"Feel free to expect."
Sure. You should expect, too...
Suzuki and I grinned at each other, shaking hands firmly.
Soon after, the NEGA production announcement began amid a grand atmosphere.
In the home console industry, NEGA firmly held the top position, unlike Mintendo, which lagged behind. While it might concede the title of the second in command to Laon recently, in the arcade industry, NEGA stood unchallenged.
Kawaguchi and I sat at the table adorned with the Pentagon's emblem, surveying the chairman's aura.
"The attendance of third-party companies seems low despite the lavish atmosphere inside."
"Well, many companies lean towards Mintendo. It's relatively low due to that."
"We're doing our best to allure third-party companies, but our distribution is still far behind Mintendo's. It's rare for companies to readily switch over."
Two years after its launch, the Super Family console boasted an astounding 85% market share among next-gen consoles. NEGA Drive held 9%, and Laon followed at 6%, securing third place.
No matter how expensive the royalties were, in this industry, the console's distribution rate spoke volumes.
Whether releasing a game on Super Family, with over a million units sold only in Japan, or barely crossing 80,000 with Laon—a clear choice was evident.
Just then, the hall's lights dimmed slightly, and Suzuki, NEGA's game director, stepped onto the stage. Ah, is it starting?
"Hello, everyone. I sincerely thank you all for taking the time to attend our NEGA game production announcement amidst your busy schedules."
With a confident smile, Suzuki glanced around the hall, met my eyes briefly, then resumed speaking.
"Our gaming industry is in great peril, yet our gamers remain oblivious. It's the tyranny of the dinosaur company, Mintendo."
Hmm... trying to resonate with this right from the start seems risky.
Game companies should solely compete with their games.
Gamers, if there's an engaging game, will focus solely on that, even buying the console just for it. That's why first-party exclusive games are crucial.
I could envision fans in the distant future trusting Mintendo's console solely for the Legend of Karin series, despite losing all third parties.
"Mintendo currently demands exorbitant royalties from third parties, causing substantial harm to gamers who love video games. To break this vicious cycle, everyone here must unite against Mintendo."
However, the chairman's atmosphere was notably colder than at the Pentagon.
Why? Because there was an absolute lack of third-party attendees at NEGA's event.
Most present here were NEGA's second-party, some companies seemed eager to lean toward Mintendo.
Despite crafting excellent games, there were several titles with poor sales.
For instance, 'Desaia,' maintaining NEGA's second-party status but potentially moving to Mintendo later, could be seen as the most prominent victim.
The reason Pentagon Soft's presentation succeeded was that no one knew they'd unveil a new console.
Many third parties thought it was just an ordinary game company presentation, attending without much pressure.
If Pentagon had outright declared they were developing a console before the presentation, third parties would've been hesitant, considering Mintendo's reaction.
Suzuki appeared slightly taken aback by the chairman's cooler reception, prompting Kawaguchi beside me to speak.
"Could this backfire if not handled well?"
"Today's not just a production announcement. For second-party companies, it's almost like a shareholders' meeting. It's a moment to decide if we should keep making games, believing in NEGA Drive."
To revive the tepid atmosphere, Suzuki hurriedly flicked on the projector switch.
Simultaneously, the screen in the center displayed NEGA Drive's sales figures in North America and Europe, causing a stir among the audience.
"Wow... it's selling that much in North America..."
"I thought a few tens of thousands more went, but it's almost on par with Super Family. No, it might even be a bit ahead!?"
Only then did Suzuki's expression return, a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.
"As you can see, during this Christmas season, NEGA Drive sold approximately 2.5 million units until yesterday. In fact, it's slightly ahead of the sales of Mintendo's Super Family."
"Wow... that's incredible?"
"Such sales were possible due to aggressive marketing, lowering NEGA Drive's price and bundling it with 'Sonic the Hedgehog,' currently the most popular game in arcades."
NEGA Drive's sales graph indeed shocked those gathered here. For Mintendo's Super Family to be pushed this way in sales competition was exceedingly rare.
Kawaguchi was also in awe of NEGA Drive's sales figures, holding his breath.
"This... NEGA's subtly taking the lead?"
"…."
Silently folding my arms, I focused on Suzuki's presentation. He continued after calming the excited hall.
"NEGA Drive's counterattack starts now. Next, we'll introduce new games that utilize the advantages of the superior processing CPU. The first game you'll meet is this one."
With a greeting, Suzuki stepped back from the podium, and the official unveiling of new titles began. The first game displayed on the screen was one of NEGA Drive's flagship games.
"Shining Pressure - Inheritance of the Gods-"
"Wait? Wasn't Shining Pressure a dungeon exploration RPG before?"
"It seems like they've changed the genre?"
Here's the chapter with the requested changes:
---
The revamped Shining Pressure was gradually heightening the atmosphere inside the venue.
Watching the combat dynamics brought back memories of Dragon Knight 2, a PC game I enjoyed as a kid.
I stroked my chin, silently absorbing the demo video of Shining Pressure.
As the prepared demo concluded, a message about the release date flashed on the screen. I couldn't help but smirk.
"Release Date: March 22, 1992."
"This is somewhat close to the release date of Dragon Emblem 2, isn't it?"
Following that, several more demo videos of games exclusive to the NEGA Drive, which I was familiar with, played. Among them, the ones that garnered significant reactions were 'Bare Knuckle,' a popular title even in the game centers, and 'Shinobi,' one of NEGA's flagship games.
Unlike the handful of Mintendo first-party games that could be considered elite, NEGA, with its ported arcade games, boasted numerous in-house games that carried a fair amount of fame just by their names.
Especially when they revealed 'Golden Axe 2' for the NEGA Drive at the end, the atmosphere in the venue soared to its peak.
"Looks like NEGA is gearing up for a big hit next year."
"Excited for this?"
Mr. Suzuki wore an immensely satisfied expression, addressing the audience.
"Thank you. Those were the demo videos of games scheduled for release next year."
Amidst the cheers and applause that engulfed the chairman, I too quietly applauded Mr. Suzuki.
"To be honest, I'd like to surprise everyone with an announcement here."
The still-excited venue erupted once again at Suzuki's announcement.
"We are currently in talks with a new third-party game for NEGA. It's a product from a small software company we're trying to bring under NEGA, although the final negotiations are ongoing. You might recall a brief mention in last month's Famicom Communication?"
At that moment, Junpei sitting at the adjacent table exclaimed.
"No way! Tri-Force Soft?"
To which Suzuki chuckled and replied, "Exactly. You are indeed a Famicom Communication journalist. The title is undecided, but enjoy the preview."
As Suzuki finished, the venue dimmed. Kawaguchi, seated beside me, whispered.
"This is somewhat shocking, isn't it? We were in discussions with Tri-Force Soft too, but I didn't expect NEGA to preemptively seal the deal."
I smiled slightly at Kawaguchi's words. "Let's just observe for now."
Moments later, a bright sunlight bathed a rain-soaked village's scenery on the screen.
The RPG game with a fantasy vibe seemed no different from the games that had been released thus far, except for slightly more vibrant graphics.
However, as the combat scene unfolded, the gaping mouths of the audience gathered at the chairman's podium went silent.
"What's that?"
"Can you control characters in battles?"
The knight wielding a shield and sword, moving left and right, directly engaging with foes left the audience awestruck.
While I had seen games with side-scrolling combat scenes before (for instance, Legend of Karin 2), I had never seen a game execute combat scenes as neatly as this.
The warrior on the screen swung his sword in rapid succession, displaying a unique combat sequence.
"Wow!"
As the warrior charged at a monster and leaped, striking with his sword, a young female mage riding a broomstick appeared, casting a fireball to assist his attack.
Blocking the golem's punch with his shield, the warrior received damage, only to be healed instantly by a priestess dressed in monk robes.
The entire combat animation, conducted using a side-scrolling technique within a single battle scene, drew admiration from the audience at the chairman's podium.
While turn-based battles were common in RPG games of this era, the action displayed on screen was akin to an action game, leaving no room for comparison.
Moreover, the introduction of a voice system, something usually found in arcade games, surprised the audience once more.
As the warrior slashed at enemies using a whirlwind attack, he shouted, "Storm Blade!"
"Whoa! Voiceover!"
Though it appeared to be an ordinary RPG on the surface, the unique battle scenes showcased in this game gradually faded to darkness, leaving the audience in suspense.
"That concludes the surprise announcement about Tri-Force Soft."
The Famicom Communication journalist, Junpei, waited and then asked Suzuki.
"Has Tri-Force Soft definitively announced development for the NEGA Drive platform?"
Suzuki momentarily looked puzzled at Junpei's question before responding.
"There's no definitive confirmation from Tri-Force Soft yet. However, the video I showed was a practical demonstration ported specifically for the NEGA Drive."
Upon Suzuki's explanation, people seemed somewhat more understanding.
Kawaguchi also chimed in, wearing a disappointed expression. "If they've already completed that level of a battle scene, you could almost say Tri-Force Soft has shifted towards the NEGA Drive, right?"
"Well, we can't say for sure."
With a satisfied smile, I raised my hand slightly towards Suzuki.
"Suzuki-san, may I ask you one thing? Can I ask a question?"
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