Gabe Newell responded to Jimmy Chen's statement with a slight smile, then leaned forward slightly and asked, "With all due respect, Mr. Chen—you were a developer at Atari, right? So you probably have a solid understanding of how the traditional game development cycle works, correct?"
Mr. Chen nodded confidently. "It's okay, Mr. Newell, yes—I'm clearly aware. First of all, there should be an idea, then concept art. After that comes the design phase, gameplay structure, music composition, followed by thorough testing before we finally release the game. That's the simple version of it."
Gabe nodded, clasping his hands together. "Exactly. That's right. The standard process generally flows like this: Idea → Concept → Art Direction → Game Development → Testing → Release. Each phase requires its own dedicated time, team, and creative energy to complete. It's a structured pipeline that's been followed for decades not just for games but for Softwares in general."
He continued, now addressing both Chen and the audience. "From the moment an idea is formed to when it becomes a tangible concept, countless hours are spent brainstorming things like gameplay mechanics, character design, world-building, and core gameplay loops. That alone can take months. Once the concept is nailed down, we shift into art direction—handling music composition, visual themes, and overall aesthetic. Especially since the 16-bit era, that phase has become critically important. Again, that can take weeks or even months, depending on the scope normally."
He gestured animatedly as he spoke. "Next comes development—actually coding the game, building it level by level, system by system. And of course, we move into rigorous testing. Bugs pop up constantly, and debugging can be a nightmare. Once all that's done, we finally release it. That's the 'normal way'—and it typically takes 6 months to a year, sometimes even more depending on the complexity of the project."
Gabe then paused, grinned slightly, and said, "But at ZAGE, we don't do it that way anymore."
"Our boss, Zaboru Renkonan, is one of the most relentless and hardworking people I've ever met. He's a pure genius, and you know how terrifying it is when a genius actually enjoys hard work, right? Now imagine that same genius also loving what he does—game development. That's not just scary, that's borderline mythical. A genius who loves hard work and also loves his craft? Nothing is more unstoppable than that.
Let me give you a glimpse into how things work at ZAGE. When we get wind of a new game Zaboru wants to release, he doesn't come to us empty-handed. No, he already has the entire game planned out and prepared. He hands us folders—thick, chaotic, incredible folders—filled with everything: idea breakdowns, concept sketches, art references, mood boards, even notes that seem more like journal entries. There are even insights from a developer's perspective, like he anticipated the kind of questions and challenges we might face. We end up skipping so many early-stage steps because the groundwork he's laid out is so detailed.
But what's really insane is the texture of those folders—they're messy, sure, but in a raw, emotional way. It's like he pours his entire heart and soul into them. Every scribble feels intentional. Every note, no matter how small, feels alive. And that's not an exaggeration. All of ZAGE's current major releases, in ZEPS 3, followed this exact method.
And if you're a developer, you'll understand this—sometimes, there's that one stubborn issue. That glitch, that bug, that piece of code that refuses to work no matter how many times you go at it. It drives teams mad for days?"
Jimmy Chen nodded slowly, still processing the information, and Gaben continued with greater enthusiasm, "If our boss sees that kind of issue, most of the time he'll solve it in, at most, an hour. Seriously—just one hour. Do you realize how crazy that is? Our entire team, made up of highly talented, experienced ZAGE developers, can spend five days banging our heads against the wall trying to figure out a stubborn bug or some complex engine behavior, and still not crack it. Then Zaboru walks into the U.S. office—he's just flown in from Japan, mind you—and within one hour, he not only solves it, but he solves it in a way none of us ever saw coming. A method so elegant , so simple, so unexpected, it makes you sit back and wonder am i stupid or this guy just insane?."
Gaben laughed a little, shaking his head in awe. "We've learned so much from him. He's not just a brilliant problem-solver—he's also a phenomenal teacher. He's patient with us. He understands how different team members work, what pace they need, when to push, and when to support. He drives us to do better without making us feel like we're failing. He pushes hard, yeah, but he always treats every single one of us like human beings. That's why we're able to build top-quality, cutting-edge games in such short development windows."
He leaned forward slightly and added, "And I haven't even mentioned the custom engine he built. That thing is a beast—it's incredibly versatile, optimized for cross-platform performance, and it's made our lives so much easier. It's like he thought about every pain point we ever had and just solved them in advance."
Then Gaben chuckled again and turned his gaze back to Jimmy. "Now, about your statement that he steals ideas—from his developers, employees, or close friends—I have just one question for you: who exactly is that? Who, specifically, has had their ideas stolen by Zaboru Renkonan? Because if there really is someone like that out there—someone with an endless stream of revolutionary ideas, at the exact same rate and quality as Zaboru—then maybe that person is the actual God of Video Games. Because that's the only explanation that makes sense."
Jimmy Chen sat in silence, clearly deep in thought. Gaben, known for his blunt honesty since his days at Microsoft, never sugarcoated things—he always spoke the truth, even if it stung his team.
"That still doesn't make sense," Jimmy finally said, brows furrowed.
Gaben nodded. "True. But our boss, Zaboru, is a super genius who just happens to love hard work and is genuinely passionate about what he does. And on top of that, he has a kind and honest heart. He's not your typical businessman driven by profit—he's driven by passion. That's exactly what makes him capable of doing what most people can't even imagine."
Walt Disney burst out laughing, his voice booming across the room. "HAHAHA! That's absolutely true—Zaboy is a terrible businessman! The man couldn't negotiate a lunch deal without accidentally buying the restaurant. He is not cruel and shrewd. But what he lacks in business sense, he more than makes up for in wild, limitless creativity. His imagination is off-the-charts. That's why I even considered selling half of Disney's rights to him back then!.
When he shared his idea with us, it was mind-blowing. We didn't just tweak our plans—we scrapped our entire brainstorming pipeline because what he gave us cut through weeks, even months, of work. It was as if a divine bolt of creative genius had hit our studio. The idea wasn't just good—it was transformational. His concept was so complete and so bold, we didn't even have to think twice. It practically carried the project on its back.
The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and now the recent Hercules—all of them were originally his ideas. And let me give you a little spoiler—we've already got more films lined up based entirely on Zaboru's creative roadmap. Hahaha! It's wild, but true. The man probably mapped out a decade's worth of hits on napkins and scratch paper.
Selling 50% of Disney to someone like him—a guy who doesn't think like a businessman but instead operates purely on passion and raw creativity—was the best decision this old man ever made. He doesn't chase profit, he chases magic, and somehow that magic turns into success. And trust me, that kind of decision takes guts, but when you see what comes out of it, you know it was worth every risk.
And listen—no, you can't steal something like that. How do you even begin to steal what only one person in the world seems capable of imagining? You can't. Because the kind of originality Zaboru brings to the table doesn't exist in a place where you can just reach in and grab it. He's not copying from anyone. He's building from something none of us can even comprehend. You don't "steal" blueprints from someone whose mind is already living in the future while the rest of us are still trying to find the present."
He leaned back, exhaling with a satisfied grin. "I've worked with legendary artists, visionaries, storytellers—but what makes Zaboru different is that he's all of those rolled into one. And not in a gimmicky way. He's not chasing fame. He's not even trying to make a name for himself. He just wants to make cool, beautiful things—and that sincerity shows."
Walt then grinned and added, "Here's a fun fact: he actually asked us not to credit him in any of the movies that were clearly planned out by him. His reason? He said, 'I didn't join the development team, so it wouldn't be right.' I mean, how can someone be like that? He doesn't want fame—he just wants to see his ideas come to life. That's all that matters to him. Just sitting back, quietly watching his visions unfold on screen, without needing his name attached. It's unbelievable, but it's exactly who he is but well i reject that idea and still put his name nonetheless." Walt Grinned.
Walt then turned his gaze directly to Jimmy Chen, his smile fading into a more serious tone. "You, Chen—watch what you say. Brat, you better contain those words before they bite back at you in the future. Because when they do, you'll realize you were doubting someone who's been five steps ahead of everyone else since the beginning."
Matt, the host, cleared his throat and said with a playful grin, "Mr. Disney… umm, just so you know—we're live right now." His comedic tone lightened the mood, drawing laughter from everyone in the room.
With the tension eased, Matt turned to Kingo, the drummer of the Zankoku band. "So, Kingo, what do you think about Zaboru—since he's the boss of your band, Zankoku?"
Kingo scratched his afro and said in his thick Japanese-accented English, "Our boss... well, let's just say he's really, really good! Back before he recruited us, Zankoku was just a casual band. We weren't aiming for anything big—we were just a bunch of friends playing music together, doing birthday parties, small gigs, bar shows. That kind of thing. We didn't even think about going big. But everything changed the moment he found us. After he brought us in and turned us into Z&Z, we shot up. It was like flipping a switch—from small-time to worldwide, just like that. He saw something in us we didn't even see in ourselves."
Kingo chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Though, to be honest, it's kind of a letdown that he doesn't want to perform with us more often. Seriously! The fans love him, and when he joins us on stage, the energy just explodes. But he's not really care about the spotlight sometimes. Still, I completely agree with what Newell-san said—our boss is a true genius. Like, not just smart—he's the kind of genius who works harder than anyone else. He really loves what he does. One time, he walked into the studio while we were just messing around and said he had a new song in mind. No preparation, no planning, just pure inspiration. And then, boom—within three hours, the whole song was done. Written, arranged, recorded. Everything."
He leaned in slightly, smiling. "And do you know what song that was? It was 'Hysteria.'"
The whole room gasped. Even the live audience let out a collective reaction. 'Hysteria' was one of Z&Z's most famous tracks, widely known and loved, a song that had broken genre barriers and become something iconic. What most people didn't know was that it was actually inspired by Muse's 'Hysteria'—a memory from Zaboru's past life. The energy, the structure, the emotion—it all became something completely new in this era. The result was a genre-defying masterpiece that catapulted Z&Z into a new level of musical innovation.
Matt's eyes widened. "Hysteria was written in under three hours? That's unbelievable!"
Kingo nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and believe it or not, it's not even the first time he's done something like that! Our boss is ridiculously good with musical instruments. I mean, he improves at a crazy pace. When he first joined us, he could barely play anything aside from guitar. He was just decent at it—good, but not mind-blowing. But within just six months, he became insanely good not just at guitar, but also at bass, keyboard, and drums. I'm telling you, it's wild how fast he picks things up. It's like watching someone go from beginner to world-class right before your eyes. Hehehe... it's honestly scary, but I'm super proud to call him my boss!"
Kingo grinned even wider. "And here's something else most people don't know—our boss never takes any money from Z&Z performances. Not a single cent! All the revenue from our gigs goes to the rest of us in Zankoku—me, Miki, Jun, and Masashi. We're the ones who get paid. He insists on it. Maybe it's because he's already wealthy or something, but he's so humble about it. No ego, no demands. He just wants to create great music and support us however he can. Honestly, I've never met anyone like him. A genius musician, a great leader, and one of the kindest, most generous people I know."
Matt chuckled. "The more I hear, the more unreal it sounds. Do you guys seriously think Zaboru is one of those once-in-a-million-years geniuses?"
Gaben smirked and said, "Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration… but our boss is definitely one of a kind."
Walt Disney burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Zaboy really is a genius!"
Meanwhile, Liam Ernest leaned in, eyes widening with realization. "So... it's not that Zaboru is actually multiple people or some hidden collective behind the curtain—it's just that he's an insanely talented genius? A single guy with an outrageous work ethic and this deep, obsessive love for his craft?" He paused for a beat, then his eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "That actually makes him even more amazing! Hehehe!"
He sat back, shaking his head in disbelief. "You know, the idea of a whole secret team kind of made sense to me. But now that I know it's really just him—working that hard, pushing himself that far—that's something else. It's way more impressive, and honestly, kind of inspiring."
Liam glanced around the room, clearly energized. "It's intimidating, too, in a good way. Makes you wanna go home and actually do something with your life, doesn't it?"
Meanwhile, Jimmy Chen sat silently, arms folded. He didn't say a word. His expression was unreadable—caught somewhere between reflection and discomfort. Whatever was going on in his head, one thing was clear: for once, the loudest skeptic in the room had been completely silenced.
The show continued for a while, building toward a joyful conclusion. When it finally ended, Ayumi grinned mischievously and said, "Hehehe, take that, you Jimmy Chen fool! Hahaha!"
Zaboru chuckled warmly beside her. "Ayumi, you're scary, you know that?"
Suddenly, their baby, Zenshin, woke up and started crying. Ayumi instinctively picked him up and gently breastfed him. Zaboru watched with a quiet smile, his eyes soft.
"You're really loved by your coworkers, huh, Zabo?" Ayumi teased, glancing up at him with a sly smirk.
Zaboru scratched his head and laughed. "Well, maybe they just want a raise? Hmm... but Mr. Disney said it too, didn't he?"
Ayumi laughed as well. That's exactly what she loved about him the most. Despite the fame, the fortune, the legendary status—her Zabo was still the same. The same awkward, determined 17-year-old kid she once dragged into teaching her how to make video games when they first met.
He never showed off his wealth. He still mostly rode his bike everywhere, the bike that he treasured so much he gave name "Silver Wrecker", still loved grabbing food from hole-in-the-wall places, still acted like a regular guy. He didn't waste money or behave like a flashy celebrity. He was just Zabo—her Zabo. Her priceless treasure, unchanging, and impossibly dear to her heart that's why she is obsessed with him.
To be continue
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