Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 824: No title

This edition of the Direct was also a kind of phase summary for Youxing Electronic Entertainment.

Of course, the game announcements weren't over yet.

At the very end, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was officially revealed.

If the GTA series sets the benchmark for realistic open-world sandbox games, then The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is undoubtedly the gold standard for fantasy-themed open-world sandbox games.

These two games essentially represent the definitive answers for two distinct types of sandbox experiences.

Any game company with a bit of insight could easily ride this wave by copying either of these styles and still be well received.

In Zelda, the game will emphasize a highly advanced physics system.

Through this unique physics engine, the game promises an extraordinary gameplay experience unlike any other.

...

However, this is much more abstract compared to GTA. Simply watching a demonstration doesn't fully convey the game's mechanics. But just the name Zelda alone was enough to get countless fans excited.

And with that, the Direct from Gamestar Electronic Entertainment came to a close—temporarily, that is.

"Temporarily" because the company promised that before the official release of the Switch, it would host multiple additional Direct presentations.

Takayuki wanted players to become deeply familiar with the console through a series of Directs.

The day after the Direct, Takayuki received several phone calls.

Some were interview requests from major media outlets, others were general inquiries, and quite a few were letters from passionate fans.

Most of them asked: why does the new console look the way it does?

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Takayuki didn't need to answer those questions himself.

That's what Natsume Yasutaka was for.

While the grassroots promotion campaign was still going strong, Natsume also took time to attend various interviews to explain the features of this new console.

With Takayuki's current status, he didn't need to constantly appear in public. If he had spare time, he preferred to immerse himself in the game development teams to oversee projects.

And right now, he had a lot on his plate.

To ensure there would be enough games ready to launch alongside the Switch, he had once again entered "crunch mode."

At a professional industry forum, Natsume Yasutaka attended as a guest speaker and addressed a crowd of marketing professionals from across the gaming industry.

Gamestar Electronic Entertainment had long been hailed as the king of video game marketing.

It wasn't just because they had great games—their creative and memorable promotional strategies always left a lasting impression on gamers.

Even non-gamers, when asked about video games, would instinctively think of Gamestar Electronic Entertainment.

At this point, the brand was practically synonymous with the term "video game."

This brand management prowess was downright terrifying.

As one of the heads of the marketing department, Natsume was more than qualified to speak at such an event and share his experiences.

After the talk came the Q&A session.

Most of the questions had little to do with marketing, though. They were all focused on the recent Direct.

Fortunately, Natsume was well-prepared and didn't panic. Even when asked detailed questions, he answered smoothly.

"Mr. Natsume, I'd like to know: is the Switch a signal of your company's future direction for game development? Does it mean you'll stop producing traditional home consoles?"

Natsume smiled and replied, "You're half right. Yes, the Switch is definitely one of our development directions. We firmly believe handheld gaming still holds unique advantages, and there's still a large community of gamers who love handhelds. So with the Switch, we're telling them: we're back, and we're bringing games that will get you excited again!"

The audience immediately erupted into the sound of scribbling pens and clacking keyboards.

Among them were not just marketing professionals, but also a slew of tech and electronics journalists.

If Natsume hadn't come prepared, he could've been caught off guard.

"Then Mr. Natsume, you mentioned there was a 'wrong' part to the question. Does that mean you're not abandoning the traditional home console market?"

"That's right," Natsume nodded. "Home consoles also have their unique strengths—mainly superior graphics and smoother performance. Mobile processors can't compare to desktop-grade ones, due to limitations in power and size. So we will absolutely not abandon home consoles. The Switch is our new interpretation of handheld gaming—it's an expansion of our handheld product line, not a replacement for our home consoles. In the near future, we'll be revealing more outstanding home console products. Please stay tuned."

"Mr. Natsume! Over here!"

Natsume looked toward the next person and signaled for them to speak.

"So Mr. Natsume, is your return to handhelds meant to directly compete with the smartphone market?"

"Why do you say that?" Natsume asked in return.

The person paused, then replied instinctively, "Handhelds are portable, smartphones are also portable. Don't users typically choose one over the other?"

Natsume shook his head, "Why does it have to be one or the other? Honestly, your question is flawed from the beginning. Smartphones and handheld consoles have always been different."

"But... wasn't it the rise of smartphones that crushed the handheld market? So to bring handhelds back, don't you have to win over smartphone users again?"

"No, we've never aimed to do that."

Natsume continued, "Let me be clear: handheld consoles and smartphones serve different purposes. There may have been some overlap in users at one point, but handhelds are for playing deeper, more engaging games—no question. Smartphones cater to general multimedia entertainment. The two don't really compete."