Seamus Blackley stood alone at the centre of the stage while the giant green X of Xbox glowed behind him.
For several seconds, he did not say anything.
He simply stood there, holding the microphone with both hands while looking across the enormous audience. He already knew this was a terrible idea. Bill had insisted that Microsoft needed to make a statement immediately after the GOTY ceremony, and Seamus had somehow been chosen to deliver it.
He sighed quietly.
What the hell is Bill thinking…?
Still, a part of him was genuinely irritated. Xbox had entered the industry aggressively, HORI had been nominated for Game of the Year, the hardware was clearly stronger than ZEPS 3, and yet ZAGE had once again walked away with the biggest award of the night.
That bothered him far more than he wanted to admit.
One of the event staff handed him the microphone properly. Seamus adjusted it, glanced toward the giant Xbox logo behind him, and finally smiled.
"Well, this won't take long. As some of you might know, I'm Seamus Blackley." He paused for half a second before adding with a grin, "Or maybe you know me as SEAM on the Xbox Forum?"
Nothing happened.
Not even one cheer.
A few people quietly looked toward one another.
Zaboru immediately lowered his face slightly and pressed his lips together.
He was trying very, very hard to not laugh.
Seamus waited another second, apparently expecting somebody to react.
Nobody did.
He cleared his throat. "Right. Anyway."
Zaboru turned his head away for a moment and covered his mouth with one hand.
Hikaru Kurata, seated several chairs away, noticed.
"Don't," Hikaru muttered.
Zaboru whispered back, "I'm trying."
Seamus continued as though nothing had happened. "For those of you who don't know me, I currently lead a major portion of Xbox game development. And tonight, Microsoft wants to make one thing very clear." He straightened himself slightly. "Xbox is going to be very different next year."
The giant screen behind him changed.
PROJECT 8
A series of eight silhouettes appeared beneath the title.
Seamus immediately looked more comfortable now that he had something concrete to talk about. "Some of you probably remember Project 8. We announced the initiative several months ago. Microsoft wanted to build a serious first-party development structure instead of relying entirely on outside publishers."
The eight silhouettes gradually transformed into eight individual studio emblems.
Seamus raised one hand toward the screen. "Well, I can finally confirm that the project is complete. Xbox now has eight full development teams operating under Microsoft's game division."
That announcement finally received a real reaction.
There was noticeable applause throughout the hall, especially from the Microsoft section.
Seamus grinned wider.
"There we go."
Zaboru almost lost it.
He lowered his head immediately.
The announcement itself was significant. Microsoft had originally entered gaming with strong hardware and only a small collection of launch titles. Eight dedicated development teams could dramatically change that weakness if Microsoft managed them properly.
Seamus continued, "That means more Xbox games, more frequently. Shooters, RPGs, racing games, action games, multiplayer titles—we're building the structure to support all of them. Xbox will not spend the next few years surviving on six games and promises."
That part earned another reasonable round of applause.
Then Seamus should have stopped.
He did not.
Instead, he looked toward the GOTY trophy sitting near the ZAGE section and smiled.
"Although…"
Zaboru's eyes narrowed slightly.
Seamus continued, "I'm going to say something that some people here probably won't like."
The audience became quieter.
He pointed casually toward the screen where Vagrant Story's victory graphic had appeared earlier. "I'm not going to lie. It kind of disgusts me that a game running on previous-generation graphics just won Game of the Year."
Zaboru's eyebrows shot upward.
He slowly turned toward Hikaru.
Hikaru was already looking back at him.
Zaboru whispered, "Whoa."
Hikaru remained expressionless.
Zaboru's grin started growing.
"He's actually doing it."
Seamus continued confidently, completely committed now. "I mean, come on. Graphically, Vagrant Story isn't even in the same league as HORI. Honestly, several Xbox games look dramatically better."
Some people in the audience murmured.
Seamus raised one hand as if stopping an argument that nobody had actually made yet. "And don't give me the whole 'games aren't about graphics' thing."
The murmuring became louder.
Seamus shook his head. "They are. Of course they are. Video games have always been about pushing technology."
He started counting with his fingers.
"Graphics."
One finger.
"Badass."
Another.
"Multiplayer."
A third.
He looked proudly across the audience.
"That's the core of video games."
Zaboru froze.
He looked at the three fingers.
Then toward Hikaru.
Then back toward Seamus.
Zaboru quietly mouthed, Badass?
Hikaru slowly closed his eyes.
Across the Microsoft section, several employees were clapping.
Not many.
But enough that Seamus seemed satisfied.
He nodded to himself. "Exactly."
Nobody had said anything.
That somehow made it worse.
Seamus continued, "You guys know what I mean. Better technology gives developers more possibilities. Better graphics create stronger immersion. Multiplayer keeps people playing. And badass games sell."
Somewhere in the audience, a person coughed.
Seamus glanced toward the sound and nodded as though it had been agreement.
"Right."
Zaboru immediately leaned forward, shoulders shaking.
He could no longer look directly at the stage.
The host standing near the side curtain looked like he had temporarily forgotten how to move.
Seamus, meanwhile, was gaining momentum.
"You can mock me for saying it. You can hate Microsoft. You can call Xbox inexperienced. That's fine." He spread both hands. "But one thing is going to change very soon."
He turned.
Then pointed directly toward Zaboru.
The camera immediately shifted toward him.
Zaboru looked up.
His expression became genuinely curious.
"When ZAGE's next console releases…" Seamus paused dramatically. "…we will not lose."
The crowd responded with a mixture of cheers, confused murmuring, and scattered laughter.
Seamus grinned. "Actually, you've all heard the rumours, haven't you?"
Zaboru's smile disappeared slightly.
Seamus continued, "ZEPS 4 could be a disaster."
That immediately changed the mood.
Several ZAGE employees looked toward one another.
The rumours had already been circulating for weeks—claims of unstable development, excessive complexity, unreasonable manufacturing costs, development difficulty, and internal chaos.
Zaboru had expected Microsoft or Apple to benefit from those rumours eventually.
He had not expected Seamus Blackley to casually bring them onto an awards stage.
Seamus continued confidently, "ZAGE keeps everything secret. Nobody knows the real specifications. Nobody has seen the final hardware. Nobody knows the real development situation. So maybe everyone should stop assuming Zaboru Renkonan automatically wins just because he says 'ZEPS 4.'"
Zaboru slowly crossed his arms.
His grin returned.
Okay. Now this is interesting.
Seamus paced several steps across the stage. "Xbox is already here. HORI is already here. Xbox Online works. Our hardware is powerful. Project 8 is complete. Our development teams are expanding. Microsoft isn't entering this industry just to participate."
He pointed toward the giant Xbox logo.
"We're here to dominate it."
The Microsoft section cheered loudly.
Seamus waited for the applause to spread.
It did not.
He continued anyway.
"In 2003, ZAGE's domination of the video game industry ends."
The audience reacted immediately.
Some people booed.
Others laughed.
Several applauded simply because the statement was bold.
Zaboru's eyes widened.
"He really said it."
Seamus smiled confidently. "And then Microsoft's era begins."
He paused for several seconds, apparently expecting a dramatic response.
The booing became louder.
Seamus nodded solemnly.
"Thank you."
Then he bowed.
Not a quick bow.
A very long one.
Long enough that Zaboru started wondering whether he had forgotten he was still onstage.
Seamus finally stood upright, gave the audience a thumbs-up, turned around, and walked toward the exit.
Halfway there, he briefly stopped and pointed toward the Xbox logo behind him.
"Xbox is ROCX" he said proudly.
Then he left.
Zaboru stared at the empty stage then bit his lips so hard 'Xbox is ROCX? What the f*ck' even Hikaru Kurata's stern expressions are almost given away.
Silence.
The host slowly walked back out.
He looked toward where Seamus had disappeared.
Then toward the audience.
Then toward his cue cards.
The host took a deep breath.
"Well…"
Zaboru finally lost the battle.
He lowered his head and started laughing.
The people around him did the same.
Even Hikaru's mouth twitched slightly.
The host forced a professional smile. "Thank you very much to Microsoft and Mr. Blackley for… that presentation."
More laughter appeared around the hall.
The host immediately continued before anything else could happen. "And with that, ladies and gentlemen, the 2001 FAMICOM Game of the Year ceremony has officially concluded! Thank you to every developer, publisher, player, and guest who joined us tonight. We hope to see all of you again next year!"
The ending music began.
Zaboru remained seated for another few seconds, staring toward the stage.
His smile gradually weakened.
"What the hell?"
Hikaru glanced toward him. "You seem entertained."
"I am."
Zaboru looked toward the Microsoft section.
"But I genuinely don't understand what they're doing."
The Xbox presentation itself made sense.
Project 8 was important.
Eight development teams could address one of Microsoft's biggest weaknesses.
But insulting the GOTY winner, openly repeating rumours about ZEPS 4, and declaring that ZAGE's dominance would end in 2003?
That was not normal corporate messaging.
It almost felt intentionally provocative.
Zaboru rubbed his chin.
"Microsoft is planning something."
Hikaru replied calmly, "Obviously."
"Yeah, but this was too much."
Zaboru looked toward the stage again.
"Either Seamus completely lost his mind…"
He paused.
"…or somebody wanted him to look like that."
Far away from New York, Bill Gates was watching the ceremony live on television.
The moment Seamus finished the speech, Bill leaned back in his chair and smiled.
Exactly as planned.
Earlier that week, Bill had given Seamus a simple instruction.
Microsoft needed an antagonist.
Someone aggressive.
Someone who could say the things Bill himself did not want attached directly to his public image.
Someone capable of openly challenging ZAGE, insulting competitors, mocking award winners, and drawing anger toward himself.
Seamus had accepted.
Perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
Bill chuckled while watching the television.
"You really went all in, Seam."
He picked up the remote and replayed one section.
"Graphics. Badass. Multiplayer."
Bill stared at the screen.
Then slowly covered his mouth.
Even he needed several seconds.
"…Jesus Christ. "XBOX is ROCX huh?"
Still, it worked.
People were already talking about Microsoft.
Tomorrow, gaming magazines would discuss Project 8.
They would discuss HORI.
They would discuss Microsoft's challenge toward ZAGE.
They would discuss the rumours surrounding ZEPS 4.
And most importantly, when Bill Gates appeared publicly again, he could take a completely different position.
Calmer.
More reasonable.
More respectful.
Seamus would become the aggressive face.
Bill would become the friendly one.
The man who praised Zaboru's achievements while insisting Microsoft merely wanted healthy competition.
The angel standing beside Microsoft's newly created devil.
Bill smiled.
"Good."
He turned off the television.
Back in New York, Zaboru still had no idea what Microsoft was attempting.
But one thing was obvious.
The console war had stopped being subtle.
And somewhere inside Microsoft, somebody had apparently decided the best way to begin the next phase was by sending Seamus Blackley onto an awards stage and letting him declare war on the entire room.
Zaboru chuckled again.
"What the hell are these guys doing?"
To be continued.
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