The Blazing-Hot Sega Booth
Even after Sakaguchi Hironobu stepped down, the thunderous applause showed no sign of abating.
Tom Kalinske strode back to center stage. He didn't speak immediately, but instead spread his arms wide and, like a rock star, closed his eyes to enjoy the roof-shaking cheers.
He waited until the applause subsided slightly before grabbing the Mike, his face bearing that signature, radiant, almost flamboyant smile.
"Did you all hear that? Our poor Mr. Sakaguchi is being 'mentally tortured' by Sega!"
His exaggerated tone immediately drew another burst of laughter from the audience.
The reporters, who had just been amused by Sakaguchi Hironobu's sarcastic remarks, laughed so hard they slapped their thighs.
"But!" Tom's voice suddenly rose, his index finger pointing directly at the audience, "He's right! We are a bunch of bastards! A bunch of bastards who would drive a genius producer crazy just to give players the best game!"
"Because we believe that the images shown at the press conference are just an appetizer! The real feast awaits you to savor it for yourselves!"
He suddenly waved his hand, pointing towards the exit of the venue, his voice so loud it sounded like he was shouting through a military megaphone.
"The press conference is now over! But Sega's party has only just begun!"
"Our booth! Right in the gaming area! 500 square meters! We've thrown away all the unnecessary stuff just to give you the biggest play space!"
Tom's voice was rousing; every word struck people's hearts like a war drum.
"Half of the venue is dedicated to the ' John Wick ' series! Grip your light gun and experience the thrill of being a Hollywood blockbuster star!"
"The other half of the arena belongs to <The King of Fighters>! The first-ever 3V3 fighting game! Call your friends, or find two buddies on the spot, for an exhilarating duel!"
He paused, lowered his voice, and revealed a mysterious and cunning smile.
"Oh, right. We also prepared some small gifts."
"A limited edition concept art book for Chrono Trigger, character posters autographed by Akira Toriyama, and all sorts of merchandise including Sonic, Pokémon, Kirby, Metal Slug, and more—all available exclusively at this year's CES!"
Once sold out, it will never be reprinted!
"So!" Tom's voice rose to its maximum again, almost roaring, "What are you all still sitting here for?! Go play! Go grab! Go scream! Let everyone see who the real stars of this exhibition are!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he forcefully shoved the Mike into the stand, turned around, and walked off the stage.
The entire venue was silent for a second, and then, like an anthill exploding, everyone sprang up from their seats and ran towards the exit!
"Quick! Go to the Sega booth!"
"Get out of my way! That character poster autographed by Akira Toriyama is mine!"
"Damn it, don't push! My camera!"
At this moment, the players had formed an unstoppable torrent, surging from the press conference venue into Sega's exhibition hall.
Soon, Sega's huge blue booth was packed with people.
Fortunately, Tom Kalinske had anticipated this and specifically designed the booth with ample space for queuing.
Two long lines, one for the arcade demo area and the other for merchandise sales, circled the entire back of the booth, with the tail of the line even stretching onto the main road of the exhibition hall.
The spectacular queue itself became a hot topic, attracting countless curious passersby who craned their necks to inquire, "Hey buddy, what's that queue for?"
"It's Sega game demo!" The people in the group didn't even turn their heads, their eyes fixed on the booth in front of them. "Sega! You know what I mean? SEGA!"
Inside the booth, those who had already tried it went completely crazy.
"Oh my god! Three against three! This is genius!" A burly man was gesticulating wildly in front of the King of Fighters machine, while his two companions behind him were stamping their feet in frustration. "Quick! Switch! Let me go!"
"Don't rush! I can get three kills this time!"
On the other side, the sound of light guns rang out in "John Wick," accompanied by screams from players.
"Reload! I'm out of bullets!"
"Wow, someone suddenly rushed out from the side! Oh! That execution move was so cool!"
"Someone's coming from behind! Ah--"
With a scream, a player put down his light gun in frustration.
The staff immediately stepped forward and handed over a heavy metal commemorative coin with a smile.
The coin feels cool to the touch and has a premium feel. The reverse side features the Sega logo, while the obverse side is engraved with a sharp "KOF" or "John Wick" lettering.
"Wow! Cool!" The player who had just "died" was instantly revived, holding the coin up to the light and examining it from all angles, his excitement even greater than when he was playing the game.
This sight made the hundreds of people in line even more eager, craning their necks as if they wanted to stick their eyes into the screen.
Players who had finally finished a game, clutching their small commemorative coin, were still eager to rejoin the queue. However, upon seeing the sign held up by the staff that read "Estimated waiting time: 3 hours," they all gave up.
Three hours? Good heavens, the exhibition is almost over!
"Never mind, let's go grab some merchandise first!"
As a result, the lines in the surrounding sales areas visibly lengthened again.
"One item per person per type!" the employee responsible for maintaining order shouted repeatedly through a loudspeaker.
But these regulations couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of scalpers.
However, not every scalper is so resourceful. Many scalpers, after taking a few extra glances at the scantily clad showgirls in the exhibition hall and drooling for a while, found themselves dozens of people ahead of them when they arrived at the queue.
A young man with dreadlocks finally managed to squeeze to the front of the line, leaned close to a young man in front of him, and whispered, "Hey bro, can you get me a signed poster of Akira Toriyama? I'll give you a hundred dollars."
The young man glanced at him, then looked at the poster sample displayed at the front of the line, swallowed hard, and shook his head. "Not for sale. I want one myself."
One hundred and fifty!
"Roll."
On the other side, the cash drawer at the cash register clattered incessantly, the sound crisp and pleasant, exceptionally clear in the noisy meeting room.
The number of onlookers at the booths of other game companies around them paled in comparison to Sega's booth.
Looking at the massive crowds at Sega and listening to the triumphant sounds of the cash registers, their eyes gleamed with envy.