Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 981: The Cool Overlord of Part-Time Workers

"Everyone, look! This is the legendary God of Games! I finally got a selfie with the Game God himself!"

Amid the crowd, an excited individual was livestreaming on his phone.

With his back to the stage, he made sure to leave just enough space in the frame to capture Takayuki standing on stage, with himself positioned beside him.

At that moment, his livestream was skyrocketing in viewership.

Unlike traditional media broadcasts, this kind of personal, on-the-ground streaming had a vivid, authentic quality that audiences found especially engaging.

Under the gaze of countless adoring fans, Takayuki remained composed.

After all, he was a man with decades of experience—long past the days of being overwhelmed by emotion.

Still, seeing so many players cheering for him made it impossible not to smile.

To a game developer, this was one of life's happiest moments: seeing so many people genuinely love your creations.

...

...

"Today is a special day—the world's first amusement park built just for gamers has been born! So I won't go on too long. All I want to say is: please enjoy this gaming paradise to the fullest. I hope each of you finds joy and happiness here!"

Takayuki, as always, wasn't much of a public speaker—especially at events like this.

It was just his personality.

He figured that if it were him down there in the heat, he wouldn't want to stand around listening to a long speech either.

Better to let the players go off and enjoy everything the park had to offer.

After all, it's called an amusement park—fun is the whole point.

Because of that, the Prime Minister of Japan found himself in a bit of an awkward spot.

He had originally planned to take the stage too.

It would have been a great opportunity to present a friendly, polished image.

But Takayuki didn't give him the chance.

Takayuki knew that having the Prime Minister step on stage would make things too political. The players wanted to see him, the God of Games—not the Prime Minister.

Sorry, Mr. Prime Minister... but the crowd doesn't know you like that.

If the Prime Minister had come up to speak, the mood might've taken a noticeable dip.

So Takayuki made the decision not to give him a speaking slot at all.

Still, the Prime Minister wasn't upset. The global rise in love for Japan's gaming and pop culture was already enough to make his administration shine.

Tourism projections estimated record growth year after year following this event.

And one should never underestimate the spending power of gamers.

The recent surge in microtransaction-heavy games—though Takayuki himself refused to make such titles—had proven just how deep gamers' wallets could go.

It turned out that many gamers were quietly sitting on surprising financial power.

And when they came across merch related to a game they loved? They didn't hesitate to spend.

After Takayuki's short speech, the park's programming resumed.

First up was a Super Mario medley concert, performed by a world-renowned orchestra.

By reputation, these performers weren't typically enthusiastic about video games—and the idea of performing outdoors during the hot summer only made things worse.

But... the pay Takayuki offered was simply too generous to refuse.

That said, the conductor himself had come to deeply respect video game music.

Many of today's most popular tunes originated from games, and even as someone who considered himself a classical musician, he recognized how game music had begun to permeate modern culture.

Failing to evolve with the times would only lead to irrelevance.

Some people loved classical music, others loved so-called "high art." But achieving harmony between high and low culture—that was the conductor's true artistic dream.

The medley lasted twenty full minutes and covered the main themes from nearly every Super Mario title and its spin-offs.

Because they were all top-tier musicians, the transitions between pieces were seamless, creating an unforgettable audiovisual experience for the audience.

The performance also incorporated traditional classical elements, giving Mario's familiar tunes a new sense of grandeur and weight.

"I can't believe it... Video game music can be this elegant?" frёewebηovel.cѳm

"Of course! This is a world-class orchestra. I never thought Gamestar Electronic Entertainment could afford to hire them—this must've cost a fortune."

"It really shows how much they care about us players. I swear, I'll buy every game they release from now on!"

"Forget the games—today, we're buying as much merch as we can!"

"Right! You reminded me—let's stock up on everything!"

"Come one, come all! Bowser's handcrafted Fire Ice Cream! Only 1,000 yen for a blast of cool and hot flavors in one bite!"

On the sidewalk, someone in a Bowser costume was working hard, preparing ice cream and handing it to each customer.

Occasionally, he would pause to take photos with guests.

Seeing Bowser dressed as a service worker scooping ice cream had a bizarre kind of charm.

"Bowser, can you do the fireball move? You know, the big breath?"

"Sorry, I can't."

"Then you're not the real Bowser! You're fake!"

"Boo hoo..."

Bowser squatted down in a corner, pretending to sulk. The exaggerated reaction made everyone around burst into laughter.

No one expected to see this side of him.

The kids were the happiest of all. Everything in the park was designed in a cartoonish style—perfect for their tastes.

To them, this was heaven on earth.

And kids' spending power? Terrifying.

"Dad, I want that Bowser shell backpack!"

"Hello, sir. That'll be 30,000 yen."

"Mom, I want a Piranha Plant donut!"

"Hello, ma'am. Just 5,000 yen for three!"

Outside the park, these items—without any Mario branding—would probably cost a fraction of the price.

But here, they were some of the hottest, fastest-selling items in the park.

Even a tiny keychain could sell for a hefty price if it had that Mario charm.