Chapter 302: The Creed Play Train
Yes. Alexander was going to work on games.
More specifically on video games.
After all, he wasn't in it to make games that would be added alongside the likes of tetherball, hopscotch, and footbag.
What he wanted was to be a part of video games, gamers, and gaming and to have the Creed influence be known in all of this.
Alexander always has this mentality when entering a new field of entertainment and it was not much different this time around.
1986 may not be the perfect time to start but he was going to make it the perfect year to introduce the world to Creed Games.
As for what the first Creed Game will be...
Well, it was scheduled to make waves this January!
As for how it's going to make its waves...
It was simply through the same methods that Creed-related properties always employ- the comic book industry!
After all, comic book fans and comic book stores have never failed Creed yet.
Instead of appealing to established gaming structures, going with a familiar market and audience is a smart way to go about it.
Besides an established gaming industry may not even exist at all. Making the comic book industry angle a more strategic move.
There's no doubt that the 1983 gaming crash still haunts the market to this day.
Arcades were a downer compared to how they had been. It may be bustling but not really. Even Dave and Buster's and other arcade-based business franchises were not looking up.
As for computer gaming, well... computers and games aren't that much of a hit yet. Starting with that route wouldn't do much.
All the while, Nintendo is still trying hard to revive the North American gaming industry with its NES. Their console also has harsh licensing agreements and it was just good to stay away from them.
Historical accounts do say that 1985 is when the gaming industry rose again but even now in 1986, it is still barely picking up its pieces. Hence, the debuting Creed Games had to improvise.
Fortunately, there was a strengthened and established industry that the Creed brand is thriving in... and they could humbly start from there.
After all, there's no place like home. There's also no market like the one you're currently dominating at.
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With that said, the comic book market for January did go on.
Of course, it can't be denied that the vestiges of December's specialties haven't worn off yet.
The Creed products of the Christmas season are still flying off the shelves as the toys and Volume Books are expected to still be in high demand for the following months.
The so-called Creed Buy Train that always forms day after day is a clear indicator of that.
Then again, Creed Comics' scheduled and serialized releases of their popular comic titles are also to blame for that.
Although their distinctive content may have its controversies and downsides, there's no denying that the appeal of the ongoing Dragonball, TMNT, ThunderCats, The Cybertronian Chronicles, RoboCop, Jojo's Bizarre Adventures, Watchmen, and even Ace Attorney are still incredibly high.
It has so many upsides and continuing intrigue to have lost its luster in the eyes of its audiences.
Of course, such invested support doesn't just fall to the strength of the stories. It also has something to do with the Creed Survey Train.
People are invested because they felt that their concerns are being heard and their votes are contributing to the story as well.
Some have doubts about this Creed Survey... like how exactly is it being used by Creed Comics or how effective it really is. However, it can't be denied that it felt gratifying for fans to be able to participate or be heard.
Especially, when there's the dynamic and weekly popularity poll that comes along from it.
Those ranked crowns with the rise and fall of different characters had always intrigued the comic book industry. The results are even translated into beautiful poster pictures that are always a treat to the eyes.
Aside from being visually pleasing, it also seems to develop into debates though.
Fans of this character want that while fans of that character want this. The Comic's Buyers Guide and other comic publications are even adding fuel to the fire to this.
The ranking results could be considered to be another Creed Train... but the messy crowd that it forms had invalidated it from that status.
This ultimately facilitated a divisive but impassioned comic community that feels invested some more. Creed Comics' strategy was simple but profound in this one.
Anyways, it had to be noted that the gold crown winner of the last 1985 week popularity poll was not Bulma... but a skelly-framed T-600.
Special Creed crossover issues may have long been sold out but the expectations built by 'Terminator versus RoboCop versus Predator' was lingering.
Even the revealed premise when Doc Brown and Marty traveled to the Skynet-dominated future was extremely exciting.
All this added up and the potential of this new Creed Comic title, characters, and the story was very high!
It is so high that everyone that visited the comic book store's this January was looking out for this teased Terminator story.
Creed Comics had teased Terminator up so much and people were left expectant of anything. They were even expecting the hiatus-ed Alexander Creed to most likely come back to his creatively crazy and title-producing streak once again!
The high expectations were great but it was unfortunate that they were going to be disappointed.
Creed Comics did not have any major January movements like a Terminator comic book release at all.
It was just the usual issue release, survey answering, poster viewing, volume book selection, and toy craze like last month.
No news and hubbub on Terminator and that was incredibly disappointing to many.
Of course, it also wasn't the usual at all.
One look at their comic book store's dynamic and they can find that there was a new clique forming.
The disappointment from the lack of the T-600 was set aside as their intrigue and curiosity were piqued.
What was this new huddle about? Did Marvel, DC, or other publishers do something refreshing that made them stand out from their Creed-dominated rut?
It was hard for the latecomers to get their answer though. The early people had long grouped up and formed a blockade that was hard to overcome.
However, an interesting tune was being played and could easily be heard.
That made the intrigued latecomers all the more curious.
What was that sound about? They asked around, but everyone at the edge of the huddled blockade wasn't so sure as well.
All the while, everyone near the source was so caught up in the excitement and shock of what they were seeing that they were just trying to one-up each other for who goes next.
Eventually, it got so worse that the curious latecomers became part of the blockading huddle themselves and their crowding just worsened as time passed.
It got so chaotic with all the unanswered questions and unclear answers.
It also got chaotic ahead with all the excitement and applause to whatever they're applauding about.
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The chaos inadvertently forced the store representatives to intervene and ask everyone to line up to be in order.
After all that, people did have a name for the orderly line that formed up.
From the Creed Buy Train, the Creed Survey Train, and the Creed display crowdings before it... the whole thing became the Creed Play Train.
Why was specifically called the Creed Play Train though?
Well... it did have something to do with the fact that everyone lining up in this new Creed Train was looking to play.
Of course, this playing phenomenon didn't happen at every comic book store but it did happen to those comic book stores that had this certain arcade cabinet.
As it turns out, the whole huddled hubbub and chaos were just because of an arcade cabinet!
To think that it was just because of an arcade cabinet that housed some game that people can play with.
Then again, it wasn't just any arcade or any game.
It was a cabinet and game that had Creed plastered all over it.
Creed Comics may have disappointed people with the absence of Terminator but Creed Games all the more made up for it.
The Creed Play Train was one thing but the game being played was on a whole other level. It even had levels!
As for what this game was called... well... it had a simple 6-letter name and that name was Tetris!