Chapter 121: How to Not Feel Bitter About a Partner Company’s Success

The characters were good too. At first, he thought making them animals might feel a bit childish, but seeing the madness of the red parrot he liked, gleefully throwing its own eggs to blow up enemies, gave him chills for some reason.

To think the developers in Brunyard had made something like this made him feel strangely proud, realizing the people here also had senses that didn’t lose out to those of the Republic of Smite.

He completely forgot about Spirit Stone and became a bomber, endlessly wiping out enemies.

“It’s proving quite popular.”

Ras received the report over the phone from a local Gamers employee in the Brunyard Federation. The phone response felt slightly delayed, but there was no major issue with relaying information.

He had been a little worried, but fortunately things turned out well. After painstakingly recreating an old masterpiece—or rather, improving it further with the help of this world’s developers—it would have felt incredibly empty if it had simply been buried unnoticed.

“Paradoxically, one of the reasons Bomb Special Forces became popular overseas appears to be because they did not receive the same services as domestically.”

“I see.”

In the Republic of Smite, it was not completely ignored, but the response was rather lukewarm. Normally, whenever Meta Soft released a new title, things became noisy and chaotic.

But this time, the overseas reaction was hotter. In the Brunyard Federation, sales were actually even higher than in the Republic of Smite.

This was likely because it had been developed in Brunyard.

They were only restraining themselves because it was a development studio under Meta Soft, but otherwise they looked ready to declare it a cultural victory for the Brunyard Federation. Just like how the Republic of Smite’s TV stations and newspapers used to twist Ras’s body into knots with nationalistic articles.

It sounded exaggerated, but according to stories relayed from local employees, the phrase “a domestically made game” had become a massive topic of conversation.

Well, the Brunyard Federation had considerable inferiority toward the Republic of Smite, and in reality had mostly been making and selling copied games, so even if they pretended otherwise, they probably carried some lingering discomfort.

Then a game made domestically became a fairly major hit, so there was no way they would not be delighted.

Of course, once people learned it was a development company under Meta Soft, whose headquarters were in the Republic of Smite, some of that excitement would probably cool down.

“Still. It was made in our country, and all the developers are our people, so it’s our country’s game!”

It was one branch of Quick & Fun Burger in the Brunyard Federation. Two young men were discussing the newly released Bomb Special Forces, and what one of them said perfectly represented the thoughts of Brunyard Federation gamers.

In any case, once Bomb Special Forces showed a decent response, Ras immediately contacted Panchi Games as he had originally planned.

He intended to turn it into an arcade game.

Actually, after successfully launching Spirit Stone’s network play using the Communication Card, Ras had wondered whether this could also support network battles on computers.

“That’s impossible. Spirit Stone works because it’s turn-based. For real-time games, the response speed simply cannot keep up.”

But after Karkov’s sharp reply, he gave up. Previously it had only been close to speculation, but now that Spirit Stone had already launched and they had obtained extensive network environment data, Karkov understood the current limits precisely.

“I see...”

It seemed Crazy Arcade would have to be postponed until later. In that case, they would probably have to go with the method he had considered before: allowing four-player gameplay in arcades.

Ras carefully detailed this cooperative versus-play concept in the proposal he intended to send to Panchi Games. Fortunately, Ras owned a massive arcade franchise.

In truth, a system connecting four arcade cabinets would be difficult to introduce unless the arcade itself was fairly large, but Ras possessed over a hundred arcade locations capable of installing several such systems.

“Ahh. We’ve been waiting.”

Panchi Games welcomed Ras’s call enthusiastically. Understandably so, since they had been forced to merely watch the enormous craze caused by Spirit Stone.

Naturally, they wanted to join that craze as well. Moreover, because they had continued cooperating for so long, the feeling of exclusion was even stronger. But they were not ignorant about games either. They understood this was not a genre suitable for arcade conversion, so they had quietly kept their mouths shut.

Ras felt slightly apologetic. It was not as though he had done anything wrong, but they were still a partner company that had always mutually supported each other, and he felt as though he had excluded them from such a huge project.

Maybe I should’ve made at least some kind of spin-off game and handed it to them?

After all, they were already making and selling all sorts of things using the Spirit Stone IP. There was no reason games had to be excluded.

The IP itself was overwhelmingly powerful, so without thinking too deeply, even a simple side-scrolling action game featuring popular spirits as playable characters would probably sell well enough.

Something like Pikachu Mario, maybe?

Or perhaps they could make something like Rockman by emphasizing traits instead. Just like Rockman swapped in certain parts to use special techniques, they could use spirits like interchangeable parts.

(Translator’s Note: Rockman — Japanese action-platform game series developed by Capcom, internationally localized as Mega Man, known for acquiring abilities from defeated bosses.)

If you summoned Pikachu, you could use electric attacks. If you summoned Pigeotto, maybe you could fly briefly.

Hmm.

Thinking about it, it actually sounded fairly decent. The IP Management Team was already securing numerous development teams to create sequels for existing IPs anyway. Ras wondered whether he should entrust one of them with it.

It probably would not fail easily. After all, even on Earth, there had been a game where Pikachu came out and played volleyball with a Poké Ball, and even that became popular.

“Then I’ll leave it in your hands.”

But for now, Bomb Special Forces came first, so Ras finished discussing the porting project. The four-player gameplay idea was accepted smoothly.

After all, if they made it, Ras himself would be the buyer, so Panchi Games had no reason to refuse. Unless it were extraordinarily difficult—which it was not. Four-player games were uncommon, but the technology already existed.

“Yes. Please leave it to us.”

Cheims answered in a dependable voice. Ras gave a bitter smile beyond the receiver. It was because he felt the other side’s attitude had changed significantly.

In the past, they had simply been equal partner companies, but now the balance had tilted too far.

Of course, that did not mean Panchi Games had become some subcontractor company under Meta Soft, but all of their flagship products were now ports of Ras’s games, and after years of that continuing, they had naturally begun watching Meta Soft’s mood.

Moreover, Ras’s company had grown exponentially in both scale and recognition, making it difficult to even think of them as equals anymore.

Recalling Cheims’s stiff attitude back when the company had been on the verge of collapse, Ras unknowingly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠let out a quiet chuckle.

Then again, maybe it was simply courtesy toward a major shareholder.

Meta Soft held a considerable amount of Panchi Games stock.

Lately, Ras had been buying shares in companies tied to his businesses.

Previously, he had not thought much about such things, but he had started after hearing Utaro’s advice.

Cooperation inevitably carried risks, and to make things run more smoothly, it was necessary to possess means of exerting influence.

And profits worked the same way.

Of course, cooperation benefited both sides, but in the case of Spirit Bread before, Moon Bread had clearly profited far more.

However, now that Meta Soft owned thirty percent of Moon Bread’s shares, Moon Bread’s growth had directly become Meta Soft’s profit, leaving no reason to feel bitter anymore.

No, now it actually felt more like watching a spirit being raised in Spirit Stone. Its growth simply made him feel pleased.

Come to think of it, lately they even seemed poised to expand overseas. Naturally, it was not because factory bread tasted especially good. This was also related to Spirit Stone.

Foreign countries, including the Brunyard Federation, had flooded them with requests to sell Spirit Bread overseas. More specifically, they wanted the Spirit Seals.

“Once they heard network play was being prepared, the requests quieted down somewhat, but the demands for Spirit Seals remain.”

It was a phone call from the Brunyard Gamers branch in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Brunyard Federation. This world still lacked something like the internet, so two-way communication between companies and consumers was poor, but because Ras owned a magazine, he could hear such opinions through readers’ letters.

Of course, Ras viewed them as vivid feedback, but for the Gamers editorial department, which had to read through piles of incoming letters one by one, it was exhausting work.

This issue required some thought. They talked as though they would export them, but simply exporting what they sold in the Republic of Smite would be difficult.

Distribution environments were not very good, and compared to Earth, food preservation technology in this world was not particularly advanced. Then again, even on Earth, bread was rarely exported to other countries.

Of course, that had more to do with profitability than preservation technology. In any case, direct export was difficult, so they needed another method.

The simplest approach would be establishing local factories.

If it were up to Ras, it would be preferable for Moon Bread—which Meta Soft already heavily owned shares in—to establish overseas factories, but realistically that would be difficult.

“There will probably be severe backlash.”

That was the opinion of the IP Management Team. This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠world did not have a good perception of imported goods. If the quality were exceptional, it might work, but honestly, factory bread was not a product worth exporting and selling.

“The Spirit Stone IP will somewhat blur perceptions regarding the bread brand name, but there’s still risk involved.”

IP business relied on image. If backlash damaged that image, it could collapse instantly. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.

“Understood. Please investigate local confectionery companies.”

However, he intended to produce the seals only in the Republic of Smite and send them overseas. Managing them abroad would simply be too difficult.

These seals needed to be obtainable only one at a time while eating bread. That was how their value would be maintained and how people would continue wanting them.

If management failed, people would inevitably start stealing and selling them separately. Producing them through overseas confectionery companies already carried risks, but if overseas printing companies began producing them as well, enormous sheets filled with hundreds of seals might end up hanging for sale in markets.

Thus, even if it cost more, they decided to produce them domestically and ship them overseas, while also preparing local legal teams so they could somehow respond if problems arose abroad.

In the Republic of Smite, Meta Soft’s status was so powerful and the legal system so well established that nobody dared attempt foolishness, but overseas conditions were different, so they could only prepare as much as possible.

While the world buzzed over Spirit Stone and Bomb Special Forces released by Meta Soft, Meta Hardware was also diligently preparing products.

And today, another product finished preparation and revealed itself to the world.

“The yield rate has risen above eighty percent, and inventory is sufficient.”

It was the hard disk.

They had steadily improved worker skills ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and stabilized the factory system to raise yields. At the same time, they continuously built up inventory until they finally reached a point where official sales could begin.