"For example, I currently carry Facebook's smartphone with me at all times. On it, I can play some classic game titles that were once pretty decent, but if you really want a high-end mobile gaming experience that belongs to this era, a dedicated handheld console is still the best choice."
As Natsume Yasutaka spoke, he pulled a Facebook smartphone out of his pocket.
"So we welcome all gamers to continue using our gaming products. The original purpose of creating handheld consoles wasn't to compete with smartphones, but simply to bring joy to more gamers."
The reporters present clearly didn't buy that.
It was Gamestar Electronic Entertainment and Facebook who had teamed up to push back against Micfo, a company that had worked hard to dominate the smartphone market, and forced it into a steady retreat. Now, the two were nearly evenly matched.
So to say that Gamestar didn't create the new handheld console to directly compete with Micfo? No one believed it.
But even so, they still weren't sure what was actually commendable about this product.
"Mr. Natsume, don't you think this handheld is a bit awkward? It can function as a home console, but lacks the power of one. If it's meant to be portable, the screen is rather large. It feels kind of clunky—do you really think something this awkward can succeed?"
"Of course I believe in it. No matter how unconventional our product may seem, as a member of this company, I stand by what we've created. As for whether it will be well received by users—that's something we'll have to wait and see after it officially launches. There's no point in speculating now."
This presentation summit had, without anyone noticing, practically turned into a solo showcase for Gamestar Electronic Entertainment.
Everyone was far more interested in hearing about the new console and upcoming games than in listening to talks about marketing or promotional strategies.
Still, the summit revealed a few things to the public, giving them an outline of Gamestar's current plans.
Gamestar wasn't abandoning high-performance home consoles. A new GS series console was already in development, and its release wasn't far off. Natsume Yasutaka couldn't reveal the exact timeline yet, but the message was clear: fans of high-end graphics could rest easy.
After all, not everyone enjoys staring at pixelated graphics.
Strong visual fidelity can still attract new players, and Takayuki wasn't going to give that up.
Gamestar would be pushing forward with both the Switch and the high-performance home console in parallel. Two separate teams would be responsible for each platform.
After the Direct and the summit ended, online discussions about Gamestar exploded.
The most talked-about topics were the Switch console itself, and the two major open-world sandbox games: GTA and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Many players were already captivated after their first glimpse, with some even saying they had started saving up to buy both games.
…
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of a freedom-focused organization in the U.S., the group's leader had just finished watching the latest GTA trailer.
He looked visibly upset. "This is outrageous. How can a game like this exist? It practically encourages people to commit crimes!"
The trailer had shown characters doing whatever they wanted in a virtual city: stealing cars, robbing, theft, terrorism—even murder in broad daylight.
Why was this kind of game allowed to be released?
What justification was there for a game that encourages and enables criminal behavior?
He was baffled.
The game had crossed a line he couldn't accept. He saw no value or meaning in its existence.
Immediately, he sat down at his computer and began drafting an article to harshly criticize the game.
In the article, he described it as a root cause of moral decay. If a child were to play such a game, it could corrupt them. If a criminal played it, it might encourage them to act out those crimes in real life.
To him, the release of this game would be a disgrace.
After finishing the article, he posted it online to vent his anger.
At the same time, he reached out to a few political allies to see if they could stop this game from being released altogether.
"Hello? Governor Black? Yes, it's Peter."
A warm voice came through the phone. "Ah, Peter! It's rare to hear from you. How's your organization doing these days?"
Hearing the friendly tone, Peter felt a bit more at ease.
On the other end was Black, a candidate for governor of New York State.
With the election approaching, Black was clearly eager to secure the win.
Peter, meanwhile, led a sizable organization with over 100,000 members in New York—each of them a potential voter.
If Black could gain Peter's support, Peter could mobilize his members to campaign for him, giving Black a massive edge in the election.
"The organization is doing great. We're still growing strong. Thank you for your concern, Governor."
"Haha, I'm not a governor yet—just a candidate working hard to win votes. By the way, your group…"
Peter immediately caught the hint. "Don't worry. We've always had a great relationship, and I'll definitely be backing you."
Black grew even warmer over the phone.
Securing Peter's support meant securing tens of thousands of votes—or at least keeping those votes away from his rivals.
"That's fantastic, Peter. We should catch a round of golf sometime and stay in touch."
"Speaking of staying in touch, I actually have a very solid PR suggestion for you. If you follow my lead, it might really boost your image with the public."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"You've heard of video games, right?"
Black replied confidently, "Of course! I play video games all the time."
"Then have you heard of a game called GTA?"
"GTA?"