The next morning, when Aoki Haruhi walked into his office, he saw a project proposal on his desk.
He was a little surprised, so he leaned on the door and asked HR-chan.
No, HR-chan.
Ayase Akane looked up and said, "Oh, that. Shinji Mikami brought it over this morning."
"Where is Shinji Mikami?"
"He probably went to a meeting."
"Alright, then after his meeting, have him come to my office," Aoki Haruhi instructed.
"Okay, President."
HR-chan wrote it down.
Now, Ayase Akane meticulously organizes Aoki Haruhi's daily schedule.
After giving instructions, Aoki Haruhi returned to his office, sat in his chair, and flipped through Shinji Mikami's project proposal.
Contrary to his imagination, this proposal was not about the shooting game "Border," but a brand new game.
Good heavens, is Shinji Mikami truly not afraid of working himself to death?
He's working on "Border," and "the witcher 2" and "Diablo 3" haven't even started, yet he's already thinking of new things. Can Shinji Mikami handle all of that?
Or does he not plan to make sequels for those game at all?
Does he think he has too much money to earn?
In the game industry, there's basically an unwritten rule, or rather, a common practice—
When a game sells very well and reaches a certain sales threshold, sequels will always be released.
And every Producer has a grand wish: to keep making sequels to his game until he dies.
Like the final fantasy series in his previous life, it went on to 15, 16. As long as Square doesn't go bankrupt, Aoki Haruhi has reason to believe they can keep going until the day the Earth is destroyed.
Being able to develop game sequels is actually an affirmation of a Producer's ability, and it's also something every Producer yearns for.
Of course, G Fat, who can't count to 3, is an exception.
Shinji Mikami, this guy, is good. He's not working on so many big IP sequels, and now he's giving me something new.
Aoki Haruhi opened the proposal and began to read.
This proposal was accompanied by many illustrative pictures; in fact, you could tell Shinji Mikami drew most of them himself.
The name of the proposal was "Enmaten."
It actually corresponds to the Chinese Yama. In Japan mythology, Enmaten is the ruler of the underworld and the judge of the dead.
The image of Yama varies. Sometimes he is depicted as a stern-faced old man, and sometimes as a young person in luxurious clothes.
So this is an ancient-style mythological game.
And it's a side-scrolling game.
The game's background is roughly as follows:
Enmaten reincarnates and becomes a mortal.
However, due to Enmaten's departure, the entire underworld falls into chaos. Many monsters are released, and the human and underworld realms are inverted. In this situation, the underworld needs to find Enmaten's reincarnation and bring him back to restore order.
And against this backdrop, a conspiracy gradually surfaces.
It turns out that behind Enmaten's "forced reincarnation" lies a huge conspiracy. Some great gods in the underworld do not want him to return, and the night parade of a hundred demons and the monster chaos are all meticulously designed.
There are also many illustrations in between, giving a very ancient Ukiyo-e feel.
After reading this part of the introduction, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but smack his lips.
Good idea.
But shouldn't this work be done by Gen Urobuchi, or Maeda Jun and Ishino Mika?
Is Shinji Mikami unable to suppress the primordial power in his head?
As expected of the gold-medal Producer I value.
Aoki Haruhi continued to look and found that the story actually ended there. Nothing else was written afterward; it mostly elaborated on game gameplay and character design, etc.
Although the game gameplay is a 2D side-scrolling game, it's quite creative.
In the game, enemies will have two different types of souls: one is "White Soul" and the other is "Black Soul."
Players can choose to accumulate a certain type of soul when killing enemies. Different souls unlock different skills and combos. Souls can also help craft weapons and equipment, unlock the next level, and so on.
In other words, the collection of souls not only affects game combat but also the game's story.
Of course, you can also choose to collect both types of souls and ultimately take the "Soulless" route.
In different routes, the enemies encountered and the stories that unfold are also different.
Quite interesting.
And it's quite tightly integrated with the entire game's worldview.
Coupled with this Ukiyo-e Japanese classical style, it truly has a great artistic conception.
Aoki Haruhi flipped through it and found a bathing mini-game at the back.
It should be said that Shinji Mikami embedded many mini-game in this proposal, and even the descriptions of the mini-game's gameplay were more detailed than the main gameplay.
For example, this "Bathing Mini-game."
It says "Provide benefits for players." As long as you can mix the hot water well, you can glimpse the beautiful breasts of the female characters.
In the game, there will be many intricately designed, different "bamboo-constructed" pipes. The pipes have many valves and two inlets, one for hot water and one for cold water.
What the player needs to do is control the valves to mix the two into "warm bath water," which then flows from the main outlet into the bathtub.
What on earth is this?
Aoki Haruhi expressed great confusion.
"Has Shinji Mikami been stimulated by something lately?"
Was he ridiculed for not having a girlfriend?
So he projects his fantasies about women into the game?
Shinji Mikami, when did you become an LSP? Why didn't I know?
Moreover, Urobuchi Gen and Maeda Jun don't have girlfriends either, do they?
No, it should be said that most of the company's employees don't have partners.
It's strange, though. Besides old-timers like Sakata Taiji and Akanishi Ken, so many young men and women in the company are single.
Could it be that this company is cursed?
Or do I, the President, come with a single aura?
No, no, impossible. I've found a girlfriend myself, so it shouldn't have anything to do with me.
Aoki Haruhi shook his head, dispelling the unease in his heart.
...
The proposal was about 30 pages long, with very interesting illustrations and text, and Aoki Haruhi finished reading it quickly.
Closing the proposal, Aoki Haruhi's mind was full of "cold and hot water" and "black and white souls."
The proposal is good, quite imaginative, and the drawings are also well done. Is this going in Maeda Jun's direction?
However...
Aoki Haruhi frowned slightly.
This style is too unlike Shinji Mikami's.
How to put it?
More unrestrained, rough, bold, that kind of feeling.
...
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Aoki Haruhi looked up and saw Shinji Mikami.
"Please come in."
"President, you were looking for me?" Shinji Mikami closed the door gently after entering.
"Yes, I've read your proposal," Aoki Haruhi said. "It's quite creative, but the details might be lacking and need more refinement. And where do you have the time to make so many game?
My suggestion is to first do a good job with "Border," and then quickly come up with the proposal for "the witcher 2."
"Huh?"
Shinji Mikami was stunned for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "President, you misunderstood. This proposal isn't mine."
"Oh? It's not yours?" Aoki Haruhi was slightly surprised.
However, he suddenly understood—
No wonder I thought this style was so different from Shinji Mikami's.
Shinji Mikami is actually a very rigorous and meticulous person; he shouldn't create such unrestrained and bold works.
"Then who wrote this? Could it be Urobuchi?"
Gen Urobuchi might be capable of it, but Urobuchi Gen wouldn't draw so many pictures. It would be good enough if he gave you a light novel to experience.
Maeda Jun's style is even less similar.
"Actually," Shinji Mikami said with a smile, "this proposal was submitted by someone outside the company who wants to work at Pokeni. My view is the same as yours, President. It's a very interesting idea, and the drawings are good. So far, I really haven't seen this style of game.
However, many details are not in place.
For example, the role of black and white souls, as a core gameplay element, doesn't seem to differentiate it enough from other side-scrolling action game.
I had hoped to see more reasonable and astonishing settings in the proposal, but upon closer inspection, it's still not enough.
But overall, for an outsider, this newcomer is actually very talented."
"I see."
Aoki Haruhi nodded silently.
Since Shinji Mikami had it in mind, he was relieved.
However, listening to Shinji Mikami, he must value this newcomer highly, otherwise he wouldn't have placed the proposal on his desk but would have sent it back directly.
But at the same time, Shinji Mikami might also be a bit worried, afraid that he can't handle it, because this person's strengths and weaknesses are very obvious.
The advantage is boldness and creativity; the disadvantage is that he can't control himself, is too uninhibited, and acts on impulse, lacking systematic game planning thinking.
It also reflects that this person's personality is the kind that is relatively carefree and imaginative.
The company doesn't lack imaginative talents, but imaginative personalities are also quite different.
Makoto Shinkai, for example, is more introverted.
Maeda Jun is a perfectionist.
Urobuchi Gen is extremely cunning.
Miyazaki Hidetaka is gloomy and shy (it's truly strange that these two almost completely unrelated words can be combined in one person).
Shinji Mikami is steady and down-to-earth.
Among them, the only one who can be entrusted is probably Shinji Mikami.
"What's his name?" Since Shinji Mikami liked this submitter, Aoki Haruhi asked casually.
Shinji Mikami paused for a second and replied:
"Kamiya Hideki."
Good heavens...
You guys from Platinum Games are almost all here.
...
Kamiya Hideki is definitely one of Japan's genius Producers.
Just look at the game he spearheaded:
"devil may cry," "Viewtiful Joe," "Okami," "Bayonetta"...
The birth of devil may cry was an accident. Because he did well under Shinji Mikami back then, when developing the resident evil sequel, Shinji Mikami, his senior, let Kamiya Hideki lead a new console, which was the resident evil sequel on PS3.
However, Kamiya Hideki is indeed a bit imaginative and acts on impulse. He wanted to add more action elements, making the combat cooler and more exhilarating...
After working on it for a long time, Shinji Mikami took a look and thought, 'Well, this is no longer resident evil. You should take this and make a new game.'
And so, the famous devil may cry series was born, which was considered the pinnacle of 3D action game at the time. From its presentation to its gameplay and story, it can be called a masterpiece.
Then this Producer has a few hobbies in his life. The first is cool action.
It's fully reflected in his game.
Another one is that he likes to add some 'color.'
So there was Bayonetta later.
And another is that he likes to add various mini-game into his game, such as the shooting game and puzzle mini-game in Bayonetta...
Ah...
That's right, that's right.
Aoki Haruhi finally felt the familiar feeling in that proposal.
Kamiya Hideki could write the "Enmaten" proposal, and also include a bathing mini-game. Aoki Haruhi felt that the flavor was right.
The style is actually quite similar to "Okami," which Kamiya Hideki produced in his previous life.
The game "Okami" also features deities reincarnated, various monsters, and an ancient style.
This game is a typical critical success but commercial failure. Very few players have played it. Its sales in Japan back then were only 140,000 copies, but those who played it considered it an undisputed masterpiece.
...
Kamiya Hideki.
Amazing.
Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but smile.
Shinji Mikami in his previous life could be considered Kamiya Hideki's mentor.
Both of them worked at Capcom and together developed the resident evil sequel, and later created devil may cry.
Afterward, due to unsatisfactory sales, both Shinji Mikami and Kamiya Hideki were exiled by Capcom.
Then, they established a new studio together and continued to run wild on the path of game.
Their production philosophy never changed. The Platinum Games studio, which was later re-established, aimed to produce "high-quality game," with every game aiming to be inducted into the platinum hall of fame.
He didn't expect such a fate in this life.
If Kamiya Hideki could come to Pokeni, that would be great.
At that time, Aoki Haruhi could continue to let Shinji Mikami mentor this newcomer.
Aoki Haruhi never had too many excellent Producers.
Aoki Haruhi coughed twice, suppressing his inner joy, and said calmly with an unperturbed expression:
"This guy seems to have a lot of potential."
"How about we send him an offer?" Aoki Haruhi said.
"Hmm." Shinji Mikami nodded. "Then what position should we invite him to?"
"The proposal is quite good, and his drawings also have their own style and ideas."
"Why even ask?" Aoki Haruhi said, "Of course, he's a game planner. For someone like Kamiya Hideki, asking him to do art would be difficult for him."
Huh?
Are the drawings really bad?
Shinji Mikami questioned his own aesthetic for the first time because he thought the illustrations in Kamiya Hideki's proposal were really good.
But the President must have his reasons for saying so.
"Okay, President."
...
In fact, Pokeni was not the only company Kamiya Hideki submitted his resume and proposal to.
He applied to Nintendo, Konami, Namco, and Capcom, among others.
As long as it had some reputation and allowed him to make game, Kamiya Hideki applied.
The proposal itself was also quite well done.
So,
At the same time, several companies also took an interest in this young game person who had just graduated from university.
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