December 4th, 1992
After wrapping up the series of strategic etings with Erald Wings, Zaboru and his father, Zanichi, returned to their hotel, where Keiko, Sanika, and Ayumi were already resting. That night, the whole family decided they would extend their stay in the United States for two more days. It had been a rewarding business trip, and the idea of relaxing a little before returning ho felt well-earned.
The extra days were filled with sightseeing, laughter, and shopping. Sanika and Keiko indulged in the quirkiest souvenirs they could find—foam fingers, novelty mugs, mini Statue of Liberty figurines. "It's part of the true Arica experience!" Keiko declared, while Sanika just giggled and added a cowboy hat to the shopping cart. Zanichi, on the other hand, kept it simple, buying only a few bags of authentic Arican coffee beans. He quietly hoped they'd be worth the hype.
Zaboru, as usual, footed the bill for everything, but he didn't mind. Seeing his family happy gave him a sense of fulfillnt beyond business trics and sales charts.
Zaboru also treated Ayumi to various gifts during their stay—clothes she had admired in shop windows, quirky Arican souvenirs, and even a few accessories she hadn't expected. He made sure to pick up sothing thoughtful for Akechi as well—a vintage-style pocket watch and a leather-bound notebook, goofy ninja figure all carefully wrapped and stashed in his suitcase. It was a quiet but aningful gesture of appreciation toward Ayumi's older brother.
On Wednesday, December 3rd, the Renkonan family and Ayumi boarded their return flight to Japan. Everyone was in good spirits. Zaboru and Zanichi especially felt accomplished. The trip had yielded valuable information, promising leads for ZAGE's global expansion.
Three more days passed quickly after the Renkonans and Ayumi left the USA, and soon it was Saturday, December 6th. By now, Warcraft: Orcs vs. Humans had been available in the U.S. for two days, officially launching on December 4th, just as Jas Yoel had promised. The Japanese release was scheduled for the next day, December 7th.
Unlike past ZAGE PC releases, Warcraft had launched with zero advertising—no television spots, no posters, no flyers. It was, by all accounts, a quiet release. But that didn't stop the word from spreading.
Despite the complete absence of marketing, the ga was already making waves. Word of mouth was spreading like wildfire. Players were already talking, passing on excitent through hushed conversations in schoolyards, whispered debates at arcades, and buzzing phone calls between friends. A mysterious new ga had seemingly appeared out of nowhere—bearing the unmistakable ZAGE label. The absence of any marketing only deepened the intrigue, turning it into a kind of urban legend overnight. Gars were captivated, eager to uncover what this quiet release had to offer.
One rumor even claid soone had spotted the ga on release day and started spreading the news through a chain of phone calls. How he spreads information is unclear. But the ZAGE na was powerful. True As Zanichi once said, the Na alone could sell gas. It was the video ga industry's equivalent of a seal of quality.
And the quality did not disappoint.
Players who got their hands on Warcraft were stunned. It was unlike anything they had ever played. In the ga manual, Zaboru had coined a term for this kind of ga will be called RTS, Real-Ti Strategy. The idea of commanding units, building bases, managing resources, and fighting a dynamic enemy in real ti felt revolutionary.
Fans of strategy and tactics were hooked. The ga required careful planning, fast reactions, and a deep understanding of unit roles. But it wasn't just the gaplay—players also loved the lore. The conflict between Orcs and Humans in the fantasy land of Azeroth offered a rich, dramatic narrative. The manual hinted at future conflicts and mysterious factions yet to be revealed. It wasn't just a ga—it was the beginning of a world. One of the more obscure and subtle Easter eggs in the ga hinted at a larger conflict yet to co: in one of the Human campaign missions, if the player continuously clicks on a particular forest clearing in the northeastern corner of the map, a hidden voice line is triggered. It's a distorted whisper that says, "They co from beneath the world... the shadows stir." Most players dismissed it as a quirky audio bug, but sharp-eared fans noticed it didn't match any existing lore. This cryptic ssage was Zaboru's quiet nod to an underground race—the Faceless Ones—set to play a pivotal role in a future conflict beneath Azeroth's surface. Though completely unknown to players now, this was an early seed of a deep storyline still hidden from view.
Another unexpected hit feature was the LAN multiplayer mode. For households with multiple PCs—still a rare luxury in 1992 the ability to play head-to-head in real ti was like discovering magic. Siblings, roommates, and friends spent hours coordinating attacks, setting traps, and laughing at failed strategies. It beca a social event.
Of course, not everyone was on board. So players found the ga overwhelming. Managing so many things at once—economy, base layout, troops, map control—felt too complicated. These players didn't dislike Warcraft per se, but they weren't the target audience. Still, even among those less interested in RTS, the innovation and ambition of the title were praised. ZAGE's reputation for pushing boundaries had grown stronger.
Back in Japan, inside his office at the ZAGE headquarters, Zaboru sat quietly at his desk, sipping tea. He had a clear view of the Tokyo skyline from his window. His mind wasn't on numbers or charts—it was on the ripple Warcraft had caused. He hadn't run ads. He hadn't made a fuss. And yet, the ga was already making history. Earlier that day, Jas Yoel had inford him that Warcraft was performing far better than expected in terms of sales—so well, in fact, that so retailers were already asking for restocks. Jas had even joked, asking if this stealthy, no-advertising approach was a new kind of marketing strategy Zaboru had co up with. Zaboru had simply laughed and waved it off. There was no grand plan—it had been born out of exhaustion and ti constraints. But sohow, it had worked. The mystery and ZAGE reputation had only fueled the ga's montum.
He smiled to himself.
Even if the sales didn't match other ZAGE titles, Warcraft was more than just another product. It was a new genre. A signal to the world that ZAGE could do It could build worlds. It could shape strategy and ZAGE always strive to create new things.
Zaboru set his teacup down and opened a fresh notebook. He flipped past pages filled with notes on Bionic Commando, and the upcoming Super Mario Land. He turned to a clean page and wrote one word at the top:
"Next Arcade for January"
Zaboru was already deep in planning the next batch of arcade gas, aiming for a strong launch in January. Developnt for several titles would begin in December, with the goal of having at least two fully tested and ready to ship at the start of the new year. He knew this would require close coordination with Nanco, especially regarding their manufacturing capacity. With demand for arcade systems steadily climbing and ZAGE's reputation higher than ever, ensuring production tilines stayed tight would be essential. He made a note to schedule a eting with Nando Michio to go over details, check available resources, and confirm which ga concepts could realistically be manufactured in ti.
To be continued
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