King of Games C43 A beast of a console

The Japanese gamers eagerly watched the KiShin console trailer, as it revealed the games that would be part of the upcoming KiShin console—"Nerve Gear Zero." The lineup of titles was nothing short of enticing, with popular games like "PUBG," "Minecraft," "Undertale," and "Super Mario Bros." making an appearance. However, it was the inclusion of new games that piqued their interest: "Scalebound," "Sword Art Online: Sword & Magic," "B.C," "Propeller Arena," and "LMNO."

The graphics in the trailer were stunning, leaving many gamers awestruck. Hype levels soared, but so did the question on everyone's mind: would the games live up to the expectations set by the trailer's impressive visuals?

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Meanwhile, Shinro was engrossed in the game "Scalebound" on his office, using his company's upcoming console. His fingers flew across the controller as he tamed and customized a majestic dragon, marveling at the seamless gameplay.

"It's a fan favorite in our world, boss," Mira, his secretary, said with a proud smile. "I'm sure it'll be just as popular here too."

Shinro nodded in agreement, his eyes still glued to the screen. Aside from "Scalebound," he had also played through other games from the "Tiny World" collection.

That's right. The new games bundled with his console were all hits from the "Tiny World."

Shinro dove into the prehistoric world of "B.C.," where he controlled a caveman tasked with survival in a treacherous land teeming with dinosaurs and deadly creatures. He marveled at the game's immersive mechanics, which required him to scavenge for resources, grow his tribe, and strategically use his tribe's abilities to fend off threats.

Next, he tried "Propeller Arena," a fast-paced aerial combat game that left him on the edge of his seat. The final game he sampled was "LMNO," where he found himself protecting an extraterrestrial girlfriend from harm, completing missions to ensure her safety.

With the release of the KiShin console and its games just around the corner, March 1, 2011, Shinro couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. Thanks to the tireless efforts of his employees from "Tiny World," the console and games were ready for launch in record time. He couldn't wait to see the looks on the gamers' faces when they got their hands on his company's games and high-end console.

A smirk crept onto Shinro's face as he thought of his competitors. "Microsoft, Sony... brace yourselves. A new challenger is about to enter the arena."

The rejection letter from both companies still burned in his memory. They had wanted him to sell his company instead of partnering, and when he refused, they had the audacity to blocklist his games from their platforms. Now, with his own console, he no longer needed their approval.

***

March 1, 2011, dawned, and the "Nerve Gear Zero" KiShin console and its games hit the shelves of various malls and electronic stores across Tokyo. Hordes of eager gamers, at least a thousand strong, flocked to be among the first to lay their hands on the newest gaming sensation.

For these dedicated enthusiasts, spending thousands on a gaming PC was nothing new; shelling out 25,600 yen for an affordable console with intriguing titles was a no-brainer.

Lines stretched for dozens of people in each mall and store, but the relatively unknown brand name of KiShin kept the crowds from swelling any further—for now.

Under the guise of curiosity, employees from Microsoft and Sony mingled with the crowd, each one secretly tasked with purchasing a KiShin console and its games. Their mission: to determine if the "Nerve Gear Zero" was nothing more than a modified PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, a ruse that could land KiShin in legal hot water.

Meanwhile, representatives from other gaming powerhouses like Konami, Capcom, Bandai, and others also joined the fray, eager to see for themselves if the much-hyped "high-end" console lived up to its claims.

Anna, a developer at Sony Entertainment, managed to acquire a KiShin "Nerve Gear Zero" console and its accompanying games with ease, thanks to the manageable crowd. She rushed back to her spacious apartment, itching to dissect the console's inner workings. However, her curiosity about the console's performance and game lineup got the better of her.

"Hmm... What should I play first?" she mused, tapping her chin. Deciding on a whim, she pointed at random and landed on "Scalebound."

Just as she was about to insert the disc, she froze. "Wait, where do I even put this thing?" The sleek console lacked a disc drive.

Flipping through the manual, she found the answer: simply place the disc on the top of the console, lining it up with the circle etched into the surface.

"What? No way," she gasped, incredulous. "There's no disc drive? All I have to do is put the disc on top of the console?"

Anna eyed the console's circle warily, feeling skeptical. "This must be some kind of joke," she muttered, scratching the back of her head.

With a sigh, she decided to give it a try and powered on the console. The "Nerve Gear Zero" logo flashed on the screen, followed by the KiShin logo.

She placed the "Scalebound" disc on the designated spot, still doubtful.

To her surprise, the console's sleek lines lit up, bathing the room in a soothing glow. The circle where the disc lay began to flash, and a female mechanical voice sounded from the TV along with messages.

"Game disc detected. Scanning…"

"Game: Scalebound. File size: 120GB. Installing…"

Anna's jaw dropped as the console detected the disc, despite her having only laid it on top. "This technology... What in the world?" she whispered, eyes transfixed on the disc.

The file size of "Scalebound" was impressive enough at 120 GB, but what truly astounded her was the installation speed. In just a minute, the game was ready to play.

"Please remove the disc from the sensor, as it has been installed," the TV displayed, accompanied by the same mechanical voice.

Anna, still reeling from the console's unconventional features, removed the disc from the sensor.

The game's intro began, starting with the KiShin and "Nerve Gear Zero" logos. The animation that followed left her speechless: a thrilling sequence of characters battling dragons and soaring through the sky on the backs of their own tamed beasts. The attention to detail and fluidity of the animations left her dumbfounded.

Eager to dive in, Anna pressed "Start" and was greeted by the game's introduction, detailing the world and lore. The cutscenes were nothing short of breathtaking, leaving her wondering if the in-game graphics would be just as impressive.

Her jaw dropped when she realized the game's graphics were on par with the cutscenes—it was as if the cutscenes were just the game running at its best.

"This... This can't be real..." she muttered under her breath, still in disbelief.

As a developer, she knew that the level of detail, texture quality, and smooth character animations on display surpassed even high-end gaming PCs, let alone the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.

"I don't think even an expensive gaming PC could run this," she gasped, making her character sprint through the lush environment. "This graphics is insane!"

The grass swayed realistically, the trees cast lifelike shadows, and the sky boasted a depth she'd never seen before in a console game.

After ten minutes of seamless gameplay, Anna went to the game settings and turned on the FPS counter.

Anna glanced at the FPS counter and gasped. "60fps?!" she exclaimed. "If this was on the PS3 or Xbox 360, it would be running at 5fps with these graphics!"

She knew all too well that most console games capped out at 30fps, and that was considered normal. But now, KiShin had just raised the bar.

"Oh no..." she muttered, realizing the implications. "Sony... we don't have anything like this."

It dawned on her that the console market was about to welcome a new player that would shake up the competition forever.

"Sigh... With this console and game, Sony and Microsoft will have to push themselves to make consoles that can run 60fps at 'Scalebound's' graphics if they want to stay in the game."

She knew both companies were working on new consoles with hardware limitations that would only allow for 30fps in AAA titles, but now, everything had changed. The landscape of console gaming was about to be rocked by none other than the upstart KiShin.