336 Influence

In mid-August 1996, Tora and Suzuki launched their latest handheld devices in the USA, extensively promoted through advertisements, billboards, and posters in public places, including train stations.

However, WalMark, the retail company, harbored doubts about the success of Tora and Suzuki's handhelds. The executives were aware of KiShin's "Gameboy Advance" and anticipated its release in the USA.

Despite this uncertainty, WalMark opted to distribute the Tora and Suzuki handhelds. Even if KiShin's "Gameboy Advance" eventually dominated the market, WalMark anticipated profitable returns from the handheld video game consoles by Tora and Suzuki.

Similar to the "TSX Fusion," WalMark distributed such a product, despite initial doubts about its popularity in KS1. Surprisingly, "TSX Fusion" achieved modest success in the market, with sales proving quite decent. In essence, despite KS1's dominance, WalMark still profited from "TSX Fusion" console sales.

WalMark attributed the success of "TSX Fusion" to the availability of pirated video games on the console compared to KS1, even though it's not the retail company's concern.

On another note, gamers who purchased Suzuki's handheld console, "GameMan," found it to be well-received despite its rectangular design. The controls were an improvement over Suzuki's previous handheld, boasting a wider screen with better brightness and impressive graphics.

The same sentiment applies to the Tora handheld console, which shares a similar design with the Suzuki handheld console.

The release of these two handheld consoles ignited discussions among gamers. Many enthusiasts compared their Tora and Suzuki handheld consoles, with some noting minimal differences in their performance.

However, avid Tora or Suzuki fans seemed oblivious to these nuances, firmly asserting the superiority of their chosen handheld console.

The handheld console discussion also found its way to the KiShin website.

Speaking of websites, KiShin, despite being extensively promoted with WorldCom in the states, had several reasons why its website stood ahead of others, even rivaling the popular Yahoo! in terms of popularity.

KiShin distinguished itself by having arguably the best website forum for discussion, coupled with a simple yet accessible design. While Tora and Suzuki also maintained their websites, they couldn't match the popularity of KiShin's website. This was primarily because KiShin essentially owned the core technology behind the World Wide Web (WWW), granting the company significant control over its website's performance and scalability. Imagine having direct access to servers, data centers, and network protocols, bypassing the limitations of external providers.

Even though KiShin was only a shareholder of WWW, it effectively owned the World Wide Web by holding 55% of the company's shares.

After acquiring 55%, KiShin refrained from acquiring any more shares to avoid potential backlash.

Being the major shareholder of WWW, KiShin's website was already at the forefront. Moreover, this position allowed KiShin to potentially influence the development of future web standards and protocols, giving their website a head start in adopting new technologies and features. This influence extended to shaping how website addresses work or optimizing data transfer methods.

However, exclusive control over WWW could trigger concerns about monopoly power and stifle innovation, potentially attracting negative publicity and regulatory scrutiny. The risk of facing accusations of manipulating the web for the company's benefit led KiShin to exercise caution and avoid excessive exploitation of this advantage.

Returning to the topic, in the KiShin Website US Forum, dozens of gamers engaged in daily posts discussing the latest handheld consoles.

However, some posts garnered attention.

Tooth_Fairy420: [Many people are hyping about the handheld consoles of Tora or Suzuki, but what about KiShin? I heard they have released their latest handheld console in Japan...]

RookiesCookies10 > Tooth_Fairy420: [They did! And it was said that the moment it was released, it immediately surpassed Suzuki's handheld console in sales!]

GokuXBulma > RookiesCookies10: [Yeah, and the design of KiShin's latest handheld was also considered superior to Suzuki's handheld too...]

Tooth_Fairy420 > GokuXBulma: [Really? Good thing I didn't buy Tora or Suzuki handheld consoles! I'll wait for KiShin's handheld release and buy it instead!]

Many similar posts discussing KiShin's latest handheld console surfaced during this period.

They didn't have to wait long. Just a few weeks after Tora and Suzuki introduced their latest handheld consoles in the USA, KiShin also unveiled their latest handheld console in the country.

It all began with the KiShin advertisement, featuring the booming voice of the announcer exuding the charisma of a stadium announcer: [Are you tired of bricks in your backpack? Is your 'GameMan' the size of your lunchbox? Then grab your thumbs and say hello to the future! Introducing, Gameboy Advance, the handheld revolution you have been waiting for!]

After the announcer lightly criticized the Suzuki handheld, the scene transitions to a montage featuring a young girl flipping open a Gameboy Advance, sunlight catching its iridescent shells. A skateboarder effortlessly maneuvers through a vibrant city on the screen. Kids huddle on a bus, lost in pixelated worlds, connected by laughter and the glow of the device.

[The Gameboy Advance folds like a dream, weighs less than a juice box, and packs a punch stronger than a sumo wrestler. No more batteries! Plug it in and play all day, from sunup to streetlights.]

Some gamers who watched the advertisement didn't even react before it finished; they immediately texted their friends about it. After just a few days, the hype around the Gameboy Advance seemed to surpass the handheld consoles of Tora and Suzuki, which had been in the USA market for a few weeks.

While some attributed it to the sleek design of the KiShin Gameboy Advance compared to others, many believed it was because KiShin held more influence in the video game industry, and people trusted that KiShin would meet their expectations.