Game Market 1983 Chapter 8

Chapter 8
hapter 2 part 4: Toy Company
“By the way, when do you plan to develop a sequel to the Donkey Kom made in the 80s?”
“Actually, the sequel is almost completed, and we’re planning to release it any day now . ”
“Really? Can I ask what type of a game it is?”
Perhaps because the copyright system for games have not been fully developed yet, Mr . Kumamoto freely explained the contents of the game .
“This time, I have decided to slightly switch the theme and make an entirely new game out of the character that saved the princess from Donkey Kom . ”
He must have completed this game to show support for the Family console that was released a month ago .
Mr . Gunpei was observing our conversation with a proud smile .
Mr . Kumamoto’s Marigee Brothers was a 2 player game, like Donkey Kom, where you had to defeat the mushroom soldiers and the turtles in a stage . While I was talking to Mr . Kumamoto about the Marigee Brothers, I offered one suggestion .
“Mr . Kumamoto…”
“Yes? Do you have any questions about the Marigee Brothers?”
“Actually, rather than this completed game that’s about to be released, I have a question about the next project that would be made after Marigee . ”
“You mean the sequel? We haven’t seen how the players will react to this game, so for us to start planning the next game is a little…”
The 1980s was a time where developing a sequel to a game would take a considerable amount of time . In 2015, sequels were being concurrently made alongside the original game, so I could understand Mr . Kumamoto’s hesitation .
“I think that currently, the character Marigee has an easily recognizable image, even surpassing Donkey Kom . From this, we can deduce that the Marigee Brothers will have a certain amount of popularity when it’s released . So, I was wondering if we could utilize a special method in the sequel to Marigee?”
“A special method?”
Kumamoto stared at me with a confused expression; Mr . Gunpei who was right next to him flashed a knowing smile of ‘So it has started’, and he adjusted his glasses .
&
Side Scrolling . This was the magical technique that would revolutionize the screen from its limited size . It was the most common of methods utilized in games of 2015, but this was the year 1983 .
In this period, every game was restricted to an unchanging background . The start and end of every game had to be executed within the set background; popular games like Galug and Donkey Kom were no exception .
Just like how humanity first stepped on the moon, I was trying to make the footstep that would greatly revolutionize the gaming industry .
“We would scroll the background . ”
“What? What are we doing?”
Mr . Kumamoto and Mr . Gunpei couldn’t understand me at first . Of course, understanding the Side Scrolling method would be difficult at first . I took a notebook out of my backpack and laid it in front of Mr . Kumamoto, and I lifted a pen .
“Now, look here . This box represents the screen of the game . And standing inside here is Mr . Kumamoto’s Marigee . And then…”
I extended the pen from the box outside and drew a long line .
“And this is the stage . ”
“Ah!!”
At that moment, Mr . Kumamoto slapped his thigh and excitedly shouted . However, Mr . Gunpei still didn’t know what was going on as he took turns looking at both of us .
“So that was the case!! That’s right! The start and the end does not always have to be contained within a screen . The background could be a moving animation, just like a film roll, and it would give the game characters a sense of moving forward . ”
He figured out ten when I only taught him one? I only gave him a hint, but Mr . Kumamoto was instantly able to figure out the concept of Side Scrolling .
“Gunpei, you were right . Mr . Kang Junhyuk is a genius! A genius!!”
“H-Hey Shigeru, I still have no clue about what’s going on . What does it mean to have a stage that moves out of the screen? What I’m asking is, how would you show something out of the screen…?”
Kumamoto had to explain to Mr . Gunpei in simpler terms for him to understand, and, after a while, Mr . Gunpei who was nodding his head suddenly gaped and stared at me .
“How are you able to come up with ideas like this? You’re completely revamping the way how games have been thought of . ”
“With this, the experience should feel more adventurous inside the game . ”
Mr . Kumamoto murmured something under his breath like an incantation while he stared at my Side Scrolling method . Huh? What is he doing now? He closed his eyes as if he were imagining something . A while after, Mr . Kumamoto opened his eyes and had a smile drawn on his mouth .
“I thought of a simple concept for the next sequel . ”
So fast? He could already thought of an idea for his next project? Mr . Kumamoto grabbed the pen that was lying on the table and rapidly sketched bricks, a box with a question mark, and a flag with a mushroom inscribed on it… These were the items that would act as the main sauce for the emerging Super Marigee game .
“Marigee will save the princess . ”
“A princess?”
“Knights have been saving the princess up until now, but Marigee is a modern character . He who symbolizes modernness will save the Mushroom Kingdom’s princess from the monster . ”
After listening to Kumamoto, Mr . Gunpei beamed and replied:
“Ho… This is an interesting idea as well . Continue on…”
“First of all, the character Marigee is a plumber . He works in a dark and a damp place . So the monster would be… Hmm… A cold and slimy reptilian creature would fit the image well . This monster would kidnap the Mushroom Kingdom princess, and Marigee, who coincidentally falls from the Mushroom Kingdom, would embark on a journey to save the princess and fight the enemy . ”
What is this guy . He made an entire game in this short period of time? A genius is indeed a genius! I leaned on the chair and stared at Mr . Kumamoto while I crossed my arms .
The tips of my fingers were tingling from the fact that I was currently witnessing the birth of a project that would give the gaming world a huge impact . Mr . Gunpei let out a cheerful smile and asked Kumamoto .
“Then… That monster and the princess should have names too . ”
Mr . Kumamoto turned the question to me and asked .
“Kang-kun, what food do you enjoy eating most, in Korea?”
“Me? I’m not sure…”
Until now, I’ve been eating greasy foods from Japan like fried steak and rice bowls; one food popped into my head . A sizzling meat soup inside of a warm pot… adding a bowl of rice on top of that and wrapping a piece of kimchi to put in my mouth~ Kyaa~~
“A GookBap”
(TL: Gook means soup, Bap means rice . Soup rice xD)
“Kookpat?”
“A GookBap . ”
“Goop . Bak?”
It would be a bit hard for both of them to pronounce because of the unique Korean vowels… After trying several times to pronounce GookBap, Mr . Kumamto flashed a grin and said .
“Kang-kun inspired this idea so let’s call the reptilian monster ‘Koot Pah’ . ”
What!? You bastard, why are you deciding this so easily!? And why should the name of the food I like be the name of a villain that will be harassed by Marigee for the next 30 years to come!! Mr . Gunpei, who was next to me, gave a burst of laughter and nodded his head .
“Then what would be the name of the princess?”
At that moment, a waitress came to our table and put fruits on the table, and she said .
“These peaches are for desserts . ”
Kumamoto was staring at the peaches and opened his mouth .
“We can call her the Princess Peach . ”
So this was the birth of Princess Peach that will be fated to be kidnapped by the monster Koot Pah for the next 30 years . What the hell is this~?!!
&
Two weeks passed by, just like that, and I stood in front of the headquarters of Mintendo wearing a suit…
“Haha… I came here in the end . I played around for the last two months, so should I start working?”
I exhaled a long breath, and I slowly entered the headquarters building . Even though it was September, the heat waves were still around, so it was too hot to wear a suit; however, the interior of the building was cold enough to give me the chills . Maybe it was because there were no warnings against the dangers of catching a cold through the AC, it was blasted almost all the way to the coldest temperature .
“It-It’s cold!!”
“What could I help you with?”
An employee in the lobby asked me, who had just came into the building .
“Ah, I came for an interview with Mr . Niseko and Mr . Kumamoto’s recommendation . ”
“Oh? Then would you be Mr . Kang Junhyuk?”
“Yes, that’s right . ”
“I was worried because you were Korean; however, you speak Japanese really well . ”
“Thank you . Where do I go from here?”
“Mmm, Mr . Kang Junhyuk is a special case, so you should be able to be interview at the president’s office . ”
“What?”
So I was being interviewed directly at the president’s office instead of a panel of judges? With the president of Mintendo, Mr . Yamauchi? I slightly tilted my head and asked the employee again .
“The president is interviewing me, himself?”
“Yes, our Mintendo’s president directly interviews every employee one by one, and he assigns them to the right department . ”
Mintendo currently gave off an image of a toy company rather than the world-renowned gaming company that they would develop into . I followed the desk employee, and I knocked on the door of the president’s office on the highest floor .
“Come in . ”
I swallowed my dry saliva and calmed my heart before the door opened . This was still an interview after all, so I was pretty nervous…
“You can go inside . ”
The employee gestured his hands for me to go inside, so I slightly lowered my head and thanked him before going inside the office . The president stood up from his seat, allowed me a seat at the reception table, and asked me:
“Hmm… Are you the Kang Junhyuk from Korea?”
“Yes, that’s right . ”
“Gunpei-kun and Shigeru-kun were praising you so much, they begged me to take you in . ”
“I’m thankful that they view me in such a good light . ”
“I’m actually reluctant about developing games, but, from what they said, the game industry will have a huge part in the children’s toy market . ”
“I also agree with that . ”
“Really? How did you come to that conclusion?”
Why is this guy asking so many questions the moment I step in? However, I already prepared for these questions, so I was able to answer right away .
“It wouldn’t get boring . ”
“Wouldn’t get boring?”
“That’s because you can enjoy a variety of games with one device . Also, it’s plenty enjoyable playing by yourself . ”
“A device that can host a variety of games… interesting . However, wouldn’t a toy have to be easy to get bored of so new products would sell?”
“A device is not a toy . ”
“What?”
“Adults don’t play with toys . From what I know, many people in Japan enjoy playing games whether they’re children or adults . Just in a nearby gaming center, there are a lot of parents that bring their kids to play games together . This is why the game industry will be a business that caters to people of all ages, from a child to an adult . ”
“Really? However, contrary to the 70s, the Atari shock caused a stagnation to the current game industry; so, I don’t know if it’s right to jump into the market . ”
“How about taking a step forward when everyone else is backing off?”
“Huh? You actually want me to jump into this sinking hell?”