Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 723: Change of Perspective

Takayuki's decision to include Little Anthony as an Easter egg in a video game came from a place of pure sincerity.

In his previous life, he had encountered many stories like this.

Adding Easter eggs like these had become a unique kind of romance that only video games could offer.

Because video games were large enough in scale, slipping in such content wasn't a big issue.

It was something impossible to do in film and television, where every second and every frame had to be meticulously calculated.

In the past, many of Takayuki's actions had clear, strategic goals.

But this time, there was no hidden agenda — he simply wanted to do it.

He had thought about the potential benefits, sure, but they weren't the point.

...

Even Matsuhashi Shi was surprised — but she understood.

Regardless of the intention, Gamestar Electronic Entertainment had earned a great deal of goodwill from this, and the loudmouth critics were finally quieting down. It gave them breathing room to focus on polishing and releasing their games, free from external pressure for the time being.

Not long after, Monster Hunter was nearly complete, and the year 2007 was drawing to a close.

The game would likely launch in 2008, but there was still one more notable event in 2007: the annual Game of the Year Awards, now a well-established tradition.

As time passed, while the video game industry hadn't yet caught up to the older film industry in longevity, it had grown comparable in terms of societal status.

In fact, when it came to reach and virality, video games had a significant advantage.

This advantage would only grow stronger over time — until short-form video platforms eventually rose to power and helped balance the scales once more. But short videos were arguably an entirely new category of entertainment altogether.

Leading up to Christmas 2007, Kazuo Murakami, now the director of the Game of the Year Awards, chose to hold the event in none other than New York City — the heart of America's glamour.

He boldly rented a massive theater for the occasion.

The venue was no less grand than those used for Hollywood's own award ceremonies.

Thanks to the strong viewership from the previous year — a combination of online and broadcast numbers that reached an impressive global total — Murakami had the confidence (and budget) to go all out this time.

Of course, he wasn't paying for all of it out of pocket. Sponsors had helped, including Gamestar Electronic Entertainment, which provided most of the funding and technical support.

Really, they were all part of the same family — no need to be too formal.

Takayuki didn't cast his vote for any of the nominated games this time.

He simply hadn't had the time to play much that year, so he chose to participate as a guest rather than a judge.

In the end, Murakami didn't use Takayuki's special "golden vote" either. What game he chose as the winner — whether it was one of the "socially correct" titles or a genuinely fun, compelling experience — was up to him.

As a guest of honor, Takayuki was, of course, given the most prestigious seat in the house — front row, center.

With his current standing in the game industry, there was no debate about where he belonged. If he hadn't attended, that seat would've remained empty in his honor.

He was joined by many of Gamestar's creative leads — over a dozen heads of different development teams — as well as some of Takayuki's friends from outside the game industry.

These included people he'd met in film, such as Job, the actor known for playing Snake in Metal Gear.

To be honest, Job had never taken video games very seriously.

But after games had exploded in popularity — and with it, his own fame — he found himself surprisingly grateful to the medium.

Still, he hadn't fully embraced it.

It wasn't out of arrogance — it was just his subconscious resistance.

But after accepting Takayuki's invitation and witnessing the scale of this awards ceremony, he realized it was time to reevaluate.

Follow current novℯls on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

Maybe... it was worth devoting himself more seriously to this industry.

Becoming a well-known figure in the game world sounded pretty great.

After all, acting was acting — whether on film or in games.

As he stood under the flood of camera flashes, looking around the packed theater filled with influential figures from across the industry, Job made up his mind: from now on, he would lean harder into games.

He'd speak to his agent as soon as he got home.

Meanwhile, Tukharev — the film producer with strong ties to Gamestar — had also been invited.

Unfortunately, he had several key film projects underway and couldn't get away. These were passion projects, and he had to prioritize them.

Still, he sent an assistant to attend on his behalf.

His studio had grown rapidly thanks to its partnership with the game industry.

With such close ties to gaming, he always had first dibs on game-to-film adaptation rights. Most third-party studios working with Gamestar would approach him first for film deals.

Many in the film world looked on with envy.

Some even kicked themselves for not paying attention to gaming earlier — it was clearly a goldmine of valuable IP.

In film, there were two keys to success: great directors and strong IP.

Video games, with their built-in fanbases, had IP strength on par with top novels or manga — giving adapted films an immediate advantage at the box office.

As long as the adaptation wasn't awful, game fans would show up. It was a profitable business.

Among Takayuki's other guests was manga artist Sansuke Tsuchiya.

As the character designer for Dragon Quest, he had become a role model to many.

Nowadays, more and more lesser-known manga artists were transitioning into game design and enjoying great success.

They were carving out their own empires in an exciting, rapidly expanding frontier.

Others in attendance included prominent figures from the music industry — people Takayuki had befriended over time.

There was even a U.S. senator among them, formerly the governor of California.

This politician had always supported Gamestar Electronic Entertainment. During his time as governor, the company had contributed a huge amount to the state's tax revenue, and he had always looked out for Takayuki.

So when Takayuki invited him, he happily accepted, even though he had a busy schedule.

It was, after all, a public show of allegiance.