Game Market 1983

EP. 13: Upcoming 16-bit Era (4)

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December 20, 1987. Five days before Christmas. Akihabara Tokyo.

There was an endless line of garbage logs on the snow-covered streets due to the record-breaking snowfall from late afternoon. Why are there so many garbage bags lined up for the street? Sorry, correcting. It's actually a person.

“Hey, hey, hey. ”

“Yes..? ”

“I work for Mintendo. This is a warm coffee, but have some of this. ”

I gave it to him along with the steaming coffee from the jar. The young man, who was burying his face in the duck parka, reached out his hands, bowing his head to me.

“I... appreciate it.”

I can't believe you can't even speak at the top of a cold. Why are you doing this to me? I sighed for a long time and watched the snowfall.

Mintendo's staff on the street with me was also handing out coffee to guests.

By the way, the real online mall is innovation. Just a few clicks away from a warm house and you'll be home in no time.

Of course, popular products can be sold at lightspeed in just a few decades, giving you a sense of devastation, but you don't have to go through all this freezing.

“P-give me some coffee, too. ”

You reach out your hand as if you were a zombie craving human flesh, and the coffee in the warmer quickly runs out. I ran to a Bongo car designated as the event temporary headquarters to replenish my coffee, but I ran out of coffee that I had already prepared.

“Ah, Director Kang. It's so cold.”

How much bread would a heater bake in an '80s bongo car... I handed the bag stove to a woman trembling in a parka.

“Hold that in your hand, too. Frostbite.”

“Thank you, sir. ”

“The snowfall was unprecedented. I'm too unprepared.”

“But look at that. It's a long line to the front of the station. Like you said, it seems like a great deal for a limited time. ”

“Damn, 2,000's gonna cost you more than that. I'm sorry I put our people through all this. Mina.”

“Oh no! It's okay, I volunteered. Well..."

Then I heard Gunpei calling me from behind.

“Strong!! Do you have any coffee left? ”

I shouted at Gunpei from a distance, crossing my arms in X shape.

“We're out!! That's the last one!!! ”

Gunpei, the event's general manager, walked down the platform with an empty thermostat. The collar, as well as the eyebrows, were all piled up, but their expressions looked very bright.

“The management meeting didn't respond well to making expensive portable gaming machines, but you're off to a great start. After 10 days of discounts and the number of seconds is sold out, can children see additional advertising effects? ”

“There's probably kids going to school. If you only buy one person per class, you'll be automatically notified by about 50 people. ”

“That's right. That's the thing about portable gaming. It will work for people who play on trains like games & watches and will spread on their own without having to pay for marketing. ”

Yeah, well, I used to have a classmate in my hometown who brought me here to brag about it. I couldn't tell you how much I was thrilled with it for one game, but after less than three days, the classroom went crazy because someone stole it.

“Hey, do you have any more coffee? Guests are waiting for you...”

A member of the PR team who was handing out coffee on the street came to us with an empty warmer.

“Oh my God, we still have 10 hours before the event starts, but what do we do about the cold in the morning? ”

“But I can't tell you to go back, and I can't help coping with the big accidents. ”

Then a member of the PR team called out in frozen hands.

“Want to buy some hot packs and spin them around at the convenience store? ”

“Hot pack? That's not bad, but how many convenience stores do you have to go to to to get hot packs for this many people? ”

“There's nothing I can do. At this rate, the news crews will be coming tomorrow morning. ”

“I see. We should do what we can. ”

In the end, we went through all the convenience stores and airlifted the hot packs to find what we could use to warm ourselves up. Nevertheless, the dawn cold did not show any signs of retreat.

“Khh... They're amazing. I would just give up and go home.”

Gunpei swung his red nose and got into the bongo car. However, Mina, trembling around the corner, spoke earnestly to Gunpei.

“Why don't we talk to the manager and ask him to let us in? ”

“I'm sorry, the place is too small for all of them. I can't let anyone in. I can't let anyone out.”

“That's why we're trembling here. ”

In my last words, Gunpei patted me on the shoulder with a chuckle.

“Still, I'm glad you came with me. It'll all be a memory after this. Hang in there, guys. ”

Five people who came to the Tokyo event site, including myself and Gunpei. At least they were holding out the cold in the barn, but how cold do you think it really is out there?

The sound of the intense wind blowing through the cracks of the vehicle caused me to lose sleep and have a bright day.

“Ugh... It's cold. ”

“Yes? What did you say? ”

“No, Korean is going to freeze to death. ”

I wanted to move my body a little because my whole body was shivering. As the rear door of the barn opens, the blade wind blows into the side of the barn car.

“D-Assistant Director! ”

“Okay, I'll close in a minute. ”

Bang!! I was curled up all night and felt like I'd lost 5 centimeters. I rotate my arms around, loosening my muscles, and raising a large base.

“Luckily, the snow stopped. ”

Acquired. Snow piles up almost to the ankle above the white eye, which no one has stepped on yet. I guess it's a long way down till dawn. Are people gonna be okay? Turning my head...

“Huff!! ”

The road leading from the venue to the station was lined with round eyes. Among them, I saw them rubbing their shoulders together to loosen stiff muscles like me. I'm glad everyone's still alive in the freezing cold...

“Fantastic. Really.”

In fact, ordinary people would only pay more for 2000 and buy it later, but those who were gathered at the site today were never gathered for 2000 yen.

They're people, too, and they wouldn't sacrifice themselves in this snowfall to buy a portable gamble boy like this. However, he overcame the cold with the spirit of early adopters that he wanted to experience a new machine before anyone else.

For them, perhaps the number of seconds that dig deep into their bones will drop even more than the cold, and the pain that we have to wait until reproduction will come upon us is greater.

They earned a title in the mid-90s. They were the ones who would be enthusiastic about the animation of their father, Otaku, who told his son Nami, who hated to ride even though he died in a purple robot, to return without hesitation.

&

The original portable gem boy was released in April 1989.

Mintendo was aiming for the launch in the summer of 1988, but it was a game machine that was played once during the launch of internal affairs.

But today is December 21, 1987.

A portable game console with the first interchangeable cartridge is on display at the event store.

“Wow!!! ”

Following Karin's legend and Dragon Warrior 2, the ticket-day purchase procession was no longer a rare spectacle. However, for the first time as a console device, it was successful in inducing the purchasing matrix, and even though it was expensive, it was open and began to sell brilliantly.

Super Maridge Land for Gamboys, prepared as a launch title, was also toughening out the device traction effect with a mandatory purchase of nine in ten titles.

Curiosity was enough to queue up for the quality of the Super Maridge.

Of the four launch titles, Super Maridge followed by baseball. Though I thought I was prepared enough, Gunpei went around the event site after a one-fifth of the amount of candles had already been prepared disappeared.

“Take it easy. You're old.”

“It's been a long time since I've run in the field. I feel so energetic. ”

“Is that so?"

Gunpei took the can of beverage I gave him and touched the lid. However, his trembling fingertips made him unable to even open the drink cap properly.

Tik... Tik... I've been running around all day with nothing to eat... Can I feel my fingertips?

I took the lid off Gunpei's drink and gave it to him. Then Gunpei looked at me with a worried look.

“According to Mr. Kamachi, you're a loner. Is it true?”

“Phew!!! Oh, really?”

I hurriedly wiped around my mouth with a handkerchief, spitting out half the drink that was in my mouth.

“It's not like that. The boss suddenly introduces me to his nephew. I tried to say no, but it was meaningless. ”

“Your nephew? Miss Smyre?? ”

Does Gunpei know? ”

“I know. We've actually met a few times.”

“I see. I've only seen pictures of... well...”

“Isn't it a long way to go for a beauty? ”

I don't even want to be pretty. If I was normal, I wouldn't do this.

“Mr. Kamauchi's personality suggests that we should try to connect somehow...”

“Well, my boss would have pushed you to meet him, even if you were dating someone. I love my nephew Smyre that badly, but you know what?”

“But... what else is there? ”

“Since childhood, Miss Smire, who raised you, has never given up on anything you wanted. ”

Gunpei's words gave me the creeps behind my back.

“Why didn't you go a little harder? I don't think that's an excuse for being a loner, but what are you gonna do at a bachelor party at the beginning of the year? ”

“I've arranged for a business trip to the U.S. office at the beginning of next year. ”

“You sure are strong. Well, there's an old saying. No matter how beautiful she is, it's easy to get tired of living with her for five years.”

“Are you scolding me for looking too human? ”

“No.”

“Then?”

“If you meet an ugly woman, you don't have five years. I'm just sick of it from the start. ”

... it's a life motto...

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