Kobayashi Tetsu said that acquiring SNK was just a joke; Atlas couldn't afford two large-scale investments in such a short period of time.
Not to mention, Kobayashi Tetsu had spent too much money recently on merchant subsidies!
"Could it really be because of looking for Jackie Chan? Why do I suddenly feel like I'm running out of money!"
Kobayashi Tetsu held his forehead, his expression grave.
It was said that Jackie Chan was cursed; every company he endorsed ended up failing.
Kobayashi Tetsu hoped he wouldn't be the one cursed.
Otherwise, his only option would be to take the hundreds of millions of yen in savings he had accumulated over the years, file for Atlas's bankruptcy, and then wander the world with his millions.
Regardless, Kobayashi Tetsu believed that "Street Fighter" had already fulfilled its historical mission. Players loved it, manufacturers were amazed by it, and it had set a mold for all subsequent fighting games; no matter how fun they were, they couldn't escape this framework.
Therefore, Kobayashi Tetsu could say that his mission was accomplished.
Next, Kobayashi Tetsu would continue to launch Red Fortress and focus his energy on it!
At the Atlas office, Kobayashi Tetsu was staring intently at the screen in front of him. Progress on Red Fortress was nearly complete; the overall level design was finished, and now it was the testing phase, time to hunt for bugs.
Compared to the original Red Fortress, this version further de-emphasized the historical background and added a main storyline along with a hidden route.
Hideo Kojima also experimented briefly with his stealth gameplay mechanics in Red Fortress, and after gaining a better understanding of the development process, it would soon be time to let him get to work on Metal Gear.
Of course, the first Metal Gear wouldn't be a big moneymaker, but Kobayashi just wanted it for the reputation. Breaking even was as good as not losing money!
Kobayashi wanted to say something, but Naka Yuji wasn't there, and no one was around to push the whiteboard for him. Kobayashi had no choice but to push the whiteboard over himself.
"Working in a vacuum is also a troublesome matter. Why don't we directly recruit a group of players and start a round of closed beta testing to look for bugs, both real and imagined, in the game?"
Iwata Satoru looked up: "Wouldn't that lead to the game leaking?"
"That's why we need to have the test players sign NDAs. Of course, even with that, leaks are bound to happen, but at a time like this, a leak is actually a form of publicity."
Kobayashi Tetsu put down his felt-tip pen and said, "Let's set the location at Atlas's offline experience store and burn 'Red Fortress' cartridges for the closed beta test. Let's make twenty-five copies each for FC and MS."
Fifty cartridges should be about enough.
After giving his instructions to Iwata Satoru, Kobayashi Tetsu casually pointed a finger.
"You there, come with me from now on. We're going to the offline experience store to work on the closed beta testing project."
Ohba Noriyoshi pointed at himself.
Me?
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded.
Who else could it be!
Atlas Akihabara Experience Flagship Store.
Ohba Noriyoshi stood there like a Slowpoke with his hands on his head.
Sometimes, Ohba Noriyoshi couldn't figure it out.
He was a Sega employee, so how did he suddenly end up as an undercover agent at Atlas, and now he was even being taken out by the Atlas president to serve players!
"I'm a Waseda University graduate. I shouldn't be doing this kind of work. I should be sitting in an office telling the new guys to go buy coffee!"
Ohba Noriyoshi thought about it, oh wait, he was the new guy, so never mind.
"President, your coffee!"
Ohba Noriyoshi dutifully handed the coffee he had just bought to Kobayashi Tetsu.
Kobayashi Tetsu gave him an approving look in return.
"Ohba-kun, you know, I actually value you quite highly. From now on, don't bother doing small tasks like buying coffee yourself."
Just as Noriyoshi Ohba was starting to look a bit touched, Kobayashi Tetsu continued, "How about you be in charge of moving the whiteboard instead?"
Noriyoshi Ohba: ——That's even worse than buying coffee!
"Just kidding. Players will be coming to sign up next. You should screen them. The player base needs to be balanced; don't just pick expert gamers. You should also choose some who aren't good at games, some average players, and maybe even newcomers who have just started gaming."
Noriyoshi Ohba thought for a moment: "To get feedback from different user groups, right?"
Kobayashi Tetsu praised him: "Smart. That's exactly it!"
The two opened for business, set up the GG standee at the entrance, and then waited behind the table for players to sign up.
The first person arrived, and Kobayashi Tetsu was shocked.
"Satoshi?"
Tajiri Satoshi swaggered in, then bowed to Kobayashi Tetsu, completely unbothered by the overly familiar address.
"I heard President Kobayashi was looking for help, so I'm here to sign up for the test."
Kobayashi Tetsu looked at Tajiri Satoshi, then at the players queuing up behind him.
Kobayashi Tetsu was puzzled.
"Tajiri-kun, I thought that after you got that Sonic statue, you would go start a business."
Selling a 60 million statue would probably be enough for Tajiri Satoshi to develop games on his own, without even needing any investment.
Tajiri Satoshi was even more puzzled than Kobayashi Tetsu.
"Such a valuable item has commemorative significance. How could I sell it? It's not like I can't afford to eat."
"Alright then." Kobayashi Tetsu had to admit that Tajiri Satoshi certainly had his principles.
He signaled to Noriyoshi Ohba standing to the side: "Write it down: Tajiri Satoshi, categorized under 'Gaming Expert'."
Noriyoshi Ohba couldn't help but scratch his head.
It wasn't that he looked down on Tajiri Satoshi, but with that awkward posture—left hand here, right hand there—and that vacant stare, plus the crucial double chin, Tajiri Satoshi looked silly and slow, not "intelligent" at all.
He looked like he was constantly waiting to either hit someone or get hit.
Could this really be a gaming expert?
But Kobayashi Tetsu had already made the decision, so he had to write it down.
Tajiri Satoshi, Gaming Expert.
For the rest of the morning, Kobayashi Tetsu met with quite a few people. Some were genuinely there to sign up, while others had heard Kobayashi Tetsu was conducting selections here and came just to watch the spectacle.
Three hours later, the fifty people had been gathered, and the rest were just onlookers.
Tetsuya Kobayashi casually arranged for Noriyoshi Ohba: "Ohba-kun, take these people to sign the non-disclosure agreements, and then conduct the tests. Remember, record their feelings in detail, as well as any problems discovered during the game. I'll handle things here."
Although the onlookers couldn't go up for testing, Kobayashi couldn't just chase them away with a single word; he still had to receive them, of course.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Kobayashi bowed slightly. "I didn't expect so many people to enthusiastically sign up for the closed beta on the first day. Honestly, I find it truly incredible. Ever since Atlas officially moved into the office building, I haven't made a game for two years. I feel quite nervous about whether this game will be successful."
He tapped his chest casually. "Sometimes, in my dreams, it's as if I can hear someone saying, 'The enemy is at Atlas! Fire!' And when I ask the people around me, 'Is that Satoru Iwata outside?' they say, 'No, it's Yuji Naka.'"
The players inside and outside the shop burst into laughter.
Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Kobayashi Tetsu finally got to the main point: "This game has a somewhat unique style. Although it's a shooter, its scale is significant. Currently, Atlas is conducting rigorous testing to ensure that as few major bugs as possible appear in the game. Furthermore, there is a hidden storyline in the game; although it's not explicitly stated, you can all deduce it for yourselves."
The stealth gameplay element that Hideo Kojima added was a bit out of place with the main body of the game, so, as a hidden feature, Kobayashi Tetsu naturally chose to keep it a little under wraps.
These few sentences were deeply etched into the minds of the players present.
August 1987!
Atlas President Kobayashi Tetsu said that there is a hidden route in the game codenamed "Jackal"!
Kobayashi Tetsu suddenly changed the subject and said, "Actually, the hidden route isn't that hard to find; it just requires a certain level of deductive ability. I guarantee that whoever finds the hidden route first and is the first to submit proof to Kadokawa Game Magazine that they were the first to find it, I will extend an invitation in the name of Atlas for you to visit Atlas and experience being a game developer for an entire day!"
In an instant, there was a collective gasp from the crowd.
There's such a good thing?!
Hehe!
I must win that qualification and visit Atlas!
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