Kojima Effect
Two days later, the latest issue of Famitsu was placed in the most prominent positions in major bookstores and convenience stores.
On the cover, Hideo Kojima's photo occupies half the page, his gaze sharp and focused.
Next to it was a line of eye-catching headlines:
"The man who drains MD's functions to the limit! Exclusive reveal of the birth of <The Clear and Present Danger>!"
The magazine caused a sensation among gamers as soon as it was released, especially among the core fans who were once obsessed with Metal Gear; almost everyone had a copy.
They skipped everything else and flipped directly to the lengthy interview.
"So it turns out Kojima Coach Kojima spent almost a year in the United States!"
"My God, he developed the game with Tom Clancy himself?"
"They've squeezed every last drop out of the MD's capabilities? I'm really looking forward to it."
"Please release it quickly, I'll do anything."
Readers were thrilled, feeling as if they themselves were participating in the development process that pushed the boundaries of technology.
Hideo Kojima is no longer a distant name, but a living, breathing friend, full of passion and fervor, who shares the secrets of creation with them.
In Nakayama Takuya's office, a Marketing Department employee was holding an envelope, his face flushed with excitement.
"Executive Director, a letter from a reader sent over from Famitsu." The employee placed a stack of papers on the table. "They're all from readers who read the interview with Director Kojima. They say they can't wait to buy ' The Clear and Present Danger '!"
Nakayama Takuya simply nodded calmly, signaling him to continue.
"There's another—there's another strange phenomenon." The employee scratched his head, his expression somewhat odd. "Just now, the distribution manager from Kadokawa Shoten called personally, very politely asking us if the company had any joint promotional plans with them behind the scenes."
"Oh? Why do you ask that?"
"He said that sales of Tom Clancy's military novels have suddenly skyrocketed in Japan these past two days, with several large bookstores selling out of their remaining stock! After observing readers who came specifically to buy Tom Clancy's military novels at these bookstores, they discovered that the source was a comment made by Director Kojima in an interview, saying that Mr. Clancy was his idol and mentor."
The employee's tone was full of disbelief. "Now those fans are pre-ordering the game and rushing to bookstores to buy Clancy's novels, saying they want to 'study in advance and keep up with Director Kojima's thinking.' Executive Director, this—"
This is simply unheard of. An interview with a game producer has directly boosted sales of books in another field.
"Tell Kadokawa Shoten that this was a beautiful accident." Nakayama Takuya smiled slightly. "And by the way, let's call it the ' Kojima Effect '."
"The Kojima Effect?" The employee paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and he nodded emphatically, "I understand!"
Meanwhile, at the Game Review Team's workstation, Hideo Kojima was wearing headphones and intently playing an RPG game that had been submitted for review.
He wanted to use this method to completely detach his mind from the "Clear and Present Danger".
A colleague quietly approached him with a copy of Famitsu and tapped his desk with his pen.
"Kojima -san, you're a big celebrity now."
Hideo Kojima took off his headphones and saw himself on the magazine cover. A hint of awkwardness flashed across his face, but he froze when he saw a reader's letter handed to him by a colleague.
He recalled Nakayama Takuya's words, "We're not just selling games, we're building a brand."
So this is what it feels like to run a brand.
He couldn't help but laugh.
Perhaps, being a "celebrity producer" occasionally wouldn't be so bad.
Before the buzz surrounding the Famitsu interview had even died down, the Clear and Present Danger cartridge officially hit the market nationwide.
On the release day, there wasn't the massive crowds Akihabara thronged the streets outside game stores like those for Dragon Quest. The lines weren't long, but everyone in line had an unusually determined look in their eyes.
Many of them had the latest issue of Famitsu tucked under their arms, and some were even holding a copy of Tom's...
I'm thoroughly enjoying Clancy's original novel.
"Hey, did you see the AI part that Director Kojima mentioned? Apparently, the enemy can provide crossfire and even outflank!"
"Of course! That's why I came here. I can't believe something like this can be done on MD."
"Stop talking, I'm ready to be tortured. Consider this a preview of what it's like for Coach Kojima to be 'interrogated' by Mr. Clancy."
The people in the group exchanged smiles, a tacit understanding between them.
They weren't there to play a regular, fast-paced game; they were there on a pilgrimage, to personally experience the MD's capabilities, "drained dry," and see what kind of monster it could produce.
The first week after the game's release, in Nakayama Takuya's office.
The head of the Marketing Department held a report, his expression a mix of excitement and uncertainty.
"Executive, the sales figures for the first week are in—300,000 units."
This number is definitely a hot seller for a game on the Sega platform, but it's still quite a distance from being a true phenomenon-level blockbuster.
The person in charge was unsure about Nakayama Takuya's attitude.
Nakayama Takuya, he pointed to another page of the report and asked with great interest, "How's the word-of-mouth?"
"Excellent!" The person in charge immediately straightened his back. "Player feedback is polarized, but strangely so. Some players complain that the game is too difficult, too slow-paced, and has an absurdly high learning curve, but when it comes to the game's quality, they give it unhesitating praise."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Yes." The person in charge himself found it amusing. "Their comments were roughly: 'This game is simply anti-human, but I've never seen such intelligent enemies. It was very satisfying to be tortured. I recommend it to anyone who wants to challenge their brain.' Meanwhile, another group of core players were in a state of complete fanaticism."
He picked up another document, which was an excerpt of feedback collected from a magazine, including some people who claimed to be from the gaming industry.
"I saw with my own eyes that the AI squad immediately changed their advance route after I threw out the smoke grenade, flanking my position! Hideo Kojima wasn't exaggerating!"
"How were such game AI and mechanics created? Could the Mega Drive's capabilities and storage capacity really achieve this?"
"Executive Director: This game is now even considered a classic by game programmers in the industry."
Nakayama Takuya listened, his smile grew wider. This was exactly the effect he wanted.
He tapped the table. "Don't worry about sales. This is a golden brand. These 300,000 players are our most solid foundation."
Meanwhile, game reviews from various media outlets have also been released.
Famitsu generously awarded it a high score of 38, placing it in the Platinum Hall of Fame.
The review was full of praise, "It pushed the boundaries of video games in the most hardcore way. In this cartridge, we see the limits of 16-bit consoles and the triumph of a producer's obsession."
The high scores acted like a shot in the arm, making many players who were still hesitant finally decide to play.
Those players who complained that the game was too difficult seemed to find a reason to persevere after seeing the endorsement from authoritative media. They gritted their teeth and continued to study, and eventually experienced the joy of strategic planning.
For a time, the entire Japan gaming community was discussing this unique game.