Chapter 8: The Road to NexBox
📅 Date: June 1991
📍 Location: NexTech Studios, Seoul, South Korea
The summer heat of Seoul did nothing to cool the tensions rising in the gaming industry.
Inside NexTech Studios, the atmosphere was electric. Engineers worked overtime, game designers debated over mechanics, and Jin Hoshino sat at the head of it all, steering NexBox toward its 1992 launch.
The console was now fully funded.
✔ ₩2 billion secured for production.
✔ Partnerships established with global game developers.
✔ Exclusive titles being developed for NexBox's launch.
But while Jin was focused on building the future, GameSphere was preparing its next attack.
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GameSphere's Sabotage Attempt
One morning, Kim Seung-ho (Lead Programmer) burst into Jin's office, his face pale.
"We have a problem," he said, tossing a stack of documents on the desk.
Jin skimmed through them.
📌 Government Approval Delay Notice – NexBox's approval for manufacturing was stalled indefinitely due to "regulatory issues."
📌 Defection Offers – Three of his top engineers had received job offers from GameSphere with triple their current salaries.
📌 Media Smear Campaign – A major newspaper ran an article calling NexBox a doomed project that would "never compete with GameSphere's hardware."
Jin clenched his jaw.
This was classic corporate warfare.
GameSphere couldn't kill NexBox directly, so they were choking it through legal, financial, and public pressure.
But Jin wasn't new to this game.
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Jin's Counterattack
Instead of reacting emotionally, Jin launched a three-step counterstrike.
1️⃣ Government Approval Bypass
✔ Jin used Daewon Group's political connections to fast-track the approval process.
✔ A counter-report was submitted, exposing GameSphere's lobbying efforts.
✔ Within three weeks, the blockade was lifted.
2️⃣ Loyalty Lockdown
✔ Engineers who stayed received equity in NexBox instead of just a salary.
✔ GameSphere's poaching attempts were publicly exposed, damaging their reputation.
✔ A clause was added to contracts: employees leaving for competitors must return their shares.
3️⃣ Media Warfare
✔ An exclusive behind-the-scenes feature about NexBox was given to major tech magazines.
✔ Gaming influencers & industry experts were invited to test the console early.
✔ GameSphere's "doomed project" narrative was completely reversed.
By August 1991, NexBox was back on track—stronger than before.
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First AAA Game Studio Acquisition
Jin knew that hardware alone wouldn't win the war.
The real battle would be in exclusive games.
✔ Nintendo had Mario.
✔ Sega had Sonic.
✔ GameSphere had its own catalog of franchises.
NexBox needed its own blockbuster title.
📍 August 1991 – Tokyo, Japan
Jin flew to Tokyo to meet with Shigeru Kubo, the CEO of Kaizen Interactive, a struggling Japanese game studio known for creating cult-classic RPGs.
The meeting was tense. Kaizen was nearly bankrupt.
Jin placed an offer on the table:
"Join NexTech. I'll fund your next project, and in return, you develop an exclusive RPG for NexBox's launch."
Kubo hesitated. "Why should I trust you over GameSphere?"
Jin smirked. "Because they only want to buy you out. I want to make history with you."
Kubo studied him, then slowly nodded.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
✔ Kaizen Interactive acquired by NexTech Studios.
✔ Development begins on NexBox's first AAA RPG (working title: Eternal Blade).
✔ NexBox now has a potential killer app for launch.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Jin had secured a foothold in the game industry's most profitable genre.
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GameSphere's Desperate Move: The Counter Console
📅 Date: September 1991
GameSphere was bleeding market trust from their failed attacks.
But instead of attacking NexTech directly, they did something else—they copied Jin.
🔻 They announced their own CD-ROM-based console.
🔻 They rushed to secure game developers for exclusive titles.
🔻 They moved their console launch up to early 1993 to compete directly with NexBox.
They were playing defense.
Jin smirked when he saw the news.
"Too late. I've already won."
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Final Preparations: One Year Until Launch
📅 Date: October 1991
With just one year until the NexBox's official launch, Jin focused on finalizing his empire's structure.
✔ Hired 200+ new developers to boost game production.
✔ Opened NexTech's first international office in Tokyo.
✔ Began recruiting Hollywood actors for motion capture & voice acting (a first in gaming).
✔ Announced an official pre-order event for NexBox (March 1992).
Everything was moving perfectly.
But in the world of business…
Nothing stays perfect for long.
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End of Chapter 8