Game Market 1983

Chapter 11: Two Geniuses

"Scrolling the background."

"What? What are you doing?"

At first, Kumaamoto-san and Gunpei-san didn't understand what I was talking about. It's not easy to grasp the concept of side-scrolling right away. I took out my notebook from my bag and placed it in front of Kumaamoto-san, holding a pen.

"Look. This frame is the display where the game is shown. And inside it, Kumaamoto-san's Mariji stands. And..."

I extended my pen outside the screen, drawing a long line.

"This is the stage."

"Ah!"

At that moment, Kumaamoto-san clapped his hands with excitement. But Gunpei-san was still clueless about how things worked, inspecting us one by one.

"That's right!! You don't have to display the start and end on the same screen. It's like scrolling a long background to create the feeling that the character is moving forward, just like rotating the projector in a movie theater."

As expected, once you give one hint, they grasp ten. With just a little guidance, Kumaamoto-san quickly understood the concept of side-scrolling.

"Gunpei-nim, you were right. Kang Junhyuk is a genius! A genius!"

"Hey, hold on a sec, Shige. I still have no idea what's going on here. What do you mean by showing a stage outside the monitor? How can you show a stage outside the screen..."

Then, Kumaamoto-san helped explain it in a way that Gunpei-san could understand more easily. After nodding a few times, Gunpei-san finally looked at me with a wide smile.

"How in the world do you come up with ideas like this? This completely changes the framework of the games we've been thinking of."

"This will allow players to feel more immersed in the game."

While I explained, Kumaamoto-san mumbled something like an incantation as he looked at the side-scrolling I had drawn. What's up with him all of a sudden? For a moment, he closed his eyes as if he were imagining something. Then, when he opened his eyes again, a smile had formed on his lips.

"I've come up with a rough idea for our next project."

Already? In that short amount of time, he's already thought of the next project? Kumaamoto-san picked up a pen from the table and started hastily sketching something. Bricks, question mark boxes, mushrooms, and flags... These were the basic items that would later become the source material for Super Marigi.

"A Mariji who rescues a princess."

"A princess?"

"Until now, it was usually a knight rescuing the princess, but Mariji is a modern character. He'll be the one to rescue the Mushroom Kingdom's princess from the monsters."

Gunpei-san responded with an intrigued smile to Kumaamoto-san's explanation.

"Wow... Another interesting concept this time. Keep going."

"Well, our Mariji character is a plumber. He always works in dark and damp places, so, the monster, I think, should have a cold and damp reptilian form that fits well. This monster kidnaps the Mushroom Kingdom's princess, and our modern-day Mariji, who has accidentally arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom, goes forward to fight enemies and rescue the princess."

What's with this guy? He's already created a whole game in such a short time. Indeed, a genius is a genius. I leaned back in my chair, clenching my fist.

I felt a tingling sensation in my fingers, knowing that I was witnessing the birth of a masterpiece that would leave a significant impact on the gaming industry for the next 30 years. Gunpei-san wore an interested smile as he asked Kumaamoto-san.

"Well, both the monster and the princess characters should have names, right?"

Kumaamoto-san then asked me.

"Kang, what's a popular food in Korea?"

"Me? Well..."

In that moment... Having traveled around Japan, indulging in greasy dishes like donkatsu and donburi, a certain dish came to mind. A steaming hot pot of boiling beef, a scoop of rice wrapped in kimchi, and when you take a bite... Ah, delicious!

"Gu-k-bap."

"Kook-pap?"

"Guk. Bap. Yo."

"Gook... bap?"

It seems that both of them had difficulty pronouncing it due to the consonant clusters in Korean. However, after a few attempts to pronounce "gukbap," Kumaamoto-san grinned and said, "Let's name the reptile monster after Kang's idea – 'Kotpa.'"

What!? Hey, man, is it that easy to decide? And why should my favorite food be the villain that torments Mariji for the next 30 years!? Gunpei-san, who was sitting next to us, burst into laughter and nodded approvingly.

"So, what will the princess be called?"

At that moment, a waitress brought fruit for dessert.

"This is a peach for dessert."

Kumaamoto-san, eyeing the pink peach, spoke up.

"Let's name the princess Peach."

This was the birth of Princess Peach, who would be kidnapped by the reptile monster Kotpa for the next 30 years. What a twist of fate!

&

Two weeks later, I stood in front of the Nintendo headquarters building, dressed in a suit.

"Phew... I've come this far. I've had a good two months of rest, so should I start working again now?"

Taking a deep breath, I entered the company building. It was still hot in September, making it uncomfortable to wear a suit, but the inside of the building was so air-conditioned that it was almost like a freezer. Back in the days when heatstroke precautions were less common, they seemed to run the cooling at almost the lowest temperature.

"C-C-Cold!"

"What brings you here?"

The receptionist in the lobby asked when she saw me entering the building.

"Oh, I came for an interview recommended by Mr. Gunpei and Mr. Kumamoto."

"Huh? Does that mean you're Kang Junhyuk?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I was a little worried because you're Korean, but you speak Japanese very well."

"Thank you. But where should I go?"

"Well, Mr. Kang Junhyuk, you are a special interviewee, so I think you will be interviewed directly in the president's office."

"Really?"

It's not about the HR department or anything, but having an interview directly with the company president? Mr. Kamawuchi, the president of Nintendo? I raised an eyebrow and asked the receptionist once again.

"Will the president interview me directly?"

"Yes, at Nintendo, Mr. Kamawuchi personally interviews each and every candidate to assign them to the right department."

Nintendo was still more recognized as a toy company rather than a global gaming giant. I politely bowed to the receptionist and followed her guidance, heading to the president's office located on the top floor of the building.

"Come in."

Before the door opened, I cleared my throat slightly and calmed my racing heart. It's still nerve-wracking even though it's just an interview.

"Please come in."

When the employee inside the office extended her hand, I bowed slightly in greeting and entered the president's office. The president stood up, gestured for me to take a seat at the meeting table, and then asked.

"Well, are you Kang Junhyuk, who came from Korea?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Gunpei and Shige had high praise for you. They were really insistent on bringing you in."

"I'm very grateful for their kind words."

"Personally, I'm not particularly fond of games, but they keep saying that in the future, children will play with toys and the gaming industry will have a significant role to play."

"I share the same perspective."

"Is that so? On what basis do you have such thoughts?"

Why does this guy ask so many questions as soon as I walk in? But since I anticipated these questions, I was able to answer promptly.

"It's because I never get tired of it."

"You never get tired of it?"

"Why can one enjoy various games with just one device? And you can have plenty of fun by yourself," I explained.

"So, you're saying a game console is something you can enjoy alone without getting bored? Interesting. But toys tend to become boring rather easily, don't they?" replied Kamawuchi, the president of Nintendo.

"A game console is not a toy."

"What?"

"Adults don't play with toys. In Japan, I know that many children and adults enjoy playing games together. Even at nearby game centers, there are many adults playing games with their kids. Games have the potential to appeal to a wide range of ages."

"Is that so? But, considering how the gaming industry is in a slump, especially after the Atari shock in the United States, I'm not sure if it's the right time for us to enter the gaming industry."

"What if everyone steps back, and you take a step forward?" I suggested.

"Are you telling me to jump into this infernal abyss?"

"If no one else is jumping, you could monopolize the market for Nintendo."

"Monopoly, huh? Haha, that's music to my ears, especially as a businessman."

President Kamawuchi seemed pleased with my response.

"Your story is quite interesting, as Gunpei mentioned. Despite your young age, your voice is filled with confidence, as if you see the future."

I couldn't help but feel a bit humbled by President Kamawuchi's words. Maybe growing older does come with some insight, even if it means losing one's eyesight.

"However, success within Japan alone doesn't mean much. It's only when you conquer the U.S. market, with its larger population, that you can truly call it a success."

"But isn't Nintendo already operating a subsidiary in the United States?"

"Yes, but we're primarily focused on the toy industry there, not the gaming industry. Currently, the U.S. game market is a dead business, thanks to the impact of the Atari shock. Currently, no toy store is willing to take our Family Game Console."

In the 1980s, even in the United States, the sale of game consoles was more focused on toy stores rather than specialized gaming outlets. In other words, no matter how excellent your game console was, if you couldn't penetrate toy stores, there was no place to display and sell it.

So, I replied, "Just don't call it a game console."

"What!? You want to sell game consoles by calling them something other than game consoles? You're still young and inexperienced. Such an act would be a violation of product sales regulations."

"Just throw in a roughly moving robot in the box, label it as a toy."

"What...?"

With a shocked expression on his face, President Kamawuchi picked up the telephone on the table and made a call.

"Is this the Overseas Sales Division? Come to my room immediately and bring the new recruit with you."

And that's how I ended up assigned to the overseas sales department at Nintendo. I had a feeling something was not quite right here. Hey, guys!! I'm a game developer, not what you think!! You're making a big mistake!!

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