Saturday, 9 September 1994, Evening
Right now, many USA TV channels are airing the live show from Microsoft. The broadcast wasn’t just confined to tech networks — it was showing up on mainstream channels, capturing the attention of a wide audience. The show itself was about the Windows 94 showcase. This time, Bill Gates was using a special entertainment booth in New York, complete with banners, demo stations, and a live audience, to host the Wi...
2025-07-20 03:32:07 +0000 UTC
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Monday, 4 September 1994
After the weekend, Zaboru was now on his way to Microsoft, carrying a copy of the Diablo game CD with care. The game size was considered massive for this era—around 600 MB, practically unheard of at the time. Zaboru and his ZAGE American team had poured months of intense effort into completing the game, and now Zaboru was heading to showcase it personally to Microsoft and Bill Gates, eager to see their reactions.
Za...
2025-07-19 04:26:14 +0000 UTC
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Saturday, 2 September 1994
Zaboru leaned back in his chair, wearing a tank top and running pants — this was actually part of his daily routine before work; he always made time to train his body. He wasn’t working right now; instead, he was relaxing and watching the news. Today and tomorrow were his last free days — the Diablo game was finished and ready, set to be presented to Microsoft on Monday, 4 September.
Right now, he jus...
2025-07-19 04:25:55 +0000 UTC
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Friday, 1 September 1994
After officially buying Pixar yesterday, Zaboru continued helping his team complete Diablo and Virtual Cop at the USA branch of ZAGE. Alongside the busy work, he received an intriguing invitation — a live talk show with Oprah Winfrey. At the time, Oprah’s show was hugely popular across the USA, and Zaboru found himself both curious and a little nervous about what questions she might ask. Known for her ...
2025-07-18 02:08:59 +0000 UTC
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Wednesday, 30 August 1994
Zaboru was still at ZAGE USA, actively assisting his developers in troubleshooting and refining project details. He had already contacted Bill Gates to arrange a meeting for 4 September 1994, and Zaboru was determined to maximize Diablo’s progress before that important date. His focused energy and hands-on approach kept the team motivated and the atmosphere charged with productivity.
At 10:00, while Zaboru was stil...
2025-07-18 02:08:36 +0000 UTC
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Monday, 28 August 1994 — Morning
Zaboru was at the bustling ZAGE offices, where all his engineers were gathered, including Shigeru Miyamoto, whom he had personally invited last Friday to travel from the Osaka branch to Tokyo this Monday.
Today, Zaboru’s task was to assign Japan’s ZAGE branch their next projects, scheduled for release at the end of December. For ZEPS 2, it would be Earthworm Jim and Super Bomberman; for ZEPS 1, Double Dragon, a beat-’em-up; and for ZGB, S...
2025-07-17 00:54:17 +0000 UTC
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Sunday, 24 August 1994.
Now it’s already the second day of ZEPS 2. The Eight game has just been released, and players everywhere are busy diving into the new titles they just got their hands on. Meanwhile, at the Renkonan home, Zaboru is enjoying some rare downtime with his family.
Ayumi has come over to visit and is now in the kitchen with Keiko, learning family recipes and laughing softly as they stir a big pot together. In the living room, Zaboru is sitting cross-legge...
2025-07-17 00:53:52 +0000 UTC
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Michael then finished his call. After some time, he was finally done and went back to his room for another gaming session with Moonwalker. He continued at Chapter 4, eager to dive back in. When Chapter 4 loaded, Michael leaned forward with anticipation.
Then a cutscene happened. Michael was striking the pompadour enemies, but when he kicked them with his moonlight power, they didn’t flinch — they had a fire shield around them. Moonwalker in the game held his hat and ...
2025-07-16 01:55:07 +0000 UTC
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When The Eight released in America, Michael Jackson quickly asked his assistant to buy him all eight of the new ZAGE games. But what he was most excited about was none other than the Moonwalker game. Not long after, his assistant brought him Moonwalker along with the other seven titles. Michael had already cleared his schedule just to play it. “Let’s see what this game is all about, and hopefully Zaboru won’t disappoint me.” He looked at the Moonw...
2025-07-16 01:54:35 +0000 UTC
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Seth continued playing the Fantasy Circuit, and when Little Mac entered, the game screen shifted to display the list of opponents. The first was none other than RoboCop, making Seth’s eyes widen. “What!? RoboCop? How’s RoboCop supposed to box!?” To Seth and Mac’s surprise, RoboCop wasn’t boxing at all — he drew a gun and shot Little Mac! RoboCop calmly said, “This is a Tranquilizer gun, so it will not kill you.” Seth grumbled, “Not kill me, my ass! I guess this isn...
2025-07-15 02:20:55 +0000 UTC
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Seth Vincent from Washington, known as Sevin_W in the e-sports world, is the reigning ZAGE Champion for USA Mortal Kombat. Just like Endo, he proudly holds his Champion Card — a sleek black-and-gold card featuring an anime-style illustration of himself, with his signature character, Sub-Zero, striking a cool pose behind him. The background displays the iconic Mortal Kombat dragon logo, and below the artwork are the words: “SEVIN_W Champion of Mortal Kombat 1994 USA.”
2025-07-15 02:20:14 +0000 UTC
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While Raku was playing Super Mario World and Spawn, other ZAGE players were diving into the rest of the ZAGE release games, and they were all delighted. Just as the players suspected, there was no weak link in this lineup.
For example, Endo — the champion of the R.C. Pro AM and Street Fighter tournaments, widely known as the “Gamer God” right now — got all “The Eight” games for free thanks to his ZAGE Champion Card. Eager to test his skills, he picked Contra 2...
2025-07-14 01:55:41 +0000 UTC
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After Raku ate his food, he quickly hurried back to his room, eager to dive back into Spawn. Even after hours of gameplay, his curiosity was still burning. “Damn, this Spawn story is really great!” he grinned, eyes shining with excitement.
Raku quickly fired up the game, and Chapter 4 began. The 16-bit cutscene showed Spawn standing before a towering building marked EXO HQ. Spawn’s text appeared on screen: “Welp, here goes nothing.” Raku leaned forward in his chair, hea...
2025-07-14 01:54:02 +0000 UTC
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Raku quickly dove into Spawn; now he was in Chapter 2. Spawn arrived in the middle of a scorching, wind-whipped desert, and the screen displayed his dialogue: “I feel it… there are other Malebolgia underlings here, ugh…” Spawn clenched his head in visible pain. “It’s really hard to break free from Hell and Malebolgia’s control, but I must find a way. First, I need to eliminate these Malebolgia underlings before they harm any humans so at least I could ease my sin..” The...
2025-07-13 02:37:03 +0000 UTC
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Saturday, 26 August 1994 – Morning, ZAGE-U Official Stores.
It's still hours before the official stores open, but there are many players already queuing for the ZEPS 8 games, and there’s also a bundle: if players buy all 8 games, the total price will be around 62,000 yen, which lets them save another 2,000 yen.
Raku Okoshu is queuing in front of the ZAGE-Utsunomiya store, letting out a long sigh, “Damn, it's still 6:30! And the queue is already this long!” Okoshu si...
2025-07-13 02:36:13 +0000 UTC
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Friday, 25 August, evening at the ZAGE Japanese offices, Zaboru was celebrating the complete success of The Eight. He was handing out generous cash bonuses to all employees in Osaka and Tokyo, along with mountains of food and drinks to enjoy. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement and gratitude. He had declared today a company-wide break, offering everyone a rare, well-earned moment to breathe, recharge, and feel valued.
At the Tokyo branch, where Zaboru was currently, he organ...
2025-07-12 03:55:37 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 512 The Eight Trailer Reactions
Sonaya HQ Japan
Hikaru Kurata had just watched The Eight trailers. His forehead throbbed with frustration, and in a burst of rage, he slammed his coffee mug to the ground. “DAMN! DAMN YOU, ZAGE! DAMN YOU, Michael Jackson!” he roared. Then he paused, took a deep breath, and steadied himself. Clenching his teeth, he admitted what he already knew—ZAGE had long surpassed Sonaya in gaming. But this...
2025-07-12 03:54:03 +0000 UTC
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Friday, 25 August 1994
Raku Okoshu, a high schooler and one of the biggest fans of ZAGE, was known for dragging his friends into marathon gaming sessions. Over time, he'd built a whole community around his passion, and today, he was surrounded by four of his closest gaming buddies. The group had gathered at their favorite haunt—Dream Catcher Arcade—a spot that had become like a second home. The reason? The long-awaited trailer for The Eight was about to...
2025-07-11 02:31:05 +0000 UTC
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Sunday Night, 4 August
After spending the afternoon with Ayumi and the evening with his family, Zaboru found himself back in his office, once again immersed in work.
Leaning back in his chair, he gazed at the ceiling, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. “Well, I guess ZAGE is officially launched in Europe now. Hard to believe I’ve come this far…” he murmured. The corners of his mouth lifted. “In my previous life, this was all jus...
2025-07-11 02:30:23 +0000 UTC
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Sunday, 4 August 1994 – Morning
Zaboru is still at his office in the Japan branch, fully immersed in work on the Eight Projects. He's in a productive flow when suddenly, his office phone rings—a rare occurrence since only a handful of people have the number. He answers casually, “Hello, Zaboru Renkonan speaking.”
A familiar female voice responds with playful energy. “Oh! I knew you'd be working on a Sunday. Classic you, boss! Anyway, this is Risa Mil...
2025-07-10 02:11:15 +0000 UTC
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Saturday, 3 August 1994
Zaboru sits in his office, sipping coffee and enjoying a rare moment of calm. His mind drifts to yesterday’s deal with Kyotaro Shinomori—he now owns the rights to Kamen Rider and Ultraman. A small chuckle escapes him. “There’s so much I could do with Ultraman and Kamen Rider,” he murmurs. “Still, I can’t believe TOEI just discarded those franchises. In my previous world, they held onto them t...
2025-07-10 02:10:37 +0000 UTC
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Friday, August 01, 1994 – Night
Zaboru sits at a cozy ramen restaurant tucked into a side street in Roppongi. Across from him sits none other than Kyotaro Shinomori—the legendary mind behind Sentai, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider. In this world, Kyotaro is a singular anomaly. From what Zaboru remembers of his past life, each of those iconic Tokusatsu franchises had different creators, born from different studios and creative minds. Yet here, somehow, Kyotaro is the sole force behi...
2025-07-09 01:48:17 +0000 UTC
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After the release of Tekken, July became a whirlwind of Tekken-related excitement. The buzz starts in arcade stores across the country, where clusters of players gather daily to test their skills. Among them, many so-called “experts” emerge—players who have quickly mastered the mechanics and combos, and now take it upon themselves to coach and mentor newcomers. These early community leaders begin to form the foundation of a growing scene.
Despite Tekke...
2025-07-09 01:47:46 +0000 UTC
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Okay guys, let’s talk—and here's a little spoiler for the upcoming chapters. In the near future, this story will definitely expand into Europe, Korea, China, and Latin America in general. I just want to let you know that I might alter some stereotypes in this story.
In our real world, Korea and China have strong resentment toward Japan, mainly because of Japan’s historical actions. I’ve read about it in many sources, and of course, those are valid reasons. However, in thi...
2025-07-08 08:53:30 +0000 UTC
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Zaboru is currently puzzled, rubbing his temple as he tries to make sense of what just happened. “Then again, another random thing... I got this new ability right after Tekken launched… Could it be connected to the success of a 3D fighting game? Or maybe something deeper?”
He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling as if it might offer an answer. Just this morning, after Tekken was officially released to the public, a surge of unfamiliar knowle...
2025-07-08 01:40:10 +0000 UTC
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On July 5, 1994, Tekken officially launched in arcades across Japan and the United States. The reactions? Exactly as expected—players were absolutely thrilled. Both Japanese and American gamers lined up to play, some going back for round after round, unable to get enough of it.
What makes Tekken stand out—aside from being the first-ever fully 3D fighting game—is its deep roster and demanding gameplay. The input commands are complex, and in the hands of a s...
2025-07-08 01:39:23 +0000 UTC
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Saturday, 5 July 1994 Morning – Bakudan Arcades
Toki Bakurou, owner of Bakudan Arcades, couldn’t help but grin. It was only 6:30 in the morning, but already a crowd had gathered outside, eagerly lining up to get in. Toki turned his gaze to the three brand-new Tekken cabinets he had just received from Zaboru and ZAGE.
Zaboru had once promised him that whenever ZAGE released new arcade machines, Bakudan Arcade would be the first to receive them...
2025-07-07 01:37:07 +0000 UTC
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Wednesday, 2 July 1994
Zaboru was at the office—but he wasn’t working. Instead, he challenged every willing ZAGE employee to a match in Tekken. Not a single one managed to land a hit. That’s because most employees were still new to Tekken—while Zaboru? He was already very, very good. Even in his previous life, without cheats reincarnated abilities, he had been a solid player who occasionally entered local and national tournaments. He was...
2025-07-07 01:36:18 +0000 UTC
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Tuesday, 1 July 1994.
At the ZAGE offices in Japan, Zaboru smiles as he gazes at the brand-new NEW ZAS – Tekken arcade cabinet, now proudly stationed in one of the company's gaming rooms. Nando Michio from Nanco had already arranged for the delivery to both the USA and Japan, ensuring everything went off without a hitch. The launch proceeded smoothly, and Nando is thrilled about these groundbreaking 3D arcades—he’s been endlessly raving about them ever since.
Zaboru e...
2025-07-06 03:04:14 +0000 UTC
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In early June, Zaboru and Michael Jackson began working together on the music video for Smooth Criminal. They agreed that Zaboru, as the song’s original creator, would receive 10% of the song’s share, while Michael Jackson’s team—who handled the full production—would receive the remaining 90%. Zaboru provided the script and music, and MJ’s team brought the vision to life with excellence.
Zaboru also committed to developing video games featuring Michael Jackso...
2025-07-06 03:03:01 +0000 UTC
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