Tora-Suzuki executives have agreed to the terms and conditions outlined by KiShin. Following the meeting, Itori held discussions with KiShin's representative, given Shinro Suzuki's unavailability.
Post-agreement, Tora-Suzuki gains access to the VG Engine. Moreover, KiShin has reached out to other video game entertainment companies employing the VG Engine, assuring them of an upcoming software update. This update will ensure compatibility with TSX Fusion.
Upon learning of these developments, numerous video game entertainment companies expressed immediate excitement. Considering that many of these companies release games across various console platforms, the addition of TSX Fusion compatibility to VG Engine-produced games is expected to significantly boost their profits.
Now, video games created in the VG Engine are compatible with TSX Fusion, expanding accessibility beyond KS1. This development has left many video game entertainment companies happier than ever.
At the "Wizard" company, the CEO and executives enthusiastically discussed the positive implications.
"I'm no longer frustrated with KiShin's neutral offer on VG Engine game production. The compatibility with TSX Fusion ensures better profits for our games," remarked an executive with a wide smile.
"Hahaha, indeed! Initially, I was frustrated because VG Engine games were only compatible with Apple OS and KS1. But now, with the upcoming update, our games can reach TSX Fusion," another executive nodded.
"The VG Engine software update is expected in a few weeks, and once that happens, TSX Fusion compatibility will be available," the CEO shared with a smile.
"Must we postpone the release of video games for KS1 to ensure compatibility with TSX Fusion in VG Engine games?" an executive inquired.
"No, that will come. Currently, the KS1 market is substantial, so releasing video games for it will yield profits before any adjustments for TSX Fusion compatibility," the CEO assured, shaking his head.
--
A few weeks after the release of TSX Fusion, sales experienced a decline, while KS1 sales remained stable and even saw a slight increase.
Post-TSX Fusion launch, not only gamers but also non-gamers enthusiastically purchased the console. This was fueled by an effective marketing strategy from Tora-Suzuki, featuring advertisements on television promising chances to meet idols or win monetary rewards with specific TSX Fusion purchases. This approach proved highly effective, attracting individuals not initially interested in video games to buy TSX Fusion.
As more individuals who hadn't yet experienced 32-bit video games purchased TSX Fusion, a growing number of people had the opportunity to immerse themselves in this gaming era, sparking newfound interest in video games.
The introduction of TSX Fusion not only attracted newcomers to 32-bit video games but also piqued their interest in the offerings of the leading video game company, KiShin.
Thanks to TSX Fusion and Tora-Suzuki's efforts, KS1 sales witnessed a noticeable increase.
--
The Japanese market for KS1 saw the arrival of new video games from various entertainment companies.
KiShin promoted these releases on television with the enticing phrase, "Check out the new KS1 video games in stores now!"
This simple statement prompted numerous gamers to visit KiShin's stores, eager to purchase the latest video games.
With the growing popularity of video games, video game magazines also gained immense traction, attracting numerous readers who discovered a plethora of interesting games available in the market.
"Look, there's a video game here called 'End of Apocalypse...'" a woman reading exclaimed, pointing at the magazine.
"You're right... It's about a man surviving in the apocalypse," a curious man chimed in as he read along.
"I wonder if it's any good..." the woman pondered aloud.
"Let's try it out then..." the man nodded in agreement.
The video game titled "End of Apocalypse," developed by "Shinroads," captivated the interest of many. It follows the story of Kristian Harp, who awakens from a long coma to find a world in chaos and the city in ruins after many unknown years of turmoil.
The story unfolds as Kristian Harp discovers that he exists in a world ravaged by global warming, intense pests, essentially an apocalypse. As the main protagonist, Kristian embarks on a mission to restore humanity and bring an end to the ongoing apocalypse.
The resolution to end the apocalypse involves the main character seeking a legendary, miraculous place where humanity can take refuge until the world heals. Throughout this journey, Kristian encounters adversaries, such as lizard-like aliens or insect-like aliens.
The concept appears to draw inspiration from the video game 'EarthBound,' a predictable influence for gamers familiar with "Shinroads." This connection is unsurprising given that the person behind the company is a fan of Shinro Suzuki and is, therefore, influenced by the founder of KiShin.
Rumors circulated that the CEO of Shinroads desired to merge the company with KiShin, but the young founder of KiShin promptly declined their requests. These rumors were limited to the KiShin Community website.
In the midst of this, several video games were released by various entertainment companies, aside from the new game from Shinroads.
One notable release was "The Gunshot," an FPS video game from a company called "Alias," founded by a Southeast Asian residing in Japan.
Another standout was "Electrical Kid: Three," a side-scrolling game with improved graphics, effects, soundtracks, and sound effects, produced by the company "Seebed." This game was part of the successful "Electrical Kid" series, well-received on the SKES console.
The introduction of these video games for KS1 further bolstered its sales.
While Japan boasts a plethora of well-established video game entertainment companies, the USA also hosts promising entities not only dedicated to console gaming but also to PC gaming.
The NewLand Company, once the proprietor of Tetris rights, ventured into video game releases, predominantly offering 8-bit and 16-bit games for SKES or ToRaKi, alongside a handful of PC games.
Backed by investment firms on Wall Street, certain video game companies are gradually evolving and expanding their development endeavors.
A number of these companies, established just two years ago, focus on producing video games for KiShin's consoles KES or SKES, as well as for the Tora and Suzuki consoles.
Now that the KS1 has been in the USA market for a few months, American video game entertainment companies have also embarked on producing games for the KS1 using the VG Engine.
In a cluttered garage in California, a group of seven people gathered, with four immersed in using computers. This group, established several months ago as a small video game company named "Electronic Arts," initially aimed to develop games for SKES. However, after the release of KS1, the company's founder and CEO, Arnold Wale, enrolled in the KiShin video game development program. Surprisingly, despite being a small company, they were accepted by KiShin.
While CEO Arnold Wale decided to develop games using the VG Engine for KS1, this doesn't imply they've abandoned SKES game production. Despite their plans for KS1, their ongoing video game production for SKES continued.
"Arnold, I hate to break it to you, but we won't turn a profit if we juggle production for both SKES and KS1 simultaneously," remarked one of Arnold's friends.
"You're right. We need to focus on one project; otherwise, it'll take years to complete anything!" added another friend.
"In my opinion, let's concentrate on SKES first before tackling KS1. The production for KiShin's latest console is undoubtedly more challenging."
"And besides, even though KS1 is the latest, SKES has a larger gamer base due to its extensive library of video games..."
As Arnold absorbed these insights, he contemplated their advice.
Several months into developing games for SKES and KS1 with their small team and budget, Arnold, who had graduated two years prior, resigned from a certain company to establish his own, 'Electronic Arts,' with friends. He chose the name to reflect his view of game developers as 'Software Artists,' emphasizing the 'Art' in their work.
During this period, adopting 'Electronic' in the names of video game entertainment companies was a common trend. This practice found its inspiration in a Japanese company called KiShin Electronics. Consequently, numerous emerging video game entertainment companies incorporated 'Electronic' into their names, even though they were solely involved in video game production without any electronic products.
Although the use of 'Electronic' in company names didn't originate with KiShin, as it had initially been applied in the computer industry for software development companies, it cannot be denied that KiShin popularized such nomenclature.
Arnold Wale drew inspiration from KiShin, specifically Shinro Suzuki, leading him to establish his own company with the goal of making a name for himself and achieving fame in the video game industry.
"It's not the fact that we're producing games for SKES and KS1 that's the issue; it's a budgetary concern," Arnold addressed his concerned friends. "With sufficient funds, we could hire more game developers, expand our team, and acquire more computers."
Julia, Arnold's supportive girlfriend, sighed and remarked, "But who would fund our company?"
"KiShin," Arnold uttered a single word, evoking reactions from his friends and girlfriend.
"But KiShin already invested 40 thousand dollars in us... While KiShin is known to invest in startups, it's quite rare for them to invest such a substantial amount in a new company."
"That's right, we're already fortunate to have KiShin invest such a significant amount of money. Will they really invest more in us?"
Addressing his friends' doubts, Arnold spoke with a hint of confidence, "I didn't mention this, but... Someone high up at KiShin assured me they'd fund our company whenever I ask..." He paused and added, "I'm not sure why KiShin is exceptionally generous, but if the Japanese individual wasn't lying about KiShin's interest in having our company under their umbrella, then we shouldn't worry about funds anymore."
Arnold's girlfriend and friends were genuinely surprised upon hearing his words.
"KiShin is interested in bringing our company, Electronic Arts, under their umbrella?"
"Are you serious, man?"
Arnold nodded and stated, "Yeah... I've been seriously contemplating whether to agree to becoming a subsidiary of KiShin for quite a few months now..."
Upon hearing this, one of Arnold's friends exclaimed, "Hold on, it's been months, and you didn't share this with us?"
Acknowledging his friends' complaints, Arnold explained, "You know, I've been envisioning our company becoming renowned in the video game industry and making a name for myself. However, these past few months have been quite challenging for us. We haven't even released our video games yet, but we're already facing struggles. That's why, considering the conditions KiShin offers, being their subsidiary doesn't seem like a bad idea at all."
Arnold's friends exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"I believe in our company, Arnold."
"Yeah, and remember, Microsoft, Apple... All these big companies started in a garage," another friend added.
"I understand our company was inspired by KiShin, but I've also heard a story that KiShin began in a small and humble apartment," remarked Julia, Arnold's girlfriend, with a smile.
Upon hearing Julia's words, Arnold and his friends couldn't help but chuckle helplessly.
"Come on, Julia. I admire Shinro Suzuki, but from what I've heard, he is part of the third generation of the Suzuki family, the family that owns Suzuki Group."
"Yeah, Shinro Suzuki relied on his wealthy family to reach the top," Arnold's friends immediately stated, and Julia covered her mouth in surprise.
"Really? I thought Shinro Suzuki started KiShin all on his own too..." Julia couldn't help but say.
"Aren't you an Associate Editor at Forbes? How did you not know this?" Arnold remarked.
"Well, I wasn't particularly interested, and besides, I only heard the story that Shinro started in a small apartment from my friend assigned to investigate Shinro Suzuki..." Julia shook her head as she spoke.
"Is Forbes finally interested in covering a story about Shinro Suzuki?" Arnold exclaimed.
The same sentiment echoed among his friends, who were also fans of KiShin.
After a while, Arnold and his friends discussed whether they should be under KiShin's umbrella.
Although their company might become a subsidiary of KiShin, it doesn't imply that KiShin will wholly own their company. Their company will remain a separate and independent entity, albeit influenced by KiShin through funding.
After some deliberation, the key figures in Arnold's company reached an agreement, and Arnold proceeded to contact Masayoshi.
Jenna Welch, a reporter at Forbes, delved into her investigation of Shinro Suzuki, a Japanese individual. On her desk, she had already compiled files for her upcoming article.
As she delved deeper into the Shinro Suzuki inquiry, Jenna found the situation increasingly absurd. Having recently traveled to Japan to explore Shinro Suzuki's life after founding KiShin, she began her exploration in the Toshima Ward, where KiShin's main headquarters had previously been located before KiShin Rules became the new overarching company for all KiShin subsidiaries.
Reflecting on her visit to Tokyo, Japan, Jenna recalled her interview with KiShin's employees in the Toshima Ward.
After smoothly conducting interviews with the help of the professional translator she had brought along, Jenna Welch was taken aback by the responses from the interviewed individuals. The content surprised her to the point where she couldn't determine whether the people she interviewed were exaggerating.
Flashback*
While interviewing a female employee, Jenna asked, "What is your opinion of Shinro Suzuki?"
The response came as follows: "The Chairman? Shinro Suzuki? He was such a great boss, a humanitarian who cared for his employees, and also the most generous one!"
Upon the translation by the professional she had brought, Jenna couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness. She pondered, 'Of course... It's quite normal for an employee to praise their boss, fearing repercussions if they don't.'
So, she inquired, "Do you know how Mr. Suzuki initiated his business? Did he rely on his family's wealth to reach his current position?"
Upon the professional translator relaying the question to the Japanese woman, she frowned slightly and shook her head, saying, "No! Our Chairman achieved his current status based on his abilities!"
As the translated response reached Jenna Welch, suspicion crept in. She began to wonder if interviewing KiShin employees might not provide the most accurate information, speculating that higher-ups at KiShin might have influenced employees to withhold the truth. With these thoughts, Jenna's interest in interviewing KiShin employees waned.
KiShin employees were initially excited to be interviewed by the so-called Forbes reporter, though they couldn't discern the purpose. However, their enthusiasm dwindled as the reporter only asked a few questions before concluding the interviews.
Post-interview, Jenna Welch decided to visit the purported apartment where KiShin had its beginnings. It turned out to be an inexpensive apartment in Tokyo. After KiShin gained fame in the country, the landlord opportunistically refrained from renting the specific space Shinro Suzuki had occupied. Remarkably, the landlord left the small area untouched, leveraging KiShin's association to attract attention.
With the landlord's talkative nature, she publicized that the founder of KiShin once rented a space in her apartment building for business purposes. Consequently, this led to some Japanese media outlets featuring the apartment.
However, once the Japanese discovered that Shinro Suzuki belonged to the third generation of the Suzuki Family, part of the Suzuki Group, skepticism arose regarding whether he would genuinely rent such a cheap and small apartment.
Despite her own doubts, Jenna Welch continued her investigation just to be thorough. Surprisingly, some individuals even attested to witnessing a young Shinro Suzuki renting the humble space for his newly established company in the past.
Subsequently, Jenna explored the building KiShin had occupied before acquiring its own. Afterward, she reviewed her exhaustive investigation files, a taxing task made manageable with the assistance provided.
Moving forward, Jenna initiated the investigation into the size and estimated net worth of companies under Shinro Suzuki to ascertain his wealth. Recognizing the time-intensive nature of this task, Forbes higher-ups anticipated the need for assistance and assigned a team of reporters to collaborate with Jenna.
Present Time*
After a considerable amount of time delving into KiShin and Shinro Suzuki, Jenna Welch will now assess the credibility of the information compiled in the files.
To verify the credibility of the information she had gathered, Forbes deemed it essential to conduct an interview with Shinro Suzuki himself.
--
Inside the Forbes Headquarters, a meeting unfolded with the Editorial Chief, Managing Editors, and Senior Editors, along with representatives from the marketing and sales teams.
During this session, the editorial team brainstormed to select the potential cover candidate for the next Forbes magazine.
"I propose Bill Gates as the next cover..."
"Seriously? We've already featured him this year and the one before. Now, another cover on him?"
"Well, we did see significant profits featuring Michael Jordan..."
"Yeah, Michael Jordan did bring in substantial revenue when he was on our cover."
"But featuring the same person repeatedly will quickly lose its charm..."
"I agree. We need to consider another potential candidate for the cover of our next Forbes magazine."
"Hmm... Now that I think about it, the reporters researching that person's information should be wrapping up. I believe the person she's investigating deserves to be featured on the cover of Forbes magazine," the Editorial Chief remarked.
"Oh? I'm curious, who is this person?"
"It seems the chief has come prepared..."
The Editorial Chief's words ignited curiosity among everyone present.
"It's the KiShin founder, Shinro Suzuki," Howard Cole, the Editorial Chief of Forbes, declared with a smile.
Upon hearing the name, everyone was a bit astonished.
"KiShin... Wait, I've heard that name before! KiShin Foundation gained attention for assisting those affected by the earthquake in Japan, right?"
"You only know KiShin for that? You're out of touch... KiShin is a major player in the video game industry too!"
"Yeah, it played a crucial role in the video game revival... I've known about them for quite some time now."
"And their video game Resident Evil caused quite a stir a few months ago..."
"Now that I think about it, the KiShin founder is£ a worthy candidate for this year's cover..."
Howard Cole nodded and added, "The reporter who researched KiShin and Shinro Suzuki has already initiated contact with KiShin for a potential interview with Shinro Suzuki."
"What are we waiting for? If we believe Shinro Suzuki is a worthy individual for the Forbes Magazine cover, both the reporter and chief should personally reach out to KiShin."
Howard Cole agreed, saying, "Alright, that should do it. After we evaluate the candidate, we'll follow the necessary procedures to contact KiShin and interview the founder."
[Speaking of earthquake, our place just experienced a 5.7 magnitude earthquake just a few minutes ago while writing this...]