Chapter 414: To The Arcades!
As for what to look forward to... there's plenty.
Plenty more than 11 video games and 11 folders, that's for sure.
Come to think of it, that number sure is quite specific. Some would might even attribute that as suspiciously symbolic.
For it did line up with his current age, as if intentional.
Just a peculiar phenomenon to be observed because it wasn't even planned.
Not that that's anything concrete since a 12th game is looming soon but not so sooner than his 12th birthday.
Second 12th birthday... with plenty of implications.
Yet it's not something that Alexander didn't want to sink too much into. Especially when there are other things to sink and think about.
His refresher course on this video game endeavor had just kicked in... and he needed to find out where he was moving on from here.
Part of that process is taking into account his ability to handle it. All these projects so far were no joke. Much more so when going beyond that.
Making it rather fortunate that the Creed/Chaos Game Engine had that all-rounded niftiness to it. Together with a sneaky source code that should help breeze things along.... as things get more and more complex.
Alexander just needed to make sure that the human element could be up to par.
With that covered, hopefully, his employed and going-to-be-employed GameDevs are up for it.
Of course, game development was not the only development that was happening.
With the way things are, Alexander wasn't far off when he started weighing the pros and cons of that...
That silly idea from yesteryear... where kids and confused gamers alike can call for gaming tips and tricks.
Alexander's read-through on Miss Marker's compilations already got him clued in on the questions most likely to be asked.
How exactly do you get a full Tetris in Tetris?
Are there cheat trajectories in Cat vsv Dog?
Does Dino Jump ever end?
Can this frustrating Flappy Birds be made simple?
How do you get to the next zone in Sonic?
How do you defeat this tricky Robot Master?
What's the point of Benjamin going through all these random enemy encounters?
Can Samus' Power Suit unrevealing be more raunchy?
And... instead of just answering one very simple question about Legend of Zelda, people would want a list of the treasures in all of the dungeons... and just general directions on where to go...
Plagued with these... this is when Nintendo decided that a Nintendo Power Hotline would become pivotal.
Launched around 1987, if a player encountered problems beating a video game, they could call the hotline and get advice from what Nintendo called a gameplay counselor.
Basically, people that showed up in an interview, attended seminars, and billed as video game "experts".
For some kids, gameplay counselors were heroes. They were literally people who got paid to play video games all day. What kid wouldn't envy that?
For others, counselors were the first people in their lives to talk seriously with them about games.
For many counselors themselves, the call center launched their careers – both within and outside of Nintendo.
It was effectively a call center... for players and gaming.
In a sense, these counselors are sort of the 80s equivalent of gaming Youtubers and streamers.
However, it was also so much more than that.
By the time the hotline was shut down in 2005, it had helped millions. Taking in and tackling thousand of questions almost every single day.
It became a part of video game history, fondly remembered decades later by children that called.
Then again, Alexander found this option to be quite problematic. Boiling down to horrific phone bills and the lack of universality to this supposed solution.
If anything, he found another Nintendo endeavor that worked better... and one only had to take the 'Hotline' out of it.
Leaving behind Nintendo Power.
Although a key tagline that was crushed by his own Chaos... there's no denying that it was a premier video gaming magazine.
Ditching the suicide hotline-esque method and going with a printed publication wouldn't be as fleeting as a worded advice from a costly phone call.
Much much better in Alexander's opinion. Besides, a Creed-centric informative publication would really be something, wouldn't it?
Critical reviews, relevant news, easter eggs, random details of most in-game characters and locations, cheat codes only available upon purchase, how-tos, the what-not-tos, and so on and so forth.
It really would be something but it's a tentative decision that may have to be put off for now.
He's gotten off-track with what was really really of relevance this January. Which brings up a topic that made him somewhat sigh. "Not all of them are really viable, are they?"
His secretary happens to be the only person that can respond to him and respond she did. "Is something the matter, little boss?"
"It's nothing much." Alexander just felt that it was a shame that not all his games were suitable for where they were headed next. "However, with regards to that nothing, how exactly is our progress with regards to those machines?"
"It's being done as we speak." Miss Consigliere was knowledgeable enough to know what he meant. "Not exactly to the T but I've been told that the units have been sent off as requested by those that have pre-ordered."
"I'll take that as good news then." He said.
For as long-winded as it had been, they've finally gotten to it.
He started with the coin-op introduced Tetris for a reason... and he just had to trickle from there as he read the reports about the arcade viability of the rest.
It is only logical, after all.
After home consoles... it was only a matter of time to really take to the arcades!
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And take to the arcades was what Creed Games did...
It didn't even take long for the niche nerd community, especially video game enthusiasts, to know about it.
For a while now, Tetris had been entrenched in this alternate market.
It was quite popular, all the while running solo.
Lofty and lonely, this Creed offering was.
That status quo had changed, it would seem.
It wasn't just novelty Tetris anymore as the rest of its acclaimed pals are here. Fortunately, not all of them.
As a start, there was Flappy Birds. An arcade version... with the flapping bird selection and in-game coin accumulation... but of the real coin-digesting kind as well.
Gosh! The cents they'll burn as people compete for the localized top spot in rankings.
As for awe-inducing... there was a truly special machine for Top Gun. The seat and monitor design... the pilot-esque joystick and buttons to push... they really call for people to take Flight and Fight.
With such a kitted-out cabinet together with its compelling story mode... it's clearly built to compete with an arcade favorite like Space Harrier.
As if that wasn't enough... Creed Games wasn't about to be shy when offering their popular runner and run-and-gunners as arcade selections as well.
The attractive blues of Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man were particularly complementary.
Having their arcade cabinets placed side by side was a testament that made that more apparent.
Not to be left behind was the alien and futuristic hue of Metroid... and the commando vibe of the supposedly scandal-laced Contra.
For obvious and not-so-obvious reasons... there was the notable lack of games like Legend of Zelda, Mystic Quest, Cat vsv Dog, and Dino Jump.
Even though it was curious why they didn't go with the full force... there was no doubt that this rising game company had an agenda!
From Chuck E. Cheese... to Dave and Busters... to local arcades... to mall arcades and the like.
What better way to make their games known than making them available en masse through these public hangouts?
Without a doubt, they were making their presence known.
Scarily so... they were also pandering to the thrifty and less fortunate.
After all, it's no secret that procuring Creed Chaos Systems is an incrementally costly investment.
Starting out with 200 dollars and with the follow-up 30-40 dollar selections after those... it really gets expensive.
Who could've expected that they were out to get spare change as well?
Not such an absurd notion, given that they've already fixed the damages from the market crash of '83.
What's stopping them from aiming for the mythical achievement during the golden age of arcades?
Surpassing the 7 billion dollars of quarters from the arcades of 1981!
In any case, they can't be too sure as their guesses as to what's what was just that... guesses.
However, there was one thing that many were sure of.
And that was that they were going...
At some point or sooner or later...
To the arcades!
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Of course, Alexander wasn't that omniscient to know all about the turn of events that was happening as they speak.
Yet he had a feeling that things are progressing as expected.
Miss Consigliere had concerns though. "I know it's not my place, little boss, but didn't you plan for an arcade and pizzeria? Wouldn't it be a concern to supply a competition like Chuck E. Cheese?"
"That's pretty valid actually." Alexander, on the other hand, was at ease. "It's just that I'm not set out to compete with that mascot of a mouse. Pizza Planet is set up for another thing entirely, so it's not too conflicting as you think. But now that you mention it... how's progress on that end?"
To which, the secretary slash assistant answered as asked. "Well... it's been a wreck for a few months but from what I hear, they're on the way to fixing it up which should be right on schedule."
Alexander nodded at that... but he can't help but be in thought...
About wrecks and fixing.
It reminded him of a certain games, to be made and will go...
Obviously, to the arcades!
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On a separate note, Mr. Counterboy can't help but sigh... looking at the wreck before him.
From Creed Toys... to Creed Store... and Pizza Planet soon enough... he really was attached.
This area had been quite a journey for him.
Even though his operations have been temporarily moved elsewhere, he still wanted to check on in, from time to time.
Something that his property fixer of a cousin had to point out. "Come on, Carl, you know me, so rest assured as this place is in good hands."
"Knowing you all the more makes me worried, Eugene." Carl or "Mr. Counterboy" countered.
Eugene just shrugged it off. "Amongst our relatives, I'm the most dependable, you know."
"If anything, you're the most shady one. Grandma was really grieving when she found out you were selling those questionable stuff." Eugene grinned as he reminisced. "To think that after your boss ditched all that for pure geek retail... here you are now... set to be the manager of this hybrid store we're fixing up. You really moved up, huh?"
Mr. Counterboy just sighed again. "Then you should understand why I regularly drop by, right?"
"Yeah yeah." Eugene took it at face value. "I can't really blame you for being attached to quite the prime spot though. If I ever get rich, maybe I'll buy this from your boss and turn it into something else. I'll even do it in honor of you."
"You make it sound like I'm dead. Just honor your fellow Hackmans or something." Carl humored the guy.
Not that anything will result from it.
This ambitious cousin is just a minor contractor, not some major property developer.
Instead of being rich, he had a better chance of transforming from lean to chubby and fat.
Also, the little boss would have grown up by then. How could one even have a chance against someone terrifying like that?
As his mom had said, cousin Eugene Hackman sure can dream but that's nothing against a nightmare.