"Oh! So that's how it is. I finally get it."
Little HR Ayase Akane exclaimed as she held the latest issue of Gorotsu magazine, then looked up at the President with a look of sudden realization.
"I thought it was just a simple story about a war of hatred between humans and the Blood Tribe. Turns out there's such a profound interpretation hidden inside?"
Aoki Haruhi rolled his eyes at her.
"Is this your first day working at Pokeni?"
"President! Even if it's not my first day at Pokeni, I'm not a member of The Witcher project team, so how was I supposed to know Wada-san was thinking about all of this when writing the script?"
"Hmm, hmm... Looking at it this way, it really is a pretty deep story. But Wada-san should really reflect on himself; he failed to express it in a simple and easy-to-understand way. Plus, halfway through, it even made players feel like the plot twists were jarring. Shouldn't we give Wada-san a little knock on the head for that first?"
Tsk, tsk.
Aoki Haruhi gritted his teeth; Little HR's silver tongue was getting sharper by the day.
Although this player column in Gorotsu contained a lot of content regarding exploitation and oppression, and it did resonate with quite a few people...
But in the end, it just stopped at resonance and reflection.
Even if people could empathize, a game is still just a game; no one started an anti-exploitation movement because they played The Witcher.
Actually, this kind of content is fine; it's not that strictly restricted. For the Japanese media, almost anything can be reported, and expressing their own opinions and inclinations is paramount.
For instance, in a future episode of Detective Conan, it is吐槽 (mocked/criticized) through Haibara Ai: "A politician's son remains a politician, a banker's son remains a banker. Japan is that kind of country.
What an ugly hereditary system. Along with such an ugly hereditary system, human history just keeps repeating itself."
Class solidification is an old problem in Japan, and it can be openly criticized even in anime.
And it is much more direct than what The Witcher tries to express.
I have to say, Aoyama is truly a mangaka with "little pink" (nationalist/left-leaning) tendencies; in his works, [President] is a high-risk occupation.
Thinking of this, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but shiver.
Damn it... fortunately, Detective Conan doesn't exist yet, otherwise, who knows if the employees would learn any terrifying ways to deal with their president from it.
***
In short, Japan is not lacking in works that profoundly expose the dark side of society.
But after finishing them, no one wants to oppose the system or make any changes, nor do they have the ability to do so.
To some extent, this reflects some of the characteristics of the Japanese people.
The most significant characteristic is obedience.
To use The Witcher as an example, they belong to those blood providers who have become accustomed to being exploited by the Blood Tribe and living within their territory.
However, the fact that these works dare to express such content and do so in their own way is in itself worthy of affirmation.
***
"Huh? Is that so?"
At the same time, the several Famitsu editors had similar reactions.
Editor-in-Chief Hamada was actually extremely shocked inside, but he was too embarrassed to show it.
We actually only realized that the game had such deeper layers of expression after reading Gorotsu's player analysis...
How could they possibly say something like that out loud?
And it was impossible to admit it, wasn't it?
"Well~ actually, I had already figured it out. It seems the narrative depth of The Witcher is quite something, huh," editor Sano said shamelessly.
The others couldn't help but turn their heads and look at him with disdain.
So Sano quickly lowered his head.
"Hmm... On the surface, the war between the Blood Tribe and humans has its ups and downs and twists and turns. On a deeper level, Pokeni has ruthlessly criticized the exploiters, leaving the choice of destruction, forgiveness, or joining them up to the player.
On the surface, the war between the vampires and humans has its ups and downs and twists and turns; on a deeper level, Pokeni delivers a ruthless critique of the exploiters, leaving the choice of destruction, forgiveness, or joining them to the player.
"The Witcher is truly an interesting game."
"Games are also tools for expressing ideas, after all. Though, I think while the depth is sufficient, Gen Urobuchi's script still has some flaws. It's hard to give it a high score, isn't it?"
"..."
Several editors were discussing it seriously.
In fact, if they hadn't seen the content of this issue of Gorotsu today, this discussion might not have existed at all.
Hamada stood to the side, arms crossed, smiling without a word, signaling that that was their business.
All I want is the judgment you provide, nothing more.
"However, I hope you haven't been influenced by it; otherwise, you won't be able to make an impartial judgment."
"Yes, Editor-in-Chief," the group replied in unison.
"Alright, get back to work," Hamada waved them off and returned to his own desk.
***
Two weeks later, the latest issue of Famitsu gave Pokeni's new title, The Witcher, a high score of 36.
***
Two weeks later, the latest issue of Famitsu gave Pokeni's new game, "The Witcher," a high score of 36.
"The Witcher" thus became Pokeni's fourth game to be inducted into the Platinum Hall of Fame.
The previous three were "Onmyoji 1+2" and "Diablo."
Yes, while the subsequent visual novel-style galgames developed by Pokeni had received extremely high critical acclaim within the industry—especially "The Entropic Man," which was once hailed as a masterpiece—Famitsu just refused to let them into the Platinum Hall of Fame. The reason was singular:
Lack of gameplay.
As for "Pokémon," despite its high topicality, popularity, and staggering sales figures, it was still ruthlessly penalized by Famitsu's editors for a perceived lack of gameplay and creativity.
These guys were just that "stubborn"!
However, this kind of scoring by Famitsu often drew criticism and skepticism from players—
"We all think it's good, but you penalize it because you think the gameplay isn't enough, and even if other aspects hit the ceiling, it's useless. Is this just how Famitsu scores games?"
The release of "The Witcher" this time finally allowed the Famitsu editors to breathe a sigh of relief. At the very least, the game is truly remarkable in terms of gameplay, shining brilliantly—the kind of title that will leave a profound mark on gaming history.
The four editors' reviews were surprisingly consistent.
They all gave "The Witcher" very high marks for its gameplay and expressiveness, with no issues in awarding perfect scores. In this day and age, there simply isn't another action game that can compete with it.
"If 'Diablo' pioneered a new era of gaming, creating the new genre of top-down, real-time action, then 'The Witcher' has elevated this genre to a height that remains unmatched."
"I have to say, this is a flawed masterpiece. Its combat mechanics and expressiveness are so excellent that one cannot help but give it a high score. Even today, I still can't put this game down."
There are flaws in the script arrangement, but fortunately, the content has depth, the several endings are quite brilliant, and they are thought-provoking...
Therefore, the editors all ultimately gave it a high score of 9.
***
We all think it's good, but you docked points because you felt the gameplay wasn't enough. Does it not matter that other parts reached the absolute ceiling? Is this how Famitsu scores games?
***
With "The Witcher" entering the Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame, the future of this game became essentially clear. Subsequent sales continued to rise, even if it was just for the "super first-class, unmatched...
***
With The Witcher's induction into Famitsu's Platinum Hall of Fame, the future of the game became clear.
Subsequent sales continued to rise, and even if only for the sake of the "superb, unparalleled, world-class action RPG," one had to play this game.
Gorotsu now also wields significant influence. With the dual endorsement of it and Famitsu, players have regained confidence in The Witcher.
By the end of July, sales of The Witcher had reached a staggering 400,000 units.
Hattori Yuji's mood during this time has been like riding a roller coaster.
At first, the game's sales didn't move at all, then they moved like a turtle, and then suddenly surged forward.
And then they stopped again...
Then sales skyrocketed suddenly. The whole process was so bizarre and convoluted that Hattori Yuji didn't even dare to look at the sales growth chart; just thinking about it was incredibly nerve-wracking.
Other games either just tank immediately and flatline, or they follow a simple parabolic curve.
But Pokeni's game? It jumps up and down, keeping one's heart in their throat, like riding a roller coaster.
I almost had a heart attack even though I don't have a heart condition.
"Damn it, Aoki Haruhi does this every time. Who can take this kind of stress?" Hattori lit a cigarette to calm his nerves.
Ms. Fujiki, the secretary standing by, pursed her lips and smiled.
"I think you're the one with the real guts and courage, President. Being able to steadfastly support Pokeni all this time shows just how much confidence you have in them."
"I..."
Whether he had confidence or not was hard to say.
Up until now, Hattori Yuji felt that the prayer method of throwing things in the trash might actually be the greatest truth in the world.
But then again.
Pokeni really was a bizarre company.
To be able to turn the gaming world upside down, cause such extreme polar reactions from players after a game is released, and still end up being selected for the Platinum Hall of Fame—this in itself is an incredible thing.
But thinking back carefully, it seems the vast majority of games Pokeni has released so far possess this kind of magic.
It's just like seeing a ghost.
Just then, the hand holding the cigarette belonging to President Hattori suddenly trembled.
The ash fell onto his trousers.
"Ah yabai"
***
"Hmm... this new producer at Pokeni, Mikami Shinji, is actually not bad..." Capcom's president, Kenzo Tsujimoto, stated that he needed to re-evaluate Pokeni.
He had originally assumed that without Kogahara Tsubakiaki, Pokeni would only have Aoki Haruhi as both president and producer, and Aoki's production skill level was really inconsistent, making it hard to trust him.
When his skill was high, he could consecutively produce million-selling hits like Diablo and Pokémon.
When his skill was low, Noble Academy was so dismal it was unwatchable.
To be honest, if Pokeni's games hadn't been so overwhelmingly popular later on, Tsujimoto wouldn't have gone out of his way to look into their history and notice Noble Academy.
The gameplay itself was actually decent, it was just a pity it wasn't released at the right time.
Perhaps if it had been released a few years later, it would have been a different story.
In any case, given this situation, Kenzo Tsujimoto could hardly believe that Pokeni was still capable of creating a high-standard game like The Witcher.
But in fact, after experiencing it himself, he had to admit that he was truly won over by it.
He looked at the newcomer, Mikami Shinji, with newfound respect.
Just as he was turning the The Witcher cartridge over in his hands, Yohei Inoue, the company's HR manager, knocked and entered.
He placed a document on the president's desk, "President, this is the projected hiring needs for each department this year. Please take a look."
"Alright," Kenzo Tsujimoto nodded. "Leave it here for now. I'll let you know after I've reviewed it."
Kenzo Tsujimoto had been incredibly busy during this period.
1993 was an extraordinary year for Capcom, to say the least.
First of all, in March, Yoko Shimomura, a very talented music composer at the company, was poached by Pokeni.
However, Kenzo Tsujimoto didn't take this matter too much to heart; Shimomura's departure was a foregone conclusion. If she didn't go to Pokeni, she would have gone to Square. What puzzled Kenzo Tsujimoto, however, was—
This guy actually ended up choosing the smaller and less famous Pokeni.
It can only be said that Shimomura is truly a woman with great ideas and ambition.
Since she couldn't be kept, there is nothing to regret.
Then, Capcom is about to be listed on the Osaka Securities Exchange in August.
Going public is a top priority for any company, equivalent to one's first marriage.
Whether it turns out well and what the future holds, all depends on this one time.
To ensure a smooth listing, Capcom has been preparing for over a year.
Last year, the SFC version of "Street Fighter II," despite using only one-third of the capacity of the arcade version, achieved an extremely high level of porting.
This work reached an astonishing cumulative sales of 2.88 million copies in Japan and exceeded 6.3 million copies in total global sales.
Not only is this Capcom's most outstanding home console software to date, it is also an insurmountable milestone for fighting games.
During the 1992 Christmas shopping season alone, 2 million units were successfully shipped.
Capcom itself experienced unprecedented success; in the second half of '92, they issued three upward revisions to their earnings reports in just four months, with net profits for the year hitting a record-breaking 15 billion yen.
It was under these circumstances that Capcom was able to successfully seize the opportunity to go public this year.
And now, there is less than two weeks left until the listing.
There is another matter that has been keeping Kenzo Tsujimoto from sleeping well lately: ever since Street Fighter II became a hit for Capcom, the market has been flooded with imitators.
The level of plagiarism in some of these games has reached an outrageous degree, and all of this has also had a serious impact on Capcom's further expansion into the fighting game market.
Therefore, last month, Capcom filed a lawsuit against Data East, demanding a global ban on the sales of their fighting game "Fighter's History," on the grounds that the game was a complete imitation and plagiarism of their own "Street Fighter II."
The other side, however, did not back down, and in turn accused Capcom's "Street Fighter" series of being completely plagiarized from their own work, "Karate Champ."
It looks like this lawsuit is going to drag on for a long time; just thinking about it gives Kenzo Tsujimoto a headache.
But if they don't press the issue, Street Fighter will be finished. In the future, with rampant plagiarism and a shrinking market, Capcom wouldn't be able to stand on its own two feet.
Seeing the president's exhausted expression, Yohei Inoue was about to withdraw when his eyes caught the The Witcher cartridge in the president's hand.
"Mikami Shinji? I feel like I recognize that name."
"Hmm?"
"Well... it might not be the most appropriate time to say this," Inoue's face turned awkward. He felt deeply sorry for his previous rash comment, but under the president's gaze, he braced himself and continued, "A few years ago, when I was just a regular HR employee at the company, I interviewed Mikami."
"Eh?!" Kenzo Tsujimoto was completely stunned.
Yohei Inoue frowned helplessly.
But that guy's written test back then was a complete disaster. Who could have imagined he would go on to create such a great work as The Witcher?
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