-Please press the Start button to begin the game.-
Sponsor game? This game was completely different from the office worker games I used to enjoy before. With a sense of anticipation, I pressed the Start button, and a simple prologue began. Before long, I realized that the protagonist of this game was none other than myself.
The prologue explained that the main character, who had tim...
2023-11-02 02:53:42 +0000 UTC View Post"Infiltration? What's that?"
At that moment, the assistant staff who had been quietly sitting in the corner of the office suddenly looked at me with wide-eyed surprise. Like a child caught red-handed, he listened intently to our conversation. Who is this guy, anyway? I was in the middle of a consultation with Masaki when I turned my head to the assistant and asked.
"May I ask for yo...
2023-11-02 02:53:25 +0000 UTC View Post"Hey, am I being completely ignored here?" Four employees shot me cold glances, grumbled, and then returned to their work.
"Okay, then. I'll leave you to it."
The staff member who had guided me in the lobby nodded and returned to their seat.
What's going on here? I observed the employees at work amidst the awkward atmosphere of the development room.
In 2015, some massive...
2023-11-02 02:53:11 +0000 UTC View PostKang Junhyuk couldn't contain his excitement as he stood among the crowd at the gaming event.
"Introducing the world's first handheld console with cartridge exchange!" the presenter exclaimed.
"Wow!!!" Kang Junhyuk exclaimed.
"This is the prototype of a new handheld console model that is still in development. It allows you to insert game cartridges at the back, giving you the ...
2023-11-02 02:52:45 +0000 UTC View PostIncredible! The line of people extended all the way to the venue, and you couldn't even see the end of it. Even though the Japanese are known for their patience, I never expected it to be this long. The sale of "The Legend of Karin" starts at 2 PM!!
"K-Kang. I suddenly find it hard to breathe. Can you please support me?"
"Get a grip and hurry. The event staff might be waiting for Ms...
2023-11-02 02:52:10 +0000 UTC View Post"Then, let's create something new within that."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"For example, it's an RPG, but if we make it like Super Mariji, where you directly clash with enemies in the field... Let's call it an action RPG for the sake of genre definition. Wouldn't that stand out?"
"Awesome!! Kang, I love that!! It's totally my style!! You're a genius, after all!!"
Oh, thank...
2023-11-01 03:02:44 +0000 UTC View Post"So, have you decided which department you want to join?"
"Yes, I want to join the next-gen console development department."
At that moment, CEO Kamauichi asked with a puzzled expression, "Do we even have such a department in our company?"
"Well, I'm currently in charge of the portable Game Boy project, but I want to lead the next-gen console development department."
Kam...
2023-11-01 03:02:38 +0000 UTC View Post"Hey, Kang Junhyuk, the head of the Toy World called. Mr. Toy World himself?"
"Hmm? Just a moment."
It's finally here. My self-developed gaming console has been a massive hit in the United States for the past year. Will they stop ordering it now? Well, I've held out this long. I put down my hamburger, which I was savoring with a sip of cola, and answered the phone.
"Yes, this ...
2023-11-01 03:02:32 +0000 UTC View Post"And one more thing. I have a proposal for you, boss."
"Hmm? If it's something I can do, I'll help however I can."
"Please take charge of the store right now and become the manager of our first MinTenDo Premium Store."
"What did you say...?"
Kang Junhyuk, the protagonist, was about to make a strategic move in the American market. The opportunity arose when a vacant build...
2023-11-01 03:02:27 +0000 UTC View Post"Thank you. It's $299."
"... Is this guy kidding?"
"What?"
I took my business card out of my pocket and placed it on the counter. The cashier looked at my card with a puzzled expression and then, upon seeing the name "M.H.E.S," her eyes widened. She seemed ready to explode.
"As you can see, I'm Kang Junhyuk, an employee of Mintendo. We sell M.E.S for $199, but why are yo...
2023-11-01 03:02:19 +0000 UTC View Post"Let's hang in there a bit longer, shall we?"
Toy World was not just a store here; it was a chain store that had several massive branches in other cities as well. As big as it was, it attracted a considerable crowd, and every toy company hoped to have their products stocked here.
Was that why? Toy World rarely placed orders directly with toy companies, and usually, the sales represe...
2023-11-01 02:00:12 +0000 UTC View Post"We at Mintendo will provide you with 100 M.E.S units for free. Moreover, we'll prepay the rent for three months."
Suddenly, Yamashita, who had been observing me, looked astonished and spoke in Japanese.
"Hey... Kang. No matter how tough the situation for the shop owner here is, we can't give away 100 devices for free!"
Ignoring Yamashita, I calmly explained to the owner of To...
2023-11-01 02:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostKang Junhyuk, the brilliant mind behind the M.E.S, had just pulled off an incredible feat that left everyone dumbfounded. Inside the barrel of his electronic gun, nothing was being fired, yet, with each shot, the TV's ducks were falling in a delightful cascade.
The CEO and manager watched in astonishment, as if possessed by a ghost. Indeed, Kang Junhyuk was a genius. In a short span of ti...
2023-11-01 01:59:59 +0000 UTC View PostFour months had passed in the blink of an eye since I arrived in the United States. Last month, after a conversation with our boss, all the leftover merchandise in the warehouse was shipped back to Japan. This morning, a brand-new creation called M.E.S had arrived.
Unlike the previous family of gaming consoles, which had the image of inserting cartridges vertically to enjoy games, the new...
2023-11-01 01:59:52 +0000 UTC View Post"Make a gun for me?"
Kang Junhyuk asked as Gunpei-san skillfully sliced through a tender beef steak.
"Yes, could you make an electronic gun for me?"
"An electronic gun?"
Gunpei-san looked at me with a quizzical expression, as if wondering if I had lost my mind. I reluctantly took out my sketchbook and began to draw a rough design with a pen. It seemed easier to convey th...
2023-11-01 01:59:48 +0000 UTC View Post"Kang, as expected, money talks~"
The next morning, after rising from the plush bed, the first words from Gunpei-san, who had slept soundly, were about money. He had complained so much yesterday but ended up sleeping well and waking up. Was that his idea of balance? I chuckled and got out of bed to start packing our stuff.
I had thrown my luggage into a corner of the room as soon as...
2023-11-01 01:17:39 +0000 UTC View Post"Great job, everyone. Let's raise a toast to the completion of Super Mariji!"
"Cheers!"
December 24, 1983, Christmas Eve. The first side-scrolling video game, Super Mariji, was finally finished. Thanks to the success of the previous installment, Mariji Brothers, released in September, which featured a unique two-player gaming experience, the expectations for Super Mariji were even h...
2023-11-01 01:17:31 +0000 UTC View Post"I'm here. It's finally here!"
Under the name of the manager, Kawata Satoshi, I hastily tore open the package. The game title written on the small floppy disk was 'Balloon Fight.' Yes, I had been waiting for this moment all along!
"Kang? What's up...?"
"Shigeru, wanna take a break and give this game a try?"
"Should we? Ah~ I really can't figure it out... Even though I'm ...
2023-11-01 01:17:23 +0000 UTC View PostThe next day, I woke up on the dormitory bed provided by Nintendo. Well, it's not as fancy as a hotel, but it's still company-provided accommodation. It's not bad, considering it's close to the office. It feels a bit like being in a monastery, but I'll just chalk that up to my mood.
The 1980s marked the beginning of corporate workouts, starting with the national gymnastics. Right now, I s...
2023-11-01 01:17:15 +0000 UTC View Post"Scrolling the background."
"What? What are you doing?"
At first, Kumaamoto-san and Gunpei-san didn't understand what I was talking about. It's not easy to grasp the concept of side-scrolling right away. I took out my notebook from my bag and placed it in front of Kumaamoto-san, holding a pen.
"Look. This frame is the display where the game is shown. And inside it, Kumaamoto-s...
2023-11-01 01:17:06 +0000 UTC View PostThump, thump, thump, thump...
"Ugh... So noisy. Let me get some sleep..."
Thump, thump, thump...
Those damn cicadas. After a moment, I tossed the blanket aside and got up from the hotel bed. It was August 17, 1983, the peak of summer when the annual temperatures soared. Fortunately, the hotel I was staying in, not too far from Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto, had modern air conditionin...
2023-10-31 22:46:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Firstly, the machine itself is inefficient and unethical."
"Huh?"
"I love MinTendo games. I've purchased all the games and watches they've released so far, and I even went to Akihabara on the day they released the latest Family game."
"Oh, thank you."
"Huh? Why are you thanking me?"
"Oh, I misspoke. Please continue."
Mr. Kang was looking at me with great int...
2023-10-31 22:43:17 +0000 UTC View PostA few days after the Family's launch event, I was preparing to board the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto. Inside my hefty bag, there were several types of game & watches.
"Still got about 30 minutes left..."
Stomach growling... I skipped breakfast to catch the train on time. Back in 2015, skipping breakfast was a daily routine due to the rush hour commute. But ever since I arrived he...
2023-10-31 22:24:45 +0000 UTC View PostFor the past month, I've been living in Japan like a tourist, taking in the sights of Tokyo. The city's landscape bore a striking resemblance to Seoul in the 1990s. It made sense considering that Japan was often a decade ahead of South Korea in terms of trends back then.
"Hmm, it's still a bit boring without a cell phone," I muttered to myself as I savored an ice cream cone.
Come to...
2023-10-31 22:06:57 +0000 UTC View Post"Hey there, young one. If I may ask, if you were to go back in time, which era would you prefer?"
Did that conversation's meaning lead to this? I glanced at the flashing year display on the screen for a moment. It started in 1983, with the downfall of Atari, which had led an era, and the birth of new hope in Japan, the Famicom Family. Interestingly, as I moved the year marker, famous figu...
2023-10-31 21:58:22 +0000 UTC View Post"Is this really a company job that pays a salary for playing games?" Kang Junhyuk muttered to himself, flipping open the lid of the Game & Watch once more. Ping, ping, ping. The monotonous sound effects echoed in the quiet office, and I soon found myself completely engrossed in the game, even forgetting my hunger. How much time had passed?
"Oh? Director, you haven't had your meal?" 2023-10-31 20:59:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Shooo~~ I returned home and took a hot shower first. What just happened to me a moment ago? I wondered if I had some strange delusions due to being drunk, but on the coffee table in the living room, the Game & Watch I received from the elder was still there.
"This is strange..."
I sat on the sofa in light clothing and picked up the Game & Watch from the table. It displayed t...
2023-10-31 20:53:27 +0000 UTC View Post- Office Worker's Game -
It was called this game, "Game & Watch." Game & Watch was a creation of Nisekoi-kun, who passed away in a traffic accident in 1997. Back then, games were considered toys for kids, with titles like Dongcom and Karin's Legend, and of course, Dragon Ball. These were the kind of games that catered to children's tastes. However, this game, from its title alone,...
2023-10-31 20:41:57 +0000 UTC View PostSitting alone in a nearby tent, I downed two bottles of soju, contemplating the perks of going solo. What's a day like this without a drink, right? Chuckles. Drunkenly, I sauntered down the streets, my mind racing with thoughts. From tomorrow onwards, I'd be working in a place completely detached from game development. Damn it, is this how my childhood dream of becoming a game designer ends? 2023-10-31 20:34:49 +0000 UTC View Post
Please note that this story is a work of fiction. The characters and company names have no relation to reality.
"Hey, if you could go back in time, when would you want to go?"
In response to the elderly man's question, Kang Junhyuk, a 23-year-old game developer from 2015, found himself in the year 1983, where the era of retro games had just begun.
Welcome to the hottest period...
2023-10-31 19:42:48 +0000 UTC View Post