Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 871: You’re Still Thinking About That?

This game didn't spark an especially strong reaction from the audience.

It was hard to gauge much about the gameplay at this stage, so players remained cautiously reserved.

Still, since it was a first-party title, there wasn't much to worry about.

"Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice? That's a pretty unique title."

"Hmm... all I can say right now is the name's interesting. Everything else... nothing too striking. Oh, right—the visuals are kind of dark. And it gives off a pretty heavy vibe."

"I saw a giant snake. Maybe it's like Monster Hunter?"

"Huh? Now I'm actually a little intrigued. But it looked like that snake was just part of a cutscene, not something we'd fight. I think the game's more about fighting humanoid enemies. The age rating's 17+, after all. Monster Hunter is just 13+."

"Doesn't look like the reaction was all that strong..."

In Tokyo's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Minister Jirō Shizuoka and a group of other officials were also watching the game showcase.

Gamestar Electronic Entertainment had signed a deal with the ministry to develop two culturally significant games for the purpose of promoting Japanese culture.

Takayuki had agreed readily, even providing fully prepared design proposals ahead of time.

Shizuoka didn't change a thing—he simply greenlit the plan.

But once the agreement was made, he and his fellow officials began to discuss whether the two titles were truly suitable.

From a cultural standpoint, the two games posed no issue. Both represented aspects of Japanese heritage in impressive detail.

That part, they all agreed on.

But whether players would actually like them was another matter entirely.

They weren't so sure.

Ghost of Tsushima was one thing. Open-world games were still new, and they didn't even fully understand the genre yet.

But Sekiro was clearly being marketed as a high-difficulty title, which meant it might scare players off.

Could such a game really win hearts?

With that in mind, they had been closely monitoring the Gamestar Carnival showcase.

They knew both Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima were being featured prominently.

Everything up until now had been appetizers—this was the real unveiling.

And when they saw the mild, scattered applause and lukewarm responses from the crowd... well, anxiety started to rise.

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"Minister Shizuoka, you don't think our investment's going to waste, right? Our department isn't exactly swimming in money as it is..."

Shizuoka remained composed.

"We have to trust Mr. Takayuki. I believe in his ability to make great games. We shouldn't jump to conclusions just because the crowd is quiet."

"...Alright..."

On-site, the Sekiro trailer ended—and then, without pause, the second big game began.

Takayuki knew Sekiro was the kind of title people needed to play to understand.

This trailer wasn't meant to show off the full gameplay loop—just to say, "we're working on this", and give a hint of what's to come.

The game wasn't visually flashy, even a bit dark—intentionally, to support its grim narrative tone.

So right after Sekiro, the next trailer rolled in—giving the audience no time to linger.

And that trailer?

Ghost of Tsushima.

Compared to Sekiro, this one was far easier to understand at a glance.

After all, plenty of people had at least heard of Tsushima Island and the historical events surrounding it.

A game based on real history immediately had a stronger emotional hook.

The trailer began with a lone samurai facing multiple enemies.

Every move he made was graceful, lethal, and cool as hell. Taking down foes seemed effortless.

The tone stood in stark contrast to Sekiro's heavy, oppressive vibe.

Interest visibly spiked.

There may not be a "Kurosawa" in this world, but there were plenty of auteurs who had built similar cinematic legacies.

Ghost of Tsushima took clear inspiration from traditional Japanese chambara films and storytelling. And with Unreal Engine's rendering power, it looked fantastic.

By the time the trailer ended, the players were buzzing—far more enthusiastic than after Sekiro.

Back at the Ministry, the officials watching the stream also relaxed noticeably.

One of them chuckled,

"Minister Shizuoka, I think we should invest even more into Ghost of Tsushima. Players clearly liked that one a lot more. Plus, it's based on real history. Wouldn't that make it more meaningful?"

Shizuoka nodded.

"That's a good point. I'll reach out to the Tsushima local government. Maybe we can coordinate a few events or cultural tie-ins."

He was already thinking about how to leverage the moment for cultural diplomacy.

"Takayuki really is a man of vision," said Hayakawa Ueto admiringly."After achieving so much, he's now giving back by making games that promote culture."

People in their position had to consider social impact too. Doing something like this was meaningful—and desirable.

The only problem was, they usually had shareholders to answer to. They couldn't just spend freely.

But Takayuki? He had full creative freedom. He could do whatever he wanted.

And Ueto was a little envious of that.

"So this was your so-called 'main event'? Hmph, not exactly earth-shattering," Myron Case muttered with a smirk.

He'd been on edge earlier, when the event opened with bombshells.

But now? These new titles weren't bad—but they weren't "killer apps" either.

"Still thinking about the main event?" Hayakawa said with a glance."Don't worry, it's not over yet. Look—here it comes."

Hayakawa pointed to the screen.

The crowd grew silent again, their eyes locked on what was unfolding.

Soft green threads of light floated across the display—gentle, pulsing like lifelines.

Then came Takayuki's voice, clear and nostalgic.

"More than a decade ago, a moving story was born from this very lifeline behind me."

His figure began to fade into view on the screen once more.

"Now, years later, I've started to wonder—maybe that story... hasn't ended yet. What do you all think?"