Tuesday 15 January 1998
It was already night, around 7:00 PM, as Zaboru stepped out of the ZAGE campus in Silicon Valley, looking for something to eat — his usual routine whenever work stretched late into the evening. He wore his typical night disguise: a wig, fake moustache, and glasses. It wasn't high tech, but it kept him anonymous enough to move through the city without drawing attention. He hopped onto his trusty steed The Night Wanderer — his custom-built bike, reliable and smooth, with just the right weight and grip for weaving through traffic.
As he pedaled along the quiet streets, the cool air brushing past him, his thoughts drifted to his travel schedule. Tomorrow night, he'd be flying back to Japan. Most of his work at ZAGE's U.S. office was nearly done — a few sign-offs, a couple of internal reviews, then he'd be back on a plane. But tonight, he just wanted good food and a few minutes to unwind.
He rode past several electronics stores lined up along the block. That's when he noticed the repeated banners in the windows: "SFG" — Sonaya Football Game. The bold cover art showed Brazilian football star Romário mid-dribble, maneuvering past three defenders with perfect form. It was eye-catching.
Zaboru chuckled to himself. "Heh. They're really going all in," he said, taking a bite from the hotdog he had just picked up at a street stand. Balancing it casually while steering the bike, he chewed and glanced back at the banner.
Zaboru chuckled to himself. "Still, why are they using the word 'football' here? In America, 'football' usually means the one with helmets and touchdowns, not soccer. Are they just ignoring the U.S. market entirely, or do they really not care how it's received here?"
"Still… I'm kind of curious how their football game turned out," he muttered thoughtfully. "The way they're marketing it, it has to be decent. And Sonaya's using a 32-bit console, so it should feel like one of those old PS1 football games I used to play in my previous life, right?"
He took another bite, chewing slowly as his mind wandered back to those old console days — simple graphics, clunky controls, but loads of fun. In this timeline, though, everything was slightly different. Faster tech, ZAGE domination, but still... echoes of familiarity.
He tossed the empty hotdog wrapper into a street bin and kept pedaling slowly, eyeing the banner one last time. A smirk played on his lips. Something about this game told him it wasn't just another sports title — it was Sonaya's declaration of war.
Not long after, one of the large TVs mounted in the electronics store window lit up, displaying the bold Sonaya logo. It was the unmistakable cue for a new trailer. Zaboru's eyes widened with interest. "Hmm? A new trailer? I guess I've got time — I'm pretty curious, heheheh," he muttered to himself.
He quickly parked his bike, the Night Wanderer, just off to the side. It was loaded with several bags filled with an absurd amount of food — his late-night haul — but he didn't mind leaving it for a few minutes. Joining a small crowd that had started to gather in front of the store, he found a spot with a good view of the screen.
Of course, Zaboru was still in full disguise: his wig slightly askew, fake moustache firmly in place, and round glasses hiding most of his face. No one paid him any attention. Just another curious passerby stopping to watch the trailer like everyone else.
Meanwhile, the trailer began with a cinematic sweep of a roaring football stadium, packed to the brim with fans waving flags and chanting in unison. The camera moved smoothly across the pitch, capturing the raw energy of the crowd before zooming in on Romário, the Brazilian football stars. He was shown masterfully dribbling the ball, weaving through five defenders with effortless control before launching a powerful shot into the back of the net. The crowd erupted in cheers as the screen cut dramatically to black.
Then, it shifted into gameplay footage. Just as Zaboru had predicted, the graphics were reminiscent of the Winning Eleven series on the PlayStation from his previous life — clean polygon character models, detailed stadiums, and surprisingly fluid animations for a console of its generation. It was polished, fast-paced, and looked like the result of a team that knew exactly what it wanted to deliver.
As the gameplay continued, accompanied by catchy, adrenaline-pumping background music, a bold voiceover took over the screen. The announcer said, "We give you what you want!" followed by, "The football game you've always been waiting for!" Then came a cheekier line: "Sports games aren't their expertise — you know who we mean."
Suddenly, a dimmed, almost mocking version of the ZAGE logo flashed briefly across the screen. Zaboru's eyes widened at the bold move and he thought 'Damn! they really done it'.
The trailer pushed on with renewed energy. "But now it's our expertise. It's time to start a new era of sports games — with Sonaya SFG!" The words appeared in bold, followed by a firm release date: "Coming February 1st, 1998 — exclusively on the Game Station Console. Make sure you don't miss out!"
As the screen faded, Romário appeared once more, giving the camera a confident thumbs-up. Then came the final splash screen with Sonaya's slogan in bold letters: "We Do It First."
Meanwhile, the crowd gathered around the electronics store screen had mixed reactions to the trailer. Some people looked genuinely impressed, nodding their heads as they took in the visuals and presentation. But others looked confused, clearly not getting the appeal.
"The hell is this even talking about? Didn't he say football? Then why is he showing soccer gameplay? Man, soccer is boring," muttered one man, clearly annoyed.
The guy standing next to him, with a soda in hand, shrugged. "Well, soccer is called football in most countries. But yeah, I thought we were getting a real football game, not this soccer nonsense."
They weren't alone. A few others in the crowd echoed similar thoughts, complaining about the difference in terminology or feeling disappointed by the content. It was clear that, here in the U.S., the word "football" carried very different expectations.
Zaboru overheard all of it and let out a small chuckle. "Yep… definitely America," he muttered under his breath. "People still can't wrap their heads around real football — the one the rest of the world plays."
With that, he turned and made his way back to his Night Wanderer. He mounted the bike with ease, the bags of food rustling gently as he settled in. The city lights blurred slightly as he pedaled off, heading back toward the ZAGE offices.
As he rode, a grin tugged at the corner of his lips. That trailer had said a lot. Sonaya was serious. They weren't just releasing a sports game — they were throwing a punch. And judging by that cheeky ZAGE reference, they wanted everyone, including Zaboru, to notice.
"Wow, they really had the guts to show a dimmed ZAGE logo like that," Zaboru muttered with a chuckle, clearly both amused and surprised. He couldn't help but reflect on the time he publicly humiliated Sonaya during the "I'm your nightmare come to life" event — a moment he had assumed crushed their confidence and would make them steer clear of any direct confrontation with ZAGE again.
But this trailer proved otherwise. It radiated fire, boldness — a direct challenge. Maybe Zaboru had underestimated them far too much. But deep down, he liked this kind of resistance. Sonaya wasn't backing down — they reminded him of Sony from his previous life, always relentless, always pushing forward even when the odds weren't in their favor. That kind of tenacity was what made rivals dangerous and made the game more thrilling.
They were Attacking ZAGE again now, rising from past humiliation with new energy. They weren't just surviving — they were swinging back. Zaboru respected that, even admired it a little. He only hoped they could keep up that energy for the long haul, because one thing was certain: ZAGE would never slow down. Not for Sonaya. Not for anyone.
"Heheheh… 'We Do It First' — nice slogan," he said to himself, smirking. "But they're making one mistake if they think ZAGE isn't going to touch the sports genre."
His grin grew wider until it broke into a laugh, a full, genuine burst of amusement that echoed into the street. A few pedestrians glanced over, curious or confused by the sudden outburst. Realizing the attention he'd drawn, Zaboru quickly stopped, his face turning slightly red with embarrassment.
Still smiling, he adjusted his disguise, swung his leg over the Night Wanderer, and pedaled off a bit faster than before. The plastic bags filled with his nightly food haul rustled against the bike's frame. His mind was already racing — not just with ideas, but with anticipation. The game had just gotten more interesting.
And it's true — Sonaya had no idea that ZAGE was already deep into the development of multiple sports games. Some were already in production, while others were well into the planning stages. They assumed ZAGE wasn't interested in the genre, but they were wrong. And soon, they'd find that out the hard way — just like before. Only this time, ZAGE would be coming with more precision, more momentum, and far fewer warnings.
To be continue
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