Shibuya - June 2nd 2170 AD
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Timeline:
November 2017: "Blackest Friday". After a stunning recovery of the United States economy under the newly elected President, the after-Thanksgiving Day sales are projected to be the best ever for retailers. Retailers ask for increased police presence to prevent the usual horror stories that pervade Black Friday. The decreased police presence on the streets leads to a massive spike in murders, rapes, robberies, arson and rioting on that night. Twenty thousand people are official declared victims of crimes committed and over two billion dollars in property damage is claimed. Few, if any criminals are caught, leading to demonstrations against retailers over the next six months.
October 2018: The largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart, announces plans to hire and train their own private security force to maintain order in their stores during the next Black Friday.
November 2018: Other retailers without the collateral to have their own security launch protests against Wal-Mart. They shut down their stores in retaliation. With only one store to shop at, profits soar. The CEO becomes a lobbyist in Washington D.C.
November 2020: After several pieces of favorable legislation pass into law, Wal-Mart takes advantage of the new laws to acquire manufacturers abroad, cutting out import costs. Other businesses are slowly driven into bankruptcy as Wal-Mart sets up favorable contracts with quality manufacturers. The former CEO is elected president after a carefully orchestrated campaign deriding the current war in Venezuela.
June 2021: An outbreak of an unforeseen disease has decimating effects on the world. The President steps in and dismantles anti-monopoly laws to acquire several pharmaceutical manufacturers. This turns out to provide a quick cure. Soon after, Wal-Mart merges with several companies to become Wal-Tech.
August 2027: Wal-Tech becomes an international entity. Other large corporations that have resisted Wal-Tech's merge-and-assimilate tactics begin to join the international battlefield. One in particular, Harada Technologies, discovers the 2021 plague was actually caused by Wal-Tech, but the inconclusive evidence only sparks a war between the two companies. Harada takes the yakuza in and wages the first of the "Corporate Wars", which ends in a stalemate.
March 2035: Mega-Corporations begin dismantling governments all over the world. Wal-Tech becomes the de facto United States, while their main competitor, Harada, takes over Asia. Several megacorps divide the rest of the world among themselves but fail to achieve the standing of Harada and Wal-Tech.
2060: Wal-Tech invests in space exploration and, three years later, colonizes the moon first.
2080: The practice of hiring assassins in addition to regular security forces becomes commonplace. Assassins become the highest paid professionals, behind megacorporate management. The shift in money slowly kills off professional sports.
A leaked video of an encounter between two assassins in Neo York lead to a bizarre interest in the "sport" of assassin combat.
2081: The first Assassin Tournament sponsored by Wal-Tech begins with record ratings and revenues for advertisers. The Tournament takes place every two years.
2099: Harada sponsors their own tournament with a variation. The tournament is invitation-only, open to more than assassins and less emphasis is placed on killing. Harada enjoys ratings, which crush Wal-Tech's. The surviving tournament participants become instant celebrities and many legendary rivalries and friendships are formed.
2115: Harada, enjoying the upper hand for the first time in a long time, is swift to take the fight to Wal-Tech. After a short skirmish, Harada takes over Wal-Tech and forms SPECTRAL (Systematic Personality Enhancement Cybernetics and Technologies for Research and Lifestyles). Some old Harada personnel go underground and continue their work in secret.
2122: The tournaments are tweaked even further and redubbed the Neon Dance Hall Tournament, held every 4 years. Smaller leagues introduced with the 2081 tournament are finally quashed. Ratings are phenomenal as 99% of the world watches. The NDH also becomes the world's largest trade show as participants are sponsored and showcase the latest in cybernetics, body modifications and weaponry.
2160: SPECTRAL creates an offshoot to manage rising tensions in America. SPECTRUM (SPEcialized Cybernetic Technology, Robotics for the Ultra Modern) is opened and almost instantly rebels against its parent company. It is later learned that SPECTRUMs corporate heads were Wal-Tech sympathizers.
2166: The Neon Dance Hall Tournament is faced with harsh criticism by Americans, urged on by SPECTRUM. SPECTRAL manages to bring SPECTRUM back in line with several well-timed assassinations. Several changes are brought forth to the NDHC as several instances of cheating arise. El Tigre becomes the NDH champion amid the controversy.
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The Neon Dance Hall Tournament:
While many believed the NDH Tournament was started in order for Harada to compete with Wal-Tech, there are few who think that Harada had a darker purpose in mind. While Wal-Tech's tournament showcased assassins from around the world, Harada invited many that wouldn't be considered fighters at all. Yet, everyone invited seemed to have some special talent that made them more than ordinary.
The tournaments were small at first, but, once SPECTRAL was incorporated, many more people were invited. Cameras are set up all over Shibuya to showcase the fights and it is a grand affair, with many companies granting employees time off to enjoy the spectacle. The Tournament has always lasted three months, more than adequate when the participants numbered in the low thousands.
No one knows why so many were invited to the 2170 games, though some suspect that SPECTRAL has been suffering from some hard economic losses after the problems that occurred with SPECTRUM. Very few changes have been introduced to the tournament overall, though with strong stables such as the Chinese and Russian competitors, technology adapts accordingly.
The introduction of American competitors has been controversial at best, reviled at worst. For a long time, Americans were forbidden from competing, adding another layer of mystery to this year's tourney.
The grand prize has always been kept a secret, many assuming it was a vast sum of money, but no one has been able to ascertain the truth as champions aren't forthcoming and former champions usually lose their titles in the bloodiest of ways. SPECTRAL puts out a substantial amount of money during the tournaments, yet it always seems to make a profit in the end.
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Terms:
Handlers: Usually referred to as 'Coaches' and given the honorific "sempai", handlers are often former competitors with a wealth of knowledge and connections. Many refuse to be called "sensei" as they do not teach their skills and a rare few return to the tournament after a hiatus.
Killers: Competitors that prefer to earn their points and ranks through killing their opponents. Usually this reflects on them poorly when Viewer Appreciation Weekend rolls around. Many up and comers make a reputation by taking out killers and reaping the benefits of increased rankings granted by viewers.
Vultures: A derogatory term for those who pick and choose their targets, often preying on those who have been weakened through several battles. Changes in fight declaration hope to stem this behavior.
Bouncers: Competitors that try to participate in as many fights as possible every day. They are usually victims of vultures.
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