Electronic Sports

He took the package. It was very light in his hands.

The sender's address was Nerima Ward, Tokyo, and the sender's name field clearly bore four kanji characters—Masami Kurumada.

Takuya understood at once.

He thanked the other party, then carried the magazine and package into the elevator.

Back at his spacious, well-lit workstation in Development Team Three, he set the magazine aside first, then carefully tore open the kraft paper envelope.

Inside was indeed a brand-new issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.

The cover of this issue of JUMP instantly seized his attention.

Against a deep blue background stood a young man clad in the Pegasus Bronze Cloth. His right hand was clenched into a fist, his left held open before him in defense, striking the classic opening stance of the "Pegasus Meteor Fist." His gaze was resolute, brimming with power.

In the most eye-catching spot on the cover, bold lettering proclaimed—

"Saint Seiya! Color Opening Pages! Popularity Soaring! Burn, Cosmo!"

An involuntary, gratified smile appeared on Takuya's face.

He quickly flipped past the color opening pages and began reading this week's installment.

The story had reached the early stage where Seiya and the others took part in the Galaxian Wars to compete for the Sagittarius Gold Cloth.

The panel composition was noticeably smoother and more impactful than in the initial chapters.

The character art had also become more mature, especially in its depiction of body proportions and muscle definition. It was clear that Kurumada-sensei had put considerable effort into it and had obviously taken to heart some of the suggestions Takuya had made over the phone.

The pacing had improved as well. There were passionate battles, while a deeper worldview was gradually being laid out.

Although the "butterfly effect" caused by his transmigration had delayed Saint Seiya's serialization by more than a month compared to his previous life, judging by its current momentum and level of completion, its potential seemed even greater than he remembered.

That was undoubtedly good news.

Takuya shifted his attention away from Shonen Jump and began dealing with the work at hand.

Although the release of The Legend of Zelda had stirred up enormous waves in the home console market, it had not immediately extinguished the fervor surrounding Fatal Fury in arcades.

The anime aired steadily every week, and the "new character move tutorials" released punctually during the ending credits were like constantly adding fresh firewood to the blaze.

The collaboration with Tatsunoko Studio was also progressing methodically.

The current season of the anime had only produced thirteen episodes, which was not enough to sell directly to American television stations for broadcast.

Both sides were working urgently on VHS versions with English subtitles and English dubbing.

Sega of America had already contacted several major video rental chains and distributors.

Their plan was to first introduce the Fatal Fury anime and game concept to the North American market through video rentals, sales, and looped broadcasts in Sega-operated or partner arcades, testing the waters and laying the groundwork for larger-scale promotion later.

By early March, the air in Akihabara seemed to have been set ablaze by the popularity of The Legend of Zelda. In electronics stores and game shops, the Famicom Disk System and The Legend of Zelda had become the brightest stars. The long lines had disappeared, but that was only due to tight supply. Sales remained extremely impressive. They were no longer as exaggerated as on release day, but the sustained purchasing power proved that Nintendo's new hardware and new game had truly met players' needs.

Especially that "save" feature.

It was like a key that opened the door to a deeper game world.

Players delightedly discovered that they were no longer limited to a one-time level-clearing experience.

They could freely explore the vast land of Hyrule.

Every hidden cave they discovered, every powerful enemy they defeated, every new item they obtained—the Disk System faithfully recorded all of their investment.

This sense of accumulation, this "sunk cost," was quietly changing players' gaming habits.

It fostered a sense of belonging and attachment to the game world.

In contrast, although the craze for Fatal Fury in arcades continued, compared to the "immersion" that The Legend of Zelda had brought to the home console market, it seemed more like a short-term, explosive carnival.

Meanwhile, the anxiety of third-party publishers such as Konami and Namco grew by the day.

They watched The Legend of Zelda's sales curve rise steadily.

They also saw the invisible barrier Nintendo had built through the "save" feature.

The decision to delay their releases had allowed them to temporarily avoid Fatal Fury's sharpest blade.

But now, they faced fresh pressure from Nintendo in the home console market.

Should they continue to wait and see? Or should they risk seeking a chance to survive in the narrow gap between Nintendo's two blockbuster bombs?

Every choice was fraught with risk.

Time reached the first weekend of April.

The Fatal Fury anime welcomed its final episode.

Countless players waited in front of their televisions. They hoped to see the move list for the final boss, Geese Howard, during the ending tutorial segment.

The tutorials in the previous episodes had already let them taste the benefits. Learning Terry and Andy's basic combos had made them the coolest guys in the arcade.

In the arcades, players who had mastered those moves and combos clearly held the advantage.

So now that Geese had become selectable after his unlock method was revealed, Geese's move list was undoubtedly the "martial arts manual" everyone wanted most.

The episode ended. The ending theme began. The familiar tutorial screen appeared. The players held their breath.

However, the text appearing on the screen left everyone stunned.

"The First Sega Esports Tournament!"

The enormous title appeared alongside stirring background music.

Next came a detailed introduction to the tournament format.

"Prefectural qualifiers—register at designated arcades!"

"Single-elimination format to determine each prefecture's representative team!"

"The finalists will gather at Tokyo Budokan to compete for the title of the first-ever strongest player!"

The news struck the player community like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, exploding across it in an instant.

Move lists? Who still remembered to copy down move lists!

Sega was actually holding a nationwide arcade tournament!

And at a sacred venue like the Budokan!

This was no longer just a contest of games.

This was glory. This was a chance to prove themselves.

This was a "stage" players had never imagined before.

The crowds at arcades across the country instantly reached new heights.

People were no longer there merely to practice combos or show off new moves.

They were there to prepare for battle.

They were there to study tactics.

They were there to become part of their prefecture's representative team.

To stand on the Budokan stage.

There were even strange stories of players quitting their jobs and embarking on "nationwide arcade training tours."

All so they could challenge top players from different regions and improve their own skills.

These stories made it onto television news, further expanding the influence of Fatal Fury and the concept of "esports."

At Sega headquarters, in the Sega Esports Tournament Preparatory Committee, the section chief responsible for coordinating with the various arcades excitedly reported the compiled information to the committee members one item at a time.

"The number of applicants is still rising! It's far beyond expectations!"

"Arcade owners everywhere are urging us to send more maintenance staff!"

"The promotional impact of the esports tournament is even more outrageous than the instructional segments at the end of the anime!"

Sega's executives also felt an unprecedented surge of excitement.

They had once believed that Fatal Fury's popularity would fade once the anime ended.

Instead, Nakayama Takuya's move had forcibly steered that momentum into an entirely different dimension.

It had transformed simple entertainment into a "competitive event" full of competition and social engagement.

This greatly extended the game's lifespan.

It also elevated Sega's image in players' hearts to unprecedented heights.

However, just as Sega was immersed in the joy brought by the esports tournament, Nintendo in Kyoto dropped another bombshell.