Chapter 20

"Yokoi-kun, is this thing really as good as you say it is?"

"I can't see how this is any different from the four buttons."

"Yokoi-kun is being too hasty; shouldn't the development department discuss this first?"

In the large meeting room, five or six men in suits were speaking one after another, their tones more or less tinged with resentment. It was understandable; it was already after work hours, and some were even having fun in bars, yet they were called back for a meeting. No one would be happy in such a situation.

Of course, these department heads dared not and could not complain to Yamauchi, so they vented their frustration on Yokoi Gunpei.

"Truly, I am very sorry," Yokoi Gunpei immediately stood up and bowed deeply, taking the blame without hesitation. "But this design is indeed very important for us."

Then he began to explain, such as how the cross key's central connection point makes it easy for gamers to slide their thumbs to the needed direction, thus speeding up their reactions and enhancing the gaming experience. Or how it poses no technical issues, can reduce costs, and allow more complex games to be ported to handheld devices without affecting portability, among other things.

For the former, the department heads could still find some faults, but for the latter, they had nothing to say. Everyone knew that the president was very strict about cost control.

"Since this cross key is so simple, why didn't you think of it before, Yokoi-kun?" someone couldn't help but jab.

Yokoi Gunpei was taken aback for a moment, then bowed again: "I am very sorry. Because it is simple, such a design often requires a sudden inspiration to appear."

This statement was both right and wrong. Looking back from the downstream of history, a design like the cross key was indeed very simple, seemingly anyone could come up with it. However, in reality, such inventions and improvements that could influence the history of games were hard to predict without a sudden burst of inspiration.

Otherwise, why wasn't the cross key invented by someone else, but by Yokoi Gunpei, who had been developing handheld devices? Why wasn't it invented when handheld devices first came out in 1980, but only a few years later when the FC was about to be launched?

However, objectively speaking, without a certain amount of accumulation, it would be impossible to invent such a "small gadget" that could leave a mark in the history of games.

Otherwise, why wasn't the cross key invented by someone else, but by Yokoi Gunpei, who had been developing handheld devices? Why wasn't it invented when handheld devices first came out in 1980, but only a few years later when the FC was about to be launched?

This was a matter of both chance and necessity.

"Alright, I called you here to discuss the ideas of the young master of the Kujō family, not whether the cross key is useful or not!" Yamauchi then tapped the table.

Since the president had spoken, the department heads had to stop and start the formal discussion.

"According to information from the U.S., although Atari has confirmed that the 2600 console needs to be redesigned, it has not affected overall sales."

"Some programmers and developers have left Atari, and there are reports that Atari is considering accepting third-party game developers."

"Other research and development companies in Silicon Valley seem to be struggling, and according to some insiders, some companies have already cut their console projects."

The department heads spoke one after another.

"So?" Yamauchi immediately asked, glancing at two department heads who had not spoken and looked somewhat nervous and awkward.

After Li Xu contacted him, he had already given some related materials to these department heads, but it was clear that some had not done their homework.

However, this was not the time for accountability, so Yamauchi said nothing and waited for them to speak.

However, a few minutes passed, and the department heads looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

Yamauchi's face darkened. He was naturally intimidating when he wasn't smiling, especially in his younger days—Nintendo had started with playing cards and poker, and had to deal with the yakuza to some extent.

Now that he was older, he looked more kind, but when he was displeased, he was still very intimidating.

"President, I think the young master of the Kujō family is probably trying to diversify his investments and consolidate funds," Yokoi Gunpei finally spoke.

Yamauchi raised an eyebrow: "Go on."

"After carefully reading the related materials provided by the secretary, I found a very thought-provoking point," Yokoi Gunpei immediately said. "Kujō Ryūji is not particularly interested in the gaming industry, after all, he is also Little Edward Li."

Yamauchi raised an eyebrow again but said nothing, so Yokoi Gunpei continued: "He is very talented in game development, with classics like Snake, Breakout, Space Invaders, and Pac-Man. Although he admits that he just had the ideas and others wrote the programs, creativity is the key to game development!"

Someone snorted softly, probably thinking he was boasting, as Yokoi Gunpei, as the head of the First Development Department, had launched many excellent toys for Nintendo.

But Yokoi Gunpei didn't mind: "However, it is clear that he has not spent much energy on game development."

He looked at Yamauchi: "His father, Edward Li, is a banker, a partner at Morgan Stanley, and a shareholder of Warner, which acquired Atari. With this connection, no matter what bad situation Atari is in, he can intervene."

"But he has no intention of doing so," Yamauchi mused.

"Yes, he has not shown any intention of doing so," Yokoi Gunpei nodded. "Although he once had a game development studio in San Francisco, he had others manage it, seemingly just to provide ideas, and didn't care about the rest."

At this point, his tone was clearly regretful, as if lamenting the waste of such great talent.

"Speaking of which, I just thought of something," a department head spoke up. "Last night, I attended a party where a few section chiefs from Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank were present. They mentioned Little Edward Li. Because of the president's previous request, I paid special attention. According to them, Little Edward Li seems to have made a fortune in the silver market on Wall Street a week ago."

"Really?" Yamauchi was slightly surprised, tapping his fingers on the table before asking seriously, "Are you sure those people were section chiefs from Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank?"

This was because among the many banks closely related to the Kujō Chamber of Commerce, Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank was one of the closest.

The department head hesitated for a moment but finally nodded: "I am sure, President!"

Yamauchi took a deep breath, tapped his fingers on the table again, and then asked, "What do you think?"

The department heads looked at each other, falling into silence again. It was Yokoi Gunpei who spoke: "President, if it is true, then Little Edward Li indeed wants to cooperate with us. Do you remember what he said? He came up with the idea for the cross key because of the handheld game he conceived."

Yamauchi looked at him without speaking, and Yokoi Gunpei continued: "Generally, people like him are meant to inherit the family business. If this is true, then his American father is probably paving the way for him."

"President, we need to conduct more investigations. No matter how advantageous the cross key is, it cannot be used on the Game & Watch, which is about to be released," another department head added.

This was a gentle reminder that while they understood the urgency of the president's call, such matters could not be resolved in a day or two.

"Alright, let's end the meeting here," Yamauchi said after a few minutes of thought. He then pointed to the right, "Yamaguchi, take the cross key design to the patent office tomorrow and see if it has been patented. If it has, and it's by Little Edward Li, come back. If not, contact Little Edward Li on my behalf and tell him we can help him patent the cross key."

"Ah?" Yamaguchi was taken aback, "But, President, a design like the cross key... can't be patented, can it?"

"Find a way!" Yamauchi said sternly.

"Hai!" Yamaguchi immediately nodded in response.

The impromptu meeting ended there. After everyone, including Yokoi Gunpei, left, Yamauchi closed his eyes and thought for a moment before getting up and leaving.

It wasn't that he was being paranoid, but in the business circles of Japan, who didn't know the sinister means of the female president of the Kujō Chamber of Commerce, who had nothing to do with the chamber except for her name?

One moment she would be laughing and chatting with you, the next she would turn her back on you. One moment you would think you had her cornered, the next she would slap you in the face and coldly tell you that all your advantages were just her arrangements.

Nintendo was just a small company. If it was just Little Edward Li trying to make a profit through them, it would be manageable, but if the female devil of the Kujō Chamber of Commerce was behind it and wanted to use this opportunity to do something, even at the cost of Nintendo, Yamauchi would be helpless.

How could such a design that could change the way games are played be so easily thrown out by that young man?

If Li Xu knew that a simple cross key had made Yamauchi so suspicious, he would probably be both amused and exasperated. When did showing goodwill lead to so many speculations?

However, if he knew what Yokoi Gunpei thought of him, he would definitely applaud, thinking, "You really hit the nail on the head."

Except for when he was working on the physical game toy Rubik's Cube, he had run around a few times. When it came to video games, he basically just provided ideas to the designers, then waited for them to complete the work, checked it, and if it matched his impression, it would be released; if not, it would be sent back for revision. He was just too lazy to put much effort into it.