Chapter 84: The Empty Street
Gunpei asked, "So, what exactly do we need to do?"
Chandra replied, "It's really brutal... Do you have any ill feelings towards the heroine I'm drawing, Director?"
In the aftermath of the shocking death of the female protagonist, Morita and Hayashi were so upset that they looked like they were ready to stab me with the chopsticks they were holding.
"Indeed, 'The Empty Streets' has a somewhat shocking storytelling approach for those living in this era, so I can understand it to some extent."
I calmed them down, who were extremely excited, and answered, "Everything depends on the player's choices in Part 2. 'The Empty Streets' is a multi-ending system, so her death will also be part of one of the endings."
Chandra asked with a glimmer of hope, "Is there a happy ending in it, by any chance?"
I replied, "No, such an ending is not in the plan."
She exclaimed, "Aargh!"
I mean, would I create an escape route in a game I made explicitly for people to cry out loud like that? Tell them there's no such thing!
...
A few days later...
Morita and Hayashi left Mintendo together. They had already decided to switch to Pentagon Soft, and as soon as they finished the handover, they put their plan into action.
After taking a short break, they planned to join the dating sim project at Pentagon Soft starting in April. On the weekend they left, I helped them move their belongings and sat down on the stairs, exhausted, after accepting the drink Morita handed to me.
"Ah, I'm exhausted..."
"You didn't need to personally help with the moving..."
"Well, since the lower floor employees were already doing the heavy lifting, I thought I'd just stand around."
As I slightly chuckled and sipped my drink, Hayashi approached.
"This guy claims he's done with his move and is lounging here. Oh, are you here too, Director?"
"Yeah, have a drink, and let's finish up your moving too."
"Thanks."
Hayashi accepted the drink Morita offered and lit a cigarette.
"Everyone's going out for the weekend, where are you headed, Director? What about Yuki?"
"Yuki said she's arriving at Kyoto Station, so I thought I'd go and pick her up."
Upon hearing that, they nodded in agreement.
It was mid-March. The chilly winter had passed, and the spring season was approaching. The cherry trees near our residence were preparing to bloom with numerous buds on their branches, and we took a break sitting on the steps in front of the moving truck.
Then, Hayashi, exhaling a long puff of white cigarette smoke, asked me, "By the way, Director, when do you plan to join Pentagon Soft?"
"What?"
"After pulling us out and sending us to Pentagon Soft, it's not because you're thinking of joining Pentagon Soft someday, is it?"
Hayashi was indeed quicker on the uptake than Morita. Surprised, Morita asked me, "Do you have plans to join too, Director?"
"Well... I don't have any intention of staying at Mintendo forever."
"Even though you hold the position of Director, have a successful career in the American market, and are even a game director? You'd give all that up for a job change?"
To Morita's question, I replied with a wry smile, "Mr. Morita, I am Korean."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Mr. Kamauichi values ability, but he doesn't appoint anyone outside of his direct family to the position of CEO. Look at Mr. Gunpei; he's been in the position of Director for nearly ten years."
Especially from what I know, it's only in 2002 that Mr. Kamauichi steps down from the CEO position, and the person who succeeded him and made Balloon Fight, inspiring Mr. Shige, was Mr. Kawata Satoru, who became the first non-family member to sit in the CEO seat at Mintendo.
"And he's likely to save Mintendo from crisis with just one stylus attached to the portable game..."
At that moment, Morita said with a disappointed look, "Still, Mr. Kamauichi is not immortal. Won't he step down from the CEO position someday?"
"Well, even if that happens, the probability of me getting that position is slim. I'd rather leave and start my own company."
"Starting your own company, Director!?"
"Why not? Do you think I can't do it?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"In fact, there's another reason I'm leaving Mintendo. I felt it even when I was working on Psych Battle. Mintendo wants games that people of all ages can enjoy without any burden. The current concept of 'The Empty Streets' is quite far from what Mintendo wants."
At that moment, Hayashi, who had been quietly listening to me, puffed on his cigarette and asked, "Director, there's something I've been curious about for a while..."
"Please, go ahead."
"From what I've seen of the concept for 'The Empty Streets' this time, I have a feeling... is it perhaps a creation of Dragon Emblem? Did you make it, Director?"
"...."
"What!? Hayashi, what are you saying?"
"Over there, it was famous for its scenario that sacrifices one of the two heroines in the end and its challenging difficulty that pushes the players to their limits. While Psych Battle doesn't have character deaths, it's also known for its extremely challenging difficulty, with very few players managing to clear it. Frankly, I had my doubts about this, but the moment I saw the concept for 'The Empty Street,' I became certain. I have no intention of working elsewhere. After all, Mintendo is no longer an option. Please tell me frankly."
"Right..."
I finished the remaining drink and crushed the can, looking at Hayashi.
"That's correct."
Upon hearing my answer, Morita and Hayashi alternately exchanged startled glances. Hayashi, grinning, said, "I knew it. In fact, all three of these games were new genres not present in the current market. Now that we can move on to Pentagon, it's an honor to have worked with someone like you, Director. I'm a fan of Dragon Emblem, after all."
"Thank you. Please take care of everything in the future."
"Since it turned out this way, I'll chase after you, Director, until you die. So hurry up and join Pentagon."
"When the time comes."
I got up from my seat, threw the can in the trash, and said, "Well, shall we finish moving the stuff? Actually, Yuki's arriving soon, so we need to hurry."
"Yes, understood."
Morita and Hayashi smiled at me and nodded.
...
And then, half a year passed.
September 17, 1988. While the world was in a festive mood due to the start of the Seoul Olympics, known for its extended pigeon logo, I continued to lead busy days.
Looking back for a moment, in August, there was an event for Psych Battle, which took place in Tokyo.
The golden tickets for Psych Battle, of which 500 were given out, had their prices skyrocket as the event approached, and there were even on-site black market ticket sales.
Rumors had it that Psych Battle's golden tickets were sold for around 100,000 yen, which reflected the game's immense success in Japan.
The event was attended by approximately a thousand users, who had cleared the game, and even the event venue itself was filled with about 1,500 users.
Although Morita had already left the company, he had created various goods for the users who loved his character, which allowed the Psych Battle event to be carried out successfully.
Sales of character merchandise alone at the event generated an enormous profit, and President Kamauichi even suggested having such events every year.
"How about a Mintendo Game Show?! Huh? Hosting such events with games released by our Mintendo every year?"
President Kamauichi put on a show in front of reporters who came to cover the event, and both I and Gunpei were very busy trying to keep him in check.
Furthermore, the Psych Battle tournament, in which skilled participants faced off, gained immense popularity due to its intense gameplay that made hands sweat.
In particular, the showdown between Ryu Hwayoung and Azusa Ren in the final scene left an unforgettable moment for gamers. In a situation where Azusa Ren had only 1 dot of health left, Ryu Hwayoung used her special move, Parry, a unique technique that allowed her to block incoming attacks or bullets by pressing the guard button at the right timing.
Clang, clang, clang!! Clang, clang, clang, clang!!
The sound of parrying all of Ryu Hwayoung's consecutive attacks echoed through the venue, leaving everyone watching the screen frozen in their seats.
"What's that? Is that Parry!?"
"Is that even possible?"
When the winner was decided with the final blow, the gamers who had been watching their play on a giant screen erupted into cheers as if the venue was about to fall apart.
When the winner stepped onto the podium for the award ceremony and our eyes met, he cocked his head and asked, "Could it be that about five years ago, you gave me a family when I was just a beginner?"
Huh? Could it be... this guy?
"Is it Takashi?"
"Ah!! I knew it was you! Could it be that you were the one who made Psych Battle, brother?"
In a surprising coincidence, I burst into laughter and nodded.
"I never expected to see you here. Congratulations on your victory."
"I told you about five years ago that I was confident in my gaming skills compared to you. I had a really tough time clearing the game since I didn't have a golden ticket, you know?"
After completing the commemorative photo shoot with Takashi, who was the only one, the grand event of Psych Battle, which had only lasted for a day, came to a close.
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