Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 706: Honey, Come Try This

"This Ring Fit thing is just a way to gloss over the harm games can do. How could it possibly compare to real exercise?"

Sociologist Jean was openly dismissive.

On the very day Ring Fit was announced, he saw tons of people hyping the game on social media.

In different regions, Ring Fit was advertised in different ways.

In Japan, they featured the most popular and pure-image female celebrities, keeping everything soft and fresh.

In America, the marketing leaned toward a more trendy, youthful look—a group of energetic young people using Ring Fit, sweating and smiling as they exercised.

In the UK and similar places, the commercials took on a British gentleman style—well-dressed male models in suits demonstrating the Ring Fit out on the streets, with a bit of European humor, but still highlighting the product's features.

Thanks to these region-specific ad strategies, the moment the commercials aired, they received widespread praise. Many people said they rewatched the ads several times just for how well made they were.

...

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But that didn't change Jean's disdain for video games.

He used his own social media platforms to keep criticizing the harmful effects of gaming.

To him, Ring Fit was just a gimmick, and the idea of it providing real exercise benefits was a joke.

All that dramatic sweating shown in the commercials? He believed it was nothing but staged acting. Once people actually tried the product, he was sure the reality would be much more underwhelming.

Some people were convinced by Jean's opinion and decided to hold off on buying.

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But many others were unaffected—especially people like that white-collar worker who had been instantly drawn to the commercial.

He didn't spend time on social media. His daily life was just work and home, a strict routine, so he was never exposed to the criticisms.

On the day Ring Fit launched, he actually took a rare day off just to go out and buy Ring Fit Adventure.

He rushed back home, eager to try it out.

"Huh? Honey? You're home early today."

His wife was a gentle and caring woman. After sending her husband and child off to work and school in the morning, she usually spent her time cleaning the house, doing laundry, and sometimes meeting up with neighborhood women for some light gossip. That was the typical lifestyle of many Japanese housewives.

Even though it was already 2007, many Japanese women still chose to become full-time homemakers after getting married. The government had long encouraged gender equality and equal pay, but social habits were hard to change and might take generations to shift.

So when she saw her husband come home this early, she was surprised. Normally, he wouldn't return until much later.

"I took the day off today. But never mind that—honey, I bought something interesting. Want to try it?"

"Something interesting?" She was curious, then suddenly thought of something, and her face turned red with a shy smile.

"Is that why you came home early? Because of this... interesting thing?"

"Sort of. I think this might help bring the whole family a little closer together."

"Eh?"

She looked puzzled.

Then she saw him pull out a game console and a copy of Ring Fit Adventure.

"What's this?"

"It's a game console. I remember our kid has been wanting to try it for a while. He kept saying all his friends have one. I suddenly felt like maybe our family should have it too."

Her shy expression turned calm, then slightly awkward.

"But I remember you used to be really against video games... said they were addictive, right?"

"I did think that way, yeah. But I feel like maybe it's time to change my view. There's a new game on this that made me think video games might not be so bad after all. And didn't you say you've been thinking about getting into fitness?"

"Yeah, I've wanted to get a gym membership, but once you add the personal trainer costs, it gets expensive."

"Well, maybe you can try this instead."

He handed her the Ring Fit game case.

She examined it curiously. "What is this exactly?"

"It's a game called Ring Fit. I don't really know all the details, but based on the commercials, it looks pretty effective."

"But... it's still a video game, right? Can a game really help with fitness?"

She looked skeptical.

"Well... why not give it a try?"

He looked hopeful.

In his mind, he kept replaying the countless times he'd seen the Aika Kamimura ad. Watching her glistening with sweat—he figured that even if it worked half as well, it would still be worth it.

"Alright... let's give it a try."

She gave up her plans to visit the neighbors and decided to stay home to try it out with her husband.

The neighbors would probably understand.

The office worker eagerly rushed to the TV and followed the manual to set up the console. It was so easy even a kid could do it, so he had it ready in no time. Then he inserted the Ring Fit Adventure cartridge.

To play, he had to buy additional detachable controllers. Altogether, he had spent over 50,000 yen—a big purchase for him.

If the game turned out to be disappointing, he figured he'd give up on video games altogether. Still, he wouldn't return it—it could be a gift for his kid.

Of course, he'd still limit his child's playtime. No getting addicted.

His wife watched patiently as he finished setting it up. When he finally handed her the Ring Fit accessory, she examined it with curiosity.

It really did just look like a simple black ring. But it had good resistance, maybe it could even be repurposed as a household tool.

After some busy preparation, the man had everything ready. He followed the game's instructions to insert the controllers into the leg strap and the ring.

The game began.

"Alright, honey. Follow the prompts and give it a try."