Just the advertisement alone was enough to immediately start spreading by word of mouth among players.
"Did you hear? Gamestar Entertainment is probably about to announce their next-gen console!"
"What? That's great! I've been saving up for the new console forever, but Gamestar just wouldn't announce it. Is it finally coming? When's the release?"
"They're expected to unveil it at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show."
"Huh? That's still a while away… I thought it was launching soon."
"That's already pretty fast. Be grateful."
Discussions like this were everywhere.
At the same time, various media outlets jumped into action the moment they saw the new advertisement.
...
...
They used every connection they had—truthful or not—to publish all kinds of supposed leaks and insider info online.
The term "next-gen" was frequently brought up by the media.
It was a clever phrase—just hearing it made people feel that a huge innovation was on the horizon.
Naturally, everyone was now eagerly speculating about what the new console would look like.
Sorei Electronics also became instantly nervous.
So—it's finally happening.
They had been puzzled when Gamestar suddenly shifted focus to the BattleNet platform.
But their own internal sources had long confirmed that Gamestar was working on a new console, and they'd already made rough performance estimates.
To compete, they knew they'd have to follow suit. If they couldn't match Gamestar's visual performance, they risked losing their market share entirely.
And they were not willing to lose the hard-earned ground they had gained.
So Sorei Electronics had actually been developing their own new console in sync with Gamestar. Shortly after Gamestar's teaser ad dropped, Sorei also released an ad teasing their upcoming next-gen console, scheduled to be unveiled at the same trade show.
It was practically a declaration of war, a direct challenge to Gamestar.
But at this point, Sorei was really the only company with the capability to stand toe-to-toe with them.
They also boldly adopted the "next-gen" branding.
This sudden turn of events sent the gaming media into a frenzy.
It was happening again—a new console war.
The last time this happened, it had given birth to countless legendary titles. Many believed that competition like this ultimately benefited players the most—pushing console makers and developers to deliver their best work.
Some even dubbed this era the Platinum Age of Consoles, a time when masterpieces were being released like mushrooms after the rain.
Gamestar had a reputation for never releasing bad games, and even Sorei's previously underperforming first-party studios had stepped up their game under pressure.
While these two giants were drawing the spotlight, some smaller companies also quietly announced their own consoles.
But it was clear they lacked the confidence—most of them were just testing the waters. After all, the gaming industry had become incredibly lucrative.
Even developers just "sipping the soup" could rake in massive profits—let alone the two titans who controlled the major distribution channels.
So naturally, some other industry leaders were trying to get in on the action.
Whether they'd make a splash or not was another question entirely.
Public attention remained squarely focused on Gamestar and Sorei.
These two companies were the very pinnacle of the industry.
For players, the year 2004 felt agonizingly slow.
For the first time ever, time felt like it was dragging.
Every day, there were countless media discussions about the upcoming consoles. But both companies remained tight-lipped, strategically withholding further details. It was obvious they were saving their trump cards for the big reveal at CES.
By the end of 2004, the gaming world had grown quiet, even tense.
Many studios slowed their release schedules significantly.
Gamestar's second- and third-party developers hadn't released anything for three or four months—as if waiting for something.
Sorei's first-party teams were also silent.
And just like that, the calendar turned to 2005.
Tickets to the International Consumer Electronics Show had sold out months ago, back in the second half of the previous year.
The venue could accommodate over 300,000 attendees—and it sold out completely.
That was unheard of.
Even the organizers hadn't expected that the tickets could actually sell out.
Of course, they knew the biggest reason was likely thanks to Gamestar Entertainment and Sorei Electronics.
It was surreal.
Two companies focused on entertainment had stirred up this much global excitement.
Then, on January 14, 2005, the CES officially opened its doors.
And this time, attendance hit a record high.
Nothing like this had ever happened before.
With 300,000 people gathered at the venue entrance, it looked like a sea of humanity.
The average person might never see so many people in one place in their lifetime.
But here it was, happening live.
To prevent any serious safety issues, the organizers had strengthened security and added extra rest areas for attendees.
Without those rest zones, the crowd would've been uncontrollable.
This time, both Gamestar and Sorei had secured the largest exhibition halls—and spared no expense on their setups.
When the booth construction was finished, it barely looked like a trade show anymore.
Sorei Electronics took the lead, pushing the "next-gen" concept with massive screens playing endless loops of their latest game footage.
Most of these were titles already released on their current-gen console.
But a closer look revealed that the visuals were vastly upgraded—far better than what those games looked like on existing hardware.
The new visuals were clearly more polished and immersive.
Screens everywhere—it was a testament to Sorei's core strength: cutting-edge display technology.
In this world, Sorei Electronics hadn't gone down the path of selling off their assets to survive, like in Takayuki's previous life.
Instead, they had grown even stronger through continuous technological innovation.
Especially in display tech—Sorei was at the top of the industry.