Nasu Kinoko and Takeuchi Takashi didn't deliberate for long before deciding to join Pokeni.
After Ayase Akane signed contracts with them, she familiarized them with the company environment and their colleagues, first seating them in two empty spots against the wall.
Aoki Haruhi was true to his word, directly allowing them to form a separate project team to make the games they wanted, only needing to show him their proposals for approval.
He would then provide the corresponding programmers and artists.
If nothing unexpected happened, their first game would most likely be "the garden of sinners," still some distance from the Fate series Aoki Haruhi desired.
However, Pokeni was not short on money.
As the company's staff increased, so did the problems.
First and foremost was the issue of insufficient space.
Ayase Akane couldn't help but complain to Aoki Haruhi, "President Aoki, we've expanded several projects now, and with a few Pokémon projects starting, the company staff has doubled again.
It's getting a bit crowded with the seating."
"Emmm… that is indeed a problem," Aoki Haruhi said, stroking his chin.
"First, check if there are any vacant floors for rent in this building; if so, rent them all.
If not, you'll have to find a way to lease an entire building nearby.
And then… after this year, we'll build our own Pokeni building."
"Eh? Really?" HR-chan was overjoyed.
"Really, isn't it about time we had our own building?" Aoki Haruhi mused, after all, Pokeni was now considered one of the top game developers.
…
After "princess mononoke" was released in August, it immediately achieved exceptionally popular results, reaching an astounding 1.5 billion box office in Japan alone within the first week.
It had already broken the current box office ceiling.
The number of viewers also reached a terrifying 1 million-plus, setting a new box office record in Japan, and even had the potential to climb higher.
In its previous life, the total domestic box office for "princess mononoke" accumulated to 19.3 billion Japanese Yen, also the highest in history for that year.
Now, the data was even more exaggerated than before, with strong hopes of finally breaking 25 billion Japanese Yen.
Of course, all of this depended on the screening schedule and how long the release could last.
However, from another perspective, besides Hayao Miyazaki's fame and the inherent quality of "princess mononoke," Pokeni certainly played a significant role.
It was precisely because Pokeni's game promotion effect was strong enough, and its explosive performance at the Tokyo Game Show directly made countless audiences and players remember "princess mononoke" and develop a strong interest in it.
Before the game was even released, going to the cinema to satisfy their craving was also a good option.
Moreover, the movie itself was excellent, with many viewers re-watching it two, three, or even six times after their first viewing, still wanting more.
Overall, this month could truly be called Ghibli Month, or "princess mononoke" Month.
…
"1.5 billion Japanese Yen, truly remarkable," said Kazuma Takahashi, Pokeni's operations director, in admiration after seeing the data.
"But after the cinema's share, there isn't much left to earn, right?" Aoki Haruhi said lightly.
Although different cinemas have different revenue shares, and all are undisclosed confidential data, it can generally be estimated in the 6:4 range, with cinemas taking 6 and Ghibli taking 4.
This was even under circumstances where Ghibli had strong influence.
Some unknown directors and films might earn far less than this figure.
Kazuma Takahashi calculated for two seconds, a pained expression on his face.
"It seems that's true."
1.5 billion, 40% is only 600 million.
After deducting costs and taxes, Ghibli itself wouldn't get much.
"Games are still more profitable," Kazuma Takahashi said.
In a similar situation, if game sales could reach 1 million copies, calculated at 6,000 Japanese Yen per game, that would be over 5 billion Japanese Yen.
At the current exchange rate, that's equivalent to over 50 million US dollars.
For many small companies, this was already an astronomical figure.
Yet, such achievements were common at Pokeni, with approximately one to two games reaching this level every year.
Of course, a portion of this also goes to the platform, and taxes are deducted.
But compared to cinema commissions, game platform commissions are incredibly fair.
Distributors also take a cut, so in terms of profit, the percentages are actually similar; the advantage of games lies in their higher unit price.
"With this income, Ghibli would still need several years to produce another one," Kazuma Takahashi deeply felt it was not worth it for Studio Ghibli.
"princess mononoke" began production in 1994, and it had been over two years since then, meaning Ghibli spent two years making a game with a similar earning capacity to a Pokeni studio.
The profit was even less.
However, even with such earnings, Ghibli was already considered a top-tier income level in the industry.
No wonder they said games were profitable.
Kazuma Takahashi once again deeply realized this point.
"Actually, it's quite good," Aoki Haruhi said, "Not every game can reach our level."
In the game industry, most games only sell tens of thousands of copies; anything over several hundred thousand is considered a hit, and there are some abnormal ones like the mario series, each selling millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of copies.
Pokeni, however, was steadily rising, and achieving one to two million sales was now effortless.
Uh…
Kazuma Takahashi choked for a moment.
"President Aoki, aren't we being a bit too arrogant when we talk like this?"
"Hahahaha…"
Loud laughter erupted from the President's office.
Ayase Akane, sitting outside, frowned.
The President was getting carried away again.
…
Later, Toshio Suzuki, the President of Studio Ghibli, called Aoki Haruhi.
"Thanks to President Aoki, "princess mononoke" has achieved quite good results this time."
"No, no, this is all thanks to "princess mononoke" itself being excellent and Ghibli's meticulous production; otherwise, it wouldn't have achieved such good results.
We merely gave it a push and dare not claim any significant role."
"President Aoki is truly humble," Toshio Suzuki chuckled on the other end of the phone.
"By the way, after we finish our current busy period and have some free time, I hope President Aoki can spare some time to have dinner with us."
"Of course, of course," Aoki Haruhi said with a smile.
"Then, let's cooperate more in the future."
"Alright, Mr. Suzuki.
Pleasure working with you, looking forward to our next collaboration with Ghibli."
"We are also looking forward to it, thank you Pokeni, thank you President Aoki."
"No, no…"
…
After hanging up the phone, Aoki Haruhi looked up and pondered.
Mr. Suzuki might have just been being polite, though their gratitude for them should have been heartfelt.
As for whether there would be a next collaboration, it was purely a polite response.
However, Aoki Haruhi himself was very serious and exceptionally eager.
What was Ghibli's next film after "princess mononoke"?
He didn't know about others, but Aoki Haruhi vaguely remembered Hayao Miyazaki's directorial work seemed to be—
"spirited away"!
Ah!
Could it really be "spirited away"?
As soon as he thought of this, Aoki Haruhi became utterly excited.
This movie was also very suitable for adaptation into a game, but the difficulty of making it into a game would definitely be much greater than now, because the entire story of "spirited away" contained many original, strange things, and the characters within were also very unique.
Just thinking about Yubaba's house gave Aoki Haruhi a headache.
However, if it could truly be made in 3D, like "princess mononoke," the world of "spirited away" would surely be incredibly rich and colorful.
A town full of legendary charm.
And the sea train.
As soon as he thought of these, Aoki Haruhi became utterly excited.
…
Striking while the iron was hot, Aoki Haruhi also quickly pushed for the release of the "princess mononoke" game.
After the game was verified, Aoki Haruhi immediately found Hattori Hiroyuki to discuss its release.
This time, Hattori Hiroyuki proactively invited Aoki Haruhi to go fishing by the lake.
Both of them took a fishing bucket, fully equipped.
"President Aoki, you've sent me many gifts before; this time, I'll give you one."
"Eh?"
Aoki Haruhi looked at him, amused, then looked up at the sky.
Did the sun rise from the west today?
"This lure rod of mine is very easy to use.
It's yours from now on."
Hattori Hiroyuki took out a set of fishing gear from the car trunk and handed it to Aoki Haruhi.
This set of equipment alone was worth over 2 million Japanese Yen.
"Wow, is it that expensive?"
Aoki Haruhi couldn't believe it; this broken rod was actually more expensive than golf clubs?
How terrifying, was this fishing?
Or was he trying to catch a Gyarados?
Aoki Haruhi somewhat flattered, took it, then looked around and felt relieved when he saw the wide-open view behind him, with passersby occasionally walking by.
Otherwise, he would have had to buy a helmet, which would have been quite troublesome.
Hattori Hiroyuki taught him hand-by-hand, showing Aoki Haruhi how to bait, how to cast, and how to watch the bobber, and with that, Aoki Haruhi was officially 'graduated'.
The two then entered the stage of business negotiations, each sitting on a small folding stool.
Hattori Hiroyuki wore a fisherman's hat, which, by covering his hairline, made him look less ugly.
The sun was bright today, making the lake surface sparkle and somewhat dazzling.
Cicadas chirped incessantly in the woods behind them, singing particularly cheerfully.
Thinking about it, August weather truly was scorching.
Fortunately, it was cooler by the lake, so it didn't feel too hot.
"Let me guess, this time it must be the release of "princess mononoke," right?" Hattori Hiroyuki looked exceptionally happy.
"Yes, President Hattori, you are truly brilliant, you guessed it right away." Aoki Haruhi quickly took the gift box from beside him and handed it to Hattori Hiroyuki.
President Hattori didn't look at it much; he took it and casually placed it by his feet, his eyes fixed on the lake.
"This time, I'll entrust the release of "princess mononoke" to President Hattori."
"No problem, no problem," Hattori Hiroyuki said, smiling very happily, "But you really did time it perfectly."
""princess mononoke" just debuted at the Tokyo Game Show, and a few days later the movie was released.
As soon as the movie ended, the game was immediately released.
From the start of promotions in June all the way to November, you've completely dominated the schedule."
"Ha, thank you for your auspicious words," Aoki Haruhi laughed happily.
This Hattori Hiroyuki fellow was quite the old hand; he was truly clear about when to promote, when to release a game, and how long it should last.
No wonder this guy was so proactive today; he probably had been waiting for me to come knocking.
"This time we're collaborating with Ghibli, so all the time slots are set; there shouldn't be any problems.
With Hayao Miyazaki's movie preceding it, our game sales shouldn't be bad at all," Aoki Haruhi said with a smile.
"Don't give me that." Hattori Hiroyuki waved his hand, directly spreading his five fingers, "Just take this much."
"50,000 copies?" Aoki Haruhi frowned slightly, "Please take more; we've produced quite a lot of discs this time."
"500,000 copies!"
Whoa!
Aoki Haruhi almost burst out laughing.
Hattori Hiroyuki was extremely generous right from the start, directly pre-ordering 500,000 copies.
"Aren't you at all worried about the game not selling?"
Hattori Hiroyuki smiled and shook his head, "We're all old acquaintances, and with you and Hayao Miyazaki involved, game sales will definitely not be a problem."
In fact, Hattori Hiroyuki had already watched the game presentation at the Tokyo Game Show; when "princess mononoke" appeared, it was truly explosive.
The entire audience was ecstatic; such a game required almost no hesitation; just one look and you knew it would be a hit.
Plus, Pokeni's own reputation and Hayao Miyazaki's endorsement, such a game would simply take off, wouldn't it?
Hattori Hiroyuki wasn't foolish; he would certainly prepare in advance for profitable ventures.
"Then I thank President Hattori very much."
…
The two had a great understanding, and as old acquaintances, the entire business deal was settled in just a few minutes.
The rest was small talk and fishing.
Fishing, like golf, was an activity Aoki Haruhi found no pleasure in at all.
But as long as Hattori Hiroyuki liked it, that was fine.
For Aoki Haruhi, there was one thing he was quite happy about: by this beautiful lake, enjoying the evening breeze, the sunset, and the sound of cicadas behind him, Aoki Haruhi rarely experienced such a unique tranquility.
At this moment, he felt as if the entire world had slowed down.
He didn't have to think about so many things, didn't have to be busy with work, and didn't have to 'pay public grain' to Nao Tsuda.
Life was so leisurely, making one Can't help it close their eyes and fully enjoy the tranquility and gentleness of the moment.
There was nothing more pleasant in the world than this.
Traveling with President Hattori actually felt like a vacation, which Aoki Haruhi hadn't expected.
Before long, Aoki Haruhi fell asleep in his chair.
When he woke up, the surrounding sky had completely darkened.
"Awake?"
Hattori Hiroyuki stood beside him, lifting a small bucket, "Let's go, I'm treating today, I'll take you for braised fish."
"Eh? Okay, okay."
Aoki Haruhi rubbed his somewhat numb cheeks, stood up blankly, and followed Hattori Hiroyuki out, carrying his bucket.
After finally clearing his head, Aoki Haruhi asked, puzzled, "Um, President Hattori, how many big fish did you catch today?"
You must have caught a lot, right?
Hattori Hiroyuki frowned deeply and walked forward without a word.
Aoki Haruhi jogged a few steps to catch up, and when he got closer, he realized that President Hattori was carrying an empty bucket.
Good heavens, it was zero!
However, it also proved the saying, "a bad student has many stationery items"; the two fished for over two hours and didn't catch a single fish.
"Fishermen never return empty-handed," President Hattori said.
…
After buying a few fish at the seafood market, Hattori Hiroyuki took Aoki Haruhi to a small tavern and asked the owner to cook them.
Although they weren't the fish they caught themselves, both of them ate exceptionally happily.
That evening, the two parted ways.
Hattori Hiroyuki got into his car and drove to a familiar spot to park.
Without any hesitation, he directly threw the "princess mononoke" game disc into the trash can.
"Blessings!
May the game sell well!"
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