1988 Retro Game Tycoon - Chapter 119



Only Noblemtl

Episode 119 – High Score

– Which country is most recognized in the world for its electronics? Yes, it is Japan, the country closest to us but also the farthest. As a country of electronics, Japan is also number one in the world in the game console market.

– By the way, would you believe that Korean games are selling well in Japan right now? That is actually happening right now. Let’s connect with our correspondent in Tokyo.

[MBS Tokyo Correspondent Yoon Cheol-jin]

– Yes, I am currently in Tokyo Akihabara. Akihabara is a place where people come to look for the latest electronic products 365 days a year. There are various devices for sale, such as TVs, VTRs, stereos, cameras, Walkmans, and of course, game consoles.

– This game shop is one of the biggest game shops in Akihabara. And, this black game console you see here is the latest 16-bit game console from Sega. When I asked the clerk what the most popular game is these days, he took out this game and showed it to me.

– Do you see it? . If you are even a little interested in games, this title is probably familiar. Although it is written in Japanese, it is a Korean game. It is an action game developed by the Korean game company Star Beat. It is a game where you fight Japanese yakuza to avenge your friend in Gyeongseong in the 1930s. It is a game that was first released in Korean arcades this summer.

– That game is currently being sold in Japan. Let’s meet a Japanese citizen who bought this game and interview him briefly. Hello.

– hello.

– You just bought . Why did you buy it?

– Uh …

– Did you know that this game was made in Korea?

– Oh, really? I just heard about that for the first time. I didn’t really understand it because it was in Japanese. I don’t really care about which country’s game it is. As long as the game is fun, that’s fine.

– I see. Did a lot of people around you recommend ?

– I don’t know about that. I don’t have many friends… Anyway, all the friends who tried it said it was fun.

– I see. Thank you for your response. As you can see, the Korean game is gaining popularity here in Japan, where there are many global game companies such as Nintendo and Sega. When you leave this store, you can see a large billboard like this across the street. It is also an advertisement for .

– Korea has been a country that has been thoroughly importing electronic games. But now, they have made inroads into Akihabara, the heart of Japanese games. Even Japanese people are surprised by the speed of growth. I hope that this street, where numerous game shops are gathered, will soon be filled with Korean games. This is MBS Tokyo correspondent Yoon Cheol-jin reporting from Akihabara.

===

The news of the export of was on the 9 o’clock news.

It hasn’t been on sale for long and it hasn’t set any special records yet. It feels good to be on the news, but it’s also strange that it’s become news.

We safely completed the Japan workshop and returned to Korea. Although we were unable to see much because the schedule was short, going from Akihabara to Tokyo and Osaka, it was still an enjoyable trip where we got to see the people and the Japanese game culture firsthand.

The staff were speechless after seeing for themselves the best game centers in Japan, including Sega Game Center, Plaza Capcom, Namco Land, and Taito Station, all located in Akihabara, which they had only heard about.

“Sir, we should definitely do something like this in Seoul someday. At Seun Shopping Mall. No, Yongsan! Yongsan would be nice.”

“Yes, we should do it too. We should open one in Seoul, here in Akihabara, and in New York.”

“yes!”

At the Japan workshop, we were filled with new dreams.

Of course, it is still a long way to go, considering that only one arcade game has been released. , ported to Mega Drive, has also taken its first steps, but there is still a long way to go.

No matter how entertaining and technically advanced was, people did not line up and sell like hotcakes as soon as it came out.

It will still take some time for this game to become more widely known to people, and for the Mega Drive to become more widely distributed as well.

On my last evening in Tokyo, I had dinner with Managing Director Nishikawa.

“We have started selling throughout Japan and things are going very well. The original arcade game that we have placed in game centers is also getting a great response.”

“Would it be difficult to sell Mega Drive ports at Sega Game Centers?”

“Yes, I think that is… The arcade and console divisions are separate, and Sega is a company with a long history in the arcade industry, so they have a lot of pride in arcades. If you look at it as a whole, it’s all for Sega, but there is a very strong opinion that the purity of the arcade should be preserved.”

Managing Director Nishikawa briefly explained the sales situation he was able to grasp so far.

“Based on what we can tell so far, it seems to be on a similar level to games released this year, such as or . Considering that has much lower recognition than these games, this is a very encouraging situation.”

“That’s good news.”

“Yes, I was worried a lot about the peak season at the end of this year, but I think this will be a huge help. If we watch the situation a little and do well, I think we can push it forward with at the end of the year. Then, our advance into the US market will also gain much momentum.”

If all goes as planned, there is a possible scenario where we can get a sneak peek at CES in the US early next year and then release right away.

After establishing a global foundation by launching in Japan and the US in succession, if they hit the jackpot with and a fighting game in succession, Starbeat will rise to become a global game company in one breath.

Then, they can generate sales of hundreds of billions of won a year, earn most of it overseas, and achieve a high operating profit rate that no other large Korean company can match.

In order to do that, must first explode in Japan.

“Now, let’s toast together to our shared victory!”

“Cheers!”

We raised our glasses filled with draft beer and cheered.

In fact, it is Director Nishikawa and Sega who are waiting for to explode as much as I am. They have also invested a lot in and will invest more in the future.

There is ample oiled firewood available.

Now, if a spark flies from somewhere, the fire will burn fiercely.

But, the sparks came from an unexpected place.

***

Ryo Ishima, editor-in-chief of Japan’s first arcade-focused game magazine, GAMEST, has been increasingly worried lately.

This is because the popularity of shooting games, which had led to the revival of Japanese game centers, is not what it used to be.

Shooting games are the most fundamental of video games.

Without Taito’s monumental masterpiece Space Invaders, there would be no video games, no arcades, and no gaming empire like Japan today.

Of course, the arcade magazine as well.

Space Invaders, released in 1978, took over Japan and the world in just one year. The invaders who descended on Earth were not aliens, but in fact, the video game itself.

From the bustling streets near stations to the back alleys of neighborhoods, video games have quickly taken root in Japanese lives.

However, met a tragic end in an instant, just like the Martians in the novel . The heat of the Invaders, which had flared up in an instant, cooled down surprisingly quickly.

Although Space Invaders didn’t have a long run, the fire of the arcade did not die down.

Since then, numerous game companies have produced hits one after another. Shining names such as Nintendo, Namco, and Sega have appeared.

When game companies were showing off their ideas and trying to make the best game that could win all the coins in the world, shooting games were always at the center of it.

, , , , , , , and many other shooting games attracted people to game centers.

thought that simply covering the game in detail was not enough.

They came up with a trick: the ‘high score’ that appears at the end of the game.

compiled and announced the highest scores of representative game centers in each region for each game and who recorded them.

differentiated itself from other magazines through high scores and established a new gaming culture by encouraging competition among gamers.

It has been over 10 years since game centers first appeared in Japan. In the meantime, as games have developed rapidly, gamers have also continued to develop.

Gamers who have reached a certain level do not play games for the simple purpose of surviving as long as possible with 100 yen or seeing the game’s ending.

Their goal was to carve their names into the arcade game machines, proudly putting their initials at the top of the high score rankings.

For the pride and honor of being the best, gamers willingly donated coins and gathered at arcades every day to practice and challenge for high scores.

People who aim for high scores like this even formed groups among themselves and shared their know-how.

To them, games were not just a matter of fun and play. Pursuing high scores was a constant training of skills, a battle with the game, and a battle with oneself that did not tolerate even the smallest mistake.

I never thought about becoming famous or making money through high scores. It was just a matter of pursuing high scores. That in itself was a pure purpose.

For them, the high score board of was a temple and a hall of fame.

Last year, in 1988, had its best year.

With the release of and the sequel to the masterpiece , , the popularity of shooting games reached its peak.

In particular, , presented by Taito, created a wide screen with an innovative design using three monitors and mirrors. It was a shooting game of such a large scale that anyone who saw it for the first time would be overwhelmed.

As expected from Taito, the creator of Space Invaders, it once again felt like they were ahead of the game in shooting games.

As a series of splendid masterpieces were released, diehard gamers aiming for high scores cheered. reporters also stayed up all night playing games to dig into everything about shooting games, and traveled all over Japan to tally up the scores.

It was a glorious time when magazine advertisements and circulation figures were updated every day, and no matter how much I worked, I never felt tired.

At that time, Ryo Ishima did not know that no matter how steep the road to success was, it would end someday.

He foolishly thought that arcade games and shooting games would remain popular forever.

When was at the height of its popularity, who would have predicted that its popularity would suddenly cool down like ice?

But history repeats itself. The shooter games that were so hot the previous year began to noticeably fade in 1989.

While compiling the list of high scores from all over the country, which is the heart of , Ryo suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

He took out a few past issues, spread them out, and compared the lists.

“As expected… Almost all of them are names I already know.”

Ryo let out a deep sigh.

In 1988, there was fierce competition for high scores in every shooting game. New names appeared on the list every month, and the highest scores continued to rise endlessly, just like the Japanese stock market.

But this year things have changed. There have been noticeably fewer new names. There hasn’t been any of the excitement of last year.

In times like these, new games must emerge to resume the high-score competition. However, the popularity of new shooting games has been lukewarm.

“If things continue like this, we’ll be in big trouble. Why are the new games so unpopular?”

“When I talk to people at the game center, they say that the recently released is too difficult. It was difficult before, but now they say that it is no longer a game made for people.”

“Well… it’s inevitable that shooting games will continue to get more difficult. Gamers are so skilled, aren’t they?”

“That’s true for those who aim for high scores, but not everyone is that good at games. Students who just entered the arcade tried it once and never touched it again.”

“Is that all?”

Ryo, who was talking to reporters, became more and more worried.

High scores were the foundation of and a gaming culture that allowed people to enjoy shooting games at a higher level. However, the culture that had put magazines on top was now strangling .

Shooting games have become more and more colorful as technology has developed, but at the same time, they have become more and more difficult. Now, there is even a term called bullet hell shooting game because the bullets fired by enemies fill the screen like smoke.

It has become impossible to progress through the game without completely memorizing the stages and knowing exactly which part of the aircraft you must touch to die.

This trend seemed unlikely to change. A new breakthrough was needed to save the magazine.

Fortunately, reporters were sensing a new trend.

“How about we change direction a bit? Capcom’s Final Fight is quite popular these days.”

“Yes, that game is fun. It’s the most complete of all the belt scrolling games.”

“First of all, it’s different from shooting games where you die after getting hit once, so I think even beginners can challenge it much more easily. Up until Stage 1, it’s pretty easy for beginners to do.”

“It hasn’t been out for long, but since it’s a Capcom game, it’ll probably spread across the country in no time.”

The reporters agreed to give Final Fight a big push in their magazines.

Ryo also agreed with their opinion. Now was the time for a new wind. But there was something on his mind.

“But you know, alone won’t do. It’s not easy to create a reversal with just one game. Last year alone, there were three super popular games, so that’s why they were able to do so well. alone won’t do it.”

“Then, shall we push together? It’s a pretty interesting game with a setting that uses magic.”

“Yeah, came out this year too, right? And what other action games are there like this?”

“There’s and , right?”

“No, that’s too old. If you want to compare it to the latest Final Fight, it should be at least a game that came out this year.”

“The only game that’s worth that much is probably .”

“Is there really nothing more to it?”

As the editorial department was pondering, one of the staff members raised his hand and said:

“Well… how about that game? There’s a game that Sega just released called .”

“? What was that? Oh···! But, isn’t that a Mega Drive game? Isn’t it a console game?”

“That’s true, but it’s a transplant. There’s the original arcade game. You can find it at any Sega arcade.”

“Really? It’s a Sega arcade game. How come I didn’t know about it?”

“That’s because the original arcade game is a Korean game. This time, Sega brought it over when they ported it to the Mega Drive, but when I asked about it, they said that the arcade game was brought over for a short period of time for promotional purposes. But there are a ton of people there.”

“Really? It’s a Korean game?”

Ryo thought about it for a moment.

If you want to push belt scrolling as a new trend following shooting games, alone is not enough. First of all, the belt scrolling genre itself has a severe lack of game types compared to shooting games.

Suddenly, a strange thought occurred to me.

“Wait a minute. is also Sega, right? There’s , so why did you bring a game of the same genre, and a Korean game at that? Why?”

“Because it’s fun.”

The reporter who recommended answered with an expression as if asking such an obvious question.

“Do you have that game in your office?”

“Yes, I have it. Would you like to try it?”

“Okay. Let’s do it right now.”

The reporters brought a TV and a Mega Drive into the conference room and started .

It didn’t even take 3 minutes for the tense atmosphere to change.

“Editor, will this work?”

“Okay. Let’s push this too. The next issue’s topic is ‘The Best Belt-Scrolling Action Game!’ Let’s write a comparative analysis article on the three games , , and .”

“yes!”

“One is a futuristic crime city, one is a fantasy, and one is a historical story, so the backgrounds are all different, which is good. I’m going to contact Capcom and Sega and start interviewing them. And, Misato! You, find out about that Korean game company.”

“A game company?”

“Yeah, it’s a Korean game company sandwiched between two big companies like Sega and Capcom. Isn’t it already amazing? I can smell something. It’s definitely worth digging into.”

Editor Ryo, who had set the direction, quickly distributed the work to each reporter.

“Okay! Our magazine’s fate depends on this project! If we don’t get attention this time, we’ll fall even further next year. Don’t be stingy with space and be bold! Get your act together! Do you understand?”

“Yes, Editor-in-Chief!”

The reporters shouted loudly. The once stagnant conference room began to feel renewed energy.

created a new gaming culture with high scores.

However, Ryo Ishima was not complacent.

I didn’t think they could create a new trend.

However, I trusted my own intuition and that of the reporters.

There was definitely a wind of change blowing through the game center right now. The role of was to accurately catch the direction of that wind.

The fact that and appeared at the same time felt like fate to him.

1988 Retro Game Tycoon Episode 120