Nintendo Headquarters, Kyoto.
Hiroshi Yamauchi sat at his large desk, his fingers unconsciously tapping the surface, his gaze fixed on the window.
The green bamboo in the courtyard swayed in the breeze, rustling softly, with dappled light and shadow.
A quiet atmosphere filled the office, with only the faint sound of files being occasionally turned.
"tetris..." he began, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable weight, "It's doing something different in the arcades."
A subordinate stood respectfully by his side, hands clasped, and at the opportune moment, handed him a neatly bound market report.
The paper rustled softly.
"President, these are the latest aggregated data from major arcades in Akihabara," the subordinate's voice was clear and cautious, "The proportion of female players has indeed significantly increased, especially concentrated on tetris."
"Tell me more," Hiroshi Yamauchi did not immediately look at the report, his gaze still fixed on something outside the window, as if weighing something.
The subordinate dared not delay, and immediately reported in detail: "Previously, the proportion of female customers in arcades was usually less than 10%, and the environment was relatively noisy and chaotic.
But in the past week, according to feedback from several stores we focused on observing, this proportion has generally exceeded 20%.
In some large game centers like Sega's, it even approaches 40% during peak hours.
Many store managers report that during afternoon tea hours and in the evening, they can see young women coming in groups, and even white-collar workers in business attire, their goal clear, heading straight for tetris."
Hiroshi Yamauchi's fingertips paused.
"Forty percent?" he repeated, his tone not revealing whether it was a question or confirmation.
"Yes, President.
Moreover, tetris's coin-in rate far exceeds any other game in the same period, and the machines are almost never idle.
One store manager jokingly said that they were collecting money until their hands were sore.
What's even more noteworthy is that its appearance seems to have also driven the play rate of some older games around it.
Some female players, while waiting or after playing, would casually try some relatively simple games nearby."
"Hmm..." Hiroshi Yamauchi finally withdrew his gaze, picked up the report on the desk, and quickly flipped through it, his eyes sharp, as if trying to dig deeper meaning from the cold numbers.
The charts on the report clearly showed the steep upward curve and the change in the proportion of female players in different time slots.
He looked at the data, but his mind was rapidly turning.
Female market?
Arcades?
This seemed somewhat out of place with his usual perception of a place filled with smoke, sweat, and adolescent hormones.
But data doesn't lie.
What did this sudden surge mean?
Was it a flash in the pan, or a new growth point?
"How do these... 'new customers' react to other games, such as our own Donkey Kong, or those fighting and shooting games?"
"According to observations, they generally have low interest in games with complex operations and strong competitiveness.
They seem to prefer games with intuitive rules that allow them to constantly challenge their own scores.
The social aspect of tetris is also very interesting; it's not direct confrontation, but rather friends comparing scores or cheering each other on."
"Driving up the play rate of some older games?" Hiroshi Yamauchi's finger stopped on the data chart of the report, his eyebrows slightly raised, his gaze falling back on the steeply rising curve.
The subordinate immediately stepped forward, "Yes, President.
This situation is unexpected; many of them are male customers who rarely visit arcades, brought in by their girlfriends who play tetris."
Hiroshi Yamauchi raised his eyebrows slightly, seemingly a little surprised by this answer, yet also as if it was within his expectations.
He put down the report, leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands in front of his stomach, and looked at his subordinate with interest, waiting for a more detailed explanation.
The subordinate cleared his throat and continued: "According to feedback from arcade managers, many young couples come together.
The girls are clearly here for tetris, and they are skilled, obviously veterans.
As for the accompanying boyfriends, at first they might just watch from the side, or play claw machines and the like.
But when the girlfriend gets excited, she will inevitably pull them to try it together.
You know, men, they always want to show off in front of their girlfriends."
He paused, observed Hiroshi Yamauchi's expression, and then continued, "The result is that many male customers who were originally not interested in arcade games have also started to try some relatively simple old games, such as pac-man, Breakout, and the like.
Some store managers even said that some boys secretly practice these classic old games to 'show off' in front of their girlfriends, planning to give their girlfriends a surprise next time they come."
Hiroshi Yamauchi's lips were slightly pursed, as if he was considering something.
This "side effect" was a bit unexpected; he had originally only wanted to observe the phenomenon of female tetris players, but he hadn't expected it to also drive the revival of other games.
His finger gently tapped the desk, making a rhythmic "thump-thump" sound.
After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly looked up, staring directly at his subordinate, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's, "How long can this trend last?"
He suddenly asked, his tone calm, yet carrying an undeniable authority.
The subordinate thought for a moment and cautiously replied: "Currently, the popularity is still rising, but the long-term effect remains to be seen.
After all, the arcade market is unpredictable, making it difficult to forecast."
Hiroshi Yamauchi put down the report, leaned back slightly, and fell into a brief silence.
Only the rustling of bamboo leaves outside the window remained in the office.
He thought of the portable handheld console that was still under development... If this appeal could extend to home and personal entertainment devices...
Hiroshi Yamauchi snorted, a hint of disdain on his face.
"It's just some petty tricks."
"Continue monitoring," he finally spoke, his tone returning to its usual composure, "Expand the scope to major arcades in Osaka and Nagoya.
I want a more detailed report, including players' age groups, duration of stay, and their attempts at other types of games.
Report any abnormal fluctuations immediately."
He placed the report on the desk, leaned back slightly, his gaze deep.
"Female players... they will ultimately be excluded from home consoles."
"Their demand for games is completely different from male players."
"They won't pay for those fighting and killing games."
"What truly determines the direction of the game market are still the core players."
He paused, his tone firm.
"Nintendo's foundation is in home consoles, in our own games, and among those vast core players."
"Even if Sega is temporarily successful with tetris, it cannot shake our position."
Sega Headquarters.
Market Department Director Mr. Suzuki walked into Takuya's office with a beaming face.
"Nakayama-san, good news!"
He said excitedly, his voice even trembling a little.
Takuya looked up, a hopeful smile on his face.
"Mr. Suzuki, it seems everything went well?"
Mr. Suzuki nodded heavily, his voice excited: "After the unremitting efforts of our Market Department, we have finally finalized the meeting with Director Ooba Jutarou and Caruda Teacher!"
"Really?"
Takuya's eyes lit up, with a hint of surprise in his tone.
"That's great! Mr. Suzuki, your Market Department is truly amazing!"
Mr. Suzuki said with a slight hint of seeking credit: "Nakayama-san, you don't know how difficult it was to coordinate the schedules of these two masters.
Director Ooba fortunately just finished assisting on an animation and had some free time, and Caruda Teacher still has to serialize his manga, so we really put in a lot of effort to secure this opportunity."
"I know, it must not have been easy."
Takuya said sincerely, "Mr. Suzuki, on behalf of Development Team 3, I thank you and the Market Department for your efforts!"
"It is our honor to serve Nakayama-san."
Mr. Suzuki quickly waved his hand, his tone humble.
"By the way, what are the specific time and place?"
Takuya asked.
"Next Tuesday at 3 PM, at Tatsunoko Production in Musashino City."
Mr. Suzuki replied.
"Okay, I'll be there on time."
Takuya nodded, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Mr. Suzuki, this meeting is crucial, we must be fully prepared."
"Please rest assured, Nakayama-san."
Mr. Suzuki straightened his chest, his tone firm, "Our Market Department will fully cooperate to ensure the complete success of this meeting!"