear Fight Dendoh released in March, and it quickly attracted attention from players. The ga turned out to be genuinely good. It showcased a vibrant art style, energetic animations, and a very smooth beat‑em‑up system built around giant robots. Players controlled powerful chanical units that could dash, punch, and unleash special attacks while fighting waves of enemy machines. The combat felt responsive and satisfying, which was exactly what fans of cha action gas wanted.
The story of Gear Fight Dendoh also helped the ga stand out. In this world the franchise did not begin as an ani like it did in Zaboru's previous life. Instead it first appeared as a video ga created by ZAGE which is this ga. The story followed two young boys who accidentally discovered the powerful combat robot known as Dendoh. This mysterious machine was originally built as a defense weapon against hostile chanical forces that threatened Earth.
As the story progressed, the two boys ford a unique bond with the robot and beca its pilots. Because Dendoh required synchronization between two operators, cooperation and trust between the characters beca a central the of the narrative. Together they fought against powerful enemy machines sent by a mysterious organization that sought to conquer the planet using advanced robotics.
Throughout the campaign players gradually unlocked new abilities for Dendoh. Special attacks, combination strikes, and powerful finishing moves allowed the robot to evolve as the story progressed. Each boss battle felt larger and more dramatic, often involving massive enemy machines that pushed the player's skills to the limit.
The combination of exciting gaplay and a surprisingly engaging story made Gear Fight Dendoh a morable release. Fans of cha gas appreciated the fast combat while story‑focused players enjoyed watching the relationship between the young pilots develop as they protected Earth.
Because of this strong reception the ga received a solid score from ZEMITSU - FAMITSU magazine, earning an 8 out of 10 rating. Critics praised its action chanics, presentation, and interesting story foundation, noting that the title had strong potential to grow into a larger franchise in the future.
Then in the next month, in early May, Zaboru began giving new tasks to two of his United States developnt teams, which were Team TEMPEST and Team Enigma. Both teams were so of the most reliable groups inside ZAGE Campus, and they had already completed several important projects in the past. Because of that Zaboru trusted them with two well known ga franchises that required careful developnt.
First Zaboru assigned a task to Team Tempest. As this team specialized heavily in PC developnt, so Zaboru gave them a project that would fit perfectly with their experience. The ga was Baldur Gate 2: Shadow Of Amn, which would serve as the sequel to Baldur Gate. The first Baldur Gate had already beco a very beloved RPG in this world, especially among PC players who enjoyed deep storytelling and complex character progression.
Zaboru knew that fans of the first ga would have high expectations for the sequel. Baldur Gate was known for its rich fantasy world, party based gaplay, and aningful choices that influenced the story. Because of that he reminded Team Tempest that the sequel needed to feel larger, deeper, and more polished than the original ga. The world should feel more alive, the companions should have stronger personalities, and the quests should allow players to approach problems in different ways.
Team Tempest was excited to receive the assignnt. Zaboru scheduled the developnt carefully and expected the ga to release around June 2001 if progress continued smoothly.
For Team Enigma, Zaboru prepared a different type of project. This team focused more on ZEPS 3 developnt, which ant console based gas with cinematic presentation. Because of that he gave them the task of developing Tomb Raider 2.
The first Tomb Raider ga had already made Lara Croft extrely popular in this world. Players loved the combination of exploration, puzzle solving, and action combat. Lara herself had also beco a recognizable character thanks to her adventurous personality and fearless attitude while exploring dangerous ruins and ancient temples.
For Tomb Raider 2, Zaboru wanted the story and environnts to expand beyond what players saw in the first ga. New locations, larger levels, and more complex puzzles would help the sequel feel like a true evolution of the series. Team Enigma was asked to focus on smoother movent, improved combat encounters, and more cinematic monts during the adventure.
If developnt stayed on schedule, Zaboru planned for Tomb Raider 2 to release around May 2001. With both Baldur Gate 2 and Tomb Raider 2 in production, the ZAGE USA teams would once again deliver two major titles for the company.
As usual, every project assigned to a ZAGE team already ca with a complete developnt folder prepared in advance. Inside it were detailed docunts covering ga design, character design, gaplay systems, and the full story outline. This had beco the standard way ZAGE teams received their tasks. Because Zaboru personally handled the concept and planning stage beforehand, the teams could imdiately move into developnt without spending ti on the early planning phase.
Aside from this, Zaboru also took ti to review the progress of Team Omni in England and Team Dynasty in Korea. Both teams were performing well, but what caught his attention the most was the rapid growth of Ragnarok, the MMORPG developed by Team Dynasty. On the Korean servers the ga was already becoming sothing remarkable. Players were forming guilds, building friendships, and slowly creating a living in‑ga economy where equipnt, items, and rare materials were traded between players.
The community around Ragnarok was growing stronger each week. Markets inside the ga had started to appear naturally, with certain cities becoming popular trading hubs where players gathered to buy and sell their equipnt. Watching this developnt fascinated Zaboru because it reminded him of how powerful virtual economies could beco when enough players participated.
Seeing this, Zaboru began thinking about a larger system that could support these kinds of online communities. He started planning an update for STEAM that would allow users to perform digital transactions more easily. One of his main ideas was to introduce a marketplace system inside STEAM where players could trade their in‑ga items. Players would be able to list equipnt, skins, or rare items on the platform, and other users could purchase them directly through the system.
At the mont the concept was still difficult to implent. The existing STEAM Wallet could already be used for purchasing ZAGE gas, downloadable content, and even rchandise through the Z‑Store website. However, the system still had many limitations. The digital funds stored in the wallet could not yet be converted back into physical money, which ant it functioned only as a closed ecosystem within the platform.
Because of these complications, Zaboru understood that this would have to beco a long‑term update rather than sothing that could be finished quickly. Financial regulations, security systems, and international paynt rules all required careful planning. To prepare for this, he had already begun discussions with the ZAGE USA CTO, Gabe Newell, so that the infrastructure and design of the system could slowly be developed over ti.
For team OMNI Zaboru are preparing them to receive the task of making the ga NBA and Winning Eleven because this team will focus on making sports for ZAGE gas.
And so that was how April and early May unfolded. As Zaboru reviewed everything that had happened during those weeks, he could not help but feel a bit amused. Outside the walls of ZAGE, the global tech industry had just experienced a major shock.
The WWW bubble had finally crashed.
To be continue
Please give your power stone and if you want to support and get minimum 50 advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon/Zaborn_1997
Or buycoffee sbuyacoffee/Zaborn_1997 which sa with patreon
current Patreon/buycoffe chap 1107
User Comments
0 comments from readers