Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 751: Tragedy is the Greatest Driving Force

At first, many players were drawn to NieR: Automata by the character 2B.

Of course, some were also interested because of Gamestar Electronic Entertainment's reputation.

Takayuki was already considered a god in the eyes of gamers worldwide.

Most players didn't even worry about whether the game would be good—because every game Gamestar released had been excellent.

And with the success of Bayonetta, players were even more eager to try NieR: Automata.

However, they clearly didn't expect the tragic tone of the story.

They didn't think Takayuki would hit them so hard emotionally, leading the story into tragedy.

Most people only saw the game's surface.

The streamer girl had just finished the prologue. After a fierce battle, 2B and another android, 9S, sacrificed themselves to destroy a massive enemy machine. The mission was a success—but at a cost.

"Eh? It's over already? We just got started! Why are the characters dead already?"

"Wait, looks like they can be revived."

Before players could react, the screen lit up again. The game now shifted to a side-scrolling view. 2B awakened and began moving around.

"Ohhh, I get it—they're androids. Even if their bodies are destroyed, as long as their consciousness survives, they can come back in a new body."

"That's such a cool system. If humans had something like this, we wouldn't have to worry about injuries or diseases anymore."

"You're thinking too far ahead. This kind of 'mechanical transcendence' isn't that easy. Sure, AI consciousness can be copied—but human minds can't."

"Well, maybe for now. But in the future, I believe people might be able to upload consciousness too."

"Even if we could do that, who's to say consciousness itself won't have issues? Just like how bodies suffer from pain and illness."

"Alright, enough talk—focus on the story."

Viewers quieted down and returned to watching the stream.

Elsewhere, countless other players were also up all night playing NieR: Automata.

This game wasn't like Titanfall, with its fast-paced campaign.

This was an RPG—character stats had to be built up over time. It wasn't just about combat.

Naturally, the game progressed at a slower pace.

According to Gamestar's official estimate, a full first playthrough would take over 20 hours.

And the company recommended three full playthroughs to fully experience the story—making the game significantly longer.

This multi-playthrough format was something new that Gamestar pioneered with NieR: Automata, and it later became a standard feature in many of their titles, helping games remain engaging for years.

Some older games were still being played thanks to this model—The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was a prime example.

Even though its visuals were outdated, its gameplay remained timeless.

Gamestar's data showed that Ocarina of Time still had 3,000–4,000 weekly active players—even without online features. Those were true fans.

So, NieR: Automata being a multi-playthrough game didn't surprise anyone.

In the original version, the game's graphics weren't top-tier—more mid-range for its time.

But Takayuki had significantly improved it.

With access to the powerful Unreal Engine, high-end graphics were no problem.

In fact, Gamestar would have to try hard if they wanted to make a low-resolution game.

Among early players, many rushed through the first playthrough.

Some explored, while others focused on the story or speedrunning—ignoring stats and upgrades just to see the ending.

Streamers, like the girl, fell into this group too. She needed to progress quickly so viewers could follow the plot.

She played non-stop and finally finished most of the first playthrough around 11 p.m. the next day.

The story reached a moment where 9S sacrificed himself to avoid corrupting the system. It seemed he had died, but he suddenly revived in a captured enemy machine—creating a seemingly happy ending.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

Viewers were satisfied. They felt it was a great game, worth replaying. Many were now ready to dive in themselves.

The streamer, exhausted, said:

"Everyone, I'm going to sleep now. Let's continue tomorrow and see where the story goes."

She ended the stream and fell asleep immediately.

Back at Gamestar HQ, Takayuki was reviewing the launch performance of NieR: Automata.

With over 1 million copies sold on day one, it was clear the game was a hit.

The development lead for NieR stood beside him, tracking player progress using Gamestar's online systems. They could now monitor things like playtime, story progression, and achievement stats in real-time.

Some players had already completed most of the first playthrough—and the truly tragic parts of the story were coming up next.

The dev sighed when he saw the data.

"President Takayuki, I think players are going to be heartbroken soon."

Takayuki calmly replied:

"Are you worried they'll be upset?"

"Not really. Just feels a bit sad... Some of them really like these characters, and now they'll have to go through those painful scenes."

Takayuki shrugged.

"Tragedy is the strongest storytelling tool. Every player understands that."