Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 820: If This Isn’t Useless, What Is?

Video games are a fascinating thing.

Everyone can come up with countless reasons for loving them.

Some are addicted, some genuinely enjoy them, and some simply find joy in playing— and that alone is enough.

So when Airi Hayasawa expressed her love and gratitude for video games, many adults in their twenties and thirties watching deeply resonated with her words.

They were the generation who first encountered video games when they were young and watched the industry rise with their own eyes.

Now, video games had become an indispensable part of human society.

"Alright, that's about it for my rambling. I'm sure you're not here to hear me talk about my life story. You're all probably waiting for something else, right?"

Here it comes!

...

...

Ueto Hayakawa, Kazuo Murakami, Myron Case, and many others—whether stakeholders or simply lovers of games—immediately focused, afraid to miss a single detail.

"And now, I proudly present to you our latest console. This one is different from anything before. It has a unique appearance and an entirely new form. But for the details, let's take a look at the promo video."

Airi Hayasawa then stepped over to a display covered by a white cloth. She gently pulled it off, revealing the new console underneath.

A handheld console!

That's right—it was a brand new handheld!

Some were thrilled, others disappointed.

Those excited were the players who had always loved handhelds. They had a special fondness for the format, so seeing the new console confirmed as a handheld, they were already getting their wallets ready.

However, they were celebrating a little too early.

As soon as the console was revealed on the stand, a full-CG promotional video began to play.

The console zoomed in, letting viewers see every detail.

It featured a much larger screen than previous models, and it housed a custom-designed chip.

To support the chip's cooling needs, it also had an independent active cooling system.

This made the handheld feel a bit bulky.

"Is this... really a handheld?" someone finally voiced what many were thinking.

The screen looked a bit too big.

At this time, smartphones were only just reaching 5-inch screens. The era of full-screen phones was still a few years away.

Compared to that, this handheld really seemed large.

People began wondering—when would you ever carry this thing around?

Maybe you'd need a backpack just for it?

And if that's the case, is it really portable anymore? Having to carry a whole bag for a handheld felt kind of pointless.

Even fans of handhelds fell silent and puzzled when they saw the console's design and size.

Sure, they would still probably buy it.

But it didn't quite match the image they had of a perfect handheld console.

Soon, though, their expressions would shift to surprise.

Because the next moment in the promo video, the handheld began to "transform"—from the back, a small kickstand unfolded like a hinge.

In the video, with the kickstand open, the console could be placed on a table to play.

Wait... on a table?

But what about the controls on the handheld...?

Before anyone could finish their thought, they watched as the controllers on each side of the screen detached.

One red. One blue.

Two detachable mini controllers.

At this point, everyone watching had their mouths wide open.

What... what kind of form is this?

A mini home console?

A home console you could play anytime, anywhere?

Now this was getting interesting.

Still, something felt off.

As a handheld, the screen seemed too large and the whole thing was a bit too bulky.

As a home console, it felt underwhelming. Who would want to crowd around such a small screen to play? Unless... it could connect to a bigger display?

Once again, before those thoughts could settle, the promo video revealed a new form.

The handheld was shown approaching a dock, and as soon as it connected, the feed transitioned to a giant screen.

It seemed to be a way of transmitting video signal to a larger display.

In other words, this handheld could also provide a full home console experience—if docked.

Now that was unexpected.

The console had already revealed three distinct forms—handheld, tabletop mode, and docked home console.

Even industry veterans like Ueto Hayakawa and Myron Case were left stunned.

What kind of mind comes up with this stuff?

Every time you thought you'd seen all the features, the console revealed something even more surprising.

Handheld mode, tabletop mode, full TV mode—three different configurations.

"Takayuki's plan is to use this one console to capture both handheld and home console audiences in one sweep," Ueto murmured.

But... would that really work?

He couldn't say for sure.

Something in his gut told him this was a little too unconventional.

Like a jack of all trades, master of none—it didn't seem like a good thing.

Myron Case, Kazuo Murakami, and many in the media and industry shared similar thoughts.

Myron, especially, found the whole thing amusing.

This oddball hybrid console—was this really from Gamestar Electronic Entertainment?

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Looked like he didn't have much to worry about after all.

This console was bound to flop.

He'd never been worried about a handheld anyway—he was convinced they were going obsolete.

It seemed like even Takayuki had run out of ideas—producing such a strange Frankenstein of a console.

Just thinking about it was enough for Myron to dismiss it. There was no way something like this could match the performance of a real home console.

If this wasn't a half-baked compromise... then what was?