Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 749: Release of Nier: Automata

In May, the month Bayonetta was released, the game sold over 5 million copies in just one month. Reaching 10 million total sales was now only a matter of time.

In June, Surrey Electronics released their newest IP: Divine Apostle.

This game was a bold, ambitious move from Surrey, and it was warmly received by players.

The reason? The game's female lead was... exceptionally large.

Many gamers have simple preferences—if something looks beautiful, they're naturally drawn to it.

Soon after, many other game companies followed this trend and began announcing their own titles featuring attractive character designs.

Some older games even updated their character visuals, and were immediately welcomed by players. Games that had been struggling saw a sudden boost in sales.

Of course, beautiful character designs alone can't make a game top-tier—but they can revive a fading title, and if developers take that opportunity to improve the rest, players are usually forgiving.

...

Takayuki watched game after game embracing "fan service," and couldn't help but smile.

He had won this round.

But it was just one victory.

The politically correct crowd would never stop criticizing and attacking pop culture. They always found new reasons to go after games and movies.

So he needed to keep pushing forward.

In July, Gamestar Electronic Entertainment released their next major title: NieR: Automata.

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In the original world, this was technically the second game in the series. But knowledge of the first game wasn't necessary. What most people remembered was 2B, the lead character—more than the story itself.

It might sound a bit shameful, but fan service became a main selling point, while the plot was secondary. Takayuki didn't mind. Every game survives in its own way. If this kind of game was well-received, then it clearly had a place in the market. There was no need to avoid it out of pride.

After the success of Bayonetta in May, players had even higher expectations for NieR: Automata.

This game had a heavier tone, and its story promised more emotional depth.

Still, most players were just looking forward to 2B—the black-dressed android.

As expected, during NieR: Automata's launch week, no other company dared release games on the same day. No one wanted to be crushed by Gamestar's massive presence.

These smaller companies couldn't afford the risk.

By now, no one could truly compete with Gamestar. In the gaming industry, they had already crushed their rivals—thoroughly, and without complaints.

In fact, something unusual happened when NieR: Automata launched.

Many game studios actually gave their employees time off during its release window.

The message was clear: "Go buy NieR: Automata and enjoy it for a few days."

After all, these employees were also passionate gamers. If they didn't get time off, they'd be distracted at work anyway. Better to just let them play.

At midnight, the game unlocked digitally in Japan and the U.S.

Digital sales were becoming mainstream, and NieR: Automata's digital version sold over 500,000 copies worldwide on day one. Physical editions made up the rest.

For Gamestar, hitting 1 million on launch day had become an easy benchmark.

Meanwhile, most other companies still prayed to hit 500,000 in a week. For Takayuki, that number was already unimpressive.

"Midnight's here! Let's go! 2B, we're coming for you!"

As the clock struck twelve, thousands of players were already waiting by their consoles.

The game had been preloaded, so anyone who preordered digitally could play the second it went live.

On Facebook's livestream platform, a female streamer—who had quit her job at Facebook to stream full-time—started her broadcast right at midnight.

She had originally streamed games just to meet company requirements.

But her streams unexpectedly went viral, something even she didn't expect.

Soon after, she realized it was a huge opportunity and resigned, becoming one of the first full-time streamers.

Thanks to her striking appearance and genuine love for games, she quickly became one of the platform's top streamers.

Her first big break came during the release of Titanfall. Many viewers who watched her back then became gamers themselves.

They finally understood how amazing games could be.

"Wow, my favorite streamer's live too! Should I play or watch?"

"Obviously watch the stream. You can play the game anytime—but if you miss the stream, it's gone!"

"True. I'm going to watch now!"

At midnight, her stream viewer count shot up—reaching 100,000 live viewers instantly.

And these weren't inflated numbers. Facebook's platform prioritized accuracy, so these were real.

Only a few streamers could reach that kind of live audience today. She was now one of the best.

"The game's starting! Wait... why is everything so yellow?"

"That's because it's a post-apocalyptic setting. Humanity doesn't live on Earth anymore—they're on the moon. The planet is now full of androids and alien invaders."

"Wow, all androids? That sounds really cool. They look just like real people."