Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 990: Being Targeted

"Not sure if it's just me, but I feel like games these days are getting worse. Not that the quality is awful, but they just don't feel sincere. Every game feels the same, and they all have similar issues."

"Yeah, I feel that too. Some games even seem to share the same bugs. I spent a lot on my top-tier computer, but the experience is no different from an average PC—lag everywhere. And I could overlook that if the graphics were stunning, but they're terrible too. That's just unacceptable."

Throughout the rest of 2016, more and more people online began complaining that video games were becoming dull.

At the same time, the gameplay experience was steadily declining.

Even if the games weren't exactly exciting, the maturity of industrialized game production meant most titles still met a basic quality threshold—rarely bad enough to be unplayable. For long-running series, loyal fans would continue to support sequels as long as the core gameplay didn't change drastically, even if the new entries felt repetitive.

For many fans, playing these games became more of a routine than a thrill—like a habit they couldn't quit.

This, in a way, was part of a healthy game industry cycle.

Even if the average quality was just decent, players still engaged, which in turn helped develop more game creators over time.

...

Eventually, a few of those developers would break out and create truly standout titles.

Whether it's video games, film, or literature, high-quality works are always the minority. Most hover around the average.

We can't expect every game to be groundbreaking.

But recently, even with the same level of quality, the gameplay experience has taken a nosedive, and more players are voicing their dissatisfaction.

They're starting to feel like paying for games is just wasting their time.

But for profit-driven companies, this trend means little.

All they care about is short-term profit.

Gamestar noticed this problem too.

But their approach remained consistent: keep delivering games with solid quality and great user experience.

Their titles had very few bugs, and even when bugs did show up, they rarely affected gameplay significantly.

Sometimes players would joke when they found a bug in a Gamestar game—saying the company was finally slipping.

But it was just a joke. Players' trust in Gamestar remained high.

At the same time, however, more and more pirated versions of games began to circulate online.

And most of them were Gamestar titles.

It wasn't uncommon for a brand-new Gamestar game to be cracked and uploaded within just two or three days of release—and those pirated versions spread fast.

Initially, this happened mainly on Facebook.

But Facebook quickly noticed and cracked down, blocking such downloads and filtering keywords to minimize exposure.

Takayuki was one of Facebook's major shareholders and Bob's most admired figure. There was no way he'd tolerate piracy-related content tied to his company.

Facebook acted swiftly, but many forums weren't as quick.

Some were privately hosted and operated outside legal boundaries. Users shared files anonymously using methods that concealed their identities.

Clearly, these were people highly skilled in internet security, nearly untraceable.

Because of this piracy boom, Gamestar saw something that hadn't happened in decades—a drop in game sales.

On the PC platform, revenue dropped by more than ten percent.

That meant a loss of over $100 million in just one month.

A serious hit.

Turns out, players still love free stuff. The thrill of getting something without paying is irresistible.

Takayuki himself had discovered video games through pirated copies in his past life. But after becoming an adult, he came to understand the importance of intellectual property and began buying all the games he once played—physical or digital—as a way to make amends.

It gave him peace of mind.

So he wasn't angry about players using pirated copies. If anything, it meant people still wanted to play his games—that they were in demand.

But piracy came with risks. Many cracked games were bundled with viruses, and when players' computers got infected, they blamed the poor experience on the game itself.

That, Takayuki couldn't tolerate.

As 2016 ended and January 2017 arrived, a financial report landed on his desk.

"President, this is last month's revenue. December is usually the strongest sales period for video games, but our revenue last December was lower than an average month earlier in the year."

"Piracy?" Takayuki asked.

"Yes, that's the main reason. Pirated games caused a significant revenue drop."

Takayuki remained expressionless, deep in thought.

"President, we should probably consider ways to combat piracy. Maybe we could try one of those game encryption systems? I heard many companies use them to stabilize or even increase their sales..."

Takayuki cut him off.

"No need to say more. I don't want to put shackles on video games."

Then he narrowed his eyes.

"But what you said... gave me an idea."