Chapter 11: The Battle for Digital Dominance
đź“… Date: February 1992
đź“Ť Location: NexTech Studios, Seoul, South Korea
The world was still recovering from the shock of NexBox's reveal.
Gaming magazines ran headlines like:
📢 "Has GameSphere already lost the console war?"
📢 "NexBox is not just a console—it's a revolution."
📢 "Jin Hoshino: The Young Genius Who Changed Gaming Forever."
Pre-orders for NexBox were set to open in March, and excitement was at an all-time high.
But while the gaming industry focused on NexBox, Jin had already moved on to his next plan.
His real war wasn't just for gaming dominance.
It was for the future of the internet.
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Laying the Foundations of an Internet Empire
đź“… Date: February 5, 1992
đź“Ť NexTech Research Lab, Seoul
Jin stood in front of a small, elite team of engineers.
On a whiteboard behind him, he had written three words:
📌 "GigaSearch – The Future."
The engineers looked at each other, confused.
One finally spoke. "Sir, what exactly is GigaSearch?"
Jin smiled. "It's going to be the biggest search engine in history."
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The Vision of GigaSearch (Google Alternative)
✔ At the time, the internet was in its infancy—mostly used by universities and government institutions.
âś” No one had created an advanced way to search for information online.
✔ Jin planned to build the world's first powerful search engine—years ahead of real history.
đź“Ś Features of GigaSearch (1992 Version):
âś” A simple, fast search system (Instead of cluttered directories like real-world Yahoo).
âś” Keyword-based ranking (Like how Google would later use algorithms).
âś” A minimalist design (Focusing only on results, unlike slow competitors).
Jin turned to the team. "This will be bigger than NexBox. This will control the internet itself."
The room fell silent.
Then, his engineers started working.
NexTech had just taken its first step into the digital empire.
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GameSphere's Fatal Mistake
đź“… Date: February 10, 1992
đź“Ť GameSphere Korea Headquarters
GameSphere was losing control.
âś” Their CD-ROM console was still in early development.
âś” NexBox was set to dominate the market.
âś” Investors were panicking.
CEO Park Jae-woo knew he needed a win—fast.
đź“Ś His plan?
Rush an early prototype of GameSphere's CD console.
Get it into the hands of journalists before NexBox's pre-orders.
Convince the world that GameSphere was still the market leader.
By February 15, GameSphere announced a surprise private event for investors and the media.
Their prototype console would be shown behind closed doors.
But rushing hardware always had consequences.
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The Disaster That Shook the Industry
đź“… Date: February 18, 1992
đź“Ť GameSphere Private Investor Event, Seoul
The event hall was filled with reporters and high-profile investors.
The prototype CD console sat on the main stage, next to a large TV.
CEO Park Jae-woo stepped up.
"This is the future of gaming," he said confidently. "Unlike NexBox, this is built by a company with experience in hardware."
The audience clapped.
A journalist raised his hand. "Can we see it in action?"
Jae-woo smirked. "Of course."
A GameSphere technician pressed the power button.
Nothing happened.
Silence.
The technician pressed it again.
Still nothing.
The audience started whispering.
Jae-woo's face turned pale. "Turn it on manually!" he snapped.
The technician opened the console, pressed a reset switch, and restarted it.
This time, the screen flickered to life.
The GameSphere logo appeared…
Then, the console froze completely.
The crowd gasped.
A journalist muttered, "Did they… rush this?"
Investors exchanged worried glances.
đź“Ś GameSphere's prototype had just publicly crashed in front of the industry.
It was an unmitigated disaster.
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Jin's Response: The Silent Victory
đź“… Date: February 20, 1992
đź“Ť NexTech Studios
Jin leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee.
Choi Da-hyun, his Head of Marketing, walked in, smirking.
"Boss, GameSphere's stock dropped by 8% after the prototype failure."
Jin chuckled. "Expected. Investors don't trust incompetence."
GameSphere had just made a fatal mistake.
âś” Rushing their console had exposed how far behind they were.
âś” Investors now viewed NexBox as the superior platform.
âś” Public confidence in GameSphere was shaken.
And the best part?
Jin didn't even have to do anything.
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Finalizing NexBox's Launch Strategy
đź“… Date: March 1992
With GameSphere in crisis, Jin turned his focus back to NexBox's October 1992 launch.
âś” Global pre-orders opened on March 10, 1992.
âś” Retail distribution deals were signed with top stores in Korea, Japan, and the US.
✔ Marketing ramped up—NexBox commercials were filmed for TV.
NexBox wasn't just a console.
It was becoming a global phenomenon.
And with GameSphere reeling from failure, Jin had full control of the gaming industry.
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End of Chapter 11