Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 839: The Moment

Although Myron Case was doing everything he could to keep up with the professional game developers, he didn't expect his games to be universally praised. All he wanted was to retain some users.

But the reality was that players were already overwhelmed with better games.

On Facebook's phones, you could play much higher-quality video games, with a smartphone experience that was no worse than Mikfo's. From the perspective of a gaming-oriented user, there was simply no better choice—Facebook phones were the obvious pick.

No matter how hard Myron tried, it was mostly in vain.

Especially with the Switch launch just around the corner, Facebook went all in—dedicating a full week of ad space across its platform to promote Gamestar Electronic Entertainment's latest console and titles.

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Of course, Takayuki didn't get those ads for free—he still paid the standard rate. The difference was, unlike others, he didn't need to pay inflated fees to secure those spots.

To this day, Facebook remained the world's largest social platform. That alone meant Mikfo couldn't really compete.

Worse still, Mikfo's smartphones didn't have a dedicated Facebook app—users had to access it through a browser, which severely impacted the user experience.

All of this meant that Myron Case wasn't having a great time.

His competitors were stronger than he'd expected.

...

...

July 1st—right in the thick of the summer heat—massive crowds formed outside Gamestar retail stores and department shops.

Around this time, nearly every game not launching on the Switch had chosen to delay or stay out of the spotlight.

In a way, having a titan like Gamestar in the industry was a blessing. They provided a clear benchmark to chase.

If you didn't know what kind of game to make, just attend one of Gamestar's development courses. If you didn't have a clear goal, just follow Gamestar's direction.

But at the same time, having a giant like Gamestar could be a curse.

Whenever they made a major move, they monopolized all public attention—no hesitation.

Earlier, many business analysts had predicted that the Switch wouldn't sell well. Its hybrid nature seemed odd and didn't look like something destined for success.

But in practice, the long lines and overwhelming player interest caught everyone off guard.

Players were still curious about what made the Switch fun—yet they were still lining up to buy it. This left many past critics speechless.

Traditional business logic just didn't apply to Gamestar. With this level of fan support, they could get away with almost anything—even a console that seemed unconventional.

Smarter analysts had already shut up, choosing to quietly observe the outcome before saying more. They wouldn't dare speak too soon before public opinion settled.

Only a few slightly more cautious commentators argued that Gamestar's release strategy was flawed. Releasing so many top-tier games at once might cause internal competition, reducing each title's potential sales. A better approach would be to stagger the releases.

In front of each store, various bundle promotions were posted.

Takayuki had truly gone all-out to push the Switch. He'd even brought out some of his top-shelf, "secret weapon" titles.

First up was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild—a milestone in video game history.

Takayuki had developed it with deep respect for the original. He was personally involved throughout the entire development, and for the first 90% of the project, he stayed in the office nearly full-time, supervising everything to ensure nothing went wrong.

This was his statement to the world: an open-world title of the highest quality. He aimed to meet or exceed the standard of the original Breath of the Wild, or else he'd feel ashamed releasing it in this world.

Then came Uncharted.

In the original world, no one would've imagined it launching on the Switch—after all, those were rival companies.

But here, it didn't matter. Takayuki had created it himself, so it was perfectly natural to launch it on any platform.

And graphically, the first Uncharted was perfectly viable for the Switch.

Following that were other major titles like the latest Metroid, the new Super Mario Odyssey, and more. Each one, if released alone, would've been the centerpiece of any release window.

Releasing them all at once? Even Takayuki admitted this might never happen again.

On one hand, a company had to be strategic.

Dropping so many blockbuster games at the same time diluted the spotlight. Players only had so much attention and energy—it was impossible to give every title its due.

But that was the point. The collective weight of these titles made the new console's launch unforgettable.

"Aiko, your wish really worked!"

In front of Gamestar's flagship Tokyo store, the classic trio—Mion-chan, Aiko, and their friend—had arrived early to queue up.

Even though digital games were now mainstream, people still liked to buy physical copies.

They provided a sense of reassurance—and honestly, missing out on a launch event like this felt like a real loss. After all, a new console only comes every 5 to 7 years.

So standing in line once every 5 or 6 years? Totally worth it.

Back at Gamestar Carnival, Aiko had made a wish: that Gamestar would make more and better games.

And now, with the Switch's launch and all the games being unleashed at once, it really did feel like that wish had come true—to the point of almost overwhelming players.

Aiko, calm and collected, replied, "It was just a simple wish. But I've always believed Gamestar would keep making great games. So I can't take credit for it working."