The 16-bit console market opened its doors with the release of the NEGA Drive in late 1988, and now, five years have swiftly passed since then.
And here we are, in the fall of 1992.
The reins of the ho console industry had completely shifted to Japan.
No longer burdened by the risk of failure in creating new gaming consoles for this generation, foreign companies had retreated, leaving the current era with Mintendo's Super Family and NEGA's NEGA Drive, alongside Pentagon's Laon, maintaining a triumvirate.
Of course, there were consoles with extraordinary aspects. One such machine was the exorbitantly priced console called the 'Neo Geo,' crafted by SMK.
The Neo Geo, released in 1990, initially aid for businesses or ho rental devices, but with the unexpected success of 'Yonggyeok's Fist' and 'This Way's Legend,' a competitive fighting ga, it had garnered so demand for ho use recently.
Equipped not only with a 16-bit Motorola 6800 CPU and an 8-bit Zilog CPU but also designed to display up to 4096 colors with 380 sprites simultaneously, the video chipset pushed boundaries.
Furthermore, boasting a sound chip housing up to seven digital channels and supporting a total of 15 sound channels using Yamaha products, the machine boasted about four to five tis the performance of the Super Family.
However, the 'Neo Geo,' a system nearly housing an entire arcade board in a cartridge, was outrageously expensive, with prices that surpassed imagination.
Especially in the case of praised gas like Yonggyeok's Fist, the ga cartridge's price reached around 30,000 yen.
Originally not developed for household use but rather intended for comrcial venues, the Neo Geo, due to its cartridge price, beca a console that was hard to find in households unless in affluent families.
While SMK, known for Street Fire 2 that continued the popularity of the 2D fighting ga market, was admired as the bastion of fighting gas, the sales of ho consoles were rembered for being platforms where only gas made by SMK were released due to the exorbitant cartridge prices.
At such a ti, the first company to hint at developing a new console was, yet again, NEGA.
Although they aid to gain so ground in the current generation by releasing the NEGA CD, the dismal sales significantly brought forward the release of a new console, ironically enough.
"This ti, NEGA moved first again."
Kawaguchi, the CEO, addressed as we dined near the headquarters.
After sipping a warm sip of tea, I responded, "The new model's na is NEGA Saturn, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. Judging by the specs announced so far, it seems like it'll be a beast of a machine boasting exceptional 2D sprite performance."
As Kawaguchi ntioned, the initial concept for NEGA Saturn was to pursue the finest 2D graphics. And perhaps, it was an expected choice.
During the developnt of NEGA Saturn, 3D gas were still in their infancy.
At that ti, NEGA aid to create a console that could seamlessly transition the rapidly advancing arcade fighting gas, like those of SMK and Capcom, for ho use. These gas demanded quite high 2D graphic capabilities. Little did they know, such a narrow focus would hinder NEGA Saturn till the end.
"Not only that, but Sony seems to be in frequent communication with Mintendo lately. Mintendo is keeping silent about it, but Sony already announced that the next-generation Super Family ga dium will be a CD."
"The Gear Station project, huh?"
"Yes?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just muttering to myself."
The revelation from Sony while Mintendo remained silent indicated that the new project was already shaking from its inception. Kurakagi Kentaro from Sony, who had designed the Super Family's sound chip, had been frequenting Mintendo's headquarters lately. It hinted at the subtle precursor to the impending 32-bit era, a smile playing at the corner of my lips.
But in contrast to my amusent, Kawaguchi appeared uneasy.
"If that's the case, shouldn't Pentagon prepare in its own way? Have there been any contacts from Rob or Alice in the US?"
"Don't worry too much. Laon may still be a fledgling, having just passed its first year since birth, but its sales have been steadily rising at almost the sa speed as during the launch of the Super Family in 1989. It might be better to focus more on Laon's marketing and ga releases at the mont."
"Well, it's still the early stages of the next-gen war. It's best not to dwell too deeply on it."
Finally, Kawaguchi let out a small sigh, looking visibly relieved.
&
Director Nomura's created 'New Legend 2' was completed with outstanding quality, contrary to Kawaguchi's concerns, by August of the following year.
Particularly, the cooperative play mode, where three could enjoy the ga using Laon's data cable, garnered considerable popularity. His idea of allowing friends to enjoy RPG gas together resonated perfectly with Laon's concept and started to gain significant popularity.
"Junhyuk, this ga is really fun!"
Yuki, unable to contain her excitent for RPG gas, often urged to play 'New Legend 2' whenever we had ti, already having cleared it once on weekends.
'Hmm... Last year, when 'Dragon Warrior 5' and 'Final Frontier 5' were released almost back-to-back, it stayed quiet for a few months. And now it's 'New Legend'?'
Truthfully, gas during this ti didn't excite much.
Because even if I replayed gas I once enjoyed, it didn't bring much joy aside from evoking initial nostalgia. Moreover, now it seed the nostalgia for gas from the '80s felt even fainter.
Occasionally, we'd combine weekends for a date, exploring ga stores in Akihabara or seeking out eateries in Tokyo. Yuki always smiled widely, finding sothing fascinating in Akihabara every ti we visited.
"Ah!! The figure Uchimura-san made has gone up in price again!"
"Really? How much this ti?"
"190,000 yen."
"."
Since it was soone recognized in the industry, even though the dia kept
calling it a subculture, Uchimura's figures were steadily becoming an expensive hobby.
Eventually, I ended up buying a studio apartnt close to the Pentagon office, making it easier for to go back and forth without wasting ti commuting. Yuki, with her assistance, managed to find a good place.
My life had slowly but surely begun settling into a routine, a routine that included Pentagon at its core.
&
In the latter half of 1994, a significant event took place in the gaming industry.
"Have you heard the news, Junhyuk?"
Kawaguchi phoned in an unusually excited state.
"What's happened?"
"It seems that Mintendo and Sony's cooperation in developing the next-gen console fell through. They're going their separate ways for the next generation!"
"Really? That's quite unexpected. What's the reason?"
"Apparently, Mintendo and Sony couldn't agree on so aspects of the deal. Sony is now considering entering the market with their own console, separate from Mintendo. This could change the landscape of the next-gen race!"
As Kawaguchi spoke, I pondered the implications of this shift.
A partnership between Mintendo and Sony could have potentially ant a more dominant force in the upcoming console war. With Sony branching off, this could fragnt the market and create more competition among the major players.
"And what about NEGA's plans? Will this affect our strategy?"
"I've already reached out to our R&D team. We need to accelerate the NEGA Saturn's developnt. This rift between Mintendo and Sony might provide us with a window of opportunity to strengthen our position in the market."
Kawaguchi's determination was evident. The unexpected twist in the industry dynamics had spurred a renewed sense of urgency at NEGA.
As the console wars continued to evolve, each company sought its place in the ever-shifting landscape of gaming technology.
>
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a mber of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.Your na will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".The power to vote on which novel I translate next.You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
You get to suggest a Novel for to translate.You get access to Digital art.Your na featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
You get to recomnd a Novel and I will imdiately start translating it.Your na featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
Reviews
All reviews (0)