Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 1025: A Different Kind of "Big Move"

"A major move? What kind of move?"

Aiko had just finished meticulously setting up their booth when she overheard Kazumi's words. Though the booth already looked quite polished, she still wasn't satisfied and had been preparing to fine-tune it further — until now. She and Oto-chan both turned toward the returning Kazumi, who was carrying a ton of swag.

"Listen to this — looks like Surui Electronics has made a breakthrough in some kind of tech and is planning to release a brand-new console. They're gearing up for another tech arms race with Gamestar Entertainment."

Oto-chan frowned. "Where'd you even hear this gossip? I thought console hardware tech was already hitting a saturation point. Wait, is Surui also entering the AI computing space...? No, they already did. Their newest consoles even have AI chips now, performance-wise they're on par with Gamestar's."

"Heh, come on. Surui's one of Japan's top electronics giants — you think they've stopped making amazing hardware? Honestly, the bigger deal is they might be planning to end their long-standing alliance with Gamestar and launch a direct assault on their market share."

"That would require serious capital. Has anyone heard of Surui making any huge R&D investments lately?"

Aiko was already one step ahead, pulling out her phone and searching online.

No luck. No related news anywhere.

"Looks like it's just another one of Kazumi's mystery rumors again. No credibility."

"Ugh, you guys never believe me! The guy who told me used to work at Surui. He left to go independent — it's totally legit!"

"But what about Mickford and Brown Entertainment? You said they're making big moves too. Don't tell me you also met someone who quit from those companies?"

"Well, uh... that part I guessed. But think about it — if Surui's doing something big, won't the others follow?"

"Then what's Gamestar Entertainment's move?"

Oto-chan suddenly perked up. "Could it be that recently announced Cyberpunk 2077?"

Aiko shook her head. "If this is shaping up to be a showdown between the big players, Gamestar will definitely prepare more than just one game. They've got deep tech reserves and a huge library of strong IPs — even casually tossing out a few sequels could go toe-to-toe with the competition. So if the others really are making moves, Gamestar has to be ready."

"Well, why don't we just ask? It's not like we can't."

Kazumi, ever the straightforward one, whipped out her phone and called her "master's wife" — Ayaka Hoshizora.

A few minutes later, she hung up.

"So? What'd she say?" Aiko, Oto-chan, and several staff members crowded around, curious.

"They're really just going with Cyberpunk 2077. No other backup plans."

Kazumi looked a little stunned.

"Huh?" Aiko froze. "Just Cyberpunk 2077? They're facing down three giants with just one game? That doesn't make sense."

"Unless Cyberpunk 2077 is a trump card strong enough to sweep them all. Wait, have any of you actually seen the Cyberpunk 2077 trailer?"

"I have."

"Me too — the visuals and atmosphere were amazing."

Several staff members raised their hands. No one missed a Gamestar announcement — except, apparently, one particular airhead.

"Huh? You all saw it already?" Kazumi's jaw dropped.

"Of course we did. I'm more surprised that you didn't. It's just a minute-long teaser. You could've watched it in the time it takes to blink."

"I had important work to do! Game dev is serious business — I don't have time for trailers." Kazumi blushed, still trying to sound firm.

"You could've just skipped two minutes of sleep."

Oto-chan smirked, teasing as always. "But honestly, that teaser was great. After watching it, I really wanted to jump into that world. I'm dying to know how big the game's going to be."

Aiko nodded. "Well, since Gamestar is clearly betting big on this one, let's just wait and see. As for the big reveals from Surui, Mickford, and Brown — we'll know tomorrow. For now, let's focus on our own preparations."

"I'm gonna go take a nap." Kazumi turned to escape, but Aiko caught her and dragged her back to help decorate the booth.

Meanwhile, Surui Electronics' booth was shrouded in thick black curtains. Any curious journalists who tried to peek were promptly turned away by stern-faced bodyguards.

And of course — the more secretive they acted, the more curious everyone became. At this point, Kazumi didn't need a source. Just a glance at Surui's booth confirmed they were indeed preparing for something big.

As one of the largest corporations, Surui had taken up a prime spot — occupying over half the main expo floor.

Right across from them was Brown Entertainment.

Now also one of the gaming industry's powerhouses, Brown had secured its own massive exhibition space — hidden just as tightly as Surui's, with occasional sounds of game music and combat echoing from behind the curtains.

Over in another hall was Mickford, arguably the richest of them all.

Even though they'd faltered in the smartphone and PC markets, under the leadership of Myron Case they'd shown impressive resilience. They built a loyal fanbase willing to support their products no matter what — a bit like a fandom, but more refined and elite-feeling.

Now, Mickford had claimed an entire hall — over 10,000 square meters — and sealed its doors shut. No one could see what was going on inside.

It was a throwback to when Gamestar and the Morgan Group jointly showcased their operating system and game platform. This was history repeating itself.

In contrast, Gamestar Entertainment was surprisingly open this time. They publicly stated that their focus this year was Cyberpunk 2077, encouraging players to look forward to it — and nothing more.