Chapter 111: The Devil's Egg
Tamago Monster Shop started selling like crazy as soon as it opened.
This was thanks to the continuous promotion of Tamago characters using Famicon communication since the early stages of development.
As a result, the levers of the gacha machines on the release day never stopped, and the capsules for the sale of five units began to run out within an hour, no matter how much they were squeezed into the machines.
The portable mini-game console, priced at 1980 yen, was causing an incredible sensation as a toy for children.
Tamago Monster Shop was crowded with people every day, creating a festive atmosphere.
Children, accompanied by their parents, ran around the store playing with Tamago mascot dolls, and the host at the battle zone shouted, "Come on, everyone, shout together! Monster Battle~ Fight!!" until his voice cracked.
Kids without a portable Game Boy could purchase cartridges at the sales counter and enjoy one hour of free story mode in the Adventure Zone, where a Game Boy in their 30s was installed.
(Of course, they had to return the device when leaving the play area.)
In reality, Tamago Monsters with battle elements had no overwhelmingly strong monsters.
The current strongest monster in Tamago Monsters, set in Final Frontier, was Bahamut, but even it had monsters that could counter it.
Each monster had its weaknesses, and the psychological elements and easy battle system based on the type of monster the opponent used were stimulating the interest of the children.
With the situation like this, individual store owners smelling money began to request direct orders from Pentagon Soft.
President Kawaguchi was absorbed in the sales figures of the Devil's Eggs, forgetting even to inspect the sales of his own Final Frontier 3.
"Junhyuk, what on earth is happening in Japan right now?"
What is happening...
The birth of a content that will be remembered for decades to come.
Even with all three of my factories, including Latex, working at full capacity only for the production of Tamago characters, it was still insufficient to meet consumer demand.
As a result, a mini-game console priced at 1980 yen was rumored to be traded for 10,000 yen due to an early shortage, and the practice of hoarding goods at a high price was emerging.
Signs were put up in front of the vending machines asking people to buy only one per person, but it seemed that businesses from the provinces were repeating the queue to purchase in large quantities.
'Just one shop might not be able to handle it... I need to expand the sales methods.'
In the end, to ensure smooth product supply, I also entrusted additional orders to subcontracting companies for terminal manufacturing.
Since then, from about a month ago, Tamago Monsters' mini vending machines began to be distributed throughout Japan. Vending machines were distributed free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis under the condition that they were managed by nearby stationery stores or local game shops, gradually expanding their territory.
&
Beep. Beep.
Recently, when sitting in a cafe, you could often hear the electronic sounds of Tamago characters.
Some people hung the small and cute egg-shaped mini-game console like an accessory on their bags, while others played while walking, reminiscent of future smartphone games.
And Yuki, sitting in front of me, had been busy feeding her Tamago character.
"It seems like this Tamago character has a 'feisty' personality."
"It's okay. That's quite acceptable. The one I'm raising is 'haughty'... Even if it's hungry, it won't eat unless it's what it wants. Quite a picky eater..."
Tamago characters had various personalities. Of course, they didn't reveal their personalities initially, but you could find out as you raised them.
There were gentle ones, feisty ones, cowardly ones, and courageous ones.
Recently, I decided to raise one from Final Frontier to try it out, and this little one had an incredibly haughty personality.
It could play amusingly like a living being, but at times, it would sulk and go back to sleep on its own, and then, if it got bored, it would ring the alarm to play.
Although the system was a bit annoying, it was this very personality system that allowed Tamago characters to surpass simple mini-game formats.
If all monsters were equally docile, asking for food at a set time and eating whatever was given, there might have been a strategy circulating to quickly create the strongest monster.
Perhaps the game could have disappeared in a moment as a passing trend due to its overly simple gameplay.
That's where my proposed idea, the 'A.I. system' called personality, came in.
It was grandly set as an A.I., but in reality, it was just a simple command disobedience judgment format listed differently for each device...
"Junhyuk, the couple sitting at that table also seems to be raising Tamago characters together."
I turned my head slightly in the direction Yuki pointed to, and besides the table she mentioned, there were Tamago characters placed on tables where couples were sitting.
In the conversations around, occasionally the word 'Tamago character' could be heard. It seemed like they were boasting about the monsters they were raising.
I put down my drink on the table and spoke to Yuki, who was still looking around.
"It looks like part of the sales amount for Tamago characters will be deposited sometime next week."
"Really? How much will come in this time?"
"How much did I give you for the Nanase scenario job, which was not in my area last time?"
"It was 500,000 yen."
Yuki replied with a smile, raising both hands on the table.
Morita and Hayashi, my collaborators, each received a bonus of 1.5 million yen.
Of course, if we consider the success and sales of "The Empty Streets" in the absence of me, the bonus they received might seem small. However, it's crucial not to misunderstand; even if "The Empty Streets" generated significant profits, the money wasn't entirely mine. It belonged to Pentagon Soft, the company I run. It was used for future development funds and employee welfare. (To be honest, compared to the bonus I received from Psych Battle at Mintendo, it was quite a substantial amount...)
Yuki, my collaborator, seemed indifferent to money. She promptly deposited her bonus for "The Empty Streets" into her account. Unlike her peers, she didn't appear to have a strong desire for material things. (Except when it came to going out for delicious food...)
As she blinked against the bright sunlight streaming through the window, I casually tossed a remark her way.
"You can think of it as about five times that amount."
"What?"
"2.5 million yen."
"....Hik."
Yuki seemed genuinely surprised by the amount of 2.5 million yen, letting out an astonished sound.
"Mr. Junhyuk. Hik. 2.5 million yen is almost the same as my annual salary... Hik."
"This time, the TamaGos figure is entirely your idea."
"I think just having the TamaGos I drew come to life in the game is more than enough..."
Yuki took a sip of cold water, perhaps to calm her surprised heart.
"Don't feel too burdened. It's just a small portion of the profits we've made so far."
"I've never earned such a large amount at once... By the way, what happened to the students who won awards in the competition?"
"Oh, those students?"
In May, I gathered all the Monster Design competition winners for a meeting. Those who wanted to join Pentagon Soft and work on TamaGos monster designs were warmly welcomed. Graduates who wished to join were given the opportunity to create various designs from the comfort of their homes using the incentive system.
"Some of them are working at Pentagon Soft, responsible for TamaGos monster designs."
"Good for them. Actually, I'm curious. Who was the one who drew that cute monster you first showed us, Mr. Junhyuk?"
"Oh, the Koguma designer? Not only was the drawing fantastic, but the energy was contagious. Thanks to that, the atmosphere at Pentagon Soft became much brighter. Even Haya-"
"Even Haya-san? I want to see it too."
"Come by when you have time. If you say you're the TamaGos character designer, everyone will welcome you."
"But Mr. Junhyuk has to be at the company for me to visit. What would I do there alone?"
True, amidst planning TamaGos and setting up the shop, I had been postponing my formal entry into Pentagon.
At that moment, an interesting conversation from the adjacent table caught our attention.
"Have you heard of the Legendary TamaGos?"
"The legend?"
"My friend heard a story that among the TamaGos sealed in capsules, there's something extraordinary."
"Really? Didn't they say there are only two types?"
"Well... you never know. There might be some unique TamaGos mixed inside the sealed capsules."
"Ah~ Everyone knows about it nowadays; if something like that existed, it would've been discovered by now. Just an urban legend, isn't it?"
"It could be. That guy tends to exaggerate a lot anyway."
The couple playfully bantered while picking up the TamaGos figures from their table.
"Oh, this one has poop."
"Don't talk about that in the cafe."
"Sorry."
Yuki, who seemed to have overheard the couple's conversation, looked at me and mumbled.
"The Legendary TamaGos? Is there really such a thing?"
"Hmm...? Well, I'm not sure."
"Seems suspicious? Are you hiding something again?"
Ever since she found out I was the developer behind Dragon Emblem, Yuki had been slightly skeptical about my games.
Avoiding Yuki's doubtful gaze, I raised my coffee mug to my lips and swallowed, concealing a mischievous grin.
To be honest, I love "Easter eggs." There's nothing more exhilarating for a developer than breaking user expectations.
Of course, my playful tricks continued in TamaGos this time as well.
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