Chapter 24: The Legend of Karin
"So, have you decided which department you want to join?"
"Yes, I want to join the next-gen console development department."
At that moment, CEO Kamauichi asked with a puzzled expression, "Do we even have such a department in our company?"
"Well, I'm currently in charge of the portable Game Boy project, but I want to lead the next-gen console development department."
Kamauichi raised an eyebrow at my response. "Huh!? A successor to the Family? I haven't even thought about that. The Family is doing great in the gaming market, and it's too early to talk about a successor."
"Of course, I don't mean we should start working on it immediately. But a competitor called NEGA has emerged, and if they release the NEGA Disk, they will promote it with powerful hardware. So, it might be a good idea to start thinking about it. As technology advances, the speed of computer development accelerates, and that means the Family's glory in Min10 won't last forever."
"Hmm... a successor, you say. Well, Kang, you have a point. We need to develop powerful hardware in line with the times to improve the quality of our games."
"That's right, sir. That's why I'm requesting a transfer to a new department. I'll work on creating the next-gen console and game development together there."
"What do you think, Gunpei?"
"I agree with Kang. Right now, we're the undisputed leader in the industry, but companies are popping up left and right, realizing that the gaming industry is profitable. To differentiate ourselves from them, I believe it's a good idea to start thinking about the next-gen console now."
"Very well. Then proceed with it."
"Thank you."
Huh? That was easier than I expected. Did this sly fox Kamauichi just agree without hesitation? It seems my success in conquering the American market has significantly bolstered my standing within the company.
Thanks to that, I embarked on a new journey as the head of the development department in Japan. It was the year 1985, and I was 23 years old.
"Mr. Shige, have you tried Dragon Warrior?"
Mr. Shige was a nickname for Kumatomo Shige. He was currently deeply engrossed in the development of a game.
"I don't know, Inma."
His curt response signaled that he was preoccupied, making the employee who asked the question retreat with a puzzled expression. I sipped my coffee, hands in my pockets, observing him. It may seem impolite to some, but having established a presence in the American market, and now holding the position of head of the next-gen console development department, no one dared to criticize me.
"What's this? You can't even take your hands out of your pockets? Eating and drinking lavishly in the USA seems to have changed your manners, Mr. Kang."
"Oh, hello, Mr. Kamauichi."
"Hello is not the right way to greet someone, you rascal."
"Haha, what brings you to the development room?"
"I came to check on this brat, Shige."
However, Mr. Shige remained fixated on the monitor, unaware of Mr. Kamauichi's presence. Mr. Kamauichi, wearing a relaxed expression, turned to him and asked with a cheerful tone, "Hey, Shige, have you played Dragon Warrior or whatever that game is?"
In response, Mr. Shige's eyebrows twitched, and he slammed the desk as he stood up, shouting, "I don't know, damn it! Why do you keep asking me about Dragon Warrior or whatever the hell it is?"
"..."
CEO Kamauichi's lips curved in a wry smile, resembling a grumbling goldfish.
"Well... By putting these young folks in high-ranking positions, it seems like the company has gone mad."
"Oh, sir!?"
"No matter how open-minded I am, I've been too lenient lately, haven't I?"
"Oh, I was just considering a few things..."
Shige-san wore a bewildered expression as he repeatedly apologized to the CEO. Jealousy is said to drive people crazy, and it appeared that a game called Dragon Warrior was driving Shige-san insane. I sipped my coffee and gazed out the window.
Lately, I had noticed an intriguing fact. It seemed that the course of the gaming industry's history had subtly shifted. According to the original timeline I was familiar with, Shige-san's The Legend of Karin should have been released about three months before Dragon Warrior. Yet, Dragon Warrior had surprisingly beaten it to the punch.
The Super Mario game's side-scrolling system had been introduced a year earlier, resulting in a significant expansion of the gaming genre. As a consequence, Dragon Warrior was completed in just five months, releasing the first installment of the series.
On the day Dragon Warrior was released, I took a day off to visit Akihabara in Tokyo. Thanks to the success of the Family and the NEGA Disk, Akihabara had become a fusion of electronic products and gaming consoles.
Dragon Warrior, released by a Japanese game company called Phoenix for the Min10 Family, had garnered immense interest even before its release, becoming incredibly popular from the first day.
The reason was that Dragon Warrior was the first RPG game in Japan, grabbing the title even before Shige-san's game, which was themed around a fairy with an inverted green hat. The problem was that Shige-san's ambition had triggered a series of unfortunate events.
Due to his eagerness to include various elements in the story, the production time had stretched. Initially, the game featured a simple storyline of a fairy boy rescuing a princess, but he started creating a peculiar emblem formed by three triangles and began constructing a detailed universe around it.
As a result, the production time gradually extended from three to six months, then from six to nine months. During this time, Phoenix swiftly produced a simple and fairytale-like game called "The Hero Rescuing the Princess." That game was none other than Dragon Warrior.
"Ugh... Ah, it's so annoying..."
I handed Shige-san a canned coffee in the break room and asked, "Are you okay, Shige-san? Why are you so stressed out? Just keep creating games as comfortably as you always have."
"Ah, thanks. You're right. I'd love to do that, but as Dragon Warrior gets more attention, it's making me subconsciously nervous. The first RPG genre in Japan~!! I had been aiming for that title too..."
"Your ambition is going too far. Thanks to Dragon Warrior, other game companies are going crazy these days. Nowadays, many companies focus solely on making games for the Family or the NEGA Disk, rather than arcades."
"As Dragon Warrior becomes a big hit, a bunch of similar RPG works will emerge, right? Ah~ Does that mean my game, The Legend of Karin, will be buried within them?!"
"Then try to create something groundbreaking within that context."
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