Chapter 13: The Final Countdown to NexBox
Chapter 13: The Final Countdown to NexBox
📅 Date: April 1992
📍 Location: NexTech Studios, Seoul, South Korea
The gaming world was on fire.
With six months left until the NexBox launch, hype was at an all-time high.
✔ Over 1 million pre-orders worldwide—a record-breaking number.
✔ Investors were pouring billions into NexTech.
✔ Game developers were actively choosing NexTech over GameSphere.
But while the public saw an unstoppable empire rising, Jin Hoshino knew the war wasn't over yet.
Because GameSphere was about to make their final, desperate move.
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GameSphere's Last Stand: The NexBox Ban Attempt
📅 Date: April 10, 1992
📍 GameSphere Korea Headquarters
GameSphere's boardroom was dead silent.
CEO Park Jae-woo had just received a report.
📌 NexBox was projected to outsell GameSphere's console 3-to-1.
📌 Retailers were prioritizing NexBox over their console.
📌 Even longtime GameSphere partners were shifting to NexTech.
Jae-woo gritted his teeth.
"We can't beat NexBox in a fair fight."
A board member hesitated. "Then what do we do?"
Jae-woo exhaled slowly.
"We get NexBox banned before it can launch."
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The Government Lobbying Attack
✔ GameSphere secretly met with South Korean regulators.
✔ They claimed NexBox's CD-ROM drive violated foreign technology patents.
✔ They pressured the government to delay NexBox's production approval.
✔ If successful, NexTech would miss their October launch—and lose billions.
By April 15, the South Korean Trade Commission announced an "investigation" into NexBox's technology.
📢 BREAKING NEWS: NexBox Faces Potential Legal Delays!
For the first time in months, investors hesitated.
GameSphere's sabotage was working.
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Jin's Counterattack: A Political Power Move
📅 Date: April 17, 1992
📍 NexTech Studios, Seoul
Jin read the news calmly, sipping his tea.
His assistant, Choi Da-hyun, looked panicked.
"Boss, if this investigation isn't cleared soon, NexBox could be delayed indefinitely!"
Jin smirked. "They want to play politics? Fine. Let's remind them who they're dealing with."
📌 Step 1: Economic Pressure
✔ Jin met with South Korea's biggest electronics manufacturers (Samsung, LG, Daewon Group).
✔ They publicly declared NexBox as the future of Korean technology.
✔ Delaying NexBox now meant hurting South Korea's global reputation in tech.
📌 Step 2: International Influence
✔ Jin contacted Japanese and American gaming regulators.
✔ If South Korea blocked NexBox, he would shift production overseas—costing Korea billions in revenue.
✔ Foreign investors pressured the government to clear NexBox immediately.
📌 Step 3: Media Warfare
✔ Gaming journalists exposed GameSphere's lobbying tactics.
✔ Public opinion turned against GameSphere—calling them cowards.
✔ NexBox's popularity surged even higher.
By April 25, 1992, the South Korean Trade Commission ended the investigation.
📢 BREAKING NEWS: NexBox Cleared for October Release!
GameSphere had lost again.
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Finalizing GigaSearch: The Internet War Begins
📅 Date: May 1992
📍 NexTech Research Lab, Seoul
While the gaming industry celebrated, Jin was focused on his next move.
✔ GigaSearch's first prototype was complete.
✔ It could index and search websites instantly—a feature no other company had.
✔ The internet was about to become NexTech's next empire.
His lead engineer, Kim Seung-ho, stood beside him.
"Sir, GigaSearch is ready for internal testing. We can launch within the next six months."
Jin smiled. "Perfect. Let's change the world again."
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GameSphere's Final Move: The NexBox Killer
📅 Date: June 1992
📍 GameSphere Korea Headquarters
GameSphere's final hope rested on one thing—their own exclusive RPG.
📌 Codename: "Project Revenant"
✔ Designed to rival Eternal Blade.
✔ Targeting a December 1992 launch—after NexBox.
✔ If successful, it could pull gamers back to GameSphere.
But there was one major problem.
GameSphere was rushing development.
Jin sensed their desperation.
📌 His Next Move?
✔ Accelerate Eternal Blade's release to October.
✔ Launch it with NexBox as the first-ever bundled AAA RPG.
✔ Make sure GameSphere's rushed RPG looked outdated in comparison.
By June 15, 1992, NexBox had already won the war before it even launched.
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The Countdown to NexBox's Release Begins
📅 Date: July 1992
📍 NexTech Studios, Seoul
With just three months left until launch, NexBox was:
✔ Finalizing its first production batch (1.5 million units).
✔ Preparing a global marketing campaign.
✔ Setting up the biggest launch event in gaming history.
Jin stood in his office, overlooking the Seoul skyline.
GameSphere had thrown everything at him.
Sabotage. Bribery. Lawsuits. Dirty politics.
But now, all that remained was victory.
And Jin wasn't just launching a console.
He was launching his era.
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End of Chapter 13