Zhang Mingzhi hadn't misread the situation. Kobayashi Tetsu wasn't thinking about the present, but about the future.
By localizing even outdated games now, they would be building brand awareness. When a legitimate market finally materialized years later, the brand would already be established.
The Pan-Asian Region boasted a player base in the millions. Even if only one-tenth—or even one-hundredth—of them chose Atlas games in the future, it would still result in massive sales.
Capturing just one-thousandth of that market would mean over a million copies sold!
Even in the twenty-first century, a game with a million copies sold was considered a major hit, a milestone worth popping champagne over.
To have the two major powers of East and West both catering to a single company like Atlas—what a blessing that would be!
But Kobayashi Tetsu also knew all too well that the legitimate market in Asia had not yet matured. In this regard, it was completely different from the United States.
On one hand, it was a matter of the market; on the other, it was a matter of revenue. Despite the Four Asian Tigers' resounding fame, many people still hesitated to spend several hundred yuan on a single game.
This wasn't like the future, where most games were priced within an affordable range. Aside from a few Japanese titles costing several hundred yuan, most games priced around one or two hundred yuan could be bought on a whim. As living standards improved, a legitimate market would naturally develop. But they weren't there yet.
Therefore, Kobayashi Tetsu only entrusted Zhang Mingzhi with the localization of older games. This work wouldn't generate much profit, but it would boost their reputation to an unimaginable level.
Imagine a player playing Mario for the first time in their life. The game is entirely in Japanese—they can't even understand how to play, and even the manual is in Japanese. Meanwhile, another person buys their first MS game console and plays Super Sonic, only to find that the game actually has a Chinese translation!
Playing Dragon Quest—no matter how good the game is, you can't understand the Japanese and can only struggle through it. Playing Final Fantasy—oh, wow, it actually has Chinese!
That's a huge win!
"I'm always doing things whose impact won't be felt for over a decade. I wonder what players will think of me decades from now. What will I do then? Only the heavens know—"
Kobayashi Tetsu restrained his desire to elaborate, choosing not to dwell on the topic.
He looked up as Takamine Aika entered to give a quick report. "There's a reporter's interview scheduled for this afternoon. Also, the newly recruited Animation Team has already started work. They're temporarily based in the office on the eighth floor. Once we find a suitable location in Adachi City, we'll move them there."
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded.
This Animation Team wouldn't just be working on the Pokémon anime; they'd likely be responsible for producing other Atlas-related animations.
This is what you call a game studio with Japanese characteristics!
That afternoon, in the Atlas office.
Kobayashi Tetsu spoke eloquently before the reporter's camera.
"In fact, while the price of the game engine is high, it's negligible compared to the practicality and effects it delivers. I hope the Persona Engine can bring more convenience to developers."
The reporter nodded and smoothly transitioned to the next topic. "There are rumors circulating that the Persona Engine is based on outdated technology. Is that true?"
"Yes and no," Kobayashi Tetsu replied. "Every development project relies on a foundation of existing technical expertise—I'm sure you all understand that. But that doesn't mean the Persona Engine's potential is limited. To promote the engine and get it into the hands of more developers, I'll be leading the Megami Group to create a game using the Persona Engine ourselves. The game will be called Persona, or by its full title, Megami Tensei: Persona. This project will push the Persona Engine to its absolute limits, proving that this development tool can achieve far more than anyone ever imagined."
Before the cameras, Kobayashi Tetsu briefly outlined the development plan for Persona, its scheduled release date, and some publicly shareable details, such as its art style and gameplay mechanics.
After that, Kobayashi Tetsu made a subtle gesture.
The reporter caught on and immediately changed the subject: "Speaking of which, at the recent Atlas Carnival, in addition to announcing information about the Persona Engine, Atlas also sponsored fifteen independent developers. How does Atlas internally view these fifteen games?"
Kobayashi Tetsu replied, "In fact, Atlas takes these fifteen independent developers very seriously. As the first batch of developers sponsored by Atlas, they are not only the first to trial the Persona Engine, but Atlas has also provided them with extremely high treatment internally."
Kobayashi Tetsu stood up and made a guiding gesture toward the camera.
"Atlas has already hired a dedicated animation team, just like in the past, to produce various animations set in the same world as the games. For example, this project we are currently working on."
Kobayashi Tetsu led the reporter and cameraman downstairs. When they reached the eighth floor, they found the newly established animation team, which was set up in addition to the development team.
"This is the animation team Atlas has hired, tentatively named SONICOMI," Kobayashi Tetsu explained. "You could call it Sonico Animation. At the moment, Atlas is looking for a suitable workspace to relocate them to."
He added emphatically, "It's Sonico, not Sony, so rest assured."
The reporter, quick to seize the opportunity, asked, "President Kobayashi, could you give us a sneak peek at the animation SONICOMI is working on?"
"Of course."
Kobayashi Tetsu casually picked up a piece of concept art. It was uncolored, showing only the line art, but its general form was still recognizable. It looked like a lively little squirrel, though its tail was shaped like a lightning bolt rather than a fluffy squirrel's tail.
"This is Pikachu, a character from Pokémon and the companion of the protagonist, Satoshi, on his journey. The animation we're producing is the Pokémon anime series itself!"
This time, even without Kobayashi Tetsu's guidance, the reporters were visibly stunned.
"Does this mean President Kobayashi places a high value on Pokémon? Yet, according to the on-site survey at Atlas Carnival, Pokémon only ranked third."
"Rankings aren't an absolute measure of quality. Just as there are hidden gems among lower-ranked titles that simply lacked the time to shine, I believe Pokémon has the potential to become a phenomenon!"
Kobayashi Tetsu looked directly into the camera, his voice booming with conviction. "Pokémon will be released on a handheld console, which is why it's called Pokémon in the first place."
"If the Persona I personally produced is the pinnacle that proves the upper limits of the Persona Engine, then Pokémon will become the phenomenon that defines handheld gaming trends! I, Kobayashi Tetsu, guarantee this with all my years of experience and expertise in the industry!"
The reporter glanced at the cameraman, who nodded vigorously.
We got it all!
After turning off the camera, the crew turned to look at Kobayashi Tetsu.
"President Kobayashi, are you sure you want to broadcast this interview? If you have any objections, we can re-edit the footage to ensure there are no issues."
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded. "Go ahead and broadcast it! Leave it exactly as it is!"
Not a single cut—it was going straight to television!
The next day, the interview with Kobayashi Tetsu was broadcast to every household in Tokyo and across the entire network.
Shocking! The President of Atlas Makes Bold Claims! Betting Big on Handheld Games, He Declares "Pokémon" Bound to Become a Phenomenal Hit!
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