Chapter 209: D-125
The early summer of 1995.
The gaming industry at this point was facing a significant transitional period.
Indeed, such transitions were perennial issues whenever a new generation console emerged, yet this time seemed particularly challenging.
For anyone even remotely acquainted with gaming history, it was evident that the mid-'90s marked a crucial era, distinguishing between the traditional 2D games and the groundbreaking emergence of next-gen 3D games.
Unlike the conventional side-scrolling 2D games, the 3D games, with their movement across virtual spaces, offered gamers an entirely new experience.
Starting with the debut of "Real Fighter" at the arcade centers, the current dominance in the 3D gaming market strangely belonged to NEGA, a console company lagging behind in terms of popularity. Following closely behind was NANCO, more or less.
Both had been researching polygon-based games for a while, positioning themselves somewhat at the forefront of the industry.
Additionally, even Mintendo had experimented with polygon graphics in their Super Family console.
Huh? How could 3D graphics work on the Super Family? Well, sure, if you roll out polygons without texturing, it might be doable, but honestly, it's quite challenging.
Yet, games like A-ZERO or the scene in Shigeru-san's "The Legend of Karin" title screen, where three triangles formed one triforce in 3D, those were moments gamers everywhere would remember.
Anyway, back then, dealing with polygons was intricate, and until the evolution of "textures," it was a technology somewhat ignored by developers.
Until the advancement of "textures"...
Textures refer to bitmap images overlaid on the surfaces of completed polygon graphics.
Just as the human body has bones and muscles beneath the skin, textures were applied similarly to polygons.
It might seem like a simple concept, like pasting a picture on a clay doll, but those who could imagine such innovations were exceedingly rare in the industry. Even if someone had the idea, the high-performance devices required to support such creativity were prohibitively expensive.
However, as time passed, the overwhelming graphics seen in arcades became available on home consoles.
And that was precisely the era we were living in, the year 1995.
"As I mentioned earlier, the new Saturn released by NEGA is fundamentally a console built on precise 2D sprites. For instance, it allows users at home to enjoy games like SMK's 'King of' series or the Samurai's Spirit series, which are currently the highest coin earners at arcade centers."
"Hmm..."
In a lecture hall at a university in Tokyo...
A few days ago, at the request of the school principal, I found myself conducting a seminar on the current gaming industry here. Gathered were students aspiring to lead the future of gaming.
Apparently, Pentagon Soft was the top choice for students looking to land a job here, huh?
But aside from that, why is the projector's brightness so high? It's not like it's welding; my eyes are getting fried here.
I closed my fatigued eyes for a moment, then continued with the explanation. A student in the auditorium suddenly raised their hand.
"Um... But isn't 'Real Fighter' the most popular game from NEGA currently? Then why did they create a console based on 2D sprites despite having such polygon technology?"
"Before I answer that, um... could we maybe tone down the projector's brightness a bit? If we keep doing these seminars twice, I might end up becoming a lecturer here."
The somewhat formal seminar seemed to ease a bit with my joke. The lady handling the projector blushed and adjusted the brightness.
"Now, I can actually see the students' faces properly. So, let me address that question first. But before I do, I'd like to clarify that everything I say here about NEGA or Mintendo is purely my personal speculation. I can talk about Pentagon, but spreading false information about other companies might land me in a lawsuit."
"Hahaha..."
"Now, let's delve into the topic of the NEGA Saturn as if it were a novel. To answer your question, yes, 'Real Fighter' is indeed the most popular game at NEGA currently. Anyone here played the recently released 'Real Fighter 2'?"
Almost every male student in the auditorium raised their hand.
Seems like almost everyone here loves games; they've played almost everything...
"That's right. As I expected, almost 80% of the students here have played 'Real Fighter 2,' considering the gender ratio in this hall is roughly 8:2."
My comment echoed in the hall, eliciting a chuckle. It's not a military morale concert; lighten up, folks...
"How was it compared to the prequel?"
"The graphics were insanely good."
"The textures were impressive."
"Sarawa Pai got prettier!!"
... I concur with the previous remark. Indeed, the previous version wasn't human... but that wasn't the answer I was seeking.
"The frame rate became incredibly smooth, right? The previous one strained the eyes a bit..."
I gestured with my finger and brought the mic close to my lips as the final student's opinion surfaced.
"That was a remarkably astute observation. The frame rateundoubtedly, maintaining a consistent frame rate is one of the key differences between traditional 2D games and the current 3D game development."
Taking a sip from the chilled water on the podium, I continued my speech.
"Recently, a study from a certain university revealed something fascinating about the human brain's perception of 2D and 3D. For instance, imagine you're watching 'Dragon Ball' on TV. Do any of you happen to know how many frames per second are used when Son Goku moves?"
"About 15 to 20 frames per second on average. Sometimes dropping to 10 frames during battles."
Wow, it's impressive how some students studying game design know this stuff...
"Yes, that's correct. On the other hand, animations like 'Aladdin' or 'The Lion King' by Disney in the U.S. use almost 48 to 60 frames per second in a scene. They exhibit incredibly smooth motions compared to Dragon Ball."
At this, students recalling Disney's animations silently nodded along to my words.
"I'm not saying Dragon Ball is inferior to Disney animations. Have any of you felt scenes in Dragon Ball lacked frames, making it hard to imagine or understand? Probably not. Here's the intriguing part about our brains: when watching 2D animations, our minds automatically fill in those intermittent missing frames. Thus, even in scenes with fewer frames, when you watch TV, you don't feel any discomfort. However, 3D is a bit different. Strangely, our brains perceive 3D objects as a single entity, so when frames drop, it feels incredibly awkward."
"Ahh..."
"Meaning, for a 3D game, it needs to maintain at least 28 frames per second throughout gameplay to avoid making players feel uneasy. Recognizing this, NEGA doubled Real Fighter 2's frames to 60 from its predecessor."
"Wow..."
"Hold on, doesn't that mean NEGA has top-notch 3D technology? Then why did they produce Saturn based on 2D?"
"Well... coming back to the beginning, currently, only companies with IPs in 3D fighting games are being recognized in the gaming industry. That includes NEGA and NANCO. However, when NEGA was planning Saturn, it was the era when 2D games were thriving. Having lost ground in the 16-bit console market due to Nintendo's Super Family and our Laon, NEGA was the first to step away from the 16-bit consoles. To monopolize the 32-bit market, they initiated the Solar System Project."
"The Solar System Project?"
"It was originally a project name, and among them, the sixth project, Saturn, received the most positive response. When rumors spread through a magazine that NEGA was creating a new next-gen console, they officially announced Saturn, staying true to the project's name. Depending on which project was chosen, it could have been NEGA Mercury or even called Jupiter."
"Ah, I see..."
"Of course, the initial reaction to Saturn's announcement was enthusiastic. Expectations were high for a new console that could bring the popular 2D fighting games from arcades to homes. NEGA targeted precisely that, believing the new console would be a sure success. However... in late '93, due to NEGA's flagship producer Suzuki's creation, 'Real Fighter,' NEGA gained immense popularity in arcades. But conversely, it dealt a massive blow to the Saturn project."
With a slightly amused expression, I continued detailing the official specs of NEGA Saturn, leaving the students who had never delved into gaming industry news so deeply completely absorbed in my storytelling, oblivious to the passing time during the seminar break.
Glancing at the teacher on stage crossing his hands in an 'X' gesture, I chuckled and checked my wristwatch.
"Oops! I didn't realize time flew by so quickly. Before concluding Part 1 of the seminar, if I were to wrap up the novel-like story about Saturn, the main adversary in Saturn's current underperformance wasn't just Nintendo, Sony, or even our Pentagon. It was an unprecedented 'team kill' by our own producer. Now, take a 15-minute break, and in Part 2, we'll delve into Sony's Gear Station and..."
After pausing for a moment, I opened my mouth again, slightly smiling at the students.
"The unveiling of our next-generation TV console from Pentagon will happen right here."
"What!? Here!? Are you serious?"
"Insane! That's incredible!"
At my final remark, the students in the auditorium erupted into screams, the atmosphere as electric as a CES event.
Well, who would've thought a new console reveal would happen at a university seminar like this?
Leaving the untouched water on the podium, I swallowed the remaining sip and raised the corners of my lips in amusement.
>
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