As in previous years, the video ga expo was in full swing.
Countless ga companies, large and small, scrambled to participate. Many had long since reserved booths, doing their best to secure larger spaces in order to stand out and attract more attention to their upcoming or newly released titles.
"Yaaaawn~ So boring, Aiko."
In the booth area of the expo, it was the day before the public opening — a dia preview day.
Kazumi, Oto-chan, and Aiko were now fairly well-known ga developers. They also had another identity — the rumored "three direct disciples" of Takayuki.
Though Takayuki had never publicly acknowledged it, Gastar Entertainnt's consistent support for their gas through prominent marketing made their close relationship obvious.
Sotis, photos even surfaced showing the three of them alongside Takayuki's wife, Ayaka.
So most people assud they were either Takayuki's disciples — or at the very least, Ayaka's.
But regardless of who they learned from, in the ga industry, success still speaks louder than anything else.
With average ga sales reaching over 500,000 copies each, they were performing very well.
Now that they had so recognition and had founded their own ga studio, it was ti to invest more in marketing.
And showcasing their new ga at this expo was the perfect opportunity.
"Today is press day — don't slack off. We need to be at our best dealing with them. Reporters are way more difficult than players."
Aiko, always the most serious and composed of the three, spoke firmly. She was the one who usually made big decisions, except when it ca to rotating developnt responsibilities, where she occasionally gave in.
Carefully arranging the rchandise tied to their gas, she turned their modest 10-square-ter booth into a neat, inviting space with a distinctly feminine touch.
During expos like this, the main goal was to promote upcoming or just-launched titles and boost future sales.
The three had already made arrangents with Gastar Entertainnt: their newest ga would be showcased during one of the most high-traffic ti slots. Until then, all promotional materials would remain hidden to preserve the surprise.
Kazumi ignored Aiko's ticulous efforts and turned to one of their team mbers.
Their studio now had around 30 staff, with over 90% being female developers — a rarity in the industry. With enough funding, such a team could easily develop a mid-size title, and this ti, they had invested both money and energy into a new release.
"Hey, aren't you bored too? Why don't we walk around and check out what the competition is showing?"
Their booth was located in the area designated for small-to-midsize developers. The atmosphere here was much more relaxed compared to the bigger companies, who often treated the expo like a battlefield.
Here, small studios chatted freely with one another, and Kazumi really liked that vibe — so she wanted to make the rounds.
The team mber glanced nervously at Aiko, knowing that she had more authority.
But Aiko simply continued organizing, calmly cleaning the demo consoles and controllers, then setting out bottled water and alcohol wipes for visitors.
"Ah, don't worry about her. Aiko's always like that. She just loves doing things by the book."
Kazumi grabbed the developer by the wrist — she had a reputation for being approachable and had no airs. Among the three, she had the best relationships with everyone.
Oto-chan quietly watched from the side. She occasionally helped Aiko, but mostly just rested.
Each of the three had their own role.
Kazumi was the glue of the team — even when conflicts arose during developnt, she could keep the group from falling apart.
Aiko was precise and goal-driven, always pushing to create the best possible ga.
As for Oto-chan, she described herself as balanced — the stabilizer of the team.
"Aiko, don't touch the speaker — leave the music on. This track matches our style perfectly."
Seeing Aiko about to change the music, Oto-chan quickly spoke up.
"It's been playing all day. Don't you get tired of it?" Aiko asked.
"You don't get it," Oto-chan replied proudly. "I checked — this song is the most played by our fans on music platforms. That ans it's perfect for us."
It was also her proudest music composition — she doubted she'd ever top it.
anwhile, Kazumi took advantage of the distraction to sneak out with one of her team mbers, heading off to visit other booths.
"Hey, Kazumi! You're absolutely glowing today! Want to try our new ga?"
"Miss Kazumi, would you mind checking out our farming sim? We'd love your advice. Our chanics are pretty similar to yours."
Everywhere she went, Kazumi was warmly greeted. In the ga dev world, she was already a respected figure, especially in the farming sim niche. Her expertise — and the fact that she was a woman — helped her win people over quickly.
Kazumi didn't hesitate. She visited various booths, picking up free rch, trying out gas, and bonding with other developers.
After about an hour, she returned with her team, arms full of swag — so much that they were barely able to carry everything.
But more importantly, Kazumi brought back a hot tip.
"Hey, hey! I just heard sothing — Surui Soft, Mickford, and Brown Entertainnt all have big announcents coming."
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