[TGS: Snake Swallows the Sky! I'm Surrounded by Beautiful Women Producer Fuyukawa Tetsu Requests $60 Million for New Game Production! That's Not Even Counting Marketing Costs! According to NTsoft Insiders, Mr. Fuyukawa's Total Budget for Production and Promotion Is a Staggering $120 Million! He's Lost His Mind!!!]
[Tokyo Game News: The Most Ambitious Man of the Century! As I'm Surrounded by Beautiful Women Hits Five Million Sales, NTsoft's Light Bird Studio Lead Fuyukawa Tetsu Submits a Mega Proposal! A $120 Million Blockbuster! NTsoft's Internal Discussions Are Heating Up!]
[Fuji Evening Post: Phenomenal Game Producer—Fuyukawa Tetsu Drops New Game Hints at NTsoft's Shareholder Meeting: "My new game? Hmm, it's a completely fresh combat style that'll make the world feel pain. I call it the 'Souls' genre."]
[Game Star: A $120 Million Mega-Investment Has NTsoft Shareholders on Edge! While Fuyukawa Tetsu Just Pulled Off a Miracle, They're Unsure If This Phenomenal Producer Can Handle the ARPG Field!]
[Renowned Game Critic Hisajiro Kawashita: Mr. Fuyukawa is undeniably a producer with a keen market sense. But let's be honest—I'm Surrounded by Beautiful Women isn't strictly a game; it's more like a short-form drama dressed up as one, with minimal actual gameplay elements.
Yes, I acknowledge his market instincts and storytelling skills, but so far, he hasn't shown exceptional game design talent. If I were NTsoft's management, I wouldn't greenlight this proposal—it's too risky.
As for his "fresh combat style" and "making the world feel pain" ARPG, this so-called "Souls" genre… haha, maybe those five million sales went to his head. The ARPG market is brutally competitive. I don't think a producer with zero ARPG experience can carve out a slice of that pie. His "Souls" combat style? That's the classic newbie trap.
They always think they've found an untrodden path, but in reality, it's not that no one's walked it—everyone who tried died, and no groundbreaking results ever surfaced. Honestly, if I were him, I'd consider switching to screenwriting for film or TV at this point, haha.]
No doubt about it—when Fuyukawa Tetsu submitted a proposal to NTsoft for a $60 million production budget, plus an equal amount for marketing to match Western blockbusters, the entire Japanese gaming industry was thrown into chaos!
Some were shocked, some were baffled, and others were outright mocking.
Sure, people love to throw around "Red Dead Redemption cost $644 million!" like a $60 million game is small potatoes. But The Witcher 3 in 2015? That was $80 million. A project over $50 million is typically a company's flagship title.
$60 million for production, $60 million for marketing—a total of $120 million, 8 billion yuan, 16 billion yen—for NTsoft, this is a decision that demands extreme caution!
The outside world was abuzz, but none of it fazed Fuyukawa Tetsu.
"So, when are you cashing in on that bet?"
"…Let's talk business first!"
NTsoft, Light Bird Studio, private office.
Feeling Tetsu's brazen gaze lingering on her thighs and ample chest, Miyano Mitei, dressed in her sharp OL uniform, recalled their bet: "If my game sells over 100,000 copies, you'll wear a maid outfit and be my housekeeper." A flush of embarrassed annoyance crept across her glamorous face.
But she was a seasoned pro. Clearing her throat, she took a sip of the coffee in front of her. Eyeing Tetsu, who was lounging with his legs crossed on the sofa, she frowned slightly. "Dropping a new game proposal at this stage—are you trying to strong-arm the board?"
"What else?"
Tetsu knew she was dodging the topic, but he didn't mind. With a grin and a shrug, his gaze remained unapologetically bold as it roamed over her.
After a moment, noticing her starting to bristle, he picked up his goji berry tea, took a sip, and smiled. "NTsoft is a prestigious, old-school Japanese game company, but honestly, compared to Western giants or China's 'game titans,' its financial foundation is too weak. A 16-billion-yen project? If it flops, NTsoft won't recover for years. Normally, they'd never hand a project this big to someone like me."
"And yet you're still pushing for it!" Mitei's foxy eyes rolled in frustration. "The board's full of old-school foxes. Moves like this will leave a bad impression on them!"
"But didn't you go along with it?"
Tetsu raised an eyebrow, holding his goji berry tea as he stood and winked at her. "You were the one who submitted the proposal at the shareholder meeting. Don't you think, given the current situation, that strong-arming them might actually work?"
Sixteen billion yen is no small sum. Under normal circumstances, a project like this wouldn't be entrusted to Tetsu, let alone to Department Four, which has little experience with action games. But things are different now.
I'm Surrounded by Beautiful Women was a massive hit, selling five million copies and raking in over 7 billion yen—and that's just the early numbers. It'll keep climbing, just not as fast.
Hitting 10 billion yen? Not a problem.
This game filled NTsoft's coffers and proved Tetsu's worth. The board would naturally have more confidence in him.
That's one factor. The second is that this proposal was submitted by Miyano Mitei, Department Four's director.
NTsoft is undergoing internal reforms, encouraging competition and innovation between departments. With Department Four producing such a blockbuster, and Mitei herself being hand-picked by Chairman Ozuru, rejecting her proposal now would dent confidence in those reforms.
"That's all true, but are you sure this Sekiro thing can recoup 16 billion yen?"
Mitei had only worked on a project of this scale once in her career, and her heart carried a trace of worry. Tetsu blinked and grinned. "Come on, we're already in—don't doubt me now. Or what, you want to make another bet? Oh, about that earlier one—how about starting tomorrow? Gives you time to order that maid outfit."
"…Go die!" Mitei shot him a fierce glare, grabbed her bag, and stormed out, her hips swaying like a snake. But just before pulling the door open, she paused under Tetsu's knowing, playful gaze and muttered, "I'll call you during the holidays!"
With that, she slammed the door and left.
"Such a tsundere," Tetsu said with a smirk.
At that moment, Sayako entered the office, her face tinged with a hint of jealousy.
"Hmph, I can smell that woman's perfume all over," she said, wrinkling her nose in displeasure. But soon, she melted into Tetsu's arms, her breath soft and teasing. "Let Sayako check if Tetsu-kun's been… naughty."