Tokyo Video Game Tycoon.

“Mr. Zhuyou, I’m very sorry to disappoint you. In the end, I couldn’t win over my company and could only let my father destroy it.”

Murakami Kazuo spoke in a low voice. Although he was now an adult, he was like a child who had made a mistake in front of Takeyusei.

"This has little to do with you. You were a minor at the time, and all the company's operations were controlled by your guardian. It was indeed very easy to take control away from you."

Takeyusei didn't really care about the final things between Murakami Kazuo and Kazuo Game Network.

In real life, sometimes even family ties aren't very reliable when it comes to interests, and Zhu Youxing sees this very clearly.

Kazuo Murakami's father was clearly the one who prioritized profit.

After YiNan Gaming Network gradually gained greater fame, he did not hesitate to seize control of the company from the child and turn it into his own cash cow.

There are far too many similar examples, and Zhu Youxing is already used to them.

"Speaking of which, are you still passionate about video games?"

Zhu Youxing asked casually.

"I still have enthusiasm. I've always taken a certain phrase as my motto, which was taught to me by one of my most trusted online friends."

"Oh? What is it?"

"That is to always be passionate about video games and try not to let profit completely taint my heart. At the very least, I must ensure the neutrality of my game reviews. I have always adhered to this belief."

Zhu Youxing blinked.

Isn't this exactly what I once said to Kazuo Murakami?

I didn't expect him to actually remember it all this time.

It seems that Kazuo Murakami is indeed a person with an extraordinary passion for games.

Such a person is also more suited to be a game judge.

Just like the annual gaming media platform TGA in its previous life.

Only with sufficient neutrality can a body be created that can stand on the same level as industry award organizations such as the Oscars.

Anyway, there's almost no suspense about the games I make. Whether they win the annual award is hard to say, but they'll definitely be on the list every year.

Moreover, he felt that if someone in the world created a game that surpassed his own in terms of technical skill, he would actually be happy, because that would mean he could play an even more interesting game.

The clerk then brought over the coffee. After taking a sip, Zhu Youxing said, "Are you still interested in creating a new game review platform? I can offer some assistance."

Murakami Kazuo was almost instantly swayed by Takeyusei's suggestion.

However, he quickly said dejectedly, "My father has ruined all the connections I had built up. I don't think I have a chance to create a game review website of the same scale as YiNan Games."

Zhu Youxing shook his head: "You don't necessarily have to create a game review website. You can actually create a platform that can truly rival the Oscars. The future belongs to video games, and many people in this era haven't truly grasped this yet."

"But then, it would be as if you, Mr. Zhuyou, were sponsoring my platform, which would make it impossible for outsiders to see me as neutral, wouldn't it?"

Zhu Youxing shook his head: "No, you can still remain neutral. I can't invest in you directly, but I have another way: I can pay you advertising fees."

"Advertising fees?"

Zhu Youxing nodded: "It's the middle of the year now, so you can use this time to prepare. Start with a small game competition and build a team through advertising revenue. I believe there are still people willing to help, because a completely neutral publicity platform is also very beneficial to them."

Takeyusei casually pulled out his checkbook, signed a $100,000 check, and handed it to Murakami Kazuo.

"I happen to have an advertisement that I need to promote, which is StarCraft that was just announced by Morgan Group. You can start another website from scratch. You are the sun at eight or nine o'clock in the morning. Never underestimate the power of youth and don't be easily discouraged by some setbacks."

Murakami Kazuo is not actually short of money, and Takeyusei also knows this.

The Ichigan Games website did bring some benefits to Ichigan Murakami, namely the approximately one million dollars in income from the stock.

This made his university life quite comfortable.

His father's betrayal made him feel a little desperate, and made him lose confidence in creating a game rating platform again.

Perhaps he was worried that his father would repeat the same mistakes after he succeeded.

Zhu Youxing wanted to give him confidence. He had high hopes for this kid and thought it would be great to have him establish an annual game awards organization in the future.

I was worried that letting someone else found Takeyuusei would lead them astray, but at least Kazuo Murakami is a very obedient person who loves games.

Looking at the $100,000 check handed to him, Kazuo Murakami felt a surge of impulse once again.

Do I really have to give up on the gaming industry completely?

No, he never actually gave up; he was never willing to give up completely.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen computer science as his major in college and also joined the university's video game club.

He just lacked someone to encourage him.

Upon seeing Zhu Youxing this time, the flame in his heart reignited, and his entire mental state seemed to be different.

“Mr. Zhuyou, I can’t accept your money, since I’m not short of cash anyway. But you’re right, I shouldn’t be so dejected. I love games, and I enjoy sharing the games I like. I should keep doing it.”

When he was feeling lost, he thought about going to find that mysterious friend on the internet.

But Zhu Youxing never logged into that account again; he had actually forgotten the password.

Losing someone with whom Murakami Kazuo could share these secrets also left him feeling lost for a time.

But now Zhu Youxing's words have reignited his fighting spirit.

Perhaps we should try again and start a new game review website.

He has indeed lost many of his former connections, and everything has to start over. But it can't get any worse than before. He persevered in the past by working for love, and now he has at least more cards to play. Why not try again?

If his father tries to interfere in his company again, he is determined to fight back no matter what.

Murakami Kazuo's coffee has been delivered, but he doesn't seem to be in the mood to drink it anymore.

He was even eager to go back to university right now.

He may have lost his network of contacts, but he now has many peers who share his aspirations, and he has the money he has saved. Everything can start over, and there is still hope!

Chapter 367 The Rise of Esports

367

Zhu Youxing felt quite accomplished being able to persuade a promising person to go back to doing what they loved.

Sooner or later, this kind of person will come in handy. He is very patient, so we just need to wait patiently.

The second day of the entertainment consumer expo also concluded successfully. During this period, Yuxing Electronics Entertainment announced many future game plans, as well as a new handheld console, the GBASP, an upgraded version of the GBA, which is the first handheld console with a flip design.

There's no improvement in performance; the only improvements are in the lifespan of the buttons and the screen display.

These improvements did not increase the price of the handheld console; instead, they reduced the price of the GBA by $20 and then kept the GBASP at the original price of the GBA.

You can get a game console with better graphics than before at the original price, and this game console will be officially released in a week. There is plenty of stock of GBASP this time, so there is no need to worry about not being able to buy one.

Some players were happy, while others were slightly disappointed.

Because what they actually wanted was a game console with better graphics.

However, given the current situation, it seems that this is the only option.

The third day is the key release time for other game developers.

Lierda and Surui Electronics also launched their own brand new handheld game consoles this time.

The handheld gaming market is booming, and according to industry estimates, Yuxing Electronics Entertainment's market share in handheld gaming is not as high as imagined, leaving a large market space, which is much better than the game console market.

Both companies then decided to focus their efforts on handheld consoles in an attempt to capture some market share.

Both handheld consoles from these two companies have very strong performance, reaching the same level as the GBA.

Moreover, the GBA mainly features 2D games, while both of these handheld consoles can stably run 3D games, which immediately makes both consoles seem very appealing.

The ability to play 3D games with near-console-quality graphics on mobile devices became the headline for both companies' advertising.

Of course, the actual picture quality could never reach that of a console, but at that time there were no advertising laws to restrict it, so such boasting naturally didn't cause any trouble.

As for Huck Brown's Brown Entertainment, they simply continue to focus on promoting games. Some in the industry had predicted that Huck Brown would launch a game console, but Huck Brown is much more cautious than expected, continuing to invest in game development, and it seems that they have no plans to touch game consoles in the short term.

This also allows Huck Brown's funds to circulate more smoothly, preventing it from being easily bogged down by capital-intensive ventures like game consoles.

Thus, the three-day entertainment and consumer exhibition came to an end.

The players were very satisfied.

The inaugural Entertainment Consumer Expo showcased the various forms of entertainment through games to the world for the first time.

Besides hardcore gamers, a significant number of non-hardcore gamers also participated in the exhibition.

This can be considered as expanding the audience of game players.

After the exhibition ends, what players are most looking forward to is the release of StarCraft.

This game was personally supervised by the game's creator, Takeyuki, so there's not much to worry about in terms of quality. The only thing to consider is whether this new type of game suits your taste.

Around the same time, something similar happened in South Korea.

The South Korean government has announced a greater policy shift towards esports, encouraging foundations to form their own professional esports teams.

Large companies can also jointly fund the creation of esports events.

Unlike Yusei Electronics Entertainment's efforts to organize esports events in Japan, this time it's with the support of a national government.

If an esports player performs well, they can receive the same treatment as an Olympic medalist.

They are exempt from military service, and there are many additional monetary rewards.

With such policy support, the entire South Korean population suddenly developed a great enthusiasm for video games.

Video games began to flourish rapidly within just two or three months.

Tax exemption policies and esports support policies were fully established half a month before the release of StarCraft.

Furthermore, several large South Korean conglomerates collectively extended invitations to the world.

They founded an international esports tournament called WCG.

The name WCG was provided by Zhu Youxing. As the initiator of esports, Zhu Youxing is qualified to provide a name idea, and WCG itself is indeed a name that fits esports very well.

The first WCG esports competition also featured several major events.

Need for Speed, Street Fighter, StarCraft, Street Basketball.

These four projects are the main projects this time. The other smaller projects will be observed over time. If they do have the potential to become esports projects, then they can also become new esports projects.