Contact Philips

The conference room door was pushed open silently.

The Minister of the Legal Department strode in, his face ashen, holding only a piece of paper in his hand.

Without looking at anyone, he walked straight to Yamauchi Hiroshi and gently placed the A4 sheet of paper on the table.

On the paper were several paragraphs of text that had been copied, cut, and then pasted together from a thick contract.

Each section was circled in red, and several striking red lines connected them together, like a map outlining an abyss.

Yamauchi Hiroshi's gaze fell on the paper.

All the directors present craned their necks, trying to read the words on it.

"---- Sony Corporation has the right to manufacture and sell consoles compatible with the SFC-CD format--."

"----Based on this compatible console, Sony Computer Entertainment enjoys independent game software publishing rights----"

Software independently released by Sony Computer Entertainment will not be subject to Nintendo's royalty terms.

The conference room was deathly silent.

Each of these concessions, taken individually, seems to be a concession that can be understood in business negotiations.

But when these lines were linked together by the Legal Department with a red thread, a grotesque picture instantly appeared before everyone's eyes.

Sony used Nintendo's money and Nintendo's name to develop a so-called "ally" product.

Then, by exploiting loopholes in the contract, they can brazenly launch their own "compatible consoles" and build a gaming empire entirely of their own, independent of Nintendo's control and without paying Nintendo a single penny in royalties!

The SFC-CD, from beginning to end, was just a facade! A perfect tool for Sony to Nintendo and drain its host's lifeblood!

"Thump."

A director dropped his pen, but he didn't even notice.

Shigeru Miyamoto, supporting his forehead, finally understood.

This is not a game, this is not creativity, this is a naked commercial war.

He muttered to himself, "They—they can even release games directly without going through our quality review?"

"Quality?" Another director in charge of marketing gave a bitter laugh. "They've poached a whole bunch of top developers! They'll use those people to make their own games and then sell them on their own consoles! All the hard work we've put into building the market will just watch as players flow to them!"

"Poach them—" Yokoi Gunpei repeated in a low voice, his voice not loud, but it exploded in everyone's ears like thunder.

Yes! Poaching!

Sony's aggressive poaching tactics, regardless of cost, specifically bypassed Nintendo!

They weren't afraid; they were stockpiling ammunition for this soon-to-be-born "new mainframe"!

It's about making thorough preparations for the day of complete betrayal!

Everyone has figured it out.

A bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.

This is not letting a wolf into the house.

This is like digging your own grave and then handing the shovel to the enemy!

Yamauchi Hiroshi shifted his gaze from the fatal clauses to Masayuki Uemura, whose face was ashen.

In the conference room, even the sound of breathing had disappeared.

Everyone thought that the next second they would see this meritorious employee torn to pieces by the enraged president.

However, Yamauchi Hiroshi simply waved his hand calmly.

"That concludes today's meeting. Everyone except Uemura-kun and Yokoi-kun may return."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable command.

The board members, feeling both relieved and frightened, stood up one by one and fled the suffocating conference room as if they were escaping.

Shigeru Miyamoto hesitated for a moment, glanced at Yokoi Gunpei, then at the limp Masayuki Uemura, and finally said nothing, following the crowd out.

The moment the door closed, only three people remained in the large conference room.

Yamauchi Hiroshi didn't Masayuki Uemura, but instead turned to Yokoi Gunpei. A rare hint of approval appeared on his perpetually icy face.

"Yokoi, you saved the company this time."

A simple word carries more weight than any reward.

Yokoi Gunpei gave a slight bow, without saying anything more.

He knew this wasn't the time for formalities.

Yamauchi Hiroshi's gaze finally fell back on Masayuki Uemura, who shuddered as if he were a frog being stared at by a venomous snake.

"President, I—" Masayuki Uemura's voice trembled uncontrollably.

"You've made the biggest mistake in Nintendo's history," Yamauchi Hiroshi said, his voice as cold as ice. "But now, you have a chance to turn it into a success."

Masayuki Uemura suddenly looked up, a glint of survival flashing in his eyes.

"Doesn't Sony like to put on an act?" Yamauchi Hiroshi tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, making a dull sound. "You just keep playing along with them. Greet them with a smile, cooperate enthusiastically, and let them think we're still in the dark."

"During the collaboration," Yamauchi Hiroshi's tone suddenly turned serious, "I need you to place a few of the most astute people in the team. I need to know everything about their so-called 'compatible machine'! Progress, performance, follow-up plans—not a single detail can be overlooked!"

"Yes! Yes! I will definitely do it!" Masayuki Uemura replied repeatedly, as if grasping at a straw.

"Get out." Yamauchi Hiroshi stopped looking at him.

Masayuki Uemura felt reborn and scrambled out of the meeting room.

Now, only Yamauchi Hiroshi and Yokoi Gunpei remain in the room.

"President, Sony's move clearly reveals their ambitions. We must immediately terminate our cooperation with them!" Yokoi Gunpei voice.

"Terminate?" Yamauchi Hiroshi sneered. "Terminate now? Wouldn't that be telling them we've discovered it? No, the show must go on, and it must be performed even more beautifully."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the night view of Kyoto.

"It's just a CD-ROM drive, right? Sony has it, but other companies don't?"

Yokoi Gunpei's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly understood the president's intention.

Philips!

"That's right." Yamauchi Hiroshi turned around, his gaze sharp. "Sony isn't the only company holding CD patents. The information we received from North America about EA founder Trip Hawkins re-establishing his company shows that besides Panasonic, they're also considering bringing in Philips, and Philips seems quite interested in the game console market."

He walked up to Yokoi Gunpei and said, word by word, "You take care of this."

"Me?" Yokoi Gunpei somewhat surprised.

"You're currently an idle person in the company." Yamauchi Hiroshi's lips curled into a strange smile, tinged with self-mockery and calculation. "Perfect. An idle person can handle things without attracting attention. Sony's eyes are all on Uemura's group right now; who would notice a 'former veteran' who's not being given important responsibilities?"

A warm feeling welled up in Yokoi Gunpei's heart, which then transformed into a soaring fighting spirit.

The president has never forgotten him.

"I understand." He nodded emphatically, his voice steady and firm. "I'll go prepare immediately."

"Go to the Netherlands. Tell the people at Philips," Yamauchi Hiroshi's eyes gleamed with a wolf-like light, "Nintendo needs a new friend. A friend who can help us make the SFC-CD better than Sony."

Yokoi Gunpei turned and left with firm steps. The genius who had once developed the Game & Watch and Game Boy had once again found his battlefield.

Yamauchi Hiroshi stood alone in the empty conference room, picking up the report on the loopholes in Sony's contract from the table.

Instead of tearing it up, he carefully folded it and put it in his pocket.

This humiliation must be washed away with many times the victory.