Chapter 349: What’s Next?
Well, everything will surely fall into place, in due time.
As of current, Alexander just needed to do what he's always done.
Minding his own businesses.
Hence...
To the next order of business, as they.
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"To go, please." Alexander handed Dark Horse Presents for checkout.
Blending in was what he wanted, blend in he must. Even when he was heading out already.
"It's on the house." Mr. Counterboy smiled. Clearly, not playing along.
Alexander could only stare blankly at this non-cooperator. How was he supposed to subtly blend in now?
"Erm... there's no one close by, little boss, you're quite safe." Mr. Counterboy could only appease. The buy train rush had passed already, after all.
Alexander knew that but still. "So... what is it?"
"Where's little miss Milla, by the way?"
This was what Mr. Counterboy asked first. He was quite curious about the Take My Breathe Away girl and why she wasn't trailing the little boss now.
It was quite well-known for Creed employees that the two were a tandem. One not straying too far from the other.
"Like you, she isn't exactly much help with the blending-in part of this whole trip." Alexander stated the obvious. "Also, her black-white wig is no Superman-Kent glasses."
"Haha! Sorry about that." Mr. Counterboy could only turn awkward. Now that he thought more about it. Doesn't it make sense?
Fortunately, he had a true topic to discuss, so his awkward beating around the bush wouldn't be so awkward.
This was Mr. Counterboy's chance to talk to the man or boy in charge, so how could he miss it?
"Actually, little boss, I was wondering why isn't Creed Comics jumping in on the current craze?"
"Sales of other publications are through the roof as you might have known." He added. "I just kind of feel weirded out that I'm selling more of other people's titles than Creed titles."
"With unit releases still being limited, there's a lot to be missed out on?" It sure is quite out of place to question one's boss like this but he was a concerned employee.
He had been an employee before the whole entertainment corporation thing and while Creed was still shadily selling sex paraphernalia, after all. "Shouldn't it be time to be expanding issue production like the others?"
"It's fine." Alexander answered with just enough euphemism to get the point across. "I just know unnatural demand when I see one and restricting supply has always been Creed's go-to sales strategy."
"Got it." Mr. Counterboy nodded in understanding.
Well, he shot his shot and he also happened to realize where the little boss was getting at.
When he thought more on it, wasn't this current spike of buyers kind of weird?
It is the summer and he kind of figured that these new faces and increased traffic are because of that.
However, when he remembered their unnatural tendency of buying double and even multiple of the same issue, it sure is quite suspicious.
He was even usually asked about what was rare, special, or whatnot. Surely, something was amiss and it was in his face.
How could he have missed that?
Compared to the little boss that's just reading reports and only visiting now, how could an up close and personal counter boy like him only notice that now?
He even had the audacity to confront his little boss and superior about it. He was the boss and superior for a reason, wasn't he?
Well... ehem... that sure was something.
Fortunately, he still had another topic to discuss to hopefully clean his boss-questioning slate.
"Ehem... there's actually one other thing, little boss."
Counterboy, then, hurriedly grabbed a box he hid away for the situation and set it on top of the counter.
"I've sent a report to HQ about this but since you're here. I figure that I might as well tell you directly about it."
"A certain guy gave me a box and he was quite explicit about gaining your attention with it." Mr. Counterboy explained.
As for the box in question, it was actually none other than a Nintendo Entertainment System!
That sure did get Alexander's attention. "Does this mean that they're back to lobbying again?"
Quite the move from Nintendo.
"Yes, little boss." Mr. Counterboy nodded. "I heard they're not just lobbying here. They're also lobbying in other comic book stores. Also, I've told them that the Creed in this store's name is a conflict of interest but they just brought up that we're selling non-Creed merchandise as well. So..."
Well, this has always been a problem with the Creed Store but it would seem that Nintendo is ready to exploit it.
"That's interesting." Alexander was intrigued, to say the least.
Nintendo seems to be ramping up for something.
With how they went about it, this meant that they were quite prepared.
They're so ready that they're actually selling stuff on Creed's own turf. Even pervading to other comic book stores, the only spot where the Creed Chaos System and Creed GameKeys are available.
In great likelihood, they were probably quite serious about this.
Again, this is quite the move.
Even Alexander could only hum in thought about it.
Admittedly, he wasn't expecting this to happen. He was expecting the turbulence of comic books but not this.
While comic books going to be turbulent, the others were supposed to be on a relatively smooth sailing groove.
It would seem that he thought wrong.
He can't be blamed though.
With his direct jump to 16+bit, Alexander sort of expected that it would be quite a while before Nintendo could even try to catch up.
Coupled with 16-bit console designing...
Figuring out the magic behind the special leaderboards...
The ChaosWall...
And the interface updates/notifications per newly available game...
It all should have left them scratching their heads to craziness. Pushing them down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, ChaosLand rather.
Instead, they seem to be trying to brute force competition into the reviving video game market with what they have at hand.
The good old Nintendo Entertainment System.
Looking at the box before him, isn't the contents still a third-generation 8-bit console?
Nintendo sure is quite gutsy to think that their tech and video games can catch up to whatever Creed is offering.
"So, what do you think, little boss?" Mr. Counterboy sounded.
Well, Alexander wasn't really sure yet but he did have a guess. "It would seem that we have console war in our hands."
"Console war?!" Mr. Counterboy blinked hastily at that. "That doesn't sound good at all."
"It sort of isn't." Alexander wasn't too worried. He's actually more intrigued about why things were stacking up.
First, the comic book market.
Now, the video game industry.
What's next? Toys? Film? Animation? Even something like costumes wasn't exempted.
Still, that can be handled later, if it ever did come.
A console war was the next focus at hand, so console war it is.
Then again, Alexander remembered that that hadn't been coined as of yet.
Did the proper terminology even matter at this point?
Anyways, in this video game industry he's now a part of, a console war describes the competition between two or more video game console manufacturers.
Nintendo-Sega, Nintendo-Sony-Sega, Nintendo-Sony-Microsoft, and so on and so forth.
Each participant trying to achieve better consumer sales through more advanced console technology, an improved selection of video games, or just better general marketing for their products.
While console manufacturers are generally always trying to out-perform other manufacturers in sales... these console wars engage in more direct tactics.
Tactics like...
Comparing their offerings directly against their competitors.
Highlighting one's console more favorably compared to their competitors
Focusing on features that their competitors may lack.
Disparaging the competition in contrast to their own.
These were the marketing efforts that have tended to escalate more and more in back-and-forth pushes.
More often than not, in aggressive manners.
Suffice to say, it is sort of a bloodbath.
Before, Alexander was mostly the laidback spectator throughout these kinds of things.
Which now makes this recent turn of events pretty disconcerting.
He wondered how he'll fare, given that he was undeniably going to be at the forefront of it.
Of course, the real wonder is how Nintendo will even fare against him.
Alexander looked at the supposedly legendary NES box set at Mr. Counterboy's counter.
Legend, it sure was. Yet he really wasn't spotting any threat.
If anything, he could perceive crystal clear desperation from it.
With the Creed Chaos System's advantage, is there even going to be a console war at all?
Whatever the case, it would seem that in his long list of things to be done, this was next.