In the KiShin Research building, Shin was in the office of the Director of Research.
The Director of Research was a chubby man with a mustache, and Shin is providing the explanation for the electronic product or iPod in his mind to the man.
Shin also put down the design of the iPod in front of the director, although the design didn't really include the board layout and board design, but the outward design, such as buttons and the screen, and the size of the device and the hardware design, such as the headphone jack and other ports. Although there's not yet a board layout and board design, Shin wrote the electrical components required for the device to fully function...
The chubby director seriously listened to his young boss and also took a look at the design of the iPod.
The director was gradually fascinated as he heard the explanation from the young boss, and at the same time, he heard from his young boss that he wanted the research to fully explore it and produce a prototype of it.
As for the funds? The director knew that the budget was never a problem for his boss or his company, KiShin...
"This is gonna revolutionize the technology of the media player!" The director, Morishita Isamu, exclaimed. Although he usually flattered the young boss, Shinro Suzuki, most of the time when the young boss is in the KiShin Research building, this time, he was really genuinely impressed by such an electronic product...
Shin nodded and said, "The Gameboy Advance is already finished, and after its testing, it may already be ready for mass production, so the researchers will have more time now to research on this media player device..."
Morishita Isamu nodded and said with a flattering smile, "Researching such a device requires effort and time, but with the design and required electronic components provided by the boss, we'll be able to research the device more conveniently."
Shin didn't really care about the flattery of the director and just nodded, then said, "Then do your best in researching this product. If we can finish researching it in a year or so, then we'll end the domination of other companies in media player technologies."
Morishita Isamu just nodded flatteringly. If KiShin could indeed produce a media player device with the design the young boss had presented, then there's no doubt that KiShin would truly dominate the media player products of other electronics companies.
Several Japanese electronic companies were actually profiting from the media player device or music player, and that's a CD music player, such as the DiskMan of Suzuki, Marathon of Tora (Marathon was the name of Tora CD player), and a few others...
--
After Shin finished arranging for the research of the iPod at KiShin Research, he went to the KiShin Rules Headquarters and entered his office. There, Shin did what he usually does as the Chairman of a multi-billion-dollar company—monitoring performance and risk. This involves overseeing the financial performance of the company and its subsidiaries, identifying and mitigating potential risks...
And also ensuring ethical conduct, such as upholding the company's ethical standards and corporate social responsibility policies, advocating for the company's interests, and more.
After that, Shin took a break and retrieved the Gameboy Advance from his pocket.
His Gameboy Advance was custom-designed, with the famous KiShin IPs from video games or animes painted on both the bottom and top shells.
Then, he inserted a game cartridge without the designed cover.
Shin turned on the Gameboy Advance, and the screen lit up with vibrant colors. The logo of Gameboy Advance and KiShin appeared before finally revealing the video game title.
"Golden Sun" appeared, and afterward, Shin could choose whether to name his character or not.
There was an in-game default name, but Shin inputted his name, "Shin," for the character and then selected OK.
After that, the video game finally started with an exclamation text calling "Shin," the in-game character's name, and the scene changed to a bed with another character.
Shin quietly observed the performance of the Gameboy Advance so far, and, quite noticeably, from the beginning, he saw no problems. Instead, he felt like he was playing a Gameboy Advance SP in his previous life.
The video game cartridge that he inserted into the Gameboy Advance was one of his favorite games from his previous life, "Golden Sun."
Shin recalled being a high school student when he played that Gameboy Advance video game in his previous life. He remembered being deeply engrossed in playing the RPG game.
"Golden Sun" for Gameboy Advance was actually one of the reasons why Shin decided to work in the video game industry after finishing university. To pursue this career path, Shin in his previous life chose a course that would help him secure a job in the video game industry. Despite his parents' objections, Shin chose to be independent at that time. Math (Shin's name in his previous life) and his parents had different ideals; Math wanted to become a game developer, but his parents wanted him to become an engineer. This was because his family, including his father and siblings, were engineers with majors in different categories.
Well, his family in his previous life was somewhat fixated on the engineering profession. This was mainly because his father was Indian, and his mother was Southeast Asian; they believed that only by becoming an engineer could their children achieve success in life.
Thinking about it brought a smile to Shin's face. He remembered in his previous life working in a few companies before becoming an independent video game developer in 2014. Despite receiving support from gamers for his video game, it wasn't enough to sustain his living. As a result, he applied for positions in companies.
"Well, the Gameboy Advance is functioning quite well... I guess it's about time the company needs to expedite the process of putting it into mass production as soon as possible," Shin muttered as he closed the Gameboy Advance. After that, he checked his watch and saw that it was already 5 pm. He went home, and the moment he stepped into the living room, he saw his son, Shinichi, watching Pokémon.
The moment the boy saw him, Shinichi immediately went to hug him. When Shin surprised the boy with the Gameboy Advance, Shinichi jumped in happiness.
Upon seeing Shin giving their son a Gameboy Advance, Mira reprimanded Shin for spoiling the boy. However, Shin just coaxed Mira with a subtle gesture—well, that's probably enough. Shin needs privacy...
[Happy New Year, everyone!!! For today, I can only post one chapter for Game Tycoon.]
Around the mid of April, the Tora also released their own handheld video game console.
The handheld video game console of Suzuki was just released in Japan for a week, and it didn't really bring a boost in sales.
Then Tora was the same, although the sales were decent, it was not crazily selling.
In fact, the products that were selling crazily for them was their CD music player.
Then after a month of the release of the handheld video game console of Tora and Suzuki, KiShin just surprised Tokyo by releasing a handheld video game console.
The two companies' competitors were taken by surprise, as the handheld video game console, the Gameboy Advance, was the handheld that became quickly popular the moment the Japanese saw it in the advertisement.
The sleek design of Gameboy Advance, and also the flippable design of the top shell, and can be flipped to the bottom shell, the Japanese gamers immediately became extremely captivated...
The advertisement of Gameboy Advance started with elementary boys and girls showing off their handheld video game console with each other, and the handheld video game console that seemed to be in the hands of each of the competing kids seemed to come from Tora and Suzuki.
And then suddenly, a boy that's been looked down upon by the class suddenly took out something, and that is the Gameboy Advance. The moment the class saw the Gameboy Advance and its sleek design, and flippable design, they went from disdain for the boy to be captivated by the boy's handheld, and those that looked down on the boy were further embarrassed in the class.
After seeing the Gameboy Advance, the boys and girls that were competing for who's the best handheld video game console became quite silent and immediately hid it in embarrassment.
The advertisement of the Gameboy Advance was shown around on television, and many kids immediately wanted their parents to buy the Gameboy Advance for them.
Upon the release of the Gameboy Advance in stores and malls around Tokyo, it quickly became a hit.
The Gameboy Advance even almost caught up with the sales of the CD music player in its first week, despite the fact that its price was actually $199. That's right, the Gameboy Advance was more expensive than the handhelds from Tora or Suzuki, but many Japanese gamers still bought it.
KiShin set this price due to the high-quality electrical components in the Gameboy Advance at this time of year 1996. Despite the cost, KiShin was making a substantial profit per sale. KiShin had invested heavily in research for the handheld, and to justify the high price, they highlighted the thin, flippable design, and most importantly, the impressive performance.
The early games that accompanied the Gameboy Advance included "Golden Sun," "Super Mario Bros. 3 (Remastered game of KES)," and "Fire Emblem."
Gamers didn't hesitate to buy the two latest games, "Fire Emblem" and "Golden Sun." Although there were essentially only two new video games, according to KiShin's manual, the Gameboy Advance could also play game cartridges from the old Gameboy. Of course, not all were compatible, but the new Pokémon game released recently in March was actually compatible with the Gameboy Advance, making it convenient for many gamers who already owned Gameboy cartridges.
And within just two weeks since the release of the Gameboy Advance, the overall estimated sales reached 170,000 units.
This amounted to at least an estimated $33,830,000 in sales, approximately 4 billion yen, and that doesn't even include the recent sales of Gameboy game cartridges.
It was a significant success for KiShin, while the handhelds from Tora and Suzuki were once again being ignored.
-In Pokémon Cafe in Tokyo-
A young man named Raito was engrossed in playing "Golden Sun" on his newly bought Gameboy Advance, with his friends watching him play in envy.
One of Raito's friends exclaimed, "Damn, man. I also wanted a Gameboy Advance, but my parents said they couldn't afford it." It was another young man named Tsubasa.
"That's true... If I had one, I'd freaking love to show off such a handheld. I can flip it in style, you know..." Another young man with dyed blonde hair remarked.
Raito, upon hearing that, smiled. Some of the young people who had a Gameboy Advance were showing off by flipping their devices in front of friends or classmates. Gradually, the act of flipping the Gameboy seemed to become another kind of fashion among the youth.
Then Raito said, "You guys shouldn't force your parents to buy you a Gameboy Advance, you know. I can just lend you mine once in a while. It actually took a while for it to run low on battery, about four or so hours before the battery became low..."
After Tsubasa and the other two young men heard that, they felt Raito was bragging.
Tsubasa ignored Raito's faint bragging as he said, "My father just bought a Suzuki DiskMan, you know! And it's priced at about 30,200 yen! (30,200 Yen = 250 dollars)"
The dyed young man also sighed and said, "Yeah, my mom just bought the latest Louis Vuitton bag, and she refused to spend her money on the Gameboy Advance!"
The other young man with spiky hair nodded, saying, "That's true. I don't understand why women would be so obsessed with meaningless bags. It's much more expensive, yet it can't do as many functions as a Gameboy Advance."
Tsubasa and the other two sighed in depression.
When Raito saw this, he let them play on his Gameboy Advance for half an hour each, with the game "Golden Sun" where they could make "Yes or No" decisions. With the RPG gameplay, the dissatisfied young men cheered up a little while playing the game, but they still wished they had one of their own.
In KiShin Rules Headquarters, Shin, in his office, examined the Gameboy Advance sales report. A slight smile crossed his face as he observed the sales growth in the first two weeks. However, the subsequent sales showed a minor decline, settling into a stable pattern.
Simultaneously, regarding Gameboy Advance games like "Golden Sun" and "Fire Emblem," Shin had made substantial changes compared to his previous life. Take "Golden Sun," for instance. Although the gameplay and graphics remained similar, the content expanded significantly. Choices like "Yes" or "No" now had a genuine impact on the storyline, introducing more depth to the player's experience.
In his previous life, the "Golden Sun" options of "Yes" or "No" were merely present, devoid of any influence on plot twists or narrative changes. Shin altered this dynamic, ensuring that these choices affected the story, introducing branching dialogues and side quests.
He refined turn-based combat, introducing new Djinn combinations, abilities, enemy types, enhancing strategic depth, and adding variety to combat encounters.
While KiShin's Gameboy Advance hardware was slightly inferior to the Gameboy Advance SP from his previous life, the graphics demands of "Golden Sun" didn't strain KiShin's Gameboy Advance. Through optimization, KiShin enhanced the capabilities of his Gameboy Advance, making it achievable.
Meanwhile, Shin recalled a promise to his 94-year-old grandfather—a video game experience ahead of others. Before the Gameboy Advance release, Shin gifted his grandfather a Gameboy Advance along with three accompanying video games. Despite being in his 90s, the old man exhibited remarkable vitality, resisting the effects of time.
Shin attributed his grandfather's robust health to a healthy lifestyle, balanced nutrition, and a fondness for playing video games, particularly RPGs. Regular gaming contributed to the old man's sharp memory. Coupled with daily exercise and discipline, the elderly gamer appeared as if he were still in his 70s.
Shin attributed the old man Sazama's robust health to his wealth, ensuring daily check-ups and a healthier lifestyle than some with unhealthy habits. However, despite his physical well-being, Sazama's vitality still reflected his age. Projecting another decade of health was impressive for an elderly person, yet enduring beyond that suggested it wasn't quite the old man's time.
With a wry chuckle, Shin noted that Sazama feared death more than anyone, with Sazama believing there'd be no video games or entertainment in the afterlife.
After contemplating this, Shin picked up the Gameboy Advance game cartridge that had just completed testing. Originally intended for KiShin's classic colored Gameboy, Shin decided to adapt it for the Gameboy Advance, enhancing visuals.
While there would still be a cartridge version for the classic colored Gameboy, playable on the Gameboy Advance, it would differ, featuring inferior visuals and less content compared to the dedicated Gameboy Advance cartridge version.
The video game that Shin chose for Sazama to play firsthand was named "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney." Shin deliberately selected this game to aid the old man's memory, given its critical and problem-solving gameplay. Each case in the game presents a complex puzzle with contradictions and hidden clues, requiring players to analyze evidence, draw logical conclusions, and identify inconsistencies—exercising critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
While old man Sazama incorporates meditation into his routine for a better memory and enjoys playing RPG games, engaging in the video game "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" will undoubtedly bring a refreshing feeling to his mind, offering additional positive benefits.
Variety is crucial; if a person consistently follows the same routine daily, the brain becomes accustomed to it, diminishing the cognitive benefits it can provide.
--
Inside a traditional Japanese mansion belonging to Sazama, he immersed himself in a Gameboy Advance game, currently enjoying the tactical gameplay of "Fire Emblem."
So far, Sazama found satisfaction in the video games "Golden Sun" and "Fire Emblem," yet he eagerly awaited the promised game from his grandson.
Kumiko, holding a baby, glanced at Sazama and teased, "You old man! Can't you spare some attention for your great-grandson?"
Sazama looked up, meeting Kumiko's gaze, and replied, "I already gave him my attention earlier."
"Do you honestly expect a baby to grasp that nonsense Kenjutsu?" Kumiko exclaimed.
"Where's his father, Shuichi? Why is he leaving us to care for his baby? We're old and already graduated from babysitting with our own children," Sazama retorted.
"Come on, don't be like that. The baby is your great-grandson..."
Sigh. "Fine, let him watch me play a video game."
"You're really hopeless..."
During their discussion, a butler from Sazama's household approached him, holding a phone.
Sazama briefly glanced at the butler, who then conveyed that his youngest grandson was on the line. With joy, Sazama accepted the phone, and Shin, his grandson, shared the exciting news that the video game he had promised was now completed in production, and he would personally deliver it to Sazama.
Shin arrived at the Sazama residence with his sleek and luxurious black car.
Shin and Mira, with Shinichi, occasionally visit Sazama and Kumiko, sometimes once a week, or once a month. It depends on their schedules. Shin and Mira, along with their son Shinichi, continue their visits with their grandparents.
Mira's grandfather has already passed away, but her grandmother is still there. So, once in a while, along with her parents, she meets with them, accompanied by Shinichi. Although Shin occasionally accompanies her, there are times he can't be with her on her family visits.
The moment the guard at the Sazama residence saw Shin, Mira, and Shinichi, they immediately bowed and opened the gate for them.
Afterwards, Shin's car gradually entered the Sazama residence through the gate.
Afterwards, Shin, Mira, with Shinichi, walked out of the car. They were led by the servant inside the mansion.
There, in the hall, Sazama and Kumiko welcomed them. The hall was simply decorated, yet it had a peaceful and calm atmosphere.
But in the hall, there were already people, such as Shuichi, along with a foreign red-haired woman and a baby.
The moment Shin, Mira, with their son Shinichi, entered the hall, it attracted the attention of Shuichi, the red-haired woman, and the baby, who were sitting around a low-slung table.
Shuichi, upon seeing Shin, furrowed his brows for a second before returning to his normal expression. He didn't expect Shinro to be coming here. Moreover, his grandparents just mentioned they were waiting for someone, and he didn't expect it to be Shinro and his wife, especially with their son.
Shuichi then noticed his grandfather and grandmother playing with Shinichi, completely captivated by their grandson's cute appearance. Seeing this, Shuichi felt solemn. From the looks of it, Shinichi still seems to be their favorite great-grandson.
Shin, accompanied by Mira, approached the table where Shuichi and the foreign red-haired woman were sitting.
The moment Shin saw the red-haired woman, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her before, but it was just a fleeting moment. Dismissing it, he assumed she resembled someone from his memory. He focused on Shuichi and warmly greeted, "Cousin, how are you?"
Shuichi attempted a smile, feeling a bit uneasy, especially smiling genuinely in front of someone his parents often compared him to. He replied with a smile, "I'm doing just fine."
Shin nodded and placed the paper bag he was carrying on the wide yet low-slung table. He then took out a wine box from the bag.
Meanwhile, the red-haired woman beside Shuichi observed Shin with curiosity. Suddenly, a realization struck her, and she thought in astonishment, "Isn't he the one who sang that heartfelt song in the bar a few years ago!?"
Indeed, she was the same red-haired woman who had approached Shin that day, only to be ignored. Later, Shin sang a song captured by a camera, which gained popularity after media coverage a few days later.
Michelle Adams, the red-haired woman, didn't expect the man who left a great impression on her years ago to be her cousin-in-law.
Shuichi and Michelle noticed the wine box that Shin had just taken out from the paper bag, realizing it was a luxury brand.
It was Château Lafite Rothschild. Shuichi wasn't too surprised about Shin bringing such an expensive wine. After all, Shin could be considered a billionaire, although Shuichi wasn't entirely clear. He estimated Shin's worth to be at least around 800 million dollars to 1 billion.
Shuichi was hesitant to believe that Shin was a multibillionaire, considering that while Shin's company had a net worth in the billions, Shuichi knew it was unlikely for Shin to solely own KiShin. He was almost certain that there must be several investors, even if it was a private company. Otherwise, how could KiShin expand and grow so rapidly?
As Shin opened the wine box, he glanced at Shuichi and then at the red-haired woman carrying a baby. Shin inquired, "Who is this lady, cousin?"
Upon hearing this, the red-haired woman felt a bit uneasy, concerned that Shin might have recognized her, but she reassured herself. After all, it had been a few years since their last encounter.
Shuichi smiled and introduced Shin, saying, "This is my wife, Michelle Adams from the USA. She's going to be a Suzuki once we get married." He placed his hand on Michelle's waist as he spoke. Afterward, he also shared his baby's name with Shin and introduced Shin to Michelle.
In turn, Shin introduced Mira to Michelle, and Mira simply nodded in acknowledgment.
Upon learning that Shin was the "Shinro Suzuki" frequently mentioned in the USA, Michelle was a bit astonished. As she examined Shin more closely, she suddenly recalled seeing him on the cover of Forbes magazine.
It appears that the memory in the bar was still an unforgettable moment for Michelle, as she initially recalled that instead of the Forbes cover.
"Hello. Nice to meet you," Michelle smiled warmly as she greeted Shin. At the same time, she felt a bit relieved to see that Shin didn't seem to remember her at all.
Shin nodded, and afterward, the servants brought cups. Shin poured some wine into the cups and offered them to Shuichi and Michelle.
Mira got along well with Michelle, engaging in conversation. Michelle conversed lightly with Mira in rough Japanese.
While Shin and Shuichi conversed lightly, Shuichi didn't openly express his dislike for Shin, despite occasional comparisons by his parents. Shuichi talked with him normally.
During their conversation, Shuichi praised KiShin for the success of Gameboy Advance. Deep inside, he felt jealousy, but simultaneously, he knew he would be given a position in one of the companies under the Suzuki Group, lessening his envy.
As Shin and others discussed, Sazama and Kumiko's grandsons bonded well. Sazama approached his grandsons and then looked expectantly at Shin.
Shin smiled, understanding what the old man wanted, and handed him the game cartridge of "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney."
Shuichi looked curiously at the cartridge given by Shin to the old man but didn't pay it much attention. Video games were not really his interest, after all.
Sazama felt happy as he held the cartridge, and at the same time, he talked with Shin and Mira, asking if they're doing well, and so on.
Meanwhile, Kumiko was still playing with the young Shinichi. The old woman seemed quite happy playing with Shinichi, who was running around the hall, with Kumiko chasing after him.
The sound of Shinichi's cute laughter and Kumiko's old voice seemingly playfully scaring Shinichi filled the air as he ran away from the old woman.
--
After a few days since Shin visited Sazama's residence, the video game "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" was released for Gameboy Advance.
Few Japanese gamers didn't really think much after buying the video game; they just casually bought it when they saw it as the latest Gameboy Advance game in the posters of video game stores.
From the looks of the posters advertisement, the video game seemed to be about a lawyer, as indicated in the name of the video game. Currently, in Japan, lawyer novels and dramas were popular genres alongside detective novels.
Japanese readers developed a preference for books with a mystery element, influenced by the popular detective book called "Sherlock Holmes."
That's why Japanese people who recently bought a Gameboy Advance and occasionally read books bought the video game "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney." According to the posters displayed in video game stores, the video game seemed to be in the "Visual Novel" genre—a new and refreshing term that obviously attracted the attention of Japanese readers who occasionally read.
Although the video game was produced by KiShin, it didn't garner much attention from most gamers. Even being from KiShin, gamers wouldn't buy it if it didn't align with their preferences. The genre being a new term didn't excite them, but when they read the example of the so-called new genre on the poster, stating "Focuses on a strong narrative, comparable to a book or TV show, but with interactive elements," those who preferred controlling game characters in action immediately lost interest. Only a minority with the means to afford it showed interest.
Tamaki Masayuki, one of the few gamers able to try "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney," purchased it and sat at a nearby café, inserting the video game cartridge into his Gameboy Advance.
This portability aspect of the Gameboy Advance was what Masayuki truly appreciated. He could play anywhere and anytime, as long as there was enough battery in his Gameboy Advance. When Masayuki opened the flippable Gameboy Advance, it attracted attention from a few people in the café.
Especially a young man with his girlfriend; the young man turned his eyes to Masayuki's Gameboy Advance, causing a frown from his girlfriend. She asked, "What's the matter?"
The young man, momentarily captivated by the beauty of the "Gameboy Advance," replied, "Nothing, nothing." He had momentarily forgotten he was with his girlfriend.
She redirected her attention to where her boyfriend had been looking, only to see a man sitting alone holding something. When she realized it was a man, she shot a strange look at her boyfriend.
Upon noticing his girlfriend's peculiar gaze, the young man innocently asked, "What?"
Unaware that his girlfriend harbored suspicions about his "True Identity," he remained clueless.
Meanwhile, Masayuki, oblivious to the fact that he had sparked suspicion in a young woman about her boyfriend, focused on the Gameboy Advance's bright and colorful screen.
After the familiar introduction of Gameboy Advance and KiShin, the title and menu of "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" loaded up, and Masayuki began the game by selecting "New Game."
As the music played, scenes of red scarlet liquid flowing and dropping in black background cutscenes unfolded. On the text box below, text rolled out. *Gasp*... *Gasp*...]
Then the camera gradually rose upwards, revealing a miniature statue adorned with red scarlet liquid on top – to be precise, on the head of the "Thinker" miniature statue. It was cradled by a hand wearing a black glove.
Afterward, the scene transitioned to a young woman lying on the floor, blood flowing from her head. From these scenes alone, Masayuki deduced that the red liquid from the miniature statue was blood.
The camera shook as text below in the text box rolled out [Dammit! ...why me?]
Subsequently, the screen turned to a black background, with the text box continuing to roll out [I can't get caught... Not like this!]
The scene shifted, and the camera precisely captured the woman lying down, with a maroon-suited man standing nearby. The camera gradually rose upwards, revealing the face of the killer.
Accompanied by intense music of a stick lightly hitting the cymbal and light beats, the killer still clutched the "Thinker" statue. Panic was evident on his face as text on the box rolled out, [I- I've gotta find someone else to pin this on...]
The scene transitioned with the camera up close to the middle-aged man against a black background. As the camera flashed closer to the man's face, a gunshot sound accompanied the sinister expression on the middle-aged man's face, now bearing a vicious smile. The text box rolled out, [Someone like... him!]
The scene flashed to the middle-aged man seemingly observing another person's back, then returned to his sinister expression and vicious smile. The text on the box continued to roll out, [I'll make it look like HE did it!]
As Masayuki watched the cutscenes, he felt increasingly intrigued. He wondered how the gameplay would unfold.