Game Market 1983

Chapter 236: Tokyo Game Show

The opening of "Raging Racer 4" started alongside cyberpunk music, depicting Nagase Reiko waking up from sleep. The lighting effects streaming in from the window showcased the potential of 90s CG technology.

As she headed through the city towards a tunnel in her suit, several sports cars drifted through the streets, creating an exhilarating moment that seemed to pierce through any resistance, possibly influenced by the recent popularity of cyber formula racing on TV.

Transitioning scenes, she walked through the tunnel, lifting her broken high heels, wearing a wistful expression. Eventually, she exited barefoot and hitchhiked a passing sports car, concluding the opening sequence with a smile directed at the driver's seat, earning cheers from the onlookers.

Analyzing it closely, the logic behind a woman walking alone through a tunnel on her way to work wasn't quite clear. However, the standout element of this opening lay in her impeccable acting.

The expression as she glanced at her broken heel, the sigh after exiting the tunnel, and the final smile towards the protagonistall portrayed with such finesse, setting an unprecedented standard in gaming history.

But what was unveiled today was just one opening scene. NANCO concluded its conference, hinting at the release of "Iron Fist 2" next year, alongside Sony.

The conference by Sony, which ignited users' anticipation with its splendid opening video, continued to showcase various games. Among them, the 3D game "Crash Banter," featuring a humanoid wolf evading a massive rock, unexpectedly delivered tension, receiving positive feedback.

Thanks to Sony's radical support policies for game companies, their rapid succession of new releases involving numerous third parties persisted, creating a buzz among enthusiasts.

While observing the conference with users for a moment, I checked a message summoning me and made my way towards the Pentagon booth.

"Lost in observation, but it's about time we prepare for our own conference."

Navigating through the bustling crowd, I reached the Pentagon booth, crowded with users awaiting the conference, feeling a bit squeezed in. Apologizing, I attempted to pass through.

"Excuse me, just passing through."

"Sir, please don't cut in line."

"Huh? No, I was just..."

"This is our spot. Go back there."

Unable to proceed and forced to move aside by the attendees, I finally completed a full circle around the Pentagon booth to return to the event area.

When I emerged, Kaori, who had been wandering inside the booth, approached me sharply.

"Where have you been, Director?"

"Oh, that's..."

"The conference is starting in less than five minutes."

"Really? Good timing then."

"Director, you never seem to feel pressured, do you?"

"Pressure? Setting up a conference in a day or two, why worry?"

"Even today..."

Removing my coat and changing into a suit for the conference, I checked my watch and asked Kaori about Dragon Emblem.

"It left an hour ago."

"Great, then."

Grabbing the mic handed to me, I turned to the staff responsible for the curtains around the stage and shouted, "Let's begin."

As the curtains swiftly ascended and the theme song of Dragon Emblem 2 played from the speakers positioned at each end of the stage, cheers erupted from the audience eagerly awaiting the Pentagon conference.

"Wow!"

"Here we go!"

"Dragon Emblem! Finally, details about the second episode!"

And so, the excitement and anticipation surged as the conference commenced.

The event had just begun, yet the temperature inside the booth seemed to rise by a good 2-3 degrees, as if heralding the arrival of summer. The glimmering eyes of gamers eager for any snippet about Dragon Emblem 2 felt like the gaze of furious beasts, making me gulp nervously, swallowing my dry throat.

"Shall we start with greetings, or dive straight into the details about Dragon Emblem?"

With a boxer's casual jab, I eased the tension and tossed a light comment at the crowd gathered in front of our booth.

"It's been a year since CES. With Laon's release last year, it's about time for at least a release date..."

As the voice of one user, clearly a die-hard fan of the Dragon Emblem series, reached my ears, I nearly burst into laughter. It had been three years since the cliffhanger of the first episode, and well, the wait was quite something.

Smiling at the user's remark, I raised the microphone to my lips.

"We apologize for keeping you waiting. Thanks to your support, we're about to kick off the presentation for Dragon Emblem 2, the era of war."

"Wow!"

Lowering the mic, as I leaned slightly toward the crowd in front of the booth, the lighting dimmed, and a screen set on the stage revealed a woman.

Cloaked in priestly robes within a dark temple, her hands clasped in prayer, the woman was a recognizable heroine for any Dragon Emblem fanthe High Priestess, Katrina.

"Ah, right. Last year's CES teaser had King Croel's resurrection at the end."

"Ah, yeah... I was more excited for the return of the first episode's protagonists. None of them appeared in the first episode..."

Indeed, when the Dragon Emblem footage was showcased at CES, the appearance of Katrina and Croel had garnered tremendous applause from the audience.

For those who had enjoyed Dragon Emblem 1, their absence was sorely felt. There was a certain disappointment among the users.

After revealing the promotional footage at CES and hearing the gamers' requests for more information about the second episode, Junpei had heard that even the magazine editors were exhausted.

As Katrina prayed in the darkness, a bright light emanated from her hands, gradually taking the form of a person, an effect of divine power responding to her prayer.

Compared to a year ago, the quality of the promotional video had dramatically improved, prompting gasps from the audience.

"Wait, is that video 2D or 3D?"

Though it appeared hand-drawn, the character movements gave an uncanny feeling, causing the onlookers to tilt their heads in confusion.

"The video you're currently watching is produced using a cartoon rendering method. Both the event cutscenes and ending of the upcoming Dragon Emblem will be made in this style."

"Wow..."

"Amazing. This is fantastic!"

King Croel, appearing on the screen, resembled his younger self from Dragon Emblem 1. Donning simple yet stylish blue armor, as Croel and Katrina stepped out of the temple, former comrades they fought alongside began to reveal themselves one by one.

"Mirea of the Blazing Heat!"

"Kariss, the Sniper!"

With each hero's appearance, users started shouting out their names in excitement. King Croel smiled faintly as he looked at his long-lost comrades.

"Then, let's begin the counterattack."

With those words, everyone gathered in front of the temple was engulfed in a blue light and soared into the battlefield.

As the lights faded with the disappearing heroes, the title of Dragon Emblem 2 appeared on the screen, causing the audience to scream in ecstasy.

The subsequent gameplay footage showed a grand map that seemed to directly emulate the vast fantasy world of Dragon Emblem.

And as I moved to the center of the stage, I prepared the next part of my script.

"In this upcoming Dragon Emblem 2, you'll be able to choose between two factions."

At that moment, the battlefield on the screen was dyed in red and blue, showing the current exhibition situation.

"This is the current situation of the Dragon Emblem continent. As soon as the game begins, you'll live as mercenaries in this battlefield. Of course, users who enjoyed the previous installment can transfer their Laon data and summon their characters."

Since the character transfer had been hinted at in Episode 1, it wasn't such a surprise. Given the effort put into raising those characters, no one would want to discard the protagonists of Episode 1.

"Let's now reveal the release date of Dragon Emblem 2 before we showcase its actual gameplay."

"Ohh! Finally..."

"It's already December, so even if it's a stretch, it'll probably be out by early next year, right?"

Amidst all the speculation, I glanced at my wristwatch before speaking up.

"The current time is 1:15 PM."

Having just revealed the release date, the gamers looked at me strangely as I checked the time.

"Well... that means...?"

"In other words, today is the release day of Dragon Emblem 2."

"Wha!"

>

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