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Chapter 529: Showcase Reactions
🕑 Added 2025-07-20 03:32:32 +0000 UTC
Sunday, 10 September 1994
Just a day after the Microsoft Windows 94 showcase, it took the gaming community by storm. Gamers who normally didn’t care about Windows or tech news were surprised that Zaboru appeared there — and not just appeared, but casually promoted a new game, and the game looked seriously impressive! Many fans rewatched the replay of the showcase, especially the Diablo segment, which thrilled them and sparked excitement at local game shops. People were already calling it one of the most memorable game reveals of the decade.
It wasn’t just gamers from the USA who noticed — gamers from Europe and even Japan were excited too. In Europe, where the ZAGE market was still growing thanks to Risa Miller of Flocks handling distribution, people loved Diablo, especially its medieval, demon-filled setting. Word spread quickly,and players eagerly discussed strategies and character builds even before they got their hands on the game. They were eager to experience it firsthand, and PC gaming wasn’t a new thing to the European audience — if anything, Diablo felt like the game they’d been waiting for Knight , Magic and Demons it's always a thing for Europe.
In Japan, on the other hand — even though it was the home country of ZAGE and Zaboru — people hadn’t been fond of PC games before, mostly because PCs were seen as complicated to use and often lacked Japanese software versions. But after seeing Zaboru’s showcase of Diablo, many Japanese gamers were eager to buy a PC just to play it. Not just Diablo — Japanese gamers realized ZAGE had quietly released several PC games over the years that they had overlooked, and now they were eager to dive into PC gaming, not just stick to ZAGE consoles and handhelds. Some Japan PC stores quickly ran special features, new promotions, and word spread across arcades and game shops. Even with just one day of the Diablo and Windows 94 showcase, many Japanese gamers who could afford a PC rushed out to buy one, marking a sudden shift in the country’s gaming landscape.
As for ZAGE itself, Zaboru was officially releasing Diablo today. And the sales? They were insanely popular — especially in the US and Europe. Even on the first day, stocks ran out because the sales were so intense.
As for the Diablo game itself, Zaboru kept the story similar to his previous-life version, with the main setting still centered around the Tristram area. However, he obviously added improvements, such as including many features from what he remembered of Diablo 2 — like Magic Items (blue), Rare Items (yellow), and Set Items (green) drops, which enriched the loot system and made the gameplay feel more rewarding. Zaboru also tweaked many of the skills of the three original Diablo classes — Warrior, Sorcerer, and Rogue — adding more animations and expanding their skill arsenals to make combat more dynamic. As for item slots, runewords, and the Horadric Cube, Zaboru decided not to include these in Diablo 1 in this world, feeling they would overwhelm players at this stage. Instead, he planned to reserve the Runeword and Horadric Cube mechanics for Diablo 2 later, ensuring a smoother progression for the player base.
Meanwhile, at Sonaya’s USA office, Hikaru Kurata sighed deeply, fingers drumming on the armrest. Sonaya was just about to release its first-ever PC games this month, and of course, he already knew about Windows 94 well in advance. That’s why their first games were planned for Windows 94, hoping to ride the wave of excitement. Just a couple of days ago, he had been confident they could at least steal a few gamers from ZAGE’s PC sector — but now, after seeing the Diablo showcase and the public’s reaction, he wasn’t so sure.
“Damn Zaboru… how can he casually create a game genre out of thin air?” Hikaru Kurata leaned his head back and gripped his fists tightly, jaw clenched in frustration. “It’s not just once, or twice, or three times — this Zaboru always does this, every single time!”
He sighed and sipped his wine, relaxing a bit as he gazed out the window, the city lights reflecting faintly in the glass. “Whatever will be, will be. I can’t let Zaboru’s unfair abilities hinder Sonaya’s gaming division growth. Regardless of what happens, I’ll make sure Sonaya can at least become a threat to ZAGE.” Hikaru Kurata grinned to himself, a spark of determination flickering in his eyes. “You want the video game industry to flourish, right, Zaboru? Lucky for you — I’ll make it easier!” He leaned back, mind already racing with ideas, the weight of competition pressing on his shoulders but also igniting his ambition.
What made it worse was that Zaboru himself had said he loved Sonaya’s games and wanted other video game developers to make great games — a sentiment that sent a chill down Hikaru Kurata’s spine. How could a competitor say that so openly on live talk shows, like on Oprah? It wasn’t just for show, either — Kurata knew deep down that Zaboru wasn’t bluffing; he was entirely genuine, and that sincerity somehow made him even more formidable it make almost impossible to shift Soanaya fans to hate Zaboru.
Hikaru Kurata sighed. “He’s really bad at business… but a good developer. Maybe it’s his love for games that makes everything he does possible.” He ran a hand through his hair with a tired chuckle. “I bet most of ZAGE’s marketing or sales is handled by Zanichi. That guy has an insane mind too — and unlike his son, Zaboru, Zanichi is a great businessman.”
Kurata leaned back in his chair and sighed, then went to his PC and started up Harvest Moon — one of his favorites.
Meanwhile, at ZUSUGA HQ in Japan
Zukechi Zagashira watched the news about Windows 94 and Diablo but just snorted. “PC games? Who on earth plays games on PC!? PCs are for working — such dumbasses. They won’t survive in the future,” he scoffed, slouching back on the couch, flanked by two giggling women who clung to his arms. Zukechi grinned smugly, the dim light catching the gold on his wrist. “After August 30, nobody will be talking about ZAGE or Sonaya games anymore, because our console, ZUSUGA Gen 1, will be released! HAHAHA!” The girls chuckled, leaning closer as they poured him some wine, their laughter mingling with his booming voice as the television flickered in the background.
Meanwhile, Zaboru was still at ZAGE USA. Since it was a holiday, he was working alone — or at least, that was the plan. But to his surprise, Bill Gates had casually shown up at his office, saying he wanted to “hang out.” Bill now saw Zaboru as an equal, even as a friend, something that still felt slightly surreal to Zaboru. With a resigned sigh, he let Bill wander into his workshop at ZAGE USA. Unlike his workshop in Japan, there weren’t many secrets here, making it easier to relax — or at least, easier to pretend he was relaxed.
To be continue
AN : Sad thing about it is that the paragraph Zukechi said is really true among Japanese , Japanese just don’t get it the appeal of PC gaming honestly they hate PC in general because it reminds them of work. I myself are similar like that until in early 2000s there are new neighbors from Korea that moved to near my house and basically we become good friends and he told me that he gaming from PC which sounds really absurd for me back then , and then he invited me over his house to play game with his PC and boy i never know that PC had so many interesting game , he introduced me to Starcraft , Diablo , Counter Strike its really open my mind. I don’t know what the younger generation of Japanese thought about PCs but in my era atleast we really hated PCs. Lol.
