Akihabara Pioneer Road Chapter 311: 【SMK’s skepticism! ]
SMK’s first meeting room.
Hideo Kojima glanced at the company executives present with excited eyes.
As he took a deep breath, he couldn’t help but think of the meeting he had with Linda of “AKBS Project”.
Until now, Kojima’s heart couldn’t help but pound.
He originally wanted to obtain a license for the use of AR technology from Lin Daye, and to take the lead in dividing up this long-coveted big cake on the smartphone, but no one was interested because of the lack of patent rights.
However, Linda not only agreed to the licensing of technology patents, but also put forward his own opinions, which opened up Kojima’s ideas and greatly enhanced Kojima’s confidence in this proposal.
This Linda also really has a strategic vision.
He is indeed an outstanding representative of young and promising otaku!
SMK’s product catalog happens to be filled with a few of the old-fashioned games that used to be all the rage on older consoles.
But those are all good memories of passing time in the pixel host era. Although the speed of the host to process images is getting faster and faster and the ability of real-time computing is getting stronger and stronger, the new high-resolution follow-up products launched accordingly will not matter. How can we not reproduce the glory of the past.
It’s not hard to understand why. Because the leap in picture quality is the easiest to bring about improvement is the ARPG, MMA, MDG and FPS categories that pursue gorgeous picture effects.
As for games like RTS, CCG, which focus on deploying troops, accumulating bit by bit, strategy and collection games, in the final analysis, the picture quality cannot be the bottleneck of the game, so SMK is not as cool and eye-catching as those games. A lot of development funds and manpower and material resources are invested in the dynamic game.
What’s more, it is the “Warring States Period” when console games are in full swing. Instead of following this trend, they are going against the current to follow the emerging smartphone games. Production budgets are not easily approved.
“So you’re ‘frying rice’ on your smartphone?”
Head of Sales Manager Tian Xiangshi, who has a middle score, put his hands and elbows on the table and clasped his fists to cover his mouth. The voice came from his palm, adding a bit of yin and yang aura—he is a well-known “white-faced” character among SMK executives, and he always takes the lead in various approval and supervision.
Kojima in front of the big screen projector said calmly:
“It’s not bad to say that, but the AR elements are added this time, and the experience brought to players is absolutely shocking!”
Minister Nagata leaned back against the back of the seat and folded his arms across his chest. Kojima knew that this was his signature move to further attack, and sweat oozes from his palms unknowingly.
“But mobile phones are just communication tools after all, don’t players still like traditional console games?”
Kojima put his hands on his lower back and wiped his already moist palms by the way.
“It’s true that it’s still the age of console games, but games on smartphones—especially newer games with advanced smartphone features are sure to catch up. There are three main reasons…”
“Enough!” Minister Nagata waved his hand to interrupt Kojima’s elaboration, turned to look at the finance minister and director of marketing operations, and offered a magic weapon as if seeking firepower support, “The product budget for this year has been prepared. Isn’t that right? If you develop a new product line, the digital report is not so easy to do in the final settlement. Isn’t it?”
Speaking of areas that concern their own interests, the two of them nodded hurriedly like chickens pecking at rice:
“Well, I mean!”
“That’s not it. In this way, the company’s plans for the whole year will be disrupted!”
Kojima’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he secretly scolded “followers” in his heart, but he argued with reason:
“You can reduce the cost of other cases a bit, and even out two-thirds of the usual case cost, and the development cost of these two new games will be about the same. Because of the patent licensing fee, Lin on the ‘AKBS project’ side The director promised to give us a super discounted price from SMK, so we can save a lot of expenses…”
Nagata seems to have discovered a new continent, but it is far from Kojima’s expected destination: “What? Two games at once? Good guy, no, no, absolutely no… But when it comes to ‘AKBS Project’, how was the development of the ‘Beautiful Girl Fighting Game’ case last time? I heard that the girl group of ‘AKBS Project’ is in a mess right now. This is the fist project we need to focus on developing. Last time The tropical beach scene I propose must be carefully prepared, and the company will spare no effort to support it if you need to go to the southern country to film the scene for live action capture…”
MMP!
The turbulent waves from the southern country in Kojima’s heart had already taken Nagada’s face at this time.
“That, that…don’t worry, the task you handed over is guaranteed to be completed. It’s just this AR game proposal…”
Kojima still doesn’t give up.
The director of the planning department saw that Kojima’s face was blushing with embarrassment, and asked the vice president’s meaning with his eyes, and quickly said: “Which one of the two AR games has a lower cost? … It’s the one Are you a card collector?… Well, let’s add this one to this year’s development plan for the time being. If you tighten up those cases that have room for you, you should be able to increase your spending.… Vice President, what do you mean? What?”
The other party nodded slightly with his eyes closed.
Director Nagata immediately seemed to be a different person, and said to Hideo Kojima with a smile on his face:
“As expected of Director Kojima! Congratulations on winning a new game proposal. Don’t take what I said just now. Don’t take it too seriously. I’m all thinking about the company’s financial report at the shareholders’ meeting… …You must take the ‘beach scene’ I mentioned just now to your heart! If this is done well, the company’s sales will definitely reach a new level! … Vice President, are you right? “
The other party still closed his eyes and nodded slightly.
Then suddenly opened his eyes suddenly, wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, and said to everyone:
“Um, good! … Well, isn’t it time for lunch?”
……
Zangqian Bridge near Togotsu, Taito District.
Izakaya “Ryukyu”.
“That **** minister is really annoying!”
Hideo Kojima took a sip of awamori~IndoMTL.com~ and complained to Linda beside him.
“I don’t understand anything, and I’m shyly pointing fingers at others! I’m so fed up!”
Linda also ate a mouthful of “sea grapes”, which was airlifted from Okinawa, and chewed it “crunchly” while inserting:
“Okay, didn’t you win that AR game that collects cards? Don’t be content!”
“But I guarantee the taste of a senior game design director with ten years of experience in the industry, another game that searches for cute pets to become fighting games will definitely be more popular!”
The slightly drunk Kojima roared loudly, patting his chest.
The diners sitting around in the izakaya all turned their gazes to them.
Linda also smiled apologetically and nodded while sweating all around, while pulling on the small island that continued to put the wine glass beside her mouth:
“I said big game director, you’d better not drink too much… We have something to talk about! Isn’t there a lighter topic?”
Kojima struggled and still gulps down, burps for a long time, and continues to complain about his injury:
“Ah — MD is happy!!”
“Cut, what’s a ‘limited budget’! What’s a ‘disrupted plan’! All TM is an excuse! Isn’t the mention of ‘beach beauties’ the same as chicken blood?! It’s really hot! … ‘AKBS48’ is going to Okinawa to capture scenery and motion capture. We are stepping up preparations, and I will report the number of people to Taguchi-kun…”
Oh, is that the Southern Beach scene of the fighting game called “DOA” an Okinawa location?
“Daya-kun, it really hurts me. The company has such rotten executives. I want to eat jujube pills!…”
Linda calmly took a sip of wine and stroked the blushing Kojima’s back.