Chicago, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) exhibition hall.
Two days remained before the official opening, yet the massive venue was already buzzing with activity.
The shrill whine of electric drills, the beeping of forklifts, and the shouts of workers blended together, while the air was filled with the mixed smell of new carpet, fresh paint, and sawdust.
Tom Kalinske walked leisurely through this sea of industrial noise, his hands tucked into the pockets of his suit trousers.
Like a general inspecting his own territory, he wore an inscrutable smile.
When he stopped in front of Sega's booth, his steps finally slowed.
The entire booth was dominated by a deep "Sega blue." There were no excessive decorations—only a bright blue, dynamic light strip flowing slowly along the edges of the booth like a stream of data.
Minimalist. Futuristic. Calm in a way that sharply contrasted with the surrounding chaos.
"Tom, all the equipment is in place, and the power's hooked up," the North American branch's project manager jogged over to report. "But—are we really not adding another main screen or a few character statues? Look at the booth next door—"
Tom followed the direction of his finger.
Not far away, the 3DO booth was the very definition of extravagance. A massive screen looped futuristic CG animations, while the slogan "The Real Thing" flashed with blinding intensity, as if desperate to announce to the world that they were the future.
Tom withdrew his gaze, patted the manager on the shoulder, and pointed toward the inside of Sega's booth.
"Jim, having players is enough. Their satisfaction matters more than anything else. Do you really think what we've prepared isn't exciting enough for them?"
The interior of the booth was clearly divided into two sections.
On the left were more than a dozen rugged-looking arcade machines equipped with light guns—the latest shooter developed by Mark Cerny's team.
On the right was an equal number of back-to-back versus cabinets, built specifically for live fighting matches of The King of Fighters.
Beyond that were shelves stacked with merchandise and a single cashier counter.
The entire space was neat and orderly, more like a high-end arcade with merchandise sales than a corporate booth crammed with promotional materials.
"I get it," Jim scratched his head. Though he felt that the booth's focus on products and hands-on play was a bit too straightforward, his boss's confidence was infectious. "I'll check the wiring one more time. I'll make sure that even if all of Chicago loses power, people can still play their hearts out here!"
Tom smiled with satisfaction. After watching Jim leave, he turned and strolled toward the area he had once discussed with Takuya Nakayama.
Sony's booth.
It sat at the boundary between the home electronics exhibitors and the game companies.
The booth's design was extremely modern—expensive piano black and metallic silver throughout. It looked more like a luxury electronics store, standing starkly apart from the colorful, lively game booths around it.
Several Japanese men in sharp suits stood inside, speaking in low voices. From time to time, they glanced toward Nintendo's red-and-white area nearby, their expressions complex.
The curve of Tom Kalinske's smile widened.
He could almost picture how spectacular it would be once those two giants openly turned on each other.
Tom's gaze shifted to a corner of his own booth, covered with black cloth.
Beneath it were stacks of boxes printed with the words "CES EXCLUSIVE."
From Sonic T-shirts to Pokémon plush toys—everything was there.
Using merchandise sales to pay for the booth, and even turn a profit on top of that.
He could practically hear the sound of Takuya Nakayama's abacus clicking across the Pacific.
Just as Tom was about to turn back, the corner of his eye caught a figure.
A man stepped out from inside the Sony booth. He wasn't particularly tall.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping past 3DO's extravagance, gliding over Sega's calm, and finally stopping on Nintendo's red-and-white zone.
Tom recognized the face. He had seen it in the materials Takuya had given him—Ken Kutaragi.
In that instant, Tom saw the corner of Kutaragi's mouth curl into a cold, ambitious smile.
That was not a businessman's smile.
It was the expression of a hunter who had just spotted his prey.
Tom Kalinske wiped the easy smile from his face. A chill ran up his spine—followed immediately by an even stronger thrill.
He knew it.
The curtain was about to rise.
May 28, 1992. Chicago, USA.
The Consumer Electronics Show officially opened.
The morning mist had yet to fully dissipate, but the entrance to McCormick Place was already packed with people.
Journalists, distributors, analysts, and tech enthusiasts from all over the world gathered like starving wolves drawn by the scent of money.
The air already carried a hint of Chicago's early summer humidity.
Camera flashes erupted nonstop, bleaching faces filled with desire and ambition.
This year, everyone's attention was focused on a single field—video games.
After the Atari crash years earlier, the industry had surged back to life. This CES saw far more game companies applying to exhibit than ever before, making it clear to the media that the industry had returned to its fiery peak of a decade ago.
The first day of CES, 10:30 a.m.
Tom Kalinske strode onto the main stage.
He fully agreed with Takuya Nakayama's judgment: today would witness a battle of the century, and the inevitable breakup between Sony and Nintendo was destined to dominate the headlines.
If Sega wanted space in the eye of the storm, they had to strike first—throw down their trump card before anyone else could even react.
"Good morning, Chicago!" Tom spread his arms wide, igniting the crowd with his powerful, infectious voice. "It's great to see so many old friends again!"
For a brief moment, the audience fell silent—then erupted into thunderous applause and whistles, mixed with excited screams.
In the front row, a bearded fan wearing a Sonic T-shirt jumped to his feet, waving his arms and shouting, "SEGA! SEGA!"
Tom Kalinske raised his hands slightly, soaking in the wave of cheers that belonged solely to Sega's blue sea.
His smile shone as brightly as the California sun.
"I hear you! I hear you!" he shouted into the microphone like a rock star. "And I love you too!"
The atmosphere was completely ignited by that single line. Laughter and even louder cheers rolled through the hall.
"We brought you the blue hedgehog so fast he gives parents headaches," Tom continued, "we brought you Pokémon that made countless kids dream of becoming trainers, and we brought you Metal Slug, the game that swallowed endless coins in arcades!"
Every title he named was met with a roar from its respective fans.
He paused, scanning the excited faces before him, and his tone grew steadier.
"But we've been asking ourselves one question."
The hall fell instantly silent. Everyone leaned in, even the most die-hard fans holding their breath.
They knew it—the real show was starting.
"What else can we bring to players?"
"Can we give you an entirely new world?"
"Can we make that Genesis at home—the machine you already own and love—unleash power beyond anything it ever imagined?!"
The rapid-fire questions struck like war drums against every heart in the room.
Tom spread his arms again, his smile turning mysterious and fervent.
"Today, I'm going to give you the answer!"
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