In a certain Asian country, a vendor peddling pirated CD video games was surrounded by a group of eager young people.
"Boss, do you have video games for KS1?" Jeff, a young man perusing the video game case at the vendor, inquired of the bootlegger.
"You've come to the right place, sir. Our vendor sells affordable KS1 video games that are not only cheap but also 100% working!" The bootlegger smiled, assuring not just Jeff but also the other youths eyeing the video games at his stall, along with those browsing CD video games.
"Really? A few weeks ago, I bought KS1 video games from another vendor who claimed the same thing, but they didn't work at all. They just kept loading and never worked," Jeff recounted his disappointing experience to the bootlegger.
Other young people browsing for video games were silently listening, sharing similar experiences. Many had opted for pirated video games for TSX Fusion, having learned not to trust KS1 video games. Some considered testing just one CD video game for KS1 to check its functionality.
Anticipating such skepticism, the bootlegger smiled and said, "Haha, I expected someone to respond that way. As proof, I brought a TV and my KS1 here to demonstrate that the video games at our vendor work."
The young people around the vendor were surprised. Only then did they notice a TV in the booth with the bootlegger, connected to a KS1.
"We can test KS1 video games?" Jeff and the others perusing the video games in the vendor were taken aback.
"That's correct. This way, we can provide evidence that our affordable KS1 video games are functional," the bootlegger said with a smile.
After absorbing all the information, a group of young men promptly handed over video games from the vendor, urging the bootlegger to test them.
"Can you try this video game for me, boss?"
"Boss, please give this video game a try, and I'll buy it!"
"Boss, what about this video game?"
Jeff also wanted the bootlegger to test the video game he was interested in.
The bootlegger examined the video games the group presented, noticing they were the latest releases by KiShin: "Metal Gear Solid I" and "Silent Hill." These two games had gained significant popularity in the country recently, promoted on various TV programs and endorsed by a famous celebrity known for their appreciation of KS1 video games. Consequently, both young and older generations began showing interest in KS1 video games.
"Alright, I'll test these video games, and I'll remove the CD from the video game case you provided as proof that I'm not deceiving any of you," the bootlegger assured with a smile. This way, he aimed to dispel any suspicion that he might substitute a working, original KS1 video game CD to trick customers into buying non-functional copies.
Upon hearing the bootlegger's assurances, the young people breathed a sigh of relief. Under their watchful eyes, the bootlegger carefully extracted the CD from the video game case they had personally provided.
Having removed the video game CD from its case, the bootlegger proceeded to insert it into the KS1 CD slot. On the television screen, the distinctive logos of KS1 and KiShin appeared, followed by the introductory animation of "Metal Gear Solid I."
Witnessing the pirated CD video games in action, the crowd felt a surge of excitement, realizing they could acquire affordable video games for KS1.
Simultaneously, they attentively observed, hopeful that the pirated video game would continue to function beyond the introductory animation. Having experienced issues with other vendors where the games either remained stuck loading or played only an animated intro story, they quietly scrutinized the television, much like Jeff and others who had previously purchased pirated video games.
Following the video game's animated story introduction, the moment of truth arrived as the bootlegger took control of the KS1 controller. The young people were not disappointed; the in-game character moved seamlessly, and the bootlegger played for a solid 10 minutes. The crowd surrounding the vendor became convinced that these pirated video games were indeed legitimate and functional.
"I'll take these two KS1 video games, please."
"I'll grab this one."
"Count me in too, boss..."
"I'll go for this one and that one too..."
The bootlegger wore a wide grin as he accepted payments, carefully placing the pirated video game CD cases in plastic and handing them over.
When it came to Jeff's turn, as the bootlegger packaged his purchased pirated video game CDs, Jeff inquired, "Boss, what if mine doesn't work, unlike the ones you tested?"
The others shared the same concern, exchanging glances with the bootlegger.
With a reassuring smile, the bootlegger replied, "If the video games you purchased don't work, you can return to this place. I'll personally test them, and if they're not functioning, you can replace them with other video games from this vendor."
Jeff was somewhat surprised but not entirely, considering it was a common practice in his country to replace non-functional items purchased from vendors. For instance, pirated CD films could be tested on the spot with a DVD player. Jeff nodded and said, "Alright..."
Excitedly heading home with the pirated video games in hand, Jeff, a student with limited funds, couldn't afford many original video games for 32-bit consoles. He occasionally bought one original video game but preferred exploring the pirated video games vendor for more options.
Most of his purchases were from TSX Fusion since the majority of pirated video games were compatible with that console. While Jeff's family wasn't affluent, they weren't impoverished either. His father managed to gift Jeff and his younger brother TSX Fusion and KS1 consoles, but the family owned only a few original video games. The TSX Fusion library thrived with pirated games, whereas the KS1 collection remained limited due to the high cost of originals.
Despite favoring TSX Fusion in his gaming sessions, Jeff secretly longed to play more on KS1. Memories of his elementary days, playing frequently on KES, lingered in his mind.
Jeff was actually a KiShin fan, and he still remembered when the SKES came out...
He waited for the SKES and its video games to fall in price before finally buying the SKES and its video games...
At that time, Jeff thought he could finally follow the trend with his friends by owning SKES. However, in just a few months after that, KiShin released their KS1. Only after a month of KS1's release, the KS1 was released in their country, and Jeff felt left behind in the trend once more. It was only when his father bought a KS1 for his birthday that Jeff was really happy and could bond again with his gamer friends. The problem was that his KS1 lacked video games, although there were already dozens of video games available for the KS1 in the market...
After returning home from school, the house felt pretty lonely. His father and mother were both working, and his younger brother was with his mother, who is working in the clothing company as a pattern sewist.
Jeff went into the living room, where the television and the two consoles, KS1 and TSX Fusion, were set up.
As the KS1 was rarely played, the TSX Fusion was the one connected to the television. Jeff disconnected the TSX Fusion from the television and connected the KS1.
After setting that up, Jeff inserted the "Metal Gear Solid I" pirated video game CD into the KS1 CD slot...
After that, the KS1 and KiShin logo intro started, and after that, it was finally the video game animation intro story...
Jeff observed seriously, as it was finally the moment of truth—the gameplay.
He controlled the in-game character, Solid Snake, and after a while, Jeff was pleasantly surprised that the pirated video game indeed worked!
After playing for several minutes, Jeff became a bit worried about the infamous KiShin anti-piracy screen. However, he was somewhat relieved that as he continued to play, there was no anti-piracy message so far. As time passed, Jeff played the video game, and his worries that it might stop working dwindled until they finally disappeared.
Having played for an hour, Jeff's worry was gone, and he felt that he could play the video game all day if not for his parents restricting his gaming time.
Jeff was immersed in playing "Metal Gear Solid I" seriously, focusing on the intense gameplay in the snowy area with the captivating music.
From what Jeff had learned so far about Solid Snake, he was a playboy, flirting with Mei Ling and Meryl, the two hot and beautiful women.
While Jeff was deeply engrossed in completing a mission in the snowy area, he sensed something was not right. The sound effects, such as footsteps and howling wind, seemed to lower in volume, becoming nearly inaudible as if something unusual was happening nearby...
Then, the intense background music that had been playing vigorously faded out...
Jeff was a bit confused, thinking this might be a downside of the pirated video game, but he could still continue playing.
After defeating the tank, the pre-rendered animations of the conversation between Shaman and General Ivan played out.
From the conversation, the in-game character Solid Snake was about to face General Ivan next.
Jeff was already thrilled, and he didn't mind the downside of lowered sound effects and the absence of a music soundtrack.
After the video game loading, Jeff was surprised that the game didn't proceed. Instead, it returned to the moment when in-game Solid Snake was in conversation with Meryl...
"What happened?" Jeff muttered, becoming annoyed as he thought it must be another downside of the pirated video game. So, he spent some time playing through it again.
But, as before, the sound effects and the music soundtrack disappeared over time, and the video game suddenly froze.
"Oh no... Don't tell me the infamous KiShin anti-piracy screen will appear!" Jeff exclaimed, his worries resurfacing.
But then, after the hang, the video game played out again. However, it repeated the scene and conversation of Solid Snake and Meryl.
"It keeps repeating!" Jeff muttered with a hint of irritation.
He went through the conversation of Solid Snake and Meryl again. With Solid Snake flirting and Meryl responding, "Oh, I doubt that..." Jeff wanted the conversation to finish quickly, but Solid Snake and Meryl seemed to stop talking.
Feeling annoyed again, Jeff thought it must be another downside of the pirated video game. As he was about to open the KS1 CD slot to restart the video game, Solid Snake and Meryl spoke at the same time, making it impossible for Jeff not to hear their words.
"Thanks for playing the video game demo! Please buy the original video game from legitimate store distributors to finally be able to play the full video game! Thank you! Sincerely, KiShin Game Developers."
After hearing that with the deep voice of Solid Snake and the soft, captivating voice of Meryl, Jeff's eyes widened.
He completely understood English, which astonished him.
"It... It was the infamous KiShin anti-piracy!"
Jeff couldn't help but exclaim and smile wryly.
To be honest, he wasn't even mad. For KiShin to handle pirated video games like this...
He figured he couldn't complain that much since he was able to play the KS1 video game for at least an hour, right?
At least he confirmed the fact that the latest KiShin video game named "Metal Gear Solid I," hyped as a great video game, was well-deserved.
Jeff guessed the other video games released with "Metal Gear Solid I" to be equally good, as they were also hyped and popular in his country's gaming community.
Even celebrities or famous singers in his country who played video games during their free time praised KiShin's latest KS1 video games.
Initially, Jeff thought it was just KiShin sponsoring those people, but it seems like KiShin was still the good old KiShin in Jeff's impression from the 8-bit and 16-bit video game era...
The gamers who purchased pirated video games in certain parts of Asia believed that KS1 pirated video games were finally fully compatible with their KS1 console, only to be somewhat disappointed. In a particular pre-rendered scene, the characters of the video game they were playing expressed, "Thanks for playing the video game demo! Please buy the original video game from legit store distributors to finally be able to play the full video game! Thank you!"
While these gamers didn't experience the infamous KiShin anti-piracy screen, those who encountered the KS1 anti-piracy measure of KiShin firsthand were left speechless. It may not be as intimidating as the KES, SKES KiShin anti-piracy screen, and not as unsettling, but the in-game characters, whom players had slowly grown attached to, sincerely encouraged them to purchase the original video game from legitimate distributors, convincing some gamers to indeed buy the original one from legit video game stores.
While other gamers wanted to return their half-working KS1 pirated video games to the vendor for a replacement, the vendor refused after testing the video game, claiming it was functioning. Even when gamers argued that the video game would stop working after half an hour or an hour of play, the bootleggers just scoffed, insisting that it was still functional.
With responses like "You are buying a cheap video game, so you should have expected it to be pirated; you buy it at your own risk..." from most bootleggers, gamers found it challenging to counter.
--
As December approached, the KiShin website forums buzzed with discussions about the upcoming KiShin video game, Grand Theft Auto III. Amidst myriad posts, gamers shared their experiences with GTA I and II.
The majority didn't really like GTA I, but most enjoyed GTA II. Despite expectations for the KS1 video game GTA III, a few gamers expressed concerns about it being similar to GTA I and II. Fortunately, most gamers reassured them that GTA III would be vastly different, according to KiShin Power magazine and the preview of the video game graphics image printed in the magazine for readers to see.
From the gameplay of some GTA I and II gamers, expectations for the upcoming GTA III were already taking shape.
--
As discussions about the upcoming video game GTA III unfolded, a few weeks after the hype of playable pirated video games on KS1, the topic of KiShin's anti-piracy measures also gained attention.
The conversation revolved around video game characters encouraging players to buy the original game, with in-game characters expressing sentiments like, "Thanks for playing the video game demo..." This intrigued gamers purchasing original video games from legitimate stores.
Some gamers intentionally bought a KS1 pirated video game to witness the interesting scene of the KiShin anti-piracy measure. People were drawn to experiences that genuinely piqued their curiosity, especially when aligned with their interests.
In fact, when the KiShin anti-piracy in SKES was discussed, albeit not as widely as now, it was attributed to the absence of the KiShin website forum in the SKES era. Topics like that weren't as prevalent due to slower internet speeds in 1993.
As the internet industry evolved over time, approaching the end of 1995, internet speeds, though still slower compared to the future, became usable. With waiting times ranging from several seconds to a few minutes, individuals could access websites, including images and even videos if they were willing to wait a day for the video to load.
For those who have experienced and witnessed the anti-piracy measures of KS1, posts like RobotnickOne's "As expected of KiShin..." are common.
GangBoss expresses skepticism: "I was initially suspicious of working pirated video games for KS1. How could KiShin allow it? I felt that even if the pirated video game seems to work at first, there will be a surprise after playing for a while... And it seems like I was right..."
Hard_Snake remarks, "KiShin is much stricter than my dad."
KiShin4ever proudly declares, "No piracy allowed with our boy KiShin... Only legit games in the hood, y'all!"
--
Meanwhile, in Akihabara's Electric Town, a few KiShin popular IPs establishments have already emerged. These include a Pokémon restaurant and café, and construction is underway for a dedicated building for anime and video games, complete with billboards.
Buildings such as Akiba Gamers or Animate were also under construction. Shin was recreating structures he had visited during a business trip to Akihabara Electric Town in his previous life. Additionally, Shin aimed to emulate the famous maid restaurants from his past life, ones that would eventually be endorsed by KiShin.
While KiShin harbored ambitions to establish numerous properties on their acquired land, Shin had purchased the land in Akihabara Electric Town with the goal of transforming it into a commercial district.
Hence, KiShin invested in modernizing the area's infrastructure, incorporating wider streets, improved sewage systems, and a reliable electricity supply. These enhancements were intended to attract potential businesses and residents.
KiShin implemented targeted zoning, establishing regulations that encourage specific businesses aligned with the desired theme. This includes electronics stores, appliance vendors, and game centers.
In terms of community building, KiShin is gearing up to organize events and festivals, aiming to attract people and foster a sense of community within the district. Events such as electronics expos, gaming tournaments, and music festivals are in the pipeline. KiShin's cosplay event in Akihabara marks its initial foray into community building.
Recognizing its limitations in redeveloping and enhancing the electric town infrastructure independently, KiShin plans to attract major electronics and technology companies to set up flagship stores, serving as anchors for further development. Offering tax breaks or preferential conditions could incentivize their participation.
KiShin has extended invitations to several Electronic Technologies Companies (ETCs), presenting them with the overall plan for the land to generate interest. Surprisingly, companies like Toyota have already shown interest. Other notable players, including Apple, SamStar, and Microsoft, existing partners with KiShin, are also keen on establishing stores in the planned commercial district.
KiShin's growing interest in the commercial real estate development business is evident, particularly with the nearing completion of the long-anticipated Jurassic Park attractions currently under construction in the USA.