All this talk of Cyberpunk videogames...
There was something bugging Motoko, something in the back of her mind. Something lacking in the world. With a few paltry exceptions, there was a complete and utter lack of cool video games in this world. So she did a little research.
What she found left her astounded.
In her original world, the late 1980's was known for the revival the home console game system by Nintendo after Atari dropped the ball, then set it on fire and detonated the remains when they released the abominable E.T. game cartridge.
Here, Nintendo was still developing their console when Atari merged with Sega into SegAtari (now known as Segotari). Shortly afterwards, the current department heads of Nintendo were all involved in a completely-accidental-and-in-no-way-premeditated private plane crash. Their technology and resources were bought out cheaply by the new SegAtari, while the Nintendo name and whatever was left was gobbled up for dirt cheap by Arasaka.
So almost all the modern BD games are just derivatives of the old games Motoko played in the arcade. The only noticeable mentions are Resident Hazard, which started and ended the horror adventure game genre, and Elflines Online, which was created in 2045, over 30 years ago, and is still going strong for some reason.
No, not some reason. Motoko took a look at the many, many, many lawsuits that Segotari levied and won against anyone creating any game in the same genre that they made, no matter how old the original game was, and became sad.
No wonder no one was willing to create innovative new games if there was even a small chance that Segotari would sue them into oblivion. That company never even made any games with a blue hedgehog, but they were hogging all the coins!
She took a list of the selection of all the games that have ever been made by that horrible company. They had a monopoly on sport games after eating Electronic Arts, of course. They had a racing game with their Cyberninja Mutant Death Race game since it came out in 2020. They had a gladiator battle game where if you lose, your agent gets fried; the Kung Fu Fighter game series, and even a virtual backyard bbq simulator.
And of course, the Elflines Online game.
Most of the other games were just upgraded derivative of the old 1980's arcade ones.
But Motoko saw what they did not have.
She made a call.
"Hi, Hiromi. Can you check to see how much it would take to run Arasaka's old game division? I don't think they're doing anything with the old 'Nintendo' name."
"Let me check, Motoko. It may be a few moments."
"Sure, I can wait."
"Okay, I found how much it would take to run that inactive brand," Hiromi quoted a number.
"That little? I think we can afford it. Just tell your parents I want to expand into the game market. See what they can do to make it less impactful if Segotari sues because none of my new games will be like anything they make."
"Sure thing, Motoko. Um, what kind of games are you thinking of making?"
"Hiromi, how do you feel about giant stompy robots in space?
"What?"
"Also a puzzle game I like to call Tetris."
"Um... okay"
"And finally, two words. Pocket monsters!"
Hiromi listened for a while as her friend started babbling about electric mice and fire dogs and flying water dragons with laser breath before sighing and starting in on the paperwork.
Several years later, actual violence in Night City, and around the world, started to drop rapidly as more and more people sorted out their differences by virtual monster battles and card duels.