E3 Day One (2)

Over at the manufacturers' seats, Nakayama Takuya noticed that Kozuki Kagemasa had not appeared at the venue.

Konami's exhibition team sat in a row, but the president himself had not come to Los Angeles.

That was very much Kozuki's style—he only needed results, not a presence at the ceremony.

The Konami people had only just stepped down when the staff swiftly changed the nameplates.

The two big screens went black for two seconds, then cut to a logo no North American player would be unfamiliar with—EA, Electronic Arts.

This North American giant headquartered in Redwood City, California, had a style completely different from the Japanese manufacturers.

The one who took the stage was EA's vice president in charge of the product line. His suit was crisp, his tie was done with not a hair out of place, and the moment he opened his mouth it was standard California English, fast-paced and packed with information, every sentence leaning toward commercial value.

"EA is bringing four titles today. The first is also our most important product this year."

The instant the screen lit up, someone in the front row below leaned forward.

A Lamborghini Diablo burst out of a tunnel, the roar of its engine filling the entire exhibition hall through the speakers.

The image switched. A Ferrari 512 TR took a bend on a coastal highway, its tires scraping over the shoulder and spraying up a scattering of gravel.

Then came a Dodge Viper, a Porsche 911, one car after another, all frequent guests on the covers of car magazines back then.

Need for Speed. Need for Speed.

"This title was jointly developed by EA and Road & Track magazine, and includes top sports cars from Europe, the United States, and Japan. The performance data for every car has been professionally