For the three girls, this was the first time they had experienced such attention, and they were a little overwhelmed—but deep down, they were buzzing with excitement.
Aiko remained calm as usual, and On-chan didn't show much on the surface either. As for Kazumi, she always wore her emotions on her face—joy, anger, sorrow, and delight all written clearly.
Soon, more people gathered around, expressing their love for the game. Some even started asking for autographs.
In the past, it was always the three of them asking others for signatures. This was the first time someone had asked them for one.
But right at that moment, the Gamestar Entertainment press conference officially began.
The large screen outside the venue lit up, playing a video montage.
It featured classic scenes from Gamestar Entertainment's many beloved games over the years.
They had even composed original music just for this video.
...
...
Gamestar Entertainment's in-house music team was now among the best in the industry, having won multiple music awards. Creating music for a video like this? A walk in the park.
Everyone—including Aiko, Kazumi, and On-chan—immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the screen.
The video was thrilling, just like every official montage Gamestar Entertainment had ever released—it always stirred the blood.
Next came the countdown.
10 — A car from Need for Speed roared across the screen, smashing through the number.
9 — A hunter from Monster Hunter sliced the number clean in half with a longsword.
Players spontaneously began chanting the countdown in unison.
Voices from all over the world, in all different languages.
"8!" — Link from The Legend of Zelda, holding the Master Sword high, summoned the number with a gleam.
"7!" — Ryu from Street Fighter blasted the number with a Hadouken.
"6!" — Pikachu from Pokémon zapped the number into sparks with a thunderbolt.
"5!" — Samus from Metroid zoomed across the screen, leaving the number in her wake.
"4!" — Several protagonists from Final Fantasy unleashed their ultimate moves, lighting up the sky to form the number.
"3!" — Heroes from Dragon Quest banded together to pull the number from the depths.
"2!" — Tetris blocks stacked themselves to form a perfect number 2.
"1!" — Finally, Super Mario appeared. He popped out from the side of the screen, glanced around curiously, and pulled a tiny glowing number 1 from his pocket.
That "1" burst with radiant light, flooding the screen in blinding white.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, breath held, waiting for what would come next.
As the light faded, the stage at the Gamestar Entertainment conference hall was revealed. And stepping out with a smile was the company president, Takayuki.
"Gamers, heroes, adventurers, and scientists—welcome to Gamestar's Next-Gen Reveal!"
A wave of cheers erupted—inside the venue and far beyond.
Even in other pavilions of the exhibition hall, where noise levels were high, people could feel the rumble from the unified roar of gamers outside, shaking the very ground.
"What's going on out there?" someone asked, wide-eyed.
"Just the fans. Those maniacs always go over the top. How do they even have that much energy to yell so loud?"
"Ugh, they're stealing all the spotlight. This is supposed to be a tech expo! Why is everyone so obsessed with their stuff? It's just entertainment for kids!"
"Yeah, I don't get it either. Grown adults still liking this stuff? Don't they ever grow up?"
"Heh, they're just late bloomers. Eventually, they'll mature. People grow out of video games sooner or later."
They were clearly jealous. It was rare for any company to get this much attention at a tech exhibition.
If they could gain even a tenth of that buzz in exchange for ten years of their life, they'd probably agree without hesitation.
But that spotlight wasn't on them.
The presentation continued. Takayuki gave a brief rundown of Gamestar Entertainment's history—mostly as a lead-in to the new console announcement.
To date, Gamestar Entertainment had launched multiple home consoles.
Every one of them had sold over 100 million units.
A crushing record that left competitors feeling hopeless.
Had they stumbled even once, maybe other companies would have had a shot at the market.
But Gamestar Entertainment just kept climbing. It was like they could never make a wrong move.
Once the stage was properly set, Takayuki walked to a spot slightly left of center—right under a spotlight, which made him stand out while the surroundings dimmed.
This was the cue for the team to prepare the reveal of the new console.
"Alright, that's enough talk. Now, let us take you into the next generation—a brand new era!"
With that, he raised his left hand and gestured toward the side. A spotlight snapped on, illuminating a display case behind a glass shield.
Inside were two consoles, side by side, along with two controllers.
"Ohhhhhh…"
The crowd gasped in excitement. They had been waiting for this for so long!
"Let me officially announce—our brand new next-generation console: GSX!"
The two consoles looked identical in shape but came in two colors: black and white.
This time, it was clear they were targeting different types of consumers with color choices.
Previously, Gamestar consoles had only come in special editions. This was the first time launch models would offer color variety—black and white at launch, with more options planned for the future.
"I'm sure many of you have been eagerly waiting for this latest console. But I know what you're really excited for: the games. The lineup. The showcase."
"So now—please, look to the screen."
Behind him, a massive screen lit up, revealing a series of game logos.
First up was Super Mario Galaxy.