Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 983: Future Game Demo Zone

As a theme park built around video games, it was only natural that video games themselves took center stage.

Throughout the various themed areas of Gamestar Park, each restaurant featured several rows of home console demo stations.

In these stations, guests could play the first two hours of any first-party title from Gamestar Electronic Entertainment.

All it took was a quick scan of the guest's park ticket to unlock a free two-hour demo session.

Alternatively, purchasing a meal combo at the restaurant would grant additional playtime.

During that time, visitors were free to play whatever games they wanted.

These demo areas quickly became popular rest stops throughout the park.

After a long stretch of running around outdoors, players would often grab a simple fries combo and curl up next to a console to relax and play.

Many visitors hadn't had the chance to try out some of these games before—after all, buying a new title often came with a lot of consideration.

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But here, everyone could try Gamestar's first-party games freely. If they found something they liked, they could go home and pick up the full version with confidence.

As a result, the park's opening also led to a small but noticeable boost in game sales—a pleasant and unexpected bonus.

Of course, these demo stations were just appetizers.

To celebrate the park's grand opening, a special Future Gaming Experience Zone had been constructed—a three-story building, with each floor covering over 500 square meters.

And today, there was only one game available to play in this futuristic zone:

GTA4, currently ramping up its marketing campaign.

With development nearly complete, more and more players had begun learning about the gameplay and features of GTA4.

But most people still didn't quite understand what made it fun.

That's why this demo was so important.

And this park was the very first place where GTA4's playable demo was made available.

If you wanted to be the first to try it, this was the only place to do it.

An online demo version would be released a week later.

Among the first to arrive was Kazuo Murakami, one of the world's most respected game reviewers.

Naturally, he had received a free ticket to the opening ceremony.

But he didn't attend the speeches, or tour the park. He didn't even watch Takayuki's brief address.

Instead, the moment he entered the venue, he went straight to the Future Gaming Experience Zone.

As a well-known critic and an acquaintance of Takayuki, Murakami was allowed extended access to the GTA4 demo—though even then, the demo itself only lasted thirty minutes.

The demo showcased a mission from the Liberty City Chapter, starring Niko as he carried out a bank heist.

It perfectly captured the core elements of the GTA series:

Crime, robbery, escape, gunfights with law enforcement—all in one tightly packed mission.

Because of the game's mature content, this demo was the only attraction with access restrictions.

First, players had to sign an NDA, promising not to share any details about the Liberty City Chapter until the official reveal one week later.

Second, anyone under 18 was strictly prohibited from entering.

When the full game launched, underage players might still find ways to buy it—but the park had to maintain clear boundaries to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Murakami had already played through the mission three times.

It began with Niko donning a mask and entering a bank with his crew.

Once the money was secured, the escape began—driving, shooting back at police, navigating a set route to avoid capture. When you finally shook the cops, the demo ended.

There had been similar missions in GTA: San Andreas, but the design back then wasn't nearly as refined.

This time, however, the improvements were obvious.

Driving felt smoother. The heist itself had far more layers and options.

Players could pick locks.

If that failed, they could blow open the vault with explosives.

Then, within a strict time limit, they had to grab as much money as possible—before the cops arrived and cut off all escape routes.

Each moment of the 30-minute demo was packed with tension—and Murakami was hooked.

To be honest, he'd been suffering from a serious case of gaming burnout.

His "digital ED" was more severe than most.

As a critic, he had to play countless games, and as a result, he had become incredibly picky.

Especially in a world where a company like Gamestar Electronic Entertainment existed.

Every title they released was top-tier, and they had spoiled him.

Normal games no longer excited him.

He needed intense, meaningful experiences to rekindle his love for gaming.

This was a problem many long-time gamers faced.

The more you play, the harder it is to feel excited by new titles.

Eventually, such players gravitate toward a few trusted franchises—and unless a new game has the backing of a big-name developer, it's unlikely to capture their interest.

Even claims of massive budgets and amazing gameplay wouldn't sway them.

These players were often not worth targeting from a marketing perspective.

Trying to win them over could mean ignoring the broader audience of casual players—which was rarely a smart move.

These days, Murakami left most game reviews to his staff.

Not because he'd become lazy or was chasing money—but because most games simply didn't interest him anymore.

Even some first-party titles from Gamestar felt like chores to play.

As for everything else? He didn't even bother.

But today, with just this one GTA4 demo, something had changed.

The joy of gaming was coming back.

The pure dopamine of video games was beginning to flow again.

That one 30-minute mission?

He'd already played it three times... no, four times.

And now?

He was ready to go back in—for a fifth.