Around dinner time, the two returned to the hotel and happened to run into Sony's Kutaragi Ken.
As luck would have it, they were staying at the same hotel.
"President Aoki, you've finally arrived." Kutaragi Ken greeted Aoki Haruhi as if he were a long-lost relative.
"Yeah, Miyazaki-senpai dragged me away to gather inspiration, so I'm a bit late. But does my presence matter to you guys at Sony?"
Aoki Haruhi pointed out that they were here to promote Diablo II.
"You can't say that," Kutaragi Ken replied. "We're showcasing the first-generation PS tomorrow, and it would be very inconvenient without the right games. By the way, President Aoki, how's the development of your game coming along?"
He wasn't asking about LL, but rather the new game Aoki Haruhi had promised to develop for the PS platform: Pokémon 3D World.
The underlying tools should be nearly complete by now, but the project was still in the preparation phase. According to Aoki Haruhi's own estimate, it would be next spring at the earliest.
After hearing Aoki Haruhi's words, Kutaragi Ken's heart sank.
But he couldn't bring himself to press him.
After all, Pokeni was the hot commodity right now. Besides, Aoki was the president, while Kutaragi was merely the president of Sony's entertainment division.
"Please speed things up, President Aoki," Kutaragi pleaded, his voice sounding almost tearful. "We hope to see your company's 3D masterpiece as soon as possible."
There was another half-sentence he left unspoken—
We specifically developed the 3D graphics capabilities and even engineered the dual-stick controller just for the 3D work you had in mind.
Now that the R&D was complete, it was awkward to have no product to showcase.
The most critical issue was that Sony's own 3D games were absolute garbage, completely unpresentable.
At this upcoming Chicago Consumer Electronics Show, they only planned to showcase Sony's originality and authority in the 2D realm.
In other words: We've pushed 2D support to its absolute limit, and by the way, we also have powerful 3D capabilities.
But if you asked how they'd demonstrate them?
Sorry, no one has developed a game that can fully push the console's performance to its limits yet. Please stay tuned.
Of course, Sony wouldn't put all its eggs in one basket—Aoki Haruhi knew this all too well.
They had already been in contact with Square.
His only worry was that once Square released Final Fantasy VI, it would deal a crushing blow to the market. He could only hope they would take their time with development.
Over dinner, Kutaragi Ken spoke at length with Aoki Haruhi and Kazuma Takahashi.
The stress was etched all over his face.
After all, this was the first game console project he had spearheaded. President Ohga Norio had backed him in the meeting, overriding all objections.
"Overriding all objections" meant that everyone—except the President—had opposed the project. The company was already seething with resentment. Countless people were praying for Kutaragi Ken to fail so they could kick him out of the company.
"So many eyes are watching me," Kutaragi Ken said, raising his glass and taking a huge gulp.
Bitter wine burns the throat, a heart in pain, She's gone from my dreams, the night remains.
Whether Kutaragi Ken had a woman in his dreams was irrelevant. What truly terrified him was the immense risk he was now facing.
"If I fail, President Ohga Norio won't be able to protect me. Just think about it—developing a game console requires a massive initial investment, and the subsequent marketing and subsidies are another huge sum of money. The company's veterans have already voiced strong objections.
Some even believe Sony's entry into the console market is a mistake. The investment is high, the risk is high, but the return on investment is hard to predict.
In short, this is a fight to the death. I have no choice but to succeed. Otherwise, I'll be kicked out of Sony. You have no idea how much those old guys in the company want to kick me out."
"Hmm. I want that too." Aoki Haruhi nodded.
"Eh?" Kutaragi Ken froze for a moment. "President Aoki, did you say that wrong?"
"Hahaha, I accidentally spoke my inner thoughts," Aoki Haruhi laughed loudly, wrapping his arm around Kutaragi Ken's shoulders. "But, I'm actually hoping you can leave Sony and come join us here."
"Eh?" The chubby Kutaragi Ken looked up, his blurry, drunken eyes staring at Aoki Haruhi.
He was actually a little dazed.
Suddenly, he thought President Aoki looked incredibly handsome.
He even felt a slight flutter in his heart.
But this was the kind of flutter that came from feeling truly cherished.
Aside from Ohga Norio, Aoki Haruhi was probably the only person who valued him this much.
When you've had too much to drink, you get a bit sentimental.
Kutaragi Ken's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
Wiping his eyes with the palm of his hand, he exclaimed, "President Aoki, thank you for your kindness. If the day ever comes when I'm kicked out of the company, I'll definitely join you!"
But why would he join Pokeni?
Was Pokeni going to make a game console too?
Kutaragi Ken hadn't even considered that question.
He was clearly wasted, losing his composure to the point of airing his grievances about his colleagues.
Still, one could imagine how much he'd been belittled and doubted, and the immense psychological pressure he must have been under.
Seeing him teary-eyed, Aoki Haruhi felt a pang of sympathy.
Ah...
How did Wu Yong convince Lu Junyi to join him on Mount Liang back then?
The next morning, Kutaragi Ken rode with Aoki Haruhi and his team to the electronics show.
To make travel easier and avoid wasting time on the road, Pokeni's COO Kazuma Takahashi had specially borrowed a car from a local friend.
It was a Ford Tempo—loud, fuel-thirsty, and difficult to steer. Its only standout feature was its raw, untamed nature.
Kutaragi Ken could tolerate all of that.
The only thing that truly made him uncomfortable was—
The damn thing was left-hand drive.
Since Japan drove on the left with right-hand drive cars, Kutaragi Ken kept getting the terrifying illusion that the oncoming traffic would crash into him at any moment.
This... is just too much.
So terrified, Kutaragi Ken didn't dare look straight ahead, instead keeping his eyes glued to the buildings and people outside the window.
Though he'd drunk a lot yesterday, Aoki Haruhi's desperate eagerness to recruit him was still fresh in his mind. As a result, Kutaragi Ken couldn't bring himself to meet Aoki's eyes for the entire journey.
Of course, Aoki Haruhi didn't mention it either.
He acted as if nothing had happened.
Still, Kutaragi Ken buried President Aoki's high regard for him deep in his heart. He had already resolved to either succeed or die trying; if the product failed, he would simply defect to Pokeni.
Aoki Haruhi had no idea what was going through the man's mind. He just silently watched the familiar roads.
A left-hand drive car driving on the right side of the road... how many years has it been since I've seen this? It feels strangely nostalgic to drive on the streets of the US today.
The attendees were almost all big shots with a track record in history—names you'd recognize.
Sega's Tom Kalinske, who was responsible for all of Sega's sales strategies in the US, was an old acquaintance of Aoki Haruhi and Kutaragi Ken. After all, they had gone through the trenches together.
Recalling the success of the Sega GP Handheld, he still felt a surge of excitement.
From Nintendo, there was Randy, Kalinske's old rival. However, while everyone else was preparing to showcase their new consoles, Nintendo was still tinkering with their VR glasses. This time, they seemed to be exhibiting only games.
They were really leaning into their reputation for being eccentrically independent.
As for Apple... Holy crap, Aoki Haruhi glanced over and saw it was a Chinese man.
Kai-Fu Lee, born in '61, was only in his thirties. He sported a mushroom cut and gold-rimmed glasses, looking quite youthful.
Among all these people, Aoki Haruhi was actually the closest to him in age.
Before the electronics show officially began, everyone was on friendly terms. Aside from Nintendo, who were acting all aloof, the rest exchanged business cards if they didn't have any prior conflicts.
Apple was considered a new face.
"Mr. Kai-Fu Lee, you're truly young and promising," Aoki Haruhi said as he exchanged business cards with him. "To be in charge of the development department at such a young age?"
"Uh... I'm just leading the development of the game console."
Although people from other companies greeted Kai-Fu Lee, their faces all wore the same expression—
Apple wants to get in on this? That's not right, is it?
The main point is, you have absolutely no experience in this field.
The current Apple was a bit like the early Sony Corporation, having built its fortune on electronic products, starting with computers and then expanding into music products. The reason Kai-Fu Lee was leading the development of a game console now was simply because they were too eager to get a piece of this market.
Kai-Fu Lee was a technical genius, but he was too young. He had no idea how deep the waters were here. On top of that, he didn't play many games himself. The whole situation felt like he was being rushed onto the stage before he was ready.
In the crowd, if Randy was the maverick, then Kai-Fu Lee was the one who completely didn't fit in.
Fortunately, he met Aoki Haruhi.
After a while of chatting, Kai-Fu Lee felt that this Japanese man was actually quite friendly.
And for some reason, he felt a long-lost warmth emanating from Aoki Haruhi.
Taking advantage of everyone's casual chatter, Aoki Haruhi quietly pulled Kai-Fu Lee aside.
"Mr. Kai-Fu Lee,"
Aoki Haruhi spoke directly in Chinese, startling Kai-Fu Lee.
Aoki Haruhi's Mandarin was so flawless it didn't sound like a Japanese person speaking at all—he sounded like a native Chinese speaker.
"Uh-huh," Kai-Fu Lee stammered, nodding instinctively.
"I hope we can collaborate in the future if the opportunity arises."
"Yes, absolutely," Kai-Fu Lee replied, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Apple is also very eager to work with you. Pokeni's Diablo is incredibly popular in the West right now."
Kai-Fu Lee was from Taiwan, so his Mandarin wasn't perfectly standard either, carrying a strong Hokkien accent. After living in the U.S. for so long, switching back to Chinese so abruptly felt a little awkward.
"No, no," Aoki Haruhi said, shaking his head with a smile. "I'm talking about a personal collaboration."
"To be blunt, if you ever decide to leave Apple, please come work for my company."
Kai-Fu Lee wasn't just a top-tier programmer, especially in graphics; more importantly, he possessed exceptional management skills and business acumen. Honestly, if Aoki Haruhi ever wanted to step back and become a hands-off owner, Kai-Fu Lee would be an excellent choice for CEO.
Not far away, Kutaragi Ken glanced at the two men in the corner, his eyes narrowing.
Is President Aoki trying to poach talent again?
After everyone had mingled and gotten acquainted, the pre-show press conference for the Chicago Consumer Electronics Show officially began.
The entire show was divided into two parts. The first part was the pre-show press conference, where each participating company would introduce its products to the attending media and consumers.
After the press conference, the floor would open for free exploration and hands-on demos.
Each participating company had a designated area, which they would set up and use to showcase their products for consumers to experience.
Truth be told, Tom Kalinske was not very pleased with Sony's decision to develop its own console. From Sega's perspective, Sony had just collaborated with them on a new handheld, only to abandon their partner and go solo now.
Such a move was a blatant betrayal.
However, Kalinske did not let his feelings show.
He remained confident in the Sega Saturn. After all, Sega was a veteran in console development, one of the earliest companies to transition from 16-bit to 32-bit machines.
This thought made him appreciate Aoki Haruhi even more—they were a steadfast partner to Sega. Even with shared intellectual property rights for the handheld, Pokeni showed no intention of developing its own device.
As Kalinske took the stage, he secretly seethed with rivalry toward Sony.
Kalinske began by introducing the Sega Saturn, demonstrating its support for various game types live on stage.
Sega's strategy leaned heavily toward 2D, and it could be said that the Saturn pushed the console's 2D graphical capabilities to the absolute limit for the era.
Finally, Kalinske smiled with absolute confidence. "The Sega Saturn will retail for 44,800 yen in Japan. And in the West—399."
Wow!
Hearing the 399 price tag, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.
This is a 32-bit machine!
Compared to other products, the Sega Saturn offered incredible value.
The 3DO game console, for instance, was all about luxury. In other words—it was expensive! It retailed for 78,000 yen in Japan and 599 dollars in the West! How could anyone compete with that?
As for Apple's game console... it wasn't even worth mentioning. It was a total piece of shit.
Just as everyone thought Sega had secured a decisive victory, Sony's Kutaragi Ken took the stage and dropped a bombshell price.
"The Sony PlayStation. A 32-bit console. 299!"
Kutaragi Ken didn't waste words. He gave a brief demonstration of the PlayStation, emphasizing that it could do everything the Sega Saturn could, and even excelled in the 3D graphics the Saturn struggled with—though they didn't have a game that fully showcased the console's advantages yet.
Then, he utterly crushed them on price.
"38,000 yen in Japan, and 299 in the West!"
As Kutaragi Ken made his announcement, the audience erupted in thunderous applause once again.
"What?!"
When they heard the price of 299, the big players—Sega, Nintendo, 3DO, Apple...—were all left dumbfounded.
Holy crap, 299? They won't even break even at that price!
Only Aoki Haruhi remained utterly calm, standing below the stage with his arms crossed.
Ah~ Being a spectator is the best.
Watching the storm brew from the sidelines... Being a troll is great.
Not only was Aoki Haruhi extremely calm, but he was also busy headhunting talent all over the place.
What do you call this? The epitome of being a maverick, completely out of place.