The First Race Day
At noon, the group had lunch together at the convoy's rest area.
At the dinner table, the conversation naturally turned to Sega's upcoming new game.
"Premiere an F1 game live at F1?" Senna's eyes lit up after hearing Nakayama Takuya's introduction. "That's a great idea."
Car enthusiasts will definitely love it.
"I hope so," Nakayama Takuya said with a smile. "We've also prepared some little surprises, such as the steering wheel controller for our game, which is designed based on the MP4/7A steering wheel."
"Oh?" Berger became interested. "Then how about we try it out this afternoon? Let's see if your game can make me run faster than Elton?"
"I'm afraid that won't work," Ron Danny interjected abruptly. "You have a data meeting this afternoon."
Berger immediately gave a disappointed look, which made everyone burst into laughter.
After lunch, Nakayama Takuya and his group tactfully took their leave, not wanting to disturb the McLaren Team's intense preparations.
October 23, Friday.
Practice sessions on the first day of the F1 Japanese Grand Prix.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the air above the Suzuka Circuit was already filled with a unique symphony: the high-pitched, sharp, and air-tearing roar of engines, mixed with the distant, faint clamor of a surging crowd.
Although it was just a practice match, the enthusiastic spectators who flooded into the stands had already formed a large crowd.
Unlike other sponsors who are eager for quick profits, Sega's GG sign didn't appear everywhere. Instead, it appeared in a restrained and precise way at key intersections leading to the various stands and at the entrance to the Motopia theme park.
Beneath the blue and white SEGA logo, on one side is a futuristic VR Racing console, and on the other side is a Pikachu wearing a mini helmet and a McLaren racing suit, grinning at everyone who passes by.
"Hey, look! Sega's new arcade game!" A young man in Ferrari team uniform nudged his companion's arm and pointed to the <VR Racing> sign on the GG logo. "It's F1 themed, looks really hardcore, wanna try it out later?"
His companion nodded, but his gaze was drawn to the other corner of the GG card.
"What game is he playing? If my son sees that, he won't have a peaceful day."
9
Following the direction of his finger, the young man saw the bright yellow electric mouse.
Sure enough, a small-scale "domestic civil war" had broken out not far away.
A boy who looked no more than ten years old was clinging tightly to his father's clothes, his little finger pointing at the GG sign, his face scrunched up in a grimace. "Daddy! Daddy! Pikachu! It's Pikachu that drives a race car!"
The father, looking helpless, tried to reason with them. "We came to see the Senna, not to see yellow rats."
"But it's wearing a helmet! It's a racing mouse!" The boy's logic was clear, his demands were specific, and he was determined not to give up until he achieved his goal.
Similar scenes were playing out repeatedly throughout the racetrack.
Some genuine gamers and racing enthusiasts, attracted by the advertising for <VR Racing>, went straight to Motopia.
paradise.
Meanwhile, another group of visitors with families changed their original route under the "coercion" of their children, heading towards the "recreation service area limited souvenir sales point" marked on the GG.
At this moment, in the Sega booth at Motopia Park, Kevin stood with his arms crossed, looking at the scene before him with satisfaction.
The renovated exhibition area was elegantly decorated. After receiving their numbers, players either chatted quietly while sipping free drinks in the sofa area or watched the game demos on the big screen with great interest.
There were no crowded queues, no noisy shouts, everything was in perfect order.
A young Japan man, his cheeks still flushed with excitement, stepped off a VR Racing simulator. He gestured wildly to his companion, exclaiming, "The speed was incredible! When we went through the 130km/h corner, I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my throat! They even added force feedback to the steering wheel—it felt amazing!"
Upon hearing this, Kevin's smile stretched from ear to ear.
Meanwhile, in the leisure and service area, Sega's sales point had completely descended into joyful chaos.
The counter was surrounded by layers of people, but upon closer inspection, the main force forming this human wall was actually a "little army" of people less than 1.4 meters tall.
"I want that one! I want the one with the helmet!"
"Mom! Buy it for me! I'm not leaving if you don't buy it for me!"
"One isn't enough! I need two! One to keep at home, and one to take to school!"
The parents, caught in the middle of their children, all wore expressions of bittersweet joy.
A man in a suit sighed as he took out his wallet, "My entire month's allowance—just like that, given away to a mouse."
Nakayama Takuya and Mark Cerny stood not far away, quietly watching this scene.
A Japan employee in charge of sales, sweating profusely, squeezed his way out of the crowd. When he saw Nakayama Takuya, it was as if he had seen a savior; his face was a mixture of excitement and a hint of fear.
"Executive! Something terrible has happened!"
Mark's heart skipped a beat, thinking something had gone wrong.
The employee, panting heavily, raised his walkie-talkie, his voice distorted.
The first batch of 5,000 limited edition Pikachu toys is almost sold out!
Quickly sold out?
Mark stood there, stunned, unable to connect the phrases "it's bad" and "almost sold out" logically for a moment.
How can this be considered "bad"? It's absolutely amazing!
Nakayama Takuya, standing next to him, didn't even raise an eyebrow, as if he had expected this outcome.
He looked at the employee in front of him, whose face was flushed with excitement and nervousness, and a smile appeared on his lips.
Isn't this great?
A casual remark stunned the employee. "Huh? But, Executive Director, the stock is running low! Those who can't buy tickets later will cause trouble! Parents are already complaining outside!"
"Then let them complain." Nakayama Takuya's tone was completely calm. "Listen, go back now and take out all of today's spare stock from the warehouse. Remember, just today's."
He paused, looking at the wide, nervous eyes of his employees, and continued in a clear and organized manner, "Once everything is sold out, immediately post a notice in the most prominent place on the counter."
Nakayama Takuya's voice was calm and measured, carrying a soothing quality. "The announcement says this: 'Thank you to all our fans for your support. Today's limited edition Pikachu figurines are completely sold out. To reciprocate your enthusiasm, we will prepare a larger stock for tomorrow and the day after (Saturday and Sunday), with sales starting promptly at 9:00 AM. Please look forward to it!' The font needs to be large and eye-catching, understand?"