During this period, Gastar Electronic Entertainnt saw a noticeable increase in sales revenue.
This was the result of the newly expanded player base—a direct feedback loop from the street promotion campaign.
This large-scale ground promotion had proven to be quite successful.
However, it also ca with its downsides—mainly, a very high cost.
Just this one global campaign cost over $300 million.
That kind of money could have funded a top-tier ga like GTA V.
While $300 million brought in several million new players, the actual conversion rate wasn't quite as high as expected.
But Takayuki wasn't banking on imdiate returns from these new players.
He was playing the long ga—laying the groundwork.
Let them fall in love with video gas first. The rest would follow.
"Takayuki, the Switch's system is finally finished!"
By mid-2009, Airi Hayasaka brought Takayuki so very good news.
Both the hardware and software sides of the Switch had been completed.
If things went smoothly from here, the new console could be released as early as the beginning of next year.
Thanks to prolonged discussions with chip manufacturers and reductions in internal costs, the Switch's manufacturing cost was brought down to about $200.
Because handheld devices didn't require the highest-end chips—stability and cooling were more important—the overall chip cost was relatively low.
Even better, Gastar Electronic Entertainnt's flash mory technology had significantly matured.
The flash mory factory they had acquired had just developed a new generation of high-speed ga cartridges.
These cartridges could now hold 64GB at just around $13–14 in cost.
According to Takayuki's projections, this new generation of Switch would be able to support ga sizes over 200GB—enough for even the most massive AAA titles.
And in terms of performance, Takayuki's prototype was now comparable to the PS4 in graphical capabilities—a massive leap compared to the Switch from his original world.
In his past life, Takayuki constantly complained about the original Switch's weak performance—aliasing and pixelation were everywhere.
Sure, Nintendo had always focused on innovative gaplay over graphics—but who wouldn't want both?
Takayuki had already planned the next three years of the Switch's lifecycle.
Three years after launch, they would release a Switch Pro, making up for the regrets he had in his previous world.
He picked up the nearly finalized Switch prototype and tested a high-definition version of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.
He was very satisfied.
Beside him, Airi quickly asked, "Well? What do you think, Takayuki? Is this console ready for market?"
Takayuki nodded. "I'd say it's more than ready. Let's prepare for a new Direct event and finally unveil this machine."
"That's great! I've been waiting for this mont for so long."
"You have?"
Airi looked a little embarrassed. "Um, Takayuki, I actually have a request. If possible... I'd like to personally introduce the Switch at the Direct. Would that be okay?"
Takayuki blinked. "You want to host the Direct?"
Airi nodded firmly. "Yes. I poured my heart and soul into the Switch, and I really want to introduce it to the world myself. Is that alright?"
Takayuki smiled. "That's rare—back then, you weren't the type to stand in the spotlight. I rember inviting you to host once, and you declined."
"I used to prefer working behind the scenes," Airi said. "But Takayuki, after all these years—after spending so much ti creating ga consoles and everything ga-related—I've co to treasure these creations like you do. They feel like my children. And I want... as their parent... to be the one who introduces them to the world."
Takayuki laughed. "Alright, you've got it. You've earned it. As one of the creators of this console, you deserve to be the one who presents it."
Airi's eyes lit up.
Even though she was in her thirties and far from the bashful girl she used to be, she still radiated excitent today.
"Thank you, Takayuki," she said sincerely.
"No need to thank . You earned it."
Takayuki handed the Switch prototype back to her. "Now, make sure you prep well. Hosting a Direct isn't easy—you don't want to ss up live."
"Got it!"
Airi took the prototype and was already imagining how the event would unfold in her head.
Now that Airi would handle the presentation, Takayuki could focus on the big picture.
But that didn't an he had ti to slack off.
The Switch was an important product—a cornerstone of Gastar's strategy. A Direct alone wouldn't cut it.
He needed sothing more impactful.
After a mont of thought, Takayuki ca up with an idea:
Reveal Uncharted and other in-developnt gas as live Switch gaplay demos.
If done right, keen-eyed fans might notice clues in the footage.
Let them speculate. Let the mystery build.
But that still wasn't enough.
Takayuki decided it was ti to go all in.
He would also showcase two fully open-world ga demos:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and
GTA.
One would be developed in Japan. The other—GTA—would be handled by their U.S.-based studio, which was more attuned to the Western market.
With all the experience they had accumulated over the years, these teams might not yet et Takayuki's ultimate expectations—but they were more than ready to deliver sothing exciting.
He'd finally show this world what a true fully realized open-world ga looked like.
As he thought about it, Takayuki couldn't help but feel a little thrill of anticipation.
He was genuinely excited to see the world's reaction when Breath of the Wild and GTA's demos dropped.
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