Zaboru picked up the unusual remote-shaped controller from the table and held it toward the camera. "Well, some of you guys are probably curious about what this thing is, right?" he asked with a grin, turning it slowly so viewers could see the buttons, the dark-and-silver body, and the wrist strap hanging from the bottom. "And actually, this is related to that sports game you saw for a few seconds in the first ZEPS 4 trailer."
He chuckled, then suddenly reached below the table and pulled out another Blue-Ray case. This one had a much simpler cover than the other launch titles. Across the front were several stylized athletes playing different sports, while the title sat prominently in the center.
ZAGE SPORTS.
Zaboru held it beside his face. "The name is kind of simple, no?"
Carmack glanced toward the case. "The name may be simple. The game is not."
Zaboru pointed toward him. "Exactly!"
Carmack leaned forward slightly. "So what does this actually do, Boss?"
Kojima looked at the remote still in Zaboru's hand. "And this is the game that uses the mysterious controller?"
Zaboru nodded enthusiastically. "Yep. So instead of explaining everything with boring diagrams again, why don't I just show you?"
Without wasting any more time, he opened the ZAGE SPORTS case, removed the Blue-Ray disc, and inserted it into the ZEPS 4. The console immediately recognized it. Zaboru navigated toward the disc section of the interface and selected the game.
For a moment the screen went black.
Then a colorful opening animation appeared.
Several stylized characters flashed across the television playing different sports. One swung a tennis racket. Another bowled. Someone cast a fishing line into a lake. A boxer ducked beneath a punch. A baseball player swung at an incoming ball. A golfer lined up a shot while another character celebrated wildly beside a flag.
Then the title appeared.
ZAGE SPORTS
Zaboru pressed Start.
The main menu opened, showing several available sports arranged around a bright central interface.
Tennis. Bowling. Baseball. Boxing. Golf. Fishing.
Kojima raised his eyebrows. "There are already this many?"
"And more can always come later," Zaboru replied casually. "But let's start with the easiest one."
He selected Tennis.
The screen transitioned into a bright outdoor court. Zaboru stood up from his chair, wrapped the wrist strap around his hand, and faced the television.
Carmack looked toward him. "You're actually standing?"
"Of course."
Kojima glanced toward the camera. "I think something stupid is about to happen."
Zaboru grinned.
The serve began.
Zaboru moved the Z-Remote backward like a racket, then swung it forward.
On screen, the character immediately copied the motion and struck the ball across the court.
Carmack's eyes widened slightly.
Kojima looked between Zaboru's hand and the television.
Zaboru swung again.
The character returned the ball.
Another swing.
Another return.
Then Zaboru deliberately exaggerated his next movement, swinging much harder and rotating his wrist slightly. The character on screen responded with a noticeably stronger angled shot.
Kojima stared at the television.
Carmack looked toward him.
Both men then turned toward the camera with expressions that were very obviously supposed to look shocked.
They were terrible at it.
Zaboru immediately burst out laughing.
"Hah! You two are horrible actors!"
Kojima's expression collapsed. "You told us to look surprised."
"Yes, but not like you just discovered fire!"
Carmack shook his head. "This is why engineers should not be used for entertainment."
Zaboru was still laughing as he held the remote toward the camera again. "Anyway, that right there is the main idea."
He tapped the side of the controller.
"This is called the Z-Remote."
The name appeared on screen beside a rotating 3D model.
Z-REMOTEMotion SensorGyroscopeAccelerometerWireless Bluetooth ConnectionWrist Strap
Zaboru continued, "Inside this controller are motion sensors that can detect how you move it. It knows when you swing, how quickly you swing, the general direction of the movement, how much you rotate your wrist, and how the controller itself is positioned."
Carmack added, "The important part is that the game is not simply waiting for a button press. The controller is continuously reporting movement information to the console."
A technical visualization appeared behind them, showing the Z-Remote moving through three-dimensional space while lines represented acceleration and rotation.
Carmack pointed toward it. "The accelerometer measures changes in movement, while the gyroscope provides rotational information. The system combines those readings and sends them wirelessly to ZEPS 4."
Kojima nodded. "So if I swing this…"
He moved one hand experimentally.
"The game interprets it as the racket?"
"Depending on how the developer programs it," Carmack replied. "That distinction matters. The controller does not magically understand tennis. The game decides what different movements mean."
Zaboru nodded quickly. "Exactly. That means developers can use it however they want. Swinging. Tilting. Punching. Turning. Casting. Different games can interpret the same motion differently."
He grinned again. "And ZAGE SPORTS is basically our giant playground for showing what this thing can do."
Zaboru handed the remote to Kojima.
"Your turn."
Kojima looked suspiciously at him. "Why me?"
"Because I already played."
"That is not a reason."
"It is now."
Kojima sighed, wrapped the strap around his wrist, and selected Bowling.
A polished bowling alley appeared on the television. The character on screen held a ball while an arrow indicated the starting direction.
Kojima moved the remote backward cautiously.
The character mirrored the preparation.
Then Kojima swung forward.
The ball rolled down the lane.
It immediately drifted toward the side.
Three pins fell.
Zaboru stared at the screen.
Then slowly looked toward Kojima.
"…Amazing."
Kojima frowned. "I have never played this before."
"Three pins."
"Boss."
"Three."
Carmack laughed.
Kojima tried again, this time adjusting his wrist slightly during the swing.
The ball curved more noticeably.
Seven pins fell.
Kojima immediately looked more interested.
"Oh."
Zaboru grinned. "See?"
Kojima stared toward the remaining pins. "The rotation actually matters."
"Yep!"
He tried a third time, now taking the motion considerably more seriously. His swing became smoother, and the ball traveled directly toward the center.
STRIKE.
The screen exploded with celebratory effects.
Kojima froze.
Then looked toward Zaboru with a smug smile.
Zaboru narrowed his eyes.
"I taught you that."
"You handed me the controller."
"Exactly. Excellent teaching."
Carmack shook his head.
They moved to Fishing next.
This time Carmack took the Z-Remote.
The screen showed a peaceful lake surrounded by mountains. Carmack raised the controller and moved it backward before flicking it forward.
The character cast the fishing line across the water.
Carmack immediately looked more engaged than he had during the technical presentation.
"Oh."
Zaboru noticed.
"You like it."
"I did not say that."
"You like it."
Carmack ignored him and continued watching the water.
A few seconds later, the line suddenly pulled.
The controller vibrated in his hand.
Carmack instinctively raised it.
The fishing rod on screen bent sharply.
"Pull back!" Zaboru shouted.
Carmack pulled.
The fish fought harder.
"Not that hard! You'll lose it!"
"I'm trying!"
Kojima began laughing.
Carmack rotated the controller slightly while carefully pulling it backward, matching the movement required on screen.
After several seconds, the fish finally emerged from the water.
The game displayed its size.
Carmack stared at it.
Then smiled.
Kojima laughed again.
Zaboru took the controller back. "And that's the whole point."
His tone became a little more serious as he looked toward the camera.
"Games don't always need to be played sitting down with thirty buttons and complicated controls. Sometimes you just want to pick something up and move."
He gave the remote a small swing.
"If you know how to swing a tennis racket, you already understand the basic idea of tennis here. If you know how to bowl, you understand bowling. If you know how to cast a fishing rod, you understand fishing."
Kojima nodded. "So this is also about accessibility."
"Exactly."
Zaboru smiled. "Your parents might not understand how to use two analog sticks, four shoulder buttons, a D-pad and ten other buttons. But tell them, 'Swing this like a racket,' and they'll understand immediately."
Carmack added, "The standard controller still remains the primary ZEPS 4 controller. Z-Remote is an additional control method, not a replacement."
Zaboru nodded quickly. "Very important. We're not forcing every game to use motion. Devil May Cry doesn't suddenly need you swinging your arm around every time Dante attacks."
Kojima looked horrified. "That would be exhausting."
Carmack smiled. "Some developers will use Z-Remote heavily. Others may ignore it entirely. The hardware supports both approaches."
Zaboru pointed toward the normal controller lying on the table. "If your game works best with this, use this."
Then he raised the Z-Remote.
"If your game becomes more fun with this, use this."
He shrugged.
"Simple."
Then Zaboru suddenly stood properly in front of the television again and selected Tennis.
"Also…"
He bounced lightly on his feet.
"This can actually make you move."
He served.
Swing.
Return.
Swing again.
After several rallies, Zaboru was moving considerably more than before, stepping left and right and physically reacting to the ball despite not technically needing to move his entire body.
He laughed while playing.
"You can actually get tired doing this!"
Kojima watched him. "You're moving much more than the game requires."
"That makes it more fun!"
Carmack nodded. "There is still legitimate physical activity involved."
Zaboru pointed toward the camera between rallies. "So the next time somebody says gamers are lazy, give them this."
He swung again.
"If they still complain—"
Another swing.
"Make them play Boxing."
Kojima laughed.
Zaboru returned the controller to the table after finishing the match.
"And yes, before people ask, the wrist strap exists for a reason."
He lifted it toward the camera.
"Wear this."
Kojima immediately understood.
"Because someone will throw the controller."
"Someone will absolutely throw the controller."
Carmack nodded seriously. "Many people."
"Please do not destroy your television."
Zaboru looked directly toward the camera.
"ZAGE is not responsible if you decide to perform a professional baseball swing inside your living room and launch this thing through a window."
Kojima covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.
The presentation screen changed again, showing several examples of how developers could theoretically use Z-Remote movement.
Steering.
Tilting.
Sword movements.
Punching.
Aiming direction through motion orientation.
Balancing.
Throwing gestures.
Zaboru continued, "This is only the beginning. ZAGE SPORTS uses it in really simple ways because we want anyone to understand it immediately. But developers will find much crazier uses later."
Carmack nodded. "The hardware was intentionally designed to be flexible rather than tied to one specific genre."
"And remember," Zaboru added, "ZEPS 4 still has Bluetooth built in, so Z-Remote connects wirelessly just like the standard controller. No cable from you to the console."
He dropped back into his chair.
Kojima looked down at his notes.
"So, Blue-Ray, hard drives, backward compatibility, ZAGE Network, Trophys, Z-Remote…"
"Yes."
"Are we finally finished?"
Zaboru smiled suspiciously.
Kojima immediately narrowed his eyes.
"You have another feature."
"Well…"
Carmack looked toward Zaboru as well.
Zaboru leaned toward the camera and grinned.
"That feature can wait."
Kojima sighed loudly.
Zaboru laughed. "Today's episode is already long enough! You guys can wait until tomorrow, okay?"
He raised the Z-Remote one last time.
"So now you know what this strange thing actually does. Play normally with the standard controller, or stand up and swing this around like an idiot with your friends."
Kojima looked toward him.
Zaboru then pointed directly toward the camera.
"And remember…"
His expression became dramatically serious.
"When ZEPS 4 releases…"
He paused.
Then the grin returned.
"Just Buy It, Okay!?"
Kojima immediately laughed while Carmack shook his head.
The presentation faded to black.
The silver ZAGE logo appeared, followed by the ZEPS 4 release date.
02.02.2002
Then one final line appeared.
MORE TOMORROW.
The broadcast ended.
And somehow, despite ZAGE having spent the last several days revealing eleven games, the hardware specifications, Blue-Ray, ZAGE Network, Trophy, backward compatibility, the Z-Remote and even ZAGE SPORTS, viewers were now more curious about ZEPS 4 than they had been before the presentation began.
Because Zaboru had done it again.
He had answered one mystery—
and immediately created another.
To be continued.
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