Game Market 1983

Chapter 194: Defective Product

I went to see Mr. Ueno, the sound director, during the final test for bug fixing and made a proposal. It was regarding the intermittent beats that could be heard while playing the game.

"If we follow Mr. Junhyuk's suggestion and intentionally insert beat sounds into the game, how about that?"

"Yes. However, it shouldn't be too obvious or precise. Maybe a bit faint?"

"Faint... If we manipulate the beat sound frequency separately and adjust it to around 19kHz?"

"1... 19... What?"

"It's a frequency range that only extremely sensitive or physically healthy teenagers can perceive. Usually, around 15kHz is an audible frequency range for most people, but if it goes above 19kHz, only those with a very sensitive sense can hear that sound."

Ah, I hadn't thought about that. It's an unexpected consideration, isn't it?

Mr. Ueno's words aligned perfectly with the concept I had in mind. A sound that some could hear while others couldn'ta sound akin to auditory hallucinations. It could become a crucial key point encompassing the entirety of 'Gift from the Gods.' Well, it might also spark debates on product defects due to this aspect...

And now...

Before my eyes, there was a post that eerily matched my prediction about 99%.

I thought it would take at least a few days, but it's faster than I expected, isn't it?

---

As soon as the Pentagon Shop opened this morning, a user from Osaka rushed to purchase 'Gift from the Gods.'

I've been incredibly satisfied with the first part, which lived up to expectations.

However, during gameplay, I hear a strange beat sound intermittently in the background music.

It doesn't continue incessantly; occasionally, amidst the BGM during gameplay, there's a beep-beep sound, then it stops for a while.

It seemed odd, so I tried playing from the beginning again. The sound only appeared from the point in Chapter 1 when the protagonist's time rewound one year back from the prologue.

Is there anyone experiencing the same issue as mine?

---

[Reply] Seems like your cartridge might be defective.

I've never heard such a beat sound throughout my play.

It could be a glitch in the cartridge production causing the audio to break. It might be best to contact Pentagon's customer service and get a replacement cartridge.

---

I heard that Mr. Ueno set the beat sound's frequency range to be within the audible range of most people. So why? This post, which could have been a tremendous hint about the game's story, was quickly dismissed as a simple cartridge defect.

Amidst this, another interpretation regarding the in-game beat sound came up in a newly posted message.

[Reply] I also heard intermittent beat sounds.

After reading the sound defect post below, I plugged in my earphones, played attentively, and indeed heard the beep-beep sound you mentioned.

But it wasn't a crackling sound like a torn audio file; it had a straightforward tempo, giving it an intentional vibe.

Adding to this, I let my younger sister listen with one earphone, and besides the in-game background music, she couldn't hear anything.

So, it seems like the problematic beat sound can only be heard by those with a slightly sensitive hearing.

Even I can't assert with certainty since I only hear it in a highly focused state.

By the way, the earphones I used are Sony's 'E868.'

---

The expression 'intentional' in the new post led community members to use all their earphones to chase after the whereabouts of this beat sound.

After finishing my shower and returning to my computer, there were already over 10 posts solely about the beat sound. Some claimed they definitely heard it, while others, despite increasing the volume, couldn't perceive the beat sound. Some pleaded for those who heard it to disclose their earphone model.

Amidst the diverse reactions of users, I stifled a chuckle and powered off the computer.

"Looks like Sony earphones are going to have a blast soon?"

&

The next afternoon, before heading to the hospital to meet Yuki, I went to a large record store near the station.

With the recent emergence of portable CD players, there was a trend shift from Walkman-centric portable devices, prompting a competition in high-quality sound reproduction among earphones.

Among them, Sony's E848 and E868 models were the most popular, but they were quite pricey for earphones, so unless one was an audio equipment enthusiast, there wasn't much reason to purchase them.

This morning, after waking up, I revisited the Pentagon World community, and every board was flooded with posts about the beat sound in 'Gift from the Gods.'

After skimming through a few posts, I visited the chatroom, where a heated debate was ongoing.

"Ugh... Was I the only one who couldn't hear it? Why isn't the beat sound coming to me?"

"Try swapping your earphones. I switched from cheap ones to the high-end headphones my little brother uses, and guess what? I can hear the beats you guys were talking about."

"Wait, why suddenly the fuss about these beats? They're barely audible anyway. Isn't the game's content what matters?"

"It might be related to the story. Given Pentagon's track record, they're the kind of company to pull off such stunts. Remember when in 'Streets Without Me,' the protagonist got sick, and the game intentionally glitched the graphics? I thought my TV broke at that moment."

"Right, that startled me too. The screen was fine, then suddenly shattered. It's plausible."

"Now they're making users take hearing tests. Pentagon's games are getting eerie."

"I was already thinking of switching my earphones when I got a portable CD player. Might as well grab a decent pair in town later."

"The Sony E868 is a top pick. Among earphones today, nothing matches its clarity. Play 'Gift from the Gods' with it; you'll experience a whole new world."

"Really? I was considering the Sony E868 after seeing a post yesterday. How much is it?"

"4,800 yen."

"The price for earphones"

"But they're worth every penny."

It's funny how there are always those who show off to those of us just minding our own business, be it in the distant future or now...

I chuckled at the morning conversation and pushed the door of the record store, greeted by the main theme of "Gift from the Gods," titled 'Love Letter,' playing from the speakers inside.

Unusual for a large record store to play the theme song of a game released just a day ago, right? Probably the store owner is a Pentagon Soft fan or took the recommendation from the staff.

As the weekend filled the store with people, my eyes wandered to the listening booth section.

Some were standing in line, eager to experience the sound quality of the recently popularized CDs.

In Japan's music scene, X-JAPAN held considerable influence. Even in Korea, the group garnered significant popularity, and I recalled listening to their music several times in my youth.

Songs like 'X,' 'Tears,' 'Endless Rain' were among the popular ones...

Sadly, their music didn't quite resonate with my taste. I found myself more drawn to songs by Glay or Luna Sea, memories of their tunes bringing a smile to my face.

"Luna Sea's 'Love Song' was just legendary..."

But my visit today wasn't merely fueled by nostalgia.

In fact, could I call it market research for a future project?

For now, the 'Gift from the Gods' OST released alongside the game yesterday was completely sold out.

While previous OSTs like Final Frontier or Dragon Emblem catered to gaming enthusiasts, 'Gift from the Gods' attracted general attention due to its mix of classical and new age music.

"So, even if it's a display, can't you sell the OST currently playing in the store?"

"Apologies, sir. The CD playing here is for our store promotion, not for sale. If you could leave your name and contact information for our waiting list, we'll notify you upon restocking."

Disappointed by the staff's confirmation of no stock, a customer, here for the 'Gift from the Gods' OST, left the record store.

This OST featured both a soundtrack with background music and an orchestra version performed by the game's protagonists and heroines. (The same version Ueno-san received as a gift from Mayumi.)

Both versions were meticulously crafted, and I was confident they'd sell reasonably well, but to sell out, including the OST, within a day...

As I congratulated the successful sales of 'Gift from the Gods,' I overheard a conversation near the earphones section.

"Just before meeting you, I read the creepiest post while browsing PC communications at home."

"Oh? What was it? Something interesting?"

"It was a post about 'Gift from the Gods' that compiled all the events up to the point they've played. The analysis was chillingly detailed."

"Really? Wasn't the protagonist supposed to find the heroine who saved them?"

"Actually, it seems more intricate than that. The person cleared the game from yesterday till this morning, saw an ending, and then the game rewound a year..."

"Huh? The story rewound a year after seeing an ending? What's that supposed to mean? Explain it to me."

"Remember that post about the beeping sound in 'Gift from the Gods' community?"

"Yeah, I saw it too."

"The author mentions how, from the second playthrough, people who couldn't hear the beeping sound began to hear it more frequently. It sounded similar to a hospital's electrocardiogram machine. And it's like a routine now?"

"Huh...? So, you mean"

"Repeating a year's time and that weirdly consistent beeping sound. When you put it all together, it's speculated that the protagonist is in a 'coma' state. Crazy, right?"

>

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