Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 957: Reclaiming the Feeling from Back Then

There are plenty of similar discussions online, and most people aren't paying much attention to this special sale.

As for the companies that previously opposed selling games at ultra-low prices, they're now even more convinced that such discount events are meaningless.

If there's time for that, why not release more great video games instead?

But then again, even great games these days struggle to make breakthroughs. It seems we've hit some sort of threshold. Could it really be like the rumors say—that the number of gamers has maxed out and the entire video game market pie has already been completely carved up?

In the past, it was about fighting over a growing market. But now, it's about competing for what's already there.

And the most defining feature of fighting for a saturated market? Intense competition.

Cutthroat levels of it.

You try to attract players with better graphics? I'll use more gimmicks. The goal is simply to convince the player to buy the game—whatever it takes.

Some game companies have even started exploring whether they need to shift their business models.

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If the video game market really starts shrinking, they're not confident they'll survive. Looking elsewhere for a new path while they still can might actually be a good idea.

Meanwhile, over at Gamestar Electronic Entertainment, the promotional campaign for the sale is proceeding in an orderly fashion.

The backend of their digital game distribution platform is in full prep mode for the event.

"According to the boss's instructions, every time a player buys a game, they gain experience points. When the experience bar fills up, they receive a hidden platform trading card. Collecting a full set of these cards earns them exclusive cosmetic rewards. We must finish all programming today. And the card designs need to be finalized by the day after tomorrow!"

Belred has been working almost nonstop lately.

Gamestar Electronic Entertainment discourages its employees from working overtime. Otherwise, Belred would probably lead his team in grinding themselves to the bone.

Luckily, Takayuki always provides plenty of time when assigning tasks. As long as nothing goes seriously wrong, everything can be completed on schedule.

That said, as one of the project leaders, Belred has far more responsibilities to worry about than regular employees.

The special sale event on the BattleNet platform will be globally synchronized.

The first challenge is dealing with the pricing discrepancies between different regions. frёewebnoѵēl.com

In some areas, game prices simply can't be reduced with the same discounts used elsewhere.

Take Region A, for example—game prices there are typically only a tenth of those in other regions.

This is largely due to the region's extremely low average income, which makes it impossible to price games too high. Otherwise, players there would be completely excluded from the joy of gaming.

And Takayuki has always wanted everyone in the world to have access to video games.

He didn't even overlook an off-grid tribe in South Africa. Incredibly, he managed to sell them several million FC consoles, giving them a taste of modern entertainment.

Later, the tribal chiefs even sent Gamestar Electronic Entertainment diamonds and ivory as gifts.

They had no concept of money, so that was the only form of "thanks" they could think of.

So, in countries with low per capita income, special low-price versions of games are offered, separate from other regions.

But Takayuki is also fully aware of how sneaky players can be.

Once they find out certain countries are in low-price zones, they'll rush to exploit those regions to buy cheap games, potentially ruining the benefits intended for those specific areas.

So these low-price regions are heavily protected. All foreign IP access is strictly banned, and even disguised or spoofed IPs can be detected—there's no way to sneak through.

And if another round of discounts were applied in those regions, that would be stacking discounts—some prices would end up practically being giveaways. That's not acceptable, so adjustments are necessary to ensure that trusted partners of Gamestar Electronic Entertainment don't feel like they're losing money.

But regional pricing isn't the only issue. The special sale event involves many complex tasks that must all be flawlessly executed. Lately, Belred has been traveling the globe with his assistant—often staying less than half a day in any one location before rushing off to the next city or country to oversee operations.

His only real rest comes during flights.

But it's exactly because of Belred's driven attitude that the special sale event is progressing so steadily.

Meanwhile, the heads of several other digital game platforms are doing similar things.

They could slow down and take things more gradually, but this is the very first super discount event, and it's globally synchronized. The stakes are different. It's a bold attempt at something new in a new era—no one dares slack off right now.

The sale event is in full swing, and Takayuki isn't idle either.

Lately, he hasn't even had time to follow Cyberpunk 2077 or a few other major game development projects.

He's been working on something fresh.

"Takayuki, you seem super busy lately. What are you working on?"

As Takayuki's wife, Aya Tsukino is most sensitive to his behavior.

He's been working around the clock lately. Aya had wanted to ask him several times, but Takayuki was always too busy to explain.

Today, seeing him finally relax a bit and come home for a meal, she took the opportunity to ask.

"What could possibly be keeping you so busy? If it's work, you can always delegate it to your team, right?"

Takayuki, while devouring the meal Aya had carefully prepared, mumbled through mouthfuls of food, "I just feel like the special sale alone isn't quite enough. I want to add another safety net—something that will really help players immerse themselves in the world of video games."

"What kind of safety net?"

"Just a few low-cost mini-games. I'm releasing them under my alt account."

"Alt account... Oh, you mean that one—'Nintendo is Freaking God of the World,' right?"

"Exactly," Takayuki said, pounding his chest.

"Eat slower," Aya reminded him gently, handing him a glass of water. "Still, you're overdoing it a bit, aren't you? You could just give your ideas to your team and let them make the games."

Takayuki took the water, downed it in one gulp, and immediately said, "How do I put it... I think it's just my love for video games. After all these years, I still really enjoy the feeling of making games day and night. Working on these new games is my way of reconnecting with that old passion. You know what I mean?"