After the New Year, the promotion for Metal Gear was put on the agenda, but there was no accompanying anime.
—Because Metal Gear itself was a work adapted by Hideo Kojima from a movie.
In 1981, there was a movie called Escape from New York, which told exactly this story, and Hideo Kojima had adapted the Metal Gear game based on that movie.
So when Kobayashi Tetsu played it, although he felt the gameplay was different from the works he had played, the plot was largely the same. Because, in the end, they were both adapted from the same work.
Kobayashi Tetsu specially found a well-known male actor to film a TV commercial.
"Infiltration behind enemy lines!"
"Heart-pounding suspense!"
"A shocking conspiracy!"
"This is a brand-new gameplay experience you've never had before!"
"Metal Gear!"
At the recording venue, Sanada Hiroyuki, who had taken off his military uniform, shook Kobayashi Tetsu's hand firmly.
As a newcomer under Toei, and a disciple of the renowned Japanese action star Sonny Chiba, Sanada Hiroyuki had already built a reputation in Japan through his roles in various films. His previous projects, such as Legend of the Eight Samurai and Dotonbori River, had performed well at the box office.
Legend of the Eight Samurai was a straightforward success, but Dotonbori River had that uniquely Japanese brand of abstract storytelling. It told the tale of a high school student being seduced by an older woman, sparking a series of events—
Ahem, it was a legitimate film, not one of those "FBI Warning" adult videos.
At this point in his career, Sanada Hiroyuki was roughly equivalent to Jackie Chan after Snake Fist—a rising star with a growing reputation, but not yet an established veteran.
Regardless, given Sanada's skill and fame, hiring him for a TV commercial cost less than one million yen. The value for money was incredible.
Kobayashi Tetsu thought to himself, With pay rates like this in Japan, anyone who comes here to be an actor would be a laughingstock for the rest of their life.
Even an actor as famous as Kimura Takuya only earned a few million yen per project!
And suit actors had it even worse—they earned very little and couldn't even show their faces.
After removing his makeup, Sanada Hiroyuki saw Kobayashi Tetsu and jogged over in a few quick steps. He stopped at just the right distance, bowed deeply, and extended his hands.
"President Kobayashi! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity."
Kobayashi Tetsu naturally shook Sanada Hiroyuki's hand.
"You're too polite. You earned it."
He studied Sanada Hiroyuki's face.
Speaking of which, Sanada Hiroyuki's appearance was quite masculine, fitting Japan's old-school aesthetic.
There was a reason why Sonny Chiba chose to promote Sanada Hiroyuki so heavily. Sanada Hiroyuki truly deserved this level of support.
"Sanada-kun," Kobayashi Tetsu suddenly said, "I have a movie that will be used to promote a game. How would you like to play the lead role?"
Sanada Hiroyuki: ???
Kobayashi Tetsu said, "There's no rush. You can think about it and discuss it with your agent."
Sanada Hiroyuki didn't even need to think about it.
Think about what?!
The last time Atlas invested in a movie, they found Jackie Chan, and they made a lot of money!
"I'm in!" Sanada Hiroyuki nodded instantly. "I'll explain the situation to my agency. I'm sure they won't refuse. If they do, I'll do my best to convince them!"
"You don't have to go to all that trouble. If you're okay with it, I'll just send a word over."
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't elaborate further. After giving some brief instructions, he left the GG filming set.
"By the way, Sanada Hiroyuki will be starring in a movie next year called Kaito Ruby." The film tells the story of the protagonist, Lin Che, and a female phantom thief named Ruby.
Yes, that Lin Che.
Kobayashi Tetsu thought to himself, It's better if this Lin Che doesn't show up. One Lin Che is enough!
As for the movie Kobayashi Tetsu wanted Sanada Hiroyuki to star in, it wasn't Metal Gear.
Metal Gear was a niche title. Over-promoting it would be counterproductive.
Instead, Kobayashi Tetsu planned to have Sanada Hiroyuki star in a film called Ninja Gaiden, playing the role of Ryu Hayabusa.
Sanada Hiroyuki was an action actor by trade, and his mentor, Sonny Chiba, had one of the few action-oriented production crews in Japan. Filming a modern sword-and-saber action movie wouldn't be a problem.
In early February 1988, the first Metal Gear game was released.
The initial shipment was small, with fewer than 100,000 cartridges.
Although Kobayashi Tetsu had encouraged Hideo Kojima, he didn't have excessively high expectations for the game itself. The first Metal Gear was destined to be a critically acclaimed but commercially modest title. They would start with 100,000 copies and see from there.
Just as before, Tanimura Masahito brought his own lunch. Before Kobayashi Tetsu could even pay him, he had already run off to buy a cartridge and start playing.
Following the manual, Tanimura Masahito began his first playthrough.
But before he could even get his hands on a gun, Tanimura Masahito discovered that this game was not just difficult—it was brutal.
His punches landed on monsters with no effect, yet he was taken down by enemies with ease. The dogs were unbelievably smart, and the enemies' reactions were lightning-fast.
"FUCK!"
Tanimura roared in fury.
He wanted to snap the damn cartridge in half!
"What kind of bullshit game is this? Is this even playable by humans?! What's the producer's name? Hideo Kojima? Kojima, did a pack of dogs beat you up when you were a kid?! A game like this is garbage; it shouldn't even exist in this world!"
After trying out a few maps, Tanimura was completely enraged.
He slammed his voice recorder down, speaking and writing simultaneously, his face contorted, his voice a guttural roar, his expression fierce with anger.
"This is the worst game I've played all year! Atlas has given me a shock right at the start of 1988—not a surprise, a shock! A piece of trash like this existing in the world is a blight upon it! The protagonist, Snake, is like a piece of human trash suffering from severe dementia, paralysis, and lack of coordination. He's shaking while walking, yet he's supposed to be a spy infiltrating a base? The enemies are all so smart it's like they have supercomputers wired into their brains; they can find my location from hundreds of maps away."
"As an agent, I went out without even a gun and had to rely on my fists. I don't know what the point of being on this island is, but if I'm here just to be bitten by dogs, chased by people, and bombed by machine guns, then my life is simply a dark abyss."
"In the past, Atlas may have been a trashy company, but at least they released a few popular titles. Though it was just pure luck, it proved that Kobayashi Tetsu had a bit of a lucky streak. But this Metal Gear... all I can say is, Atlas has completely screwed themselves. This newcomer, Hideo Kojima, has produced a game that will end his career as quickly as it began. It's best if it never even sees the light of day!"
"Compared to last year's releases, Metal Gear is utterly worthless. I can only say one thing: Atlas has fallen from grace!"
After finishing his review, Tanimura Masahito's anger gradually subsided.
He had intended to polish the piece further when he heard a knock at the door. The mailman was delivering a letter.
Tanimura opened the envelope to find another million yen in activity funds, accompanied by a handwritten letter with elegant calligraphy.
"I hate Atlas. Give Metal Gear your worst."
Yes, sir!
Tanimura Masahito snapped to attention.
He had been considering revising the article, but now? No revisions needed!
With a benefactor paying him to trash the game, what was there to think about?
Tanimura sealed the letter and prepared to send it out.
He knew many people in the gaming media and even ran his own publication. While not particularly famous, he had access to various print media channels. Leaving HAL hadn't cost him his value; on the contrary, he had found a new kind of worth.
The headline read: Atlas: Fallen from Grace
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