Sega had released a new game.
This was no small matter—after all, even in modern times, a new Sega game would be worth announcing.
But in an era where information didn't flow freely, it was something only a small group of people cared about.
Especially considering that SG consoles sold fewer than fifty thousand units; across Japan, maybe only fifty thousand people were paying attention.
Shibuya, Central Street.
In a corner of Central Street was a game store—a common sight in the days before the internet. These stores usually allowed people to try out games, sold consoles, peripherals, discs, and cartridges, provided the latest info from manufacturers, and sometimes let customers pay to play for a while.
People with well-connected sources often had a special nickname:
"Uncle."
When they spoke, they would often say, "My uncle has connections at XX company, so I got this information."
Yosuke Shima was one such "uncle." He ran a game store and loved playing Sega games.
Sega is the best in the world! he often declared.
But compared to the past, especially the 1970s, fewer people had been coming into his store lately.
"Damn, those blind fools—they've all been snatched up by Nintendo!"
Yosuke Shima wiped the arcade machine at the store's entrance and glanced across the street with a mix of frustration and resentment.
Across the way was a newly opened game store. Its storefront was larger, its interior brighter and more spacious, and its main products were Nintendo devices.
Game & Watch consoles, and the recently released FC system, were all on display.
A 12-inch TV with an FC hooked up, showing Donkey Kong gameplay, constantly welcomed new players.
Sega is good too!
Yosuke Shima quietly wiped a tear.
But some things only the heart knew.
The SG console really wasn't great.
He had invested heavily in SG, yet Sega had delivered a disappointment.
Not because he didn't love Sega—he just couldn't stomach the failure.
Compared to the crowded scene across the street, his own store felt empty. Only one player squatted on a small stool by the door, fiddling with an arcade machine.
"Uh, excuse me…"
The rare voice broke Yosuke Shima's thoughts. He immediately looked up.
A customer!
His face instantly formed a practiced smile.
"Welcome! Please come in and look around. We have plenty of consoles, and if you want a home console, we have them too—Galaga, Snake, you name it."
The timid customer glanced across the street, then back at Shima's store, hesitating. "Do you have an FC?"
Yosuke Shima froze.
Suppressing a burst of anger, he pointed to a notice posted at the store entrance:
Sega only.
"What era are we in, still playing Sega?" the customer muttered, ultimately heading across the street.
Yosuke Shima clenched his fists, face red, and could only mutter under his breath: Sega is fun too.
Even if the SG was weak, its controllers poor, compatible games mediocre, and output inferior to the FC—it was still fun.
Even if he, as an "uncle," couldn't find any real advantages.
Inside the store, only Shima and a regular customer remained, sitting across from each other. They began speaking almost simultaneously:
"Honestly, besides their big storefront, they're nothing special."
"FC isn't fun at all."
"Nintendo is boring."
"Not fun—I played yesterday and slept three hours while gaming."
"Average, young people just don't understand."
"It's all marketing, nobody actually plays Nintendo."
They ended up embracing, crying together.
One might have thought Nintendo was going bankrupt, but it was just these two old-timers consoling themselves.
"Cough, cough!"
A sudden cough made them both look up.
The newcomer was a young man named Keibun, responsible for Sega's promotional distribution. He carried a messenger bag full of flyers and posters.
"Stop crying. Sega is releasing a new game for the SG console. Do you want to order some for your store?"
"Order! Order now! Give me fifty copies!"
Yosuke Shima sprang into action, ready to pay.
Without online sales, buying games required visiting stores, so sales were slow. For a small store like his, fifty cartridges could take a month to sell.
This was not an exaggeration—anyone who remembers buying cartridges as a child knows that a single game could last for hours. Unlike the future, where piracy was rampant and official distribution smooth, a game could take more than a day to truly enjoy.
Still, Yosuke Shima charged ahead.
Just fifty cartridges—buy them!
If I don't buy, who will support Sega?
He didn't even need to ask if the game was good. If Sega released it, it was an automatic buy.
This, he believed, was confidence.
…
"…New game?"
Hideshi Sato was shocked to hear Sega had suddenly released a new game.
How could he not know? SG was his project!
But reports from his subordinates quickly reassured him.
"You mean it's the game made by Kobayashi's son? Damn, that's abuse of power! Using personal connections to push your child's game—this is corruption!"
Sato rolled up his sleeves, feeling as if he had grasped a key issue.
One word from him, and Kobayashi would have to comply in the future.
Still, to be safe, he decided to try the game first.
His subordinate had already prepared the cartridge.
"Just taken from the factory. I grabbed it as soon as it was produced—no label even yet."
Sato nodded slightly, looking at the gray-white cartridge in his hand. It still had the warm plastic feel of being freshly made.
He inserted it into the console to play.
At first, the rough interface left him momentarily silent.
Baka!
This screen looks terrible!
"How do you play?"
"Uh…" his subordinate scratched his head.
He didn't know either!
Games didn't come with tutorials then. To learn how to play, you needed the official manual that came with the cartridge. These manuals included the world setting and basic instructions.
But since this cartridge was fresh from the factory and unboxed, there was no manual.
Sato tried playing a few rounds, failing to understand the rules, playing chaotically.
"Is that it? Falling blocks? Some kind of dodging game?"
He shook his head.
Not bad, but clearly just a child's practice project.
It wasn't unplayable, but he couldn't see any real fun in it.
"Let them do as they like."
Sato crossed his arms, striking a commanding pose.
If the game flopped, he could use this supposed abuse of power to force his subordinates to comply.
Kobayashi.
You don't want your abuse of power to get your son's game on the market to be exposed to the higher-ups, do you?
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