"What do you think?" Minoru Arakawa asked, pointing at the draft proposal on the table.
"We have to do it," Lincoln replied decisively. "CES is no longer keeping up with our growth. And if Sega manages to win over all the third-party developers, we'll be isolated in North America. But the real challenge isn't in the US, it's in Japan."
Arakawa sighed and rubbed his temples.
He knew his father-in-law, Yamauchi Hiroshi, all too well.
In their insular Kyoto headquarters, the old man couldn't grasp the complexities of the North American market.
In his view, if a game was fun, it would sell even in a public market. Why waste money on an independent exhibition? Nintendo's own fan events could handle most of it.
"This can't be explained over the phone," Arakawa decided. "Those old fossils won't budge unless they see firsthand how we're treated at CES."
"I'll prepare the materials," Lincoln said, understanding immediately. "Those—about the CES photos, especially the leaky bucket next to our booth and the girl in a bikini handing out flyers next door, I took pictures of it all. I was originally going to use them as evidence for a complaint, but they'll be perfect for this."
"Take it all. Every last bit," Minoru Arakawa gritted his teeth. "And include that report on the ESRB's formation and how Mortal Kombat successfully passed the hearing. I want those Kyoto types to understand that this is the United States, not their Japan, where a mere bow can solve everything."
That afternoon, Arakawa temporarily handed over all North American affairs to Lincoln Howard.
He boarded a flight to Tokyo, carrying a briefcase stuffed with photos and data reports.
He was going to wage a battle even more arduous than any business war—one to persuade that stubborn tyrant.
Nintendo Headquarters, Kyoto.
Yamauchi Hiroshi sat behind his massive mahogany desk, his gaze lingering only briefly on his travel-worn son-in-law.
The Nintendo dictator showed no surprise at Arakawa's sudden return.
He knew Arakawa too well. The man's veins ran with a merchant's shrewdness, not a samurai's stubbornness.
In America's cutthroat arena of winners and losers, where sentiment had no place, Arakawa had long ago tossed those old-fashioned ways into the Pacific.
"You flew all the way back just for this?" Yamauchi Hiroshi's tone betrayed neither pleasure nor displeasure.
Minoru Arakawa remained silent, simply opening his briefcase and spreading the Las Vegas photographs across the table.
The photos were starkly realistic.
The first showed Nintendo's massive Mario statue, but the background was a water-stained, yellowing ceiling. The second was even more outrageous: beside a Link poster stood two scantily clad, blonde women in bikinis, blowing kisses at the camera while holding up promotional signs for an adult video company.
"Father, this is how we were treated at CES," Arakawa said, pointing to the photo. "In the organizers' eyes, neither Sega nor Nintendo is even as important as those vacuum cleaner companies."
Yamauchi Hiroshi glanced at the bikini photo, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
He was an intensely proud man. In his eyes, Nintendo was the leader of the gaming world. To see such a major game manufacturer forced to stand alongside adult video hawkers, as if Nintendo had regressed to its days of making playing cards, was deeply irritating to the old man.
"That's the organizer's failure," Yamauchi Hiroshi snorted coldly. "Next year, we'll have them switch locations."
"We can't. The appliance manufacturers are the real sponsors of CES; we're just there to fill the numbers," Minoru Arakawa emphasized. "Takuya Nakayama has hit a nerve with everyone this time. If we don't join, next May, the world's media will be in Los Angeles covering E3, while we'll be stuck in Las Vegas trying to drum up interest for refrigerators."
Yamauchi Hiroshi fell silent.
He understood the stakes, but he loathed being manipulated by Sega.
That upstart who made his fortune in arcades now wants to lead the industry?
While the father and son remained locked in this stalemate for two days, news from the outside world flooded into Kyoto Headquarters like a blizzard.
First came Sony.
Nobuyuki Idei proudly announced that Sony Computer Entertainment would join the IDSA as a co-founder.
This was within Yamauchi Hiroshi's expectations. After all, Sony and Nintendo were bitter rivals, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
But then the situation spiraled out of control.
Square, Konami, Namco, Capcom—these major third-party developers, who had always relied on Nintendo to some extent, seemed to have coordinated their actions, falling into line to pledge their allegiance to Takuya Nakayama.
Even Matsushita, a producer of the 3DO, and NEC, a producer of the PC Engine, joined the bandwagon.
In just three days, the IDSA's membership list had grown to include nearly half of the Japanese gaming industry.
Nintendo found itself isolated.
The company hastily convened an emergency executive meeting.
The directors lowered their heads, staring at their teacups, none daring to break the silence and risk incurring the President's displeasure.
Everyone understood that if Nintendo remained absent from this grand gathering, it would not only be a matter of prestige but would also mean losing all influence in shaping future industry standards.
"President, the current situation..." one director ventured, but under Yamauchi Hiroshi's icy gaze, he swallowed the rest of his words.
Yamauchi Hiroshi tapped his fingers slowly and deliberately on the tabletop, the rhythm heavy and deliberate.
He was weighing his options. Joining would mean bowing to Sega; not joining would mean cutting himself off from the industry entirely.
"Arakawa."
After a long silence, Yamauchi Hiroshi finally spoke, his voice raspy but still commanding.
"Yes, sir."
"Nintendo Co., Ltd. will never join that so-called IDSA."
A collective gasp filled the conference room.
Minoru Arakawa's heart sank. Just as he was about to argue, he saw his father-in-law raise his hand, silencing him.
"However," Yamauchi Hiroshi abruptly changed his tone, his sharp gaze fixed on Arakawa, "the situation in the American market is unique. As our North American subsidiary, you can make appropriate decisions based on the local business environment."
Arakawa froze for a moment, then understood the old man's meaning.
By refusing to join, Headquarters preserved Yamauchi's face and the dignity of the Nintendo royal family. By allowing the subsidiary to join, Nintendo maintained its industry influence and its ticket to E3.
That old fox.
"I understand," Arakawa said, relieved, his back already drenched in cold sweat.
"Also," Yamauchi stood up, smoothing his kimono as if this crisis that could determine the industry's future were a trivial matter, "send word to Enix. Since everyone else is putting on a show on that stage, have them sign up too. I don't trust Nintendo to stand alone in that association."
Arakawa nodded in agreement.
Enix was Nintendo's most loyal ally and an important piece in balancing Square.
The old man is planting his own spies within the IDSA. Even if they're just there to show support, they'll be carrying daggers.
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