*Jormungandr* Wins the Nebula Award!
Thanks to Kobayashi Tetsu's deliberate publicity efforts, this news quickly made its way into newspapers and magazines.
Of course, just like some TV shows like to do, Kobayashi Tetsu only mentioned the Nebula Award without specifying the exact category.
At Shimayose Game Store, Shimayose Yosuke leaned back in his fisherman's chair, squinting at the small print in the newspaper.
As people age, their eyesight inevitably weakens, requiring careful focus to clearly make out the ink on the page.
"Jormungandr won the Nebula Award? Ay, that's amazing!" Shimayose Yosuke clicked his tongue in admiration, casually explaining to the regular players around him, "The Nebula Award is voted on by the Science Fiction Convention. It's the most prestigious science fiction award in Japan."
This announcement stirred a buzz among the crowd.
"That impressive?"
"Games can win awards too?"
"Let me see—"
Shimayose Yosuke squinted again, struggling to decipher the text.
"It's not the game—it's the anime. The Jormungandr anime that aired."
Quite a few people had watched the anime. It had been part of a successful multimedia marketing campaign that included the game, anime, and merchandise, though the game had become more famous than the anime.
After a moment's contemplation, the players nodded in understanding.
The animation was indeed top-notch!
As they chatted, a new face entered the game store.
"Hello, do you sell Atlas games here?" the newcomer asked cautiously. "I'm looking for a copy of *Jormungandr*."
The group was momentarily stunned, but quickly realized what was being asked. "Oh, you mean a *Jormungandr* cartridge? I'm afraid we don't have any in stock."
The game had been on the market for over a year, nearing the end of its life cycle, and had already sold over a million copies. By this point, most stores no longer carried stock and required pre-orders.
Even Renjima Yosuke, the owner, was out of stock.
Seeing the customer about to leave disappointed, Shimayose Yosuke quickly called out, "Wait! If you don't mind a used cartridge, we have a demo copy here. I'll give it to you at a discount—how about 3,400 yen?"
The original packaging was still intact. When the cartridge was placed back in the box, it looked almost as good as new.
The customer hesitated, then shook his head.
*Forget it! He'd rather spend the money on a new one!*
After all, he wasn't a gamer. As a science fiction enthusiast, he'd simply heard that the series had a game and wanted to add it to his collection.
Shimayose Yosuke sighed.
*It's been over a year since release—where am I supposed to find a new cartridge in stock?!*
***
*Akihabara Electric Town*
***
The world's first Atlas offline experience store had officially opened.
Of course, even in Japan, it was the only one of its kind.
Hideo Kojima stood before the store, arms crossed, looking quite pleased with himself.
All his recent hard work hadn't been in vain. He'd nearly spent the entire two million yen budget allocated by Kobayashi Tetsu. To attract customers, he'd even rented two balloon characters to dance and wave at the entrance.
The game store's interior was simple, but Kojima had deliberately used warm tones in the decor and selected comfortable seating. After all, this was a place for experiencing games, not selling them. He believed it was crucial to create an inviting atmosphere—a place where people could enjoy the games without spending a cent.
And indeed, on the opening day, people came to the store specifically for these experiences. They could spend the whole day there, playing games for free—a truly excellent choice.
The store also housed several arcade machines, all featuring ported games. However, Atlas had personally overseen only one port: *Dr. Mario*. For the others, they'd licensed the work to Sega, content to collect royalties without getting their hands dirty.
"Ah, if only we could attract more people," Kojima mused, still pondering potential promotional events. Suddenly, a new face walked in—a young man.
"Hello," the young man asked cautiously, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Do you have *Jormungandr* here? I need it in stock, not on preorder, and preferably new! I don't care how much it costs!"
"Oh? You mean the *Jormungandr* cartridge?" Hideo Kojima sprang to his feet.
*Some people have all the luck.*
He sized up the eager young man, who had immediately offered to pay extra. This fellow was clearly well-off and in a hurry.
"Come this way. We have more than just cartridges—game consoles, accessories, everything you could want. You can even try them out before you buy. Oh, and I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Hideo Kojima, the manager of this experience store. We're the first authorized *Atlas* game experience store, licensed by *Atlas* itself."
The young man paid no attention to the spiel. He was simply staring in wonder at the array of items before him, including the coveted cartridge he'd come for.
There really was stock available.
Seeing the customer about to leave after paying, Kojima called out, "Wait! Why not take a console home to try it out?"
The customer shook his head vigorously. "No need. I don't play games. I just heard *Jormungandr* won the Nebula Award, so I'm buying the game to add to my collection."
Kojima: *!! If you just look and don't buy, I'll beat you!*
Hideo Kojima pushed up his glasses, and for a moment, a cold glint flashed in the lenses, like something straight out of an anime villain's eyes.
"So it's a collectible, then? That's fine. You don't need to buy the game console, but why not get another cartridge?"
"Uh, I don't think I need another one."
The customer instinctively refused, but Kojima pressed on: "Here's the thing. Your collectible must be quite valuable, right? You need to keep it in pristine condition, without even opening the packaging. But what if a friend comes over and wants to see it? Or what if guests visit—oh no, maybe even a child! With greasy hands from eating snacks, they might suddenly reach out and smudge it. Oh no!"
Kojima covered his face dramatically, his expression exaggerated. "It'll be ruined!"
The young customer paled, almost able to visualize the scene.
"That's why I think you should buy two cartridges—one for collecting, and one for displaying."
Kojima gave a thumbs-up.
The customer took a deep breath. "Alright, then... give me another one."
Kojima held the game case, but instead of handing it over, he wore a look that clearly said, "I'm doing this for your own good."
"Listen, young man," Hideo Kojima coaxed his hapless customer, "this is a game that won the Nebula Award, a mega-hit with over a million copies sold, and a game that Kadokawa Game Magazine rates as a masterpiece. I know you don't usually play games, but wouldn't you like to try it out?"
"Don't worry, you don't have to buy it right now. You can try it here first. If you like it, you can always buy your own console to play it on later. I recommend the MS Console. Many SG cartridges, including *Jormungandr*, are compatible with it. Plus, you can play *Sonic the Hedgehog*, the game that blew up in the US last month! It's a game that even stunned Americans—something truly astonishing! Don't you want to give it a go?"
The poor customer, completely under Kojima's spell, found himself sitting in front of the TV, playing the game for a while.
The young man, who had never played games before, was so engrossed that after just fifteen minutes, he eagerly slapped the counter.
"I want an MS Console!"
"And the games that come with it! And a light gun! It's only a few tens of thousands of yen—just buy it! Buy it and be done with it!"
And he wanted three copies of the *Jormungandr* cartridge!
One for collection, one for display, and one to play himself!
Now *that's* how you collect!
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