"Whatever it is, as long as it can be plugged into the TV to play gas, get one of each!"
This was no longer about buying toys; it was about buying an admission ticket to the "Sega Office Water Cooler Talk."
The phenonon was like pouring a ladle of hot oil into an already raging fire, instantly igniting flas three feet high.
dia outlets that had been observing from the sidelines now had their "smoking gun."
Caras were set up at the exit of Akihabara Electric Town, and without even trying to fra their shots, the lenses were filled with crowds of people carrying shopping bags emblazoned with the logos of various ga manufacturers.
A young reporter from NHK finally managed to push through the crowd and thrust his microphone toward the mouth of a middle-aged, balding man who had just erged from a store.
"Excuse , sir. We noticed you purchased Sega's latest Jupiter Console. Is this a Christmas gift for your child?"
The man adjusted his crooked glasses and glanced at the NHK logo on the cara. His previously timid expression suddenly turned serious, the sa stern look he reserved for company morning etings.
"For my child? No, this is for myself." The middle-aged man cleared his throat and lifted the shopping bag in his hand, displaying its prominent logo. "I watched a WBS program last night, and the experts made so very sensible points. Our generation can't afford to stagnate; we need to keep up with the tis. This isn't just about gas; it's also a way to relax while staying inford about erging industries."
The reporter was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a "sophisticated" answer. He quickly pressed on, "So, which features are you most interested in experiencing?"
"Uh—that Live Power Baseball ga." The man's gaze flickered for a mont before he straightened up, his tone resolute. "I'm doing it to train my reflexes. The experts said it's better for preventing cognitive decline than taking supplents. Besides, as a Section Chief, how can I lead my team if I can't even join the conversation when my subordinates are talking about it?"
Six months ago, such an explanation would have been dismissed as a flimsy excuse for neglecting his responsibilities.
But now, the surrounding crowd nodded in agreent, their eyes filled with the approval of kindred spirits.
Not far away, another Fuji Television crew had surrounded a housewife with perd hair.
She was carrying not only the Jupiter console but also a box of Paper Pokémon optical discs, along with The Fast and the Furious and Sonic 3D.
"Ma'am, you've bought quite a lot. Do you enjoy playing gas often?"
"I used to think it was just childish nonsense, but my neighbors have been talking about it lately." The housewife adjusted her scarf and gave the cara a practiced smile. "I heard it has this... 'Flow' chanism? That it can relieve anxiety? My husband's been under a lot of stress lately and just cos ho to drink. I figured it would be better to let him play this than turn into a drunk, and it might even give more ti with the kids. At least they'd get to see a more engaged version of him on mornings and weekends. The young man at the store called it 'digital ntal massage'—much more cost-effective than going to a izakaya."
Even an elderly gentleman leaning on a cane was interviewed.
Though he spoke slowly, his logic was remarkably clear: "My grandson wanted to buy it, so I ca to take a look. The young man working here showed this racing ga. Hey, it reminds of driving a taxi back in my day."
"I was thinking of buying one for myself," he said. "That way, the kid won't have to keep running off to the arcade, and I can practice my hand-eye coordination. It's called... what's that word again? Oh right, 'intergenerational communication.'"
As these interviews aired during the evening news, the last vestiges of adult restraint crumbled.
Those who had been hesitant to embrace the trend watched as well-dressed, respectable-looking interviewees—a bank section chief and a retired elderly person—spoke confidently on screen. The sha they had felt instantly vanished.
If even a bank section chief and a retired person were playing, then buying one for so "digital ntal massage" or "Alzheir's prevention" seed perfectly reasonable.
The dia manufactured the topic, the public consud it, and then the public's consumption habits beca new fuel for the dia.
It was a perfect closed loop.
Heavy snow blanketed Tokyo in silver, but for Sega Headquarters' logistics departnt, this Christmas required no heating. Everyone was working so hard their heads were practically smoking.
In the cargo warehouse at Haneda Airport, the dispatcher was hoarse from shouting, and truck drivers guzzled Red Bull like water, just to cram those black Jupiter Consoles into every retail channel Sega had.
And the man responsible for all this was hiding in his private villa in Karuizawa, peeling an orange by the warm stove.
"Mr. Sato just called again. He said the inventory in Hokkaido has also triggered an alert."
Nakayama Eri placed a freshly ward sake on the low table and glanced at her husband, who was wrestling with Lego bricks on the carpet.
Outside the window lay a tranquil snow-covered pine forest, while inside, the sukiyaki pot bubbled and simred. If Hideki Sato, currently struggling through a hellish overti shift, could see this idyllic scene, he'd probably have a heart attack on the spot.
Takuya Nakayama popped a peeled orange segnt into his mouth and mumbled indistinctly, "Don't answer. Tell him I've already finalized all the arrangents for this release. If they can't even handle such basic tasks, they don't deserve a promotion. I've got other things to do."
"Other things?" Eri asked with amusent, pointing at their three-year-old son, Kazuki, who was riding on Takuya's back like a horse. "Is this your other thing?"
"This is called a parent-child interaction research project," Takuya Nakayama said, turning to shield his son's bottom and prevent him from falling off due to overexcitent. "How can I understand what parents who bought the Jupiter are thinking if I'm not a father myself? I'm just catching up on my howork."
Kazuki waved his Sonic doll, shouting "Charge!" as he slapped Takuya on the forehead.
As the mastermind behind the entire "December Third-Party Frenzy," Takuya ran with a clear conscience.
By ceding the Christmas and New Year's pri slots to third-party developers, he not only won over the developers but also executed a cunning strategy of "driving the tigers to devour the wolves."
Now, the market was flooded with hype for major releases from various manufacturers, dazzling players with a dazzling array of choices and draining their wallets dry.
Faced with at least half the industry's third-party developers, Sony was powerless to intervene and could only maintain its current sales pace.
"Your husband said on the phone yesterday that your move was too ruthless," Eri said, kneeling beside him and smoothing the collar of his shirt, which his son had rumpled. "The GG Departnt at TV Tokyo has been receiving a lot more ad revenue from ga GG lately. Those smaller studios that were hesitant to invest in GG are now throwing money at it like crazy, seeing Sega clear the way."
Please Support by becoming my patreon mber and get 30 chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon
User Comments
0 comments from readers