Capítulo 96: I have principles
The boy, after being invited into the office of Takayuki, the president of Gamestar Electronics, was very excited. Gamestar Electronics was responsible for creating countless high-quality games, and this was his first close encounter with a game producer of such caliber.
This was similar to idol chasing for ordinary people.
"Hello, President Takayuki, my name is Kazuo Murakami, and I'm really glad to meet you," the boy said with gleaming eyes.
Takayuki was holding a stack of documents handed over by Kazuo Murakami at the moment, pretending to study them carefully. In fact, he already had a good understanding of the forum's situation.
When Kazuo Murakami started speaking, Takayuki put down the documents and smiled at the boy.
"Please have a seat, don't be nervous. Just think of me as an older brother, not a company president."
"Okay!" Kazuo Murakami obediently sat across from Takayuki, admiration evident in his eyes.
"I've glanced through these documents. It seems you're hoping to gain the privilege of experiencing games in advance?" Takayuki inquired.
"That's correct. I already have many followers, and if I can experience complete games in advance, it will be easier for me to guide my supporters in the right direction. I believe this would be beneficial for the gaming industry, similar to how film and drama critics provide valuable insights. The gaming industry also needs impartial reviewers for its healthy development," Kazuo Murakami explained confidently.
Most of what he said was what Takayuki had taught him through his alternate account on the forum.
Meanwhile, Takayuki continued to play his part convincingly.
"This is indeed an interesting promotional channel. However, your documents state that you aim to maintain absolute neutrality. Will you treat all games fairly?" Takayuki inquired.
"Yes, that's my principle," Kazuo Murakami nodded.
Takayuki shook his head. "But if we produce a poorly made game and provide it to you in advance, and you criticize it severely, causing our sales to drop, wouldn't our promotional efforts be in vain? It might even have a negative effect. Why should we engage in promotion with you?"
"No, President Takayuki, you may misunderstand. My intention is for the entire gaming industry to move towards healthy development."
"The gaming industry needs a group of sufficiently neutral individuals. They are not serving a particular game company but striving for the betterment of the gaming industry and serving all players, because players are the foundation."
"If poorly made games become popular due to bribes, I believe the gaming industry will eventually collapse. I love video games, and I don't want this fascinating medium to be destroyed. I think, President Takayuki, as someone who has created the gaming industry, you should share my sentiments, right? Otherwise, with the current scale of your company, you could easily earn more money with lower-cost methods, but that would destroy the gaming industry."
Takayuki smiled. "Your viewpoints are indeed novel, but I think a child like you wouldn't come up with so much on your own. There must be someone behind you teaching you, right?"
Kazuo Murakami shook his head. "Indeed, as you guessed, someone did teach me, but he prefers to stay behind the scenes. He always claims to be just a pure gamer who only plays games and doesn't want to get involved in such matters, so I represent him fully."
Takayuki glanced at Kazuo Murakami deeply and said, "As you said, I do hope for the continuous prosperity of the gaming industry. At least that part of your statement resonated with me. However, I still have reservations about what you've said. Anyway, we don't intend to produce poorly made games in the first place. If you're only seeking the privilege of playing games in advance, then there's no problem."
Kazuo Murakami felt delighted.
Had he successfully persuaded the president?
He thought it would be much more challenging.
"However..." Takayuki spoke again.
Kazuo Murakami's heart skipped a beat. Was there an additional demanding requirement?
If it touched upon his bottom line, he would have to refuse, even if it meant losing the privilege of playing games in advance. This was the lesson he learned from Mr. Nintendo, which he considered correct.
"But remember, as you said, maintaining absolute neutrality. I hope you can deliver on your promise. Also, regarding playing games in advance, I expect reviews to be reviews. Absolutely no spoilers. You can comment on gameplay and general content, but under no circumstances should there be spoilers. You understand, right? It's as detestable as spoiling TV shows."
"I can absolutely guarantee that!" Kazuo Murakami couldn't contain his joy anymore.
So, the only requirement was to maintain confidentiality? That was completely fine. Even before the official release, he would be cautious in his reviews and avoid revealing anything inappropriate.
Moreover, even if Takayuki hadn't mentioned it, he would still adhere to neutrality. Not even a large sum of money could sway him.
It was his faith and commitment to video games.
Of course, there was also Takayuki's initial guidance on the internet.
Since Takayuki had already decided to collaborate with him from the beginning, their conversation just now seemed more like a test from Takayuki, to see if the boy would waver. At least for now, there were no signs of that happening.
However, people could change, and no one could predict the future. For now, it was best to ensure the present.
"As it happens, I have a game that is about to be released, and I can let you review it in advance."
"Is it Dragon Quest III?" Kazuo Murakami's whole body leaned forward eagerly.
He had watched the Dragon Quest III trailer online several times and was itching to play it.
"Dragon Quest? No, no, no, that's not possible. Advanced gameplay privileges are not unlimited. Dragon Quest III is our flagship title. If you want to experience it in advance, you'll have to wait at least ten days after release."
Kazuo Murakami felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this. He thought he would get to play it early.
With a month left until the official release, it felt like an eternity to him. He really wanted to play it as soon as possible.
"I'll die if I don't play the latest Dragon Quest soon." This was probably the sentiment of many loyal Dragon Quest players nowadays.
"Well then, what game do you plan to let me review in advance?" Kazuo Murakami inquired.
"This game is more of a casual pastime, called Pac-Man. It's scheduled to be released in a few days. This game doesn't have much plot, just pure entertainment. You can review it freely, whether it's good or bad, we won't stop you."
Unexpectedly, there was another pleasant surprise today, and Kazuo Murakami was delighted.
Even if it wasn't Dragon Quest III, it was still worth it.
"Okay, I'll review it carefully and try to publish the article on the forum as soon as possible."
Kazuo Murakami thought Takayuki was probably testing him to see if he could handle the responsibility of game reviewing. He had made up his mind to complete his first advance game review thoroughly.
"Alright, later, the legal department will draft a confidentiality agreement. The terms will be strict. Even your closest confidants cannot play the game without permission. Because before the official release, the game cartridge is still the property of our Gamestar Electronics. If you give it to anyone without permission, even though you're a child, you'll still face legal consequences."
"I understand. I won't even give it to my father without permission."
Takayuki nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, I remember one of the reviews in your documents was for Solar Knight by Suirui Electronics."
"Yes, that game is one of the few enjoyable games on the PN game console," Kazuo Murakami confirmed.
Did President Takayuki have an issue with that?
"I noticed your review mentioned that the game had been in development for at least three months. This seems to be somewhat of a secret piece of information nowadays. You seem to have some channels for obtaining such confidential information. Is it also the person behind the scenes who taught you this?" Takayuki asked.
"Not exactly," Kazuo Murakami shook his head. "Actually... it's my father. He works as a developer at Suiri Electronics now."
Oh, that was an unexpected gain.
No wonder this child knew so much about video games. His father was working in the industry. Under such influence, he would naturally come into contact with more game-related information.
"Takayuki, do you think my father's identity is sensitive?" Kazuo Murakami regretted his honesty.
What if Takayuki didn't like this sensitive identity? It would seem quite inappropriate for the child of a Suirui Electronics employee to actively seek cooperation with Gamestar Electronics.
"Sensitive? Not necessarily. I don't have so many concerns. However, in that case, you'd better strictly adhere to the terms of the contract. Under the confidentiality agreement, you absolutely cannot show or play the game cartridge to anyone without permission before the official release. Understand?" Takayuki replied.
"Yes, I understand."
"Good, wait a moment. After the legal department drafts the confidentiality agreement, you can take the test game cartridge with you. How many testers do you have now?"
"At the moment, there are only two. One is my behind-the-scenes supporter, and the other is myself. I will mainly be responsible for writing the game review articles."
"Alright, make sure the other person also strictly adheres to confidentiality. Our legal department won't hesitate to take action."
Kazuo Murakami made another promise and then suddenly showed a shy expression.
"Um, Takayuki, I have another request. I don't know if you'll agree."
"You can ask."
"Can we take a photo together?"
At this point, Kazuo Murakami took a camera out of his bag and looked at Takayuki with anticipation.
"Also, if possible, I would like to get your autograph. Would you mind?"
Being so close to his idol, it would be a shame not to take a photo together.
Takayuki chuckled, "Sure, no problem."
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