By that calculation, William would be missing out on hundreds of thousands of pounds, but he had no choice. His main priority was to make the game famous. Selling each copy for over 10 pounds might have limited sales to 50,000 copies.
The game was a hit in London, with sales and positive reviews attracting attention from major companies like EA, Ubisoft, game distributors, supermarkets, and even Blockbuster from America, which specialized in DVDs and computer games. The hundreds of thousands of pounds he lost were effectively wages for the university alumni who sold games for him in London and advertising fees to lure these big companies.
A few days ago, William received inquiries from these companies expressing interest in discussing agency or purchasing the game, so he reached out to one of the top law firms in London.
Anthony, a senior partner at Moores Rowland Solicitors, charged William 1,000 pounds an hour, and negotiations like these could take several days to conclude.
Damn, I'll have to pay Anthony tens of thousands of pounds. Fortunately, William signed an hourly contract with Moores Rowland Solicitors. If it had been a commission contract, he wouldn't know the extent of the cost.
William booked a conference room at the Hilton Hotel in London. At 8 AM, he met Anthony from Moores Rowland Solicitors on time.
After meeting, William shook hands with Anthony and joked, "Good morning, Mr. Anthony. Does billing start now?"
Anthony, catching the humor, replied, "Good morning, Mr. Devonshire. If it pleases you to start billing ten minutes later, we'll start at 8:10. I don't mind."
"Haha, Anthony, you have a great sense of humor. I like you. All right, let's dive into business. I need you to handle all my legal matters, sound good?"
"Of course, Mr. Devonshire. That's our specialty. I assure you that any contract handled by our firm will be flawless. This is Moores Rowland's guarantee," Anthony assured William.
William appreciated the confidence. This was why he chose Moores Rowland. "I trust Moores Rowland completely. As one of England's top three law firms, your expertise and credibility are unquestioned. So, Anthony, let's begin. Today will be busy."
William greeted Anthony's four team members. For 1,000 pounds an hour, hiring London's best lawyer and team was worthwhile. Problems from unprofessional lawyers would be costly.
Of course, only barristers earn big money as lawyers. Those assisting barristers make only a few thousand pounds monthly.
Representatives from EA, Ubisoft, Blockbuster, Carrefour, and other companies arrived on time.
After everyone settled, William didn't mince words. Success depended on the game's quality, sales, and profits. No amount of eloquence would sway these companies if the game didn't sell itself.
With a microphone, William addressed the room, "Welcome, gentlemen. I'm William Devonshire, creator, designer, and owner of Plants vs. Zombies. Your time is valuable, so let's get straight to it. Many have approached me to buy the game copyright or to act as sales agents. Am I right?"
Company representatives nodded, but remained quiet. They had been in touch with William, but he hadn't disclosed any information. While optimistic about the game, they were cautious not to be outmaneuvered.
William continued, "I'll state my bottom line. If our expectations differ significantly, please remain quiet until I finish, okay?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. As competitors, they were all keenly interested in Plants vs. Zombies and didn't want to miss a good opportunity.
William was pleased, thinking, "They're optimistic about Plants vs. Zombies, especially the distributors. They don't make games, just distribute them, so they don't want to miss a good game."
Seeing no objections, William expressed gratitude, "Thank you. Let's discuss agency first. My acceptable agency price is 8 pounds per game disc, roughly 13 US dollars. I believe Plants vs. Zombies can sell for 20 US dollars in the US. You know that in the late '80s, EPS game wholesale prices were 25 US dollars. You're industry experts and know if 8 pounds is reasonable. Can you accept it? If yes, we'll continue."
EA and Ubisoft hadn't considered agency, fearing competitors might drive up prices, leaving them empty-handed. They quickly nodded, "8 pounds is acceptable."
Distributors, experts in game distribution, knew William was right. Popular US games never sold under 20 US dollars. Seeing game companies agree, they grudgingly nodded.
Blockbuster and Carrefour representatives also nodded acceptance.
"Very good, everyone agrees on 8 pounds, so we can proceed. We've sold 150,000 game discs in London in a month. I won't detail it; you know it. That's why we're here.
Here's another piece of information you might not know, but Carrefour should."
William paused, eyeing the Carrefour representative, who nodded knowingly.
"Twenty days ago, I signed a licensing agreement with Carrefour for merchandise like T-shirts and hats. I signed it early, but it doesn't matter. Thanks to Carrefour, this contract covers Plants vs. Zombies merchandise in five counties around London. In 15 days, they sold 430,000 items in 120 Carrefour stores, averaging 3,600 items per store, 240 items daily. Turnover was 6.45 million pounds, averaging 15 pounds per item."
Hearing these figures, everyone except Carrefour was surprised.
Learning that merchandise sold for 6.45 million pounds in 15 days around London, they were excited, considering the global potential if the game became a hit.
Damn, Plants vs. Zombies merchandise is the real moneymaker. Copyright enforcement is strict in Europe and America; clear copyrights almost always win.
Carrefour was pleased. They came to discuss game merchandise, but with merchandise selling well, Carrefour aimed for a favorable deal.
William knew more companies would show interest after today.
After the room calmed, William continued, "If you want the full copyright, what should I ask? Selling 1 million copies in Europe isn't excessive; selling over 3 million in a few years isn't difficult."
Agency representatives looked grim. This matched their estimates; some estimated slightly higher, but only by a few hundred thousand.
It's 2000, and while there are many great games, none appeal universally like Plants vs. Zombies. In 2013, it had over 25 million downloads.
William continued, "In the US, selling 2 million copies is feasible, and other countries combined could total 2 million. Consider the wealth a game selling over 7 million copies, plus merchandise, can generate."
"Yeah, you mean wealth for you?" they thought, cursing inwardly.
William smiled at the room, silent. He knew he'd said enough. These industry veterans knew the potential wealth a game could generate.
EA and Ubisoft are top independent publishers, able to publish games and merchandise. Blockbuster is the largest DVD and game publisher in the US.
Currently, Plants vs. Zombies game discs alone could generate at least 70 million pounds in sales, with new versions adding income.
Plus, merchandise could sell for several times more. These companies and distributors would be eager for this game.
Blockbuster was set to IPO. If it became popular in the US, it would boost their listing. One-time profit equals a 20-times market value rise. Timing matters.
The Blockbuster representative couldn't help but speak, "Okay, Mr. Devonshire, you're selling the full copyright. You've highlighted the game's bright future. Let me guess, you want to profit from a strong market, invest in stocks, and maybe double it in a year. Congratulations, William, you're about to be rich. But we need to know your price for the full copyright."
"Starting at 100 million pounds."
"Whoosh!"
Despite being somewhat prepared, the room erupted at William's 100 million pounds price.
Some distributors shouted, "Are you crazy, Mr. Devonshire? 100 million pounds? Are you mad?"
William ignored them, locking eyes with the Blockbuster representative, "If Blockbuster can make over 300 million pounds after spending 100 million, they'll agree. It will help your plans for next year, right, Mr. Wood?"
Wood Morris's heart skipped. How did William know? Impossible, Blockbuster's board just agreed to IPO next year. How could he know?
But Wood was unsettled by William's words. He avoided William's gaze, feeling exposed.
William, watching Wood Morris, knew he'd guessed right. Blockbuster was set to IPO; they went public next year in the original timeline.
Blockbuster was unrivaled in America. Netflix nearly got acquired by Blockbuster several times, but they were arrogant, underestimating online shopping's growth.
"I'll need to report to the board. I can't decide on 100 million pounds now, Mr. Devonshire. Let's adjourn today," Wood said, uneasy under William's gaze, changing the subject.
William smiled, "Alright, gentlemen, we'll meet again in three days. I await your good news, Mr. Wood Morris."
William greeted everyone, ignored distributors wanting to finalize agency deals, and left with Anthony and his team from Moores Rowland Solicitors.
William and his six-member team went to the Hilton Hotel business suite he booked. The suite, costing 600 pounds a day, had a 40-square-meter office area.
Anthony, observing the young man before him, thought, "I hope my son will be like William Devonshire."
"Congratulations, Mr. Devonshire. You're about to be England's youngest billionaire. Amazing, William, you've changed my view of young people. Congratulations," Anthony praised.
William, taking the wine Anthony poured, said, "Thank you, Anthony. We need a new contract. I didn't expect such smooth progress. Three days from now is our battlefield. I've heard Blockbuster plans to IPO. I need your firm to support me, plan, release information, and attract more interest. Competition drives better prices."