"President, here's the list of personnel from the First and Second Divisions for the transfer—a total of six people. Combined with the existing three members of the Third Division, this will form the new Third Development Department."
Iwata Satoru presented the list to Kobayashi Tetsu. After a moment's thought, he decided to speak his mind.
"President, I believe Atlas is still too informal. It would be best to further standardize operations by establishing dedicated Finance and Human Resources departments. This would greatly benefit Atlas's future development."
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded.
"That can be arranged. There's still time. The turnover rate in game companies isn't particularly high. But Iwata is right—I can't keep calculating salaries with a calculator every time."
This wasn't like the garage days when Atlas had only four people.
"Let's discuss that later. For now, let's focus on the game development plan."
Kobayashi Tetsu casually tapped the whiteboard.
Iwata Satoru looked up and was astonished.
While he was away, Kobayashi Tetsu had written so much that the entire whiteboard was filled!
"Jackal... So that's what Jackal means—the Jackal Jeep."
Iwata Satoru crossed his arms and scanned the room, gradually understanding.
"Is this game based on the Vietnam War?"
"More or less, but it's best not to delve into the war's specifics. It should just serve as a backdrop."
Kobayashi Tetsu explained, "This Jeep tactic originated during World War II on the Western Front. British forces used it to rescue prisoners of war in North Africa. The Jeep's small size and agility made it notoriously difficult to catch, inflicting heavy losses on German forces. So, the game will involve driving Jeeps through a war-torn landscape, rescuing prisoners, and engaging in combat. Of course, we'll need to make significant adjustments for the North American and Japanese markets."
Americans are actually quite sensitive about the Vietnam War. Later films and TV shows often focus on veterans, portraying them as either formidable warriors with deep psychological scars—sometimes as villains, sometimes as heroes.
Each country has its own "correct" narrative, and it's best to avoid sensitive topics as much as possible.
The idea of rescuing prisoners behind enemy lines can significantly alleviate American fears surrounding the Vietnam War.
Koei is a master at this: knowing when to tread carefully.
Their historical simulation games have never directly addressed the Korean Peninsula, at most only mentioning it in passing or as part of trade routes.
The Korean Campaign of the Three Great Campaigns of the Wanli Era, known in Japan as the Bunroku-Keichō War, is conspicuously absent from titles like Taiko Risshiden and Nobunaga's Ambition.
Koei isn't foolish enough to offend two nations at once.
After Admiral's Decision was rejected domestically due to its war themes, Koei learned its lesson. Since then, they've meticulously avoided political content in their games, focusing solely on individual characters and glossing over sensitive history.
Even in the early days of Japan's small gaming market, Koei deliberately avoided the Bunroku-Keichō War.
Later, when Team Ninja developed Nioh, Wo Long, and Rise of the Ronin, they didn't even touch Japanese politics. The villains were entirely fictional, while all other characters were portrayed as good. The heroes died noble deaths, and the villains were all corrupted by demons, resulting in games where, apart from the protagonist, no one looked like a villain. The protagonist ended up slaughtering nothing but good guys.
So, if Japanese works do touch on sensitive topics, don't doubt it—it's intentional. Japanese creators know what they can and can't touch.
"In any case, we must absolutely avoid that sensitive content," Kobayashi Tetsu declared, putting an end to the discussion. "We won't alter the core premise. The rest of the framework we can design ourselves."
Iwata Satoru nodded.
"Then, for the boss battles, we should also try to incorporate battlefield elements. That means using military equipment, right?"
"Exactly," Kobayashi Tetsu confirmed. "Fortifications, tanks, armored personnel carriers—these will all become enemies in the game."
He added, "Also, the battlefield needs to be vast—truly massive. Without the MMC3 enhancement chip, the console's capabilities alone won't suffice. We'll have to go to Nintendo."
And then, we'll beat him senseless until Hiroshi Yamauchi hands over the MMC3 enhancement chip!
Kyoto, Nintendo Headquarters.
Gunpei Yokoi stared at the two men before him, his head throbbing.
"I thought this was the Atlas office building. Don't you knock before entering?"
"Why would I knock to enter my own home?" Kobayashi Tetsu said, making himself at home as he sat down opposite Gunpei Yokoi. Iwata Satoru, more formal, stood nearby.
Kobayashi Tetsu got straight to the point. "I'm planning to make a comeback and develop a new game. Would Nintendo mind if it was released on multiple platforms?"
Gunpei Yokoi: "If you're calling me brother, then what else is there to say? We'll publish it for you!"
Though an exaggeration, Hiroshi Yamauchi had indeed instructed them to agree if Atlas proposed a multi-platform release.
They're a profitable company; there's no need to push them away. Yamauchi was practically praying for Sega to sever ties with Kobayashi Tetsu.
After all, he couldn't exactly run him over with a Jeep, could he?
Kobayashi Tetsu continued, "Give Atlas the MMC chip, and our new game will definitely exceed your expectations."
Gunpei Yokoi clicked his tongue. "President Kobayashi, you're making things difficult for us! First the cartridge compression technology, now the enhanced chips... Why not just have Atlas join Nintendo?"
Kobayashi Tetsu refused.
"The game will still be released on the FC anyway. Nintendo won't lose out. A company as large as yours shouldn't be so petty, should they?"
Gunpei Yokoi said, "There's no point in provoking me. We can grant Atlas the license, but under our usual terms: it can only be used in Atlas's games. No sub-licensing to any other company. If Atlas violates the terms, Nintendo will take legal action."
Kobayashi Tetsu gave a thumbs-up.
Well done, Nintendo. Like a valiant warrior, fiercely defending itself.
"Then it's settled."
As Kobayashi Tetsu rose to leave, Gunpei Yokoi suddenly called out, "President Kobayashi, how about we discuss a special contract? To be frank, Nintendo wants the license for Kobayashi Blocks. We hope Atlas will authorize its development on Nintendo consoles."
Kobayashi Tetsu's expression turned serious.
Iwata Satoru glanced at Kobayashi Tetsu, slightly puzzled.
This matter is somewhat important, but there's no need for such gravity.
Kobayashi Tetsu pondered for a moment.
Why does Nintendo want Tetris?
There was only one possibility:
A handheld console.
In 1989, the Game Boy was released. This handheld and Tetris mutually elevated each other, becoming a global classic.
The first Pokémon game was also released on the Game Boy. The Game Boy's link cable allowed communication between consoles, making the Pokémon trade feature possible.
Back then, the first Pokémon game barely passed the review. Without Miyamoto Shigeru's intervention, Tajiri Satoshi would have had to leave after completing the first title.
No one could have predicted that Miyamoto's intervention would directly spawn an enduring game series for Nintendo.
Later Pokémon games might have been mediocre, but they suffered from a severe lack of competition.
"Speaking of which, how far has Sega's handheld development come?"
Kobayashi Tetsu had reminded Kobayashi Kentaro to develop a Sega handheld, but he had no way of knowing the progress.
It was already 1987. Given the development cycle, the Game Boy must be in development, though it probably hadn't been fully finalized. The Game Boy's performance was relatively weak, so it shouldn't be difficult to counter if necessary.
Kobayashi Tetsu teased, "I'll have to think about that. You're not planning to port Kobayashi Blocks to the Game & Watch, are you?"
Gunpei Yokoi laughed to cover his tracks. "Such a wildly popular game, the one that saved the Sega SG! It's only natural for Nintendo to want it!"
Gunpei Yokoi wasn't worried.
He refused to believe that Kobayashi Tetsu could know about the Game Boy's development, a project Nintendo had just begun!
If they could license Kobayashi Blocks, the Game Boy would undoubtedly become a massive hit.
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