"Junhyuk's launch event for Liberation Day in Korea went exactly as planned!!"
"That's great news! Did you enjoy attending the user gathering previously?"
Laon had tailored marketing messages separately for Korea, Japan, and the United States, as it was released simultaneously in these three countries.
In Korea, they actively utilized the image of being the first portable game console created by Koreans, targeting those who had previously used foreign consoles such as Hyundai's Familycom, Samsung's Game Boy, and Daewoo's Jemis.
Mantra had encouraged legitimate purchases through magazines and had been continuously working on Korean translations for family-oriented games like the Final Frontier series. As a result, the company already had a certain level of recognition in the domestic market.
Furthermore, even before the official distribution of Super Family in Korea began, they had already gained popularity by distributing the Korean version of "The Empty Streets."
Currently, Super Family had a contract with "Future Corporation," a major Korean conglomerate, and was expected to be officially released around next year.
However, Laon's release had somewhat complicated the situation by announcing their contract with Mantra Software without prior notice. Both Future Corporation and Samsung had immediately reached out to us to negotiate. As expected, my answer was a resounding "NO."
After all, to those major corporations, "games" were just a form of entertainment...
Especially in the case of Samsung, they had raised high expectations for the Korean translation of Final Frontier 7 for the PC, only to end up leaving me with a bitter taste in my mouth, thanks to the connection with NEGA. (And they tried to make up for it with a complete "dialogue book" a few months after the release. I've already seen the ending, you guys!!)
But Kim Hanseok, the CEO of Mantra Software, was different.
As an action-oriented person, he requested the production announcement video we had shown and organized a user gathering for gamers in Korea. Although it was a busy time, I also took a day to make a surprise appearance at the gathering, and the users greeted me with cheers and applause.
Laon was released in Korea at a remarkably low price of 198,000 won. (Although it was still considered relatively expensive in the market economy at the time...) The launch quantity was significantly lower at 1,500 units compared to the United States and Japan, making it more of a loss than a profit. However, I had one particular expectation in mind for this situation.
"How will the Korean game market, which had been completely destroyed by illegal PC replication, react with Laon's appearance?"
Of course, it would take at least 1-2 years to see the effects...
On that night, Wilson received some good news as well.
After taking down the sign of Min-Tendo Premium Shop, he opened a new mobile device specialty store named "RAON." Since the opening, he had been swamped with customers, to the point of being overwhelmed.
One interesting point was that the three countries had unique reactions to the same launch titles.
In Japan, all three titles were sold equally, but in the United States, Super Marigi 2 and Final Frontier 4 sold overwhelmingly well. This might be because the popularity of Slam Dunk hadn't yet surged in the North American comics market, and there was already a prominent basketball game, NBA JAM, available on PC. (During this era, games without Michael Jordan had a hard time succeeding.) However, in Korea, Slam Dunk's popularity was explosive. According to Mantra's CEO, some users bought Laon solely for Slam Dunk.
Particularly in Korea, where Slam Dunk's popularity was soaring, about a month before Laon's launch, adding some information to a game magazine published by Mantra created a tremendous sensation.
Upon its release, Laon's portable game device took the three countries by storm: Korea, the United States, and Japan.
From that day on, a new territory called "Laon" was born within the world of CEO Games.
&
A month after Laon's release, a new social phenomenon occurred in Japan.
This phenomenon was even covered in the news, as users were connecting data cables on subways to enjoy Super Marigi 2.
It wasn't just on the subway.
In parks, cafes, and places where people gathered, you could frequently spot people with Laon.
Due to its sophisticated design compared to Min-Tendo's rather rugged Game Boy, Laon was popular among users in their 20s and 30s.
Typically, Laon users played Final Frontier when they were alone and enjoyed Super Marigi 2 or Slam Dunk with friends outside. While Slam Dunk maintained a steady popularity, especially in Korea, the intense moments of comeback that could be felt in sports captivated users. That's why Slam Dunk was incredibly popular and enjoyed huge success, not only in manga serialization but also in games.
One downside was that the story had only reached the Kaigan (Kainan) Tournament so far, so there were only four high schools featured in the manga: Shohoku (Boksan), Ryonan (Neungnam), Shoyo (Sangyang), and Kaigan (Kainan). They had added two original teams, which was a relief...
&
"Ah!! Stolen~!!"
Yuki's scream echoed in the small cafe.
Swiftly stealing the ball, I dribbled to the empty goal and attempted a rookie shot. But...
Airball!!!
"Hahaha~ It's just like the manga!"
Did I give Sakura (Baekho) too low of a shooting ability? How could it not go in during this open shot situation?
Shohoku (Boksan) vs. Shoyo (Sangyang)
Yuki, who loved Slam Dunk, adored Fujima Kenji. Known for being a handsome player who doubled as a coach, he gained fame. After losing in the game against Ryonan, he shed tears, and not only for his appearance but also for his sense of the game flow, brilliant dribbling, and shooting skill. Though his appearances were short, he was a character with a strong impact.
Yuki quickly picked up the ball I had failed to score with and attempted a counterattack.
Having learned basketball rules from Slam Dunk, she often played the game even on her way to work on the subway. However, one day...
While playing games intensively, she suddenly felt a cable plug into her phone and looked up to find an unfamiliar man standing in front of her.
"I've been watching you on your way to work for the past few days. You like Slam Dunk, don't you?"
You can't imagine how hard I laughed when I heard this story...
In the end, Yuki, unable to refuse, played a match against that man. After the game, he asked for her contact information, but she declined and rushed off to work.
As it turns out, he was an employee at the same broadcasting company.
"Ah~ I lost. So frustrating. Can you believe it...?"
Yuki slumped over the cafe table, looking disappointed.
I smiled in satisfaction, pressing the power button on Laon.
"Oh, I just smiled. You're even more frustrated now."
"Still, I'm doing much better than last time, right?"
"I'm going to keep practicing until I can beat Junhyuk."
"That might be difficult."
"Wait and see."
Yuki glanced at me for a moment, then smiled brightly.
"Thanks to Junhyuk, the world has changed a lot."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Look around. Not only us but every table here is enjoying Laon. Junhyuk, you might not notice since you drive, but it's even crazier on the subway. Students commuting to school lay on the floor to play games, and it's sometimes embarrassing to watch."
"I've heard about it on the news. Public transportation is getting congested due to data cables..."
Wireless communication technology was expensive and unstable at this time, so there was no other choice.
But from a developer's perspective, being in the spotlight, whether good or bad, was a good thing. As Yuki said, the majority of people in this cafe were enjoying Laon. In that sense, Slam Dunk was undoubtedly an incredible move.
It seemed like Super Marigi 2 was primarily considered a fighting game for men, so if couples wanted to play together, Slam Dunk was a safe choice.
"You've been busy lately, right? With Dragon Emblem 2 and Psych Force in development."
"Yeah, but everyone is following along, so I'm enjoying the work."
"I'm looking forward to Junhyuk's games as a fan!"
"By saying that, you make me feel the weight of responsibility."
"Well, you said you'd do well."
Yuki took a sip of her juice and smiled.
The remake of Dragon Emblem that Yuki and I had worked on was already completed, and once the mass production of the flash memory cartridges was finished, it would be released soon. So, our team was currently focusing on developing an arcade game called Psych Force.
Actually, we were almost done with it, but there was a feeling that something was missing, about 2%, even though it was almost complete. It wasn't due to the overall game speed adjusted by Chandra.
Psych Force was now 1.5 times faster than the previous Psych Battle, allowing for incredibly high-speed battles. However, there was still a sense that something was missing. As good as it was, it lacked impact.
Yuki asked me a question.
"By the way, Junhyuk, is Slam Dunk only a two-player game?"
"Yeah... Oh, yeah."
"Ah, I see. I was just wondering if we could extend the data cable and play with five people on one team."
In that moment, a spark ignited in my mind.
Suddenly, I felt like I found a way out of the dense fog in my head.
"Playing with five people...?"
"Why are you acting like that all of a sudden, Junhyuk?"
"Well, thanks to you, I've had a great idea."
"Uh-oh... Did you come up with another game idea!?"
"Sorry."
"Gosh, just rest when you have the chance. You've been so busy because of Laon for the past few months..."
"Right. I'll do that."
"Oh, right. I have some good news too."
"What is it?"
"Since you like secrets, I'll keep it a secret too. When you get home, tune in to our broadcasting channel at midnight."
"Hmm? Did you take on a new program or something?"
"Hehe, well..."
Yuki rested her chin on her hand, giving me a meaningful smile.
&
That night, after dropping Yuki off at her place, I called Morita.
"Uh, Chief. Is everything all right?"
"Morita, can we meet for a moment?"
"Now? Right now?"
"I've realized what's been missing in Psych Force during this time."
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