Chapter 210: D-125   After the 15-minute break, I returned to the auditorium and glanced at the students seated before me.

Holding the mic close, I addressed them, "Seems like there are more students than before...

or is it just my mood?" Laughter echoed through the auditorium, giving me the sense that more people had hurried in to hear the presentations for the second part.

It doesn't really concern me, but...

Not only were the regular seats packed, but students occupied the stairs on both sides.

Looking at them, sitting there, their passion for gaming emanated vividly.

I've felt this before while having a drink with Junpei, but it struck me that even in this world, I'm not as young as I used to be.

"Well then, let's proceed with the second part as I mentioned earlier." I displayed images of the NEGA Saturn and Gear Station on the colossal screen set up on the stage, continuing to explain about both consoles.

As I delved into the genesis of the Gear Station and the failed collaborative project between Mintendo and Sensony, expressions of surprise flickered across the students' faces.

It wasn't a major issue, given that I had briefly discussed Mintendo and Sensony's reasons in an interview with a magazine previously.

Finally, I concluded my talk about Sensony with a discussion on the Gear Station's specs.

"Simply put, the Gear Station specializes in 3D technology, unlike the Saturn.

Additionally, its development tools are much easier compared to the Saturn.

Thanks to this, even with less recognition, Sensony managed to pull in major developers like NANCO to their side.

A console that offers an easy development environment and powerful performance is what developers prefer the most.

Soon, the differences between Sensony and NEGA will become clear." At that moment, a well-built male student in the front row swiftly raised his hand towards me.

Nodding, I acknowledged him, and he wiped his fallen glasses before asking, "But last month's magazine didn't show a significant difference in sales between the Saturn and Gear Station.

In fact, the Saturn seemed slightly ahead.

Didn't you mention the importance of market penetration when discussing Mintendo in Part 1?" "Yes, that's correct.

However, it might be premature to judge the market penetration of a console that's only been out for six months.

NEGA's situation can be seen as rather embarrassing.

Not quite Mintendo, but for Sensony, who just stepped into the console industry, to struggle with sales.

Originally, their goal was to dominate the market in Mintendo's absence.

But due to Sensony and NANCO's performance being more impressive than expected, they're hesitating significantly.

If not for 'Real Fighter,' the fight might have been even tougher.

However, depending on the direction of the gaming market, the differences between the two companies will become more evident." Satisfied with my answer, the student nodded slowly.

Then, another student from the back asked me, "But the Gear Station's focus on 3D has made its 2D capabilities quite weak.

And the loading times are significantly slower compared to the Saturn.

Is there any solution for this?" "While they did emphasize 3D performance from the start, Sensony probably had to make a choice.

If they had covered 2D capabilities as well, they wouldn't have hit the consumer price they aimed for at 29,800 yen.

As there's always a trade-off in everything, it might be a result of reading the direction of the gaming industry.

And regarding the second question about loading times..." "Unfortunately, there's currently no solution to this issue.

Of course, depending on the programmer's skill, the loading speed can be improved.

But now that all consoles are using CD media, they need time to adapt.

I believe, as time passes and programmers improve, it will gradually get better.

Does that cover your query? Or do you have any more questions?" "." "If there are no more questions, shall I start sharing some news from our Pentagon? Is that alright?" The students seated eagerly started gazing at me with anticipation.

"Ooooh!!! We've been waiting for this moment!" The discussions about 'Complete Laon,' the current model of Laon, on online comm "Roger..." "Then, the mission begins." As their deep-sea conversation continued, a personal-submarine-like device launched into the depths, eliciting gasps from the students watching the screen.

"What...

what was that? It's like...

straight out of a movie..." "Yeah, and the direction in those visuals...

it's all full polygon, isn't it?" The students were gaping at the astonishingly cinematic scenes, experiencing something entirely new.

Houjima Hideki.

Though he had a greater interest in movies than games originally, while creating 'Full Metal Gear' in the 80s, he always had cinematic direction and story in mind.

Unlike regular action games, aiming for a twist by incorporating a deeply engaging storyline and having the final boss be one's superior didn't resonate much in the action game scene back then.

However, now that polygons were on the scene, enabling new cinematic perspectives, Houjima's 'Full Metal Gear Solid' was one of the games that greatly benefited.

Originally intended for Gear Station's release in 1998, this game, pushed into production over several years due to Houjima's persistent requests, became a massive success.

So, when I asked for his game to be the next project for Complete Laon, about 80% of 'Full Metal Gear Solid' was already completed in Houjima's mind.

I merely provided financial support to ensure his work could be released under Complete Laon...

And at this moment.

The 5-minute demo scene he created began to overwhelm the students gathered in the auditorium.

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