Entering the new year, Facebook wasn't resting either.
Last year, through various strategies, Facebook successfully secured a foothold in the smart device market — largely thanks to Gamestar Electronic Entertainment.
Their lineup of licensed game products attracted a huge number of gamers.
These gamers tend to be the trendsetters — the ones most eager to try new things.
Once you win them over, just like Takayuki said, they'll spread the word organically and exponentially, acting as free marketing far more effective than conventional promotion methods.
Although Bob still didn't quite understand what Takayuki meant by "organic marketing," he more or less grasped the intent.
…
Recently, more and more ordinary people began to engage with video games.
Just like the warehouse worker Davidson, many people started with casual games like Candy Crush during their spare moments.
From there, they gradually developed an interest in gaming and started exploring more complex titles.
Some began playing older classic games on their phones.
These retro games had one huge advantage — affordable prices and tons of content.
For just $50, you could buy a full Super Mario collection from the SFC era.
For $100, you could own the complete FC-era catalog from Gamestar Electronic Entertainment.
For $300, you could get both the FC and SFC first-party titles bundled together.
If you didn't want to pay up front, you could also opt for a subscription. The mobile membership plan cost only $1 for the first month, and $10 per month afterward, granting full access to all FC and SFC-era first-party games.
Third-party games were also added to the subscription catalog on a rotating basis — like a game buffet.
Online, you'd often see people enthusiastically recommending this membership model.
They all seemed to say the same thing:
"Look everyone, on a Facebook phone you just need to pay $1 to enjoy a whole month of classic FC and SFC first-party games! Back in the day, each of these games would cost $30 to $50! Now you can get it all for just one dollar. You can't lose! Just sign up now!"
For newcomers just getting into gaming, this kind of value was almost impossible to resist.
Console gamers who had seen it all might not be that interested in these old games.
But for the new players, it was like opening a door to a whole new world.
The pixel graphics didn't stop them from enjoying the thrill of discovery.
Finding a hidden block with a mushroom in Super Mario could bring real joy.
Beating a boss in The Legend of Zelda was unforgettable.
After having fun with those old-school titles, these players would then see trailers for newer, high-quality games — and find themselves reaching for their wallets with barely a second thought.
At that point, Gamestar's BattleNet and console platform began offering timely discounts.
Some games would go on sale for 70%, 80%, even 90% off.
Big titles were available for pocket change. It was an absolute steal.
This further lowered the entry barrier for new players, and now Takayuki's plan had fully unfolded.
These players had now become true gaming fans.
And what Takayuki hadn't expected was that some of these players came from Micfo's own customer base.
They liked MK-series smartphones and had dabbled with some mid-tier games on them.
"What? You play games on MK phones? And you can actually enjoy that stuff? In that case, I highly recommend you try a GSX console. Let me show you what real gaming feels like."
Under this kind of peer influence, these users began actively buying consoles and modern games — and diving headfirst into the world of gaming.
Unintentionally, video games were gaining a whole new life on these new platforms, reigniting user growth that had been slowing down.
The growth of new players from smartphones was seriously impressive.
At this rate, Takayuki believed the global gaming population would soon hit 4 billion, like in his original world — maybe even surpass it.
Just as Takayuki was entertaining these dreams, an old friend showed up unexpectedly.
It had been a while since they'd last spoken.
This friend had been traveling for Gamestar Electronic Entertainment, working tirelessly even after becoming a senior executive.
But today, he'd made a special trip back just to meet Takayuki.
"Takayuki, it's been too long."
The man came straight into Takayuki's top-floor office, greeting him warmly.
Takayuki immediately felt a wave of familiarity seeing that shiny bald head and hearing that booming voice.
This was one of his earliest partners.
"It really has been a while, Ota-san. How have you been?"
Masaru Ota, the bald man, was once an arcade owner.
He was the first to buy a console from Takayuki and ended up making a fortune from it.
He later chose to fully back Takayuki and converted his shop into Gamestar's very first official store — a place for free demos and game sales.
To this day, that store is still running. Even though it's in a now sparsely populated area, it's never shut down — a tribute to the past.
Masaru rubbed his shiny head and laughed heartily. "Same as always. Promoting game consoles every day. You know I'm only good at this kind of work. Don't expect me to make a game — that's beyond me."
Takayuki chuckled. Masaru was now Vice Director of the Marketing Department and played a key role in Gamestar's growth.
"So what brings you here today?" Takayuki asked.
"Well, part of it is just to see you. But mainly, I wanted to talk about a new marketing strategy I've been planning. Though, to be honest, it might not be that new anymore."
"A new marketing strategy?"
"Tell me more," said Takayuki.