Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 375 Chu Chen, who "couldn't hold his temper"
Upon hearing that none of the three giants of the Japanese gaming industry had joined, Chu Chen roughly understood what kind of organization this was.

"Didn't you spend money to bribe anyone?"

"It's been taken care of."

Li Suhao's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

“We had just arrived in Japan when they came to us. They weren’t too greedy, so we just gave them some money as usual. Everything was fine until this year when they got jealous of how much money we were making.”

"Especially after Asahi's report on the 100 billion yen, they started hinting that they would have to pay them 'consulting fees' quarterly, asking for 100 million yen right off the bat. We definitely can't give that."

Chu Chen didn't say anything, but simply picked up the pen on the table, drew a circle on the white paper, and then put an X in the circle.

This is not Li Suhao's fault.

For any multinational corporation, dealing with such deeply entrenched local powers is an essential skill.

Paying money is like a lubricant; it can save you a lot of trouble.

But you can't just give things away indiscriminately. Take this case, for example. How much is 1 million yen for Hoshino today? Actually, it's not much, but it's still a considerable sum.

Moreover, this money is not the kind of money that should be given according to the "rules".

That's something we can't give.

Once the money is given, a series of related costs will increase. Although Starry Night Games makes a lot of money in Japan, it's not doing charity, and it can't let people think of it as a fat sheep to be slaughtered.

Therefore, directly refusing is indeed a reasonable decision.

However, Li Suhao and his group clearly underestimated the shamelessness of the other side and the strength of their counterattack.

Clearly, the Japan Game Industry Association, which is now just a skeleton, could not have made such a big splash. The most likely explanation is that the Asahi Shimbun's claim of 100 billion yen in revenue was too high-profile.

Starry Sky Japan has been targeted.

The Japan Game Industry Association was just the tip of the iceberg; this matter has become rather thorny and is indeed beyond Li Suhao's ability to handle.

"Mr. Chen, what do we do now? Although this information hasn't caused any immediate impact because we have a lot of followers, it's not a good long-term problem."

"My thought is, should we release more gameplay details in advance to prove that our PVP gameplay isn't just about numbers..."

Chu Chen nodded, then shook his head.

"It's not very useful. If you play it now, you're just giving the other side an opportunity. Once the PvP issue is resolved, they can create other cards."

"How about we give them some money?"

"No rush, let's talk about it when I get to Japan."

"Get me some variety shows on your end and see if we can plan something. Also, contact Sony and see if we can schedule a time after the major FGO update so you can come with me to visit them."

"Huh? A variety show?"

Li Suhao subconsciously asked a question in return.

He would understand if we contacted Sony.

I was even a little surprised. I can only say that as expected of President Chen, he found the opponent's weakness immediately and dealt with such an enemy.

Instead of taking direct action, it's better to start from the outside, since Sony is, after all, a giant Japanese company.

Moreover, the two sides had been in contact for some time and wanted to cooperate. This was indeed a good opportunity. As long as they could connect with Sony, the other problems would naturally be solved.

but
What's the purpose of this connection with a variety show?
"Alright, just do what I tell you to do..."

~~~
The next day.

Tokyo, Shinjuku.

The neon lights of Kabukicho had just come on, casting an ambiguous crimson hue over the night. Deep inside a ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) called "Matsukawa," in an elegant Japanese-style room, two middle-aged men were clinking glasses and exchanging toasts, creating a lively scene.

"Takahashi-senpai, cheers for our upcoming victory!"

The speaker was a middle-aged man with slightly balding hair and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, named Watanabe.

He raised his sake cup, his face full of flattery as he looked at the man in the main seat.

The man called Takahashi was about fifty years old, slightly overweight, and had his hair neatly combed. He merely snorted in response.

He picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp, then placed the empty glass on the table. A young waitress in a kimono immediately came forward, knelt down beside him, and prepared to pour him more wine.

Takahashi's gaze roamed brazenly over the waitress's delicate collarbone and neckline.

"Young lady, the obi (sash) on your kimono is tied too tightly. Doesn't it make you uncomfortable?"

As he spoke, he reached out his hand, which was adorned with an expensive watch, without any hesitation. The waitress visibly stiffened for a moment, her body reacting slightly slower, and she was still touched.

"Sir! There is no such rule here."

"Rules? Hahaha!"

"Here, Takahashi-senpai is the rule!"

The waitress didn't know how to respond, so she could only silently retreat. Before leaving, Takahashi touched her thigh again.

After touching his hand, Takahashi smelled the fragrance on it before withdrawing it with satisfaction. He leaned back on the cushion, then picked up a slice of top-quality tuna belly and slowly put it into his mouth, savoring the rich flavor of the fat melting in his mouth.

When will Xingchen transfer the money?

"It should be soon. Our offensive is already working. My only fear is that they'd rather damage their reputation than pay us."

Takahashi glanced sideways at Watanabe, his eyes filled with a hint of drunkenness and disdain, as if he were looking at a naive junior.

"Would you rather damage your reputation?"

"Watanabe, you're still too young. Reputation is their lifeblood."

"We have nothing. How much profit does FGO make in a month? How much does StarCraft make in a month?! If profits shrink because of reputation, who will take responsibility?!"

Takahashi's tone was full of the confidence and arrogance of someone who had been there before. He had seen too many multinational companies groveling in the Japanese market, thanks to the connections and experience he had accumulated in his early years.

In his view, these companies are like pigs being raised in a pen; as long as there is food in the trough, being whipped a few times is nothing.

“We’re just scratching their itch right now, and they’re already about to explode.”

"Wait a few more days, let the public opinion ferment a bit more, believe it or not, they will call your cell phone on their own, crying and begging us to accept this money."

Watanabe nodded repeatedly, his fawning expression deepening.

"Yes, yes, you are right, senior. I was too impatient."

"However, I heard that the boss of Xingchen also went to Japan today?"

Upon hearing this, Takahashi was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Watanabe, Watanabe, what can I say about you?"

"The boss of Starry Sky is here? So what if he's here? Who does he think he is, Amaterasu?"

Takahashi leaned back, crossed his arms, and adopted an air of complete self-assurance.

"His arrival means what? It means that our punches have hit him hard! He's in pain and can't sit still anymore, so he rushed over here."

"I was thinking that I would have to wait a few more days to see the outcome. But it seems that the owner of Starry Sky is even more impatient than I imagined."

(End of this chapter)