Traveling Through the Tokyo Bubble Era

Chapter 619: The Future of the Park and Laptops
Spending time with his baby daughter, the mother of the child, and his sister-in-law at Moon Lake Manor was just an embellishment of his life in San Jose.

His main purpose of coming here this time was to deal with serious matters.

After all, for the development of Yunshang Pictures, I spent most of my time in Los Angeles when I came to America.

The work in San Jose had all entered a stable development period and did not require him to worry too much, so he seldom came here.

This time, in addition to the surprise that Iwata told him, his visit was also a collective process to deal with the work that had accumulated for a long time.

Therefore, he did not linger too much on the comfort of the gentle countryside and the happy interactions with his precious daughter. Instead, on the second day after arriving in San Jose, he began his work with the farewell of the beautiful woman who saw him off like a young wife.

"Michael, I haven't seen you for a while. How come you look younger again?"

In Silicon Valley, at the headquarters of Yunshang Entertainment, which looks a bit old, Hideki Hanyu and Michael Katz embraced each other warmly.

The two have been working together for almost six years since the establishment of the American branch of Elf Entertainment.

For humans with short lives, this is definitely a long number. For many people, the time in their lives when they can strive for progress the most may be just these few short years.

Michael Katz's collaboration with Hideki Hanyu is undoubtedly an unprecedented success in his life, at least compared to another time and space, it is much more successful.

After all, Hideki Hanyu is on the Forbes magazine's list of the world's billionaires, and Michael Katz has also been on Fortune's list of entrepreneurs many times.

Moreover, in terms of net worth, although Michael Katz cannot compare with Hideki Hanyu, his annual salary at Genie Entertainment is definitely at the level of a top executive in Silicon Valley.

In short, in the American business world, Michael Katz is no longer an unknown figure, but is definitely a star-level professional manager.

To some extent, he is even more famous than Hideki Hanyu in the American business world.

After all, in the eyes of outsiders, Hideki Hanyu's identity in Elf Entertainment is more like a genius in game development, an investor, and a controller of capital.

Such a successful life has also enabled Michael Katz and Hideki Hanyu, who was grateful to him, to have an extraordinary relationship after years of collaboration.

At this time, Hideki Hanyu and Michael Katz greeted each other warmly.

Michael Katz also responded jokingly, "Compared to Hanyu, I haven't changed much."

Michael Katz is not referring to the fact that Hideki Hanyu has grown older, but compared to when they first met, Hideki Hanyu has undergone significant changes in both his figure and temperament.

Of course, these changes are naturally pointing in a good direction.

As for age, in Michael Katz's opinion, Hideki Hanyu's handsome face, which is like an elf in the legend, has not changed at all over the years.

In the beginning, Michael Katz even felt that Hideki Hanyu named his company Elf Entertainment out of narcissism because of his appearance.

Michael Katz continued to emphasize, "You can just call me Katz, otherwise it's easy to mistake me for Mike who plays basketball."

Upon hearing this, Hanyu Hideki looked Michael Katz up and down, shook his head deliberately and said, "The gap between you two is too big."

After saying that, he immediately laughed and said, "Haha, it seems that Katz, you are in a good mood recently."

"Yes, I believe Miss Bellucci has already told you that Warner is interested in cooperating with us recently. In this way, perhaps it won't be long before the comic characters of the two major American comic companies can appear in our game."

Michael Katz said this, his tone becoming very excited.

“Marvel’s superhero card battlers are very popular in America, and I believe that once we launch the same product from DC, it will be just as popular.

Of course, what I’m most looking forward to is the battle between the Avengers and the Justice League in the game. Just imagine how many players will be attracted to buy our game!”

After hearing what Michael Katz said, even Hideki Hanyu couldn't help but get excited.

But after the excitement, he still said to Michael Katz rationally, "Warner has just contacted us about this matter. It's too early to be happy now. After all, based on the level of Warner executives in handling affairs in the past, I am skeptical about their efficiency."

After hearing what Hideki Hanyu said, Michael Katz's excitement about reporting the good news faded a lot, and he immediately complained.

"You really are a killjoy.

But you are right. We should not have too much hope for Warner's top executives. It is a pity that DC's copyrights fell into their hands.

How great it would be if they were given to us, we would be able to bring out their greatest value.

Oh... I hope that after the merger between Warner and Time Group, they can be more clear-headed. "

"Ha ha……"

In response to Michael Katz's expectations, Hideki Hanyu just chuckled and said nothing.

Judging from Time Warner’s various operations in later generations, after the merger of Warner and Time Group, instead of being sober-minded, the bureaucratic style became even more serious.

"I can see that you are not here for this matter." Michael Katz also saw that Hideki Hanyu was not very interested in cooperating with Warner.

Even DC comics, he doesn't seem to be that interested.

After hearing what Michael Katz said, Hideki Hanyu actually wanted to say that he really had no interest in Warner, but he was still very interested in DC.

No matter how bad DC comics became under Warner's operation in the future, its many world-famous IPs were simply incomparable to Marvel at that time.

But unfortunately, the merger between Warner and Time Group has already begun.

Moreover, the man had already had feelings for the woman before, otherwise if the opportunity was right, Hanyu Hideki would have wanted to intervene.

Of course, Hideki Hanyu is just thinking about it.

Now that he has control of Marvel, if he really wants to take over DC, the American Trade Commission and the Antitrust Department of the Department of Justice will definitely not sit idly by.

However, Michael Katz was right about one thing, that is, he came here not because of Warner and DC matters.

He asked Michael Katz, "Satoru Iwata told me that there is a new surprise at the America R&D Center. Katz, you should know what it is, right?"

"Of course I know, but since Iwata said it's a surprise, I can't tell you now. You should go and see it yourself. Director Tetsuya Aragaki is also at the R&D center recently, so it's best for him to introduce it to you. I don't have to accompany you."

After Michael Katz finished speaking, Hanyu Hideki asked in surprise, "Aragaki-san is also coming to America?"

"He just came here last week. I don't know what he does specifically. If you want to know, go to the R&D center and ask him."

After Michael Katz finished speaking, he seemed to remember something and walked to the window to call out to Hanyu Hideki, "I have something else I want to discuss with you. Come over and take a look."

"what's up?"

Hideki Hanyu, who originally planned to go directly to the R&D center, had to stop after hearing what Michael Katz said.

He walked to the window, looked outside and asked, "What do you want me to see?"

"What do you think of our park?" asked Michael Katz.

Hanyu Hideki replied, "It's very beautiful, like a fairy tale world."

He wasn't joking, but the park of Elf Entertainment in Silicon Valley did look very interesting.

Not only are all the office spaces not high-rise buildings, but there are also no ground roads connecting them. People have to rely entirely on underground passages to walk between the various office spaces.

There are even many office spaces that are built underground.

As for the above-ground part, it is covered with a lot of greenery.

Lawns, green plants, trees, flowers, and even ponds and waterways with a variety of ornamental fish, looking down from above, it looks like the Wizard of Oz.

This somewhat childish design doesn't look like what a technology company should look like at all. It's more like a green and dreamy children's playground.

However, from a certain perspective, the work that Elf Entertainment is doing is indeed creating an alternative virtual dream.

This scene is very consistent with the temperament of Elf Entertainment.

Not only do employees like this design, but American media have also come to film and report on it over the past few years, gradually making the Genie Entertainment park one of the iconic attractions in Silicon Valley.

On weekdays, there are often fans of Elf Entertainment who come here to "make a pilgrimage" to this park.

They also jokingly call this place the "Elf Kingdom".

But all this has never happened in another time and space.

This change was entirely caused by the time traveler Hideki Hanyu.

Michael Katz nodded and said, "Of course it is beautiful. Not only is it beautiful, it is also very meaningful because these flowers, plants and trees were planted little by little by our employees."

Hanyu Hideki asked doubtfully, "You asked me to look outside, weren't you just to praise the park for being beautiful? And if I remember correctly, the biggest banyan tree in the middle was bought and planted by me."

Michael Katz said, "Of course I know you planted it, and the employees gave it a nice name, 'World Tree.'"

"The World Tree, what an interesting name."

Hideki Hanyu looked at the huge banyan tree in the center of the park. The huge green canopy radiated outward, covering a vast area. It really looked a bit like the World Tree.

Banyan trees do not grow very fast. The reason why this banyan tree is so big is that it was already a big tree when Hideki Hanyu bought it.

It seemed to cost more than 30,000 US dollars.
In the mid-1980s, this was a considerable sum of money.

However, when Hanyu Hideki heard the employees call it the World Tree, he thought of not only Norse mythology, but also the famous RPG online game, World of Warcraft.

In his previous life, he was also one of the bad guys in Azeroth.

If you calculate the time, it would take another three years for Blizzard Entertainment's predecessor, Silicon & Synapse, to be established. This is something worth keeping in mind.

As the big brother of the gaming industry, it is only natural for Elf Entertainment to support its younger brothers.

At least Elf Entertainment understands games. With the support of Elf Entertainment, Blizzard will not be tossed around by unscrupulous capital like in the past, leading to countless regrets.

But after thinking about these things, Hanyu Hideki came to his senses and continued, "By the way, you haven't told me what you want me to see?"

Michael Katz said, "I'm not showing you our campus, I'm showing you the land across from us."

"What's wrong with the land across the street?" Hanyu Hideki became more and more confused.

Michael Katz said, "Some time ago, the startup company that owned that piece of land went bankrupt, and I plan to buy it." Hanyu Hideki asked, "We are not a real estate company, why do we buy so much land?"

"Of course, we should build new office space. Don't you think the park is a bit too crowded now?

Just last month, the number of employees at Elf Entertainment's America branch officially exceeded 3,500.

Although some employees are not permanently stationed in the park, we also have to consider future development.

According to my estimate, in another five years, our employee headcount may double, and this is on the premise that we do not start any new businesses.

The area of ​​the land opposite is almost four times the size of our current campus. If we can buy it, we won’t have to worry about the capacity of the office area even if our number of employees grows to more than 10,000 in the future.”

Michael Katz spoke his mind.

After listening to this, Hanyu Hideki looked at the land opposite, touched his chin and said, "Katz, what you said makes sense. Since it is necessary for development, let's buy it."

Although land in Silicon Valley is no longer cheap, it is nothing for the lucrative Elf Entertainment.

Therefore, Hideki Hanyu did not take the matter of buying land seriously at all.

"Oh, by the way." Hanyu Hideki couldn't help but emphasize again, "When it comes to design, pay attention to a unified design style. I think the style of our current park is very good."

Speaking of style, countless inspirations suddenly flooded into Hideki Hanyu's mind.

“We can divide the future park into different areas according to different departments and give them appropriate names.

For example, our current old park can be called the "World Tree".

There is no need to continue using underground passages to connect different large areas. After all, it is not easy to carry out construction underneath the road between us and the opposite side.

We can design a transparent crystal suspended passage and make some embellishments that fit the theme. It would be best to light up the suspended crystal passage at night.

In my opinion, a good corporate culture and cultural atmosphere can also indirectly enhance employees' creativity and work attitude.

I just gave some suggestions. As for how to design it, you'd better find a professional design company to take charge."

Hideki Hanyu spoke a lot in a very eloquent manner, and after listening to it, Michael Katz couldn't help but sigh.

"I just proposed an idea, but you directly talked about the subsequent park design. No wonder those people in the game development department said that our boss has unlimited creativity and it would be a pity not to continue developing games."

"Okay, stop saying nice things about me. I should go to the R&D center."

Hideki Hanyu waved his hand and prepared to leave.

Michael Katz said goodbye, "Goodbye, I hope the surprise over there won't disappoint you."

"I hope so too."

As they were talking, Hideki Hanyu had already left Michael Katz's office.

In order to respond to the current President of America's call for tax cuts for entrepreneurs, Elf Entertainment's R&D center was separated from Elf Entertainment very early on.

Therefore, the R&D center’s office is not located within the Elf Entertainment park.

After Hideki Hanyu arrived at the R&D center, he immediately felt that not only the Elf Entertainment park looked a bit crowded, but the R&D center as well.

After all, when it first became independent, the entire R&D center had only a few dozen employees.

However, after several years of development, the number of employees in the R&D center has exceeded 400.

It seems that I have to ask Michael Katz to check whether there is any other land for sale near Elf Entertainment besides the land opposite.

If there is, then buy them all and help the R&D center move to a new home.

While thinking about these things in his mind, Hanyu Hideki, under the guidance of the R&D center staff, found Tetsuya Aragaki who was busy.

Hideki Hanyu has not seen the technical director of Elf Entertainment for some time.

However, the other party was also his old retainer, so it went without saying that they trusted each other.

Moreover, Tetsuya Aragaki is a relatively pure person. Apart from doing research and development, he almost doesn't care about anything else.

Although he is deeply trusted by Hideki Hanyu, he never participates in some factional struggles within Elf Entertainment.

This is what Hideki Hanyu likes very much.

After they met and the other party greeted them, Hanyu Hideki asked with concern, "I heard from Minister Kusamura Juntada that Aragaki-san took a leave to go back to his hometown in Okinawa some time ago. I thought you were still on vacation, but I didn't expect you to come to America."

Tetsuya Aragaki replied, "There was an accident at home, and my brother called me to go back to help. After I dealt with it, I came back to work. I had too many things to do, and I dared not delay."

Hanyu Hideki asked, "What is it? Please feel free to help me if you need any help."

"My brother and his wife got pregnant with their third daughter last year. The due date is next month. Their health condition wasn't very good before. My brother hopes to find a better hospital in Tokyo to give birth through my connections. I've already settled the hospital issue, so there's no need to trouble the president."

After listening to Tetsuya Aragaki's words, Hideki Hanyu knew that there was no need for him to intervene in such a small matter.

After all, Tetsuya Aragaki is one of the senior executives in the entertainment industry, so it is easy for him to help find a hospital in Tokyo.

Seeing that no help was needed, he couldn't help but tease.

"So that's how it is. I thought Aragaki-san went home for a blind date. If I remember correctly, you are 31 years old this year. Your brother already has a third child, but you haven't even gotten married yet. It's time to get anxious."

Facing the president's ridicule, Aragaki Tetsu also emphasized helplessly, "President, I am 29 years old this year."

"Really? But 29 is not young anymore. If you don't have a suitable target, I can introduce you to one. There are many female anchors with good family backgrounds and good knowledge on Yunshang Satellite TV. I'll ask Hao Yi to introduce a few suitable ones later."

When Tetsuya Aragaki heard that Hanyu Hideki was going to be a matchmaker, his face suddenly turned bitter.

He is good at research and development, but he is completely confused when it comes to dealing with women and has no idea how to handle it.

"Haha!" Seeing Tetsuya Aragaki's expression, Hanyu Hideki laughed in an unkind way.

But then, he began to offer advice as a person with experience, "Xia Yuan-san, with your conditions, you don't need to worry about how to pursue women. It should be women who pursue you.

So when you meet them, just act cool and the girls will naturally try to please you."

In terms of appearance, although Tetsuya Aragaki is not very tall, he has a handsome face and a gentle temperament when wearing glasses. This is definitely above the passing line in the criteria for choosing a partner.

As for personal conditions, there is even less to say.

As the technical director of Elf Entertainment, although the patents created by him belong to Elf Entertainment, according to the regulations of Elf Entertainment, he can share certain dividends.

Last year alone, Tetsu Aragaki received more than 400 million yen in bonuses, not counting his salary.

In the neon era of the 1980s, this was definitely an astronomical figure.

With a generous salary, an excellent job, and a bright future, not to mention being chased by female anchors, he can even support several of them.

"President, let's talk about these things later. First, take a look at the purpose of my visit to America this time."

Unable to bear it any longer, Tetsuya Aragaki quickly changed the subject. While speaking, he took out something from the cabinet next to him and placed it in front of Hanyu Hideki to show him.

After seeing this thing, Hanyu Hideki said with some surprise, "I thought Aragaki-san came to America for the surprise that Iwata-san mentioned, or because of the breakthrough in the development of the second-generation EGP arcade machine."

Hanyu Hideki said, and asked in confusion, "So, what exactly is this thing?"

In front of him was a flat, square object that looked about the size of a briefcase and was made entirely of white plastic.

Some gaps that looked like vents could be seen on the surface, but there were no logos or signs, so he really couldn't tell what it was.

Niigaki Tetsuya did not explain immediately, but answered something else first, "I was not actually involved in the surprise that President Iwata mentioned, but the development of the second-generation EGP arcade has indeed reached a bottleneck recently.

According to the technical classification you mentioned, the second-generation EGP arcade machine should be able to change games by directly replacing the game storage unit without removing the baseboard.

But the biggest problem now is that storage technology cannot meet our needs. We are also actively cooperating with the Shining Research Institute, but it seems that there has been little progress.

If we insist on using current technology, although we can meet the standards for technical application, we cannot solve the problem of high costs.”

Tetsuya Aragaki said that the development of the second-generation EGP arcade machine was not ideal, but Hideki Hanyu did not blame him after learning about it.

After all, the research and development of semiconductor products in this era is often limited by technology and cost constraints, and his criticism cannot change the status quo.

Forcing an immature product into production will only lead to disastrous consequences.

Besides, EGP Arcade from Elf Entertainment now dominates the world and almost dominates the arcade market in most parts of the world.

Even Nintendo and Sega, which were competitors of Elf Entertainment, had to release games on Elf Entertainment's EGP arcade platform.

As for why Jingling Entertainment did not refuse, they took the initiative to help the enemy.

It's not that I can't, but I don't dare.

If you really do that, you can expect to be investigated by antitrust authorities in various countries.

So for the time being, Elf Entertainment does not need a new platform to disrupt the existing market.

After all, no matter what, Elf Entertainment is now the beneficiary, and subversion will not do it any good.

Moreover, the first-generation EGP arcade platform has driven an entire industry chain and brought cost-effectiveness to the extreme, officially pulling arcade machines down from their sky-high price tags.

If we try to innovate at this time, I'm afraid that not only the people within Elf Entertainment, but also the stakeholders will not agree.

Thinking of this, Hanyu Hideki stopped worrying about the EGP arcade platform and looked at the thing in front of him and asked, "So, what exactly is this?"

But what Tetsuya Aragaki said next really surprised Hanyu Hideki.

"This is a laptop computer, a laptop computer independently developed by Genie Entertainment."

(End of this chapter)