On the manufacturer's side, Takuya Nakayama noticed that Kazumasa Kozuki was absent from the venue.
The Konami team sat in a row, but their President had not come to Los Angeles. This was perfectly in character for Kozuki—he only cared about results, not ceremony.
The moment the Konami team stepped off the stage, staff members efficiently replaced the nameplates.
The two large screens went black for two seconds before displaying a logo familiar to all North American gamers: EA, Electronic Arts.
This California-based giant from Redwood City, California, presented a stark contrast to the Japanese companies.
The speaker was EA's Vice President of Product Lines, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie. He launched into a standard Californian English, speaking rapidly and packing his sentences with business value.
"EA is presenting four titles today. First, and our most important product this year."
The moment the screens lit up, the front row leaned forward in anticipation.
A Lamborghini Diablo roared out of a tunnel, its engine sound blasting through the speakers and filling the entire exhibition hall.
The scene shifted to a Ferrari 512TR taking a corner on a coastal highway, its tires scraping the shoulder and kicking up a shower of gravel.
Next came the Dodge Viper, then the Porsche 911—one after another, all cars that had graced the covers of car magazines back in the day.
Need for Speed.
"This game was jointly developed by EA and Road & Track magazine, featuring top-tier sports cars from Europe, the United States, and Japan. Every vehicle's performance parameters have been professionally calibrated by the Road & Track editorial team."
The audience's reaction was far more enthusiastic than during the Konami presentation.
The racing genre had a natural following in North America, and the Road & Track brand added another layer of appeal. For many Americans, the magazine's authority in the automotive world was roughly equivalent to Famitsu's status in the Japanese gaming community.
"The launch platform will be the 3DO."
As soon as this was announced, several journalists in the media area exchanged glances.
3DO.
Matsushita's "premium machine," priced at $699.
Its sales had always been lukewarm, but everyone in the industry knew the close relationship between EA and 3DO. After Trip Hawkins left EA to found 3DO, the umbilical cord between the two companies had never truly been severed.
EA's investment in 3DO development resources was far greater than what the machine's market share warranted.
"It will subsequently launch on PlayStation, Jupiter, and PC."
A Sony staff member seated in the back of the manufacturer's section leaned over to his colleague and murmured something. The colleague nodded.
At Sega, Oguchi Hisao jotted down a note in his notebook.
EA's willingness to port to Jupiter spoke volumes.
Last year, before Jupiter's release, EA's stance had still been wavering. Now, by actively labeling their flagship product as a Jupiter platform title, they were essentially voting with their feet.
The racing game demonstration continued on the screen. With each new car model displayed, murmurs of car names rippled through the audience.
A Popular Mechanics reporter seated by the aisle even pulled out his camera and snapped several photos of the screen.
The racing demo concluded, and the pace quickened.
The next two titles were for the PC platform.
Beasts & Bumpkins, a real-time strategy game already released on PC in April, was showcased with gameplay footage. The medieval setting, blending base-building with combat, featured graphics that were considered above average for PC games of the era.
The audience reaction was lukewarm, with only scattered applause. After all, the game was already available, so there was little novelty.
Next came Iron Crusaders, slated for release on PC in August.
This action game, with its gritty aesthetic, was set during the Crusades.
The screen flashed with combat scenes—clashing swords, desert marches. The developer spoke briefly about the design philosophy, while most of the audience bent their heads to flip through their handouts.
The combined presentation of these two PC titles lasted less than three minutes.
EA's executives knew perfectly well what truly mattered in Los Angeles.
"Last but not least," the vice president's tone perked up again.
The NBA logo appeared on screen, followed by the gleaming reflection of a basketball court and the squeak of sneakers on the floor.
NBA Live 96. Scheduled for a multi-platform release by year-end.
The crowd erupted.
The appeal of basketball in North America was undeniable, especially with Jordan's recent announcement of his comeback. The entire continent was buzzing with basketball fever.
The player models in the game were noticeably more detailed than in the previous installment, and the transitions between dribbling and crossing over were much smoother. The slow-motion replays of shots drew a chorus of whistles.
"Supports Season Mode, a trade system, and a complete NBA player database."
In the back row, a portly man wearing a green press pass slapped his thigh and turned to his neighbor. "If this drops during the Christmas season, it'll sell like hotcakes in North America alone."
EA's press conference was swift and to the point, lasting a total of just ten minutes.
There were no emotional appeals, no grand visions—just a straightforward, three-pronged assault of product, platform, and release date. Then, they wrapped it up.
That was EA's style.
In the audience, distributors flipped through their data sheets, calculating their inventory orders.
In a corner, Takuya Nakayama scanned the EA exhibition list from beginning to end.
Four titles: Need for Speed as their new flagship product, NBA Live 96 as their cash cow, and two PC games to round out the lineup.
A classic EA strategy—something for everyone.
EA didn't understand loyalty; it simply followed the users.
If 3DO offered an exclusive window, they launched there first. If PlayStation and Jupiter both had large installed bases, they developed for both.
This purely commercial logic was a world apart from the tangled webs of personal relationships that defined Japanese companies.
The staff on stage had already switched to the next company's nameplate.
The red-and-white Nintendo logo was projected onto the large screen.
Ten o'clock sharp.
This time, Shigeru Miyamoto himself took the stage.
Having just finished his opening remarks, he changed into a deep crimson Polo shirt, looking refreshed and energetic.
The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause once more.
"I've said enough serious things. Now, let me tell you something fun." The translator kept up, and laughter rippled through the crowd.
The first game demonstrated was Mario's Picross for the Game Boy.
The screen showed a number logic puzzle, with Mario wielding a hammer as he tapped away at the grid.
In Japan, this type of picture logic puzzle is called Picross. The gameplay isn't complicated, but it has an addictive, almost hypnotic quality that makes it impossible to put down.
Shigeru Miyamoto live-demonstrated a level on stage. After filling in the final square, a mushroom pattern emerged on the screen.
"Anyone can play, and anyone will get hooked," Miyamoto said, raising the Game Boy and giving it a little shake.
The applause wasn't thunderous, but it was warm and friendly.
Next up was Super Donkey Kong GB, also for the Game Boy.
The game's graphics were already pushing the limits of handheld technology. Pre-rendered character models, compressed for the tiny screen, still maintained their recognizability.
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