The nurturing system creates a never-ending demand from limited game content.
Before the next sequel is released, Pokémon Gold and Silver are enough to sustain them through Gamenova's second console generation.
Cerny drove him to Sega North America, and then, accompanied by Sega representatives, boarded a flight to Japan.
Tokyo, Roppongi.
This marks his return to this land after a long absence since the Sonic the Hedgehog project.
This is the "territory" of America Japan. After being taken over by the US military after World War II, it has developed into a unique Minato Ward.
This is also Gamenova's headquarters in Japan.
Gamefreak, Roppongi Idol Agency, N.M.B Music Production Company, illusion Entertainment, Shadow Research Institute, and other businesses are all located here.
As for Sega, they continue to operate normally in Shinagawa Ward, remaining largely independent.
Today's Japan are at the peak of the bubble economy, in the final frenzy before the bubble bursts. A world of dazzling lights, extravagant revelry, and decadent indulgence.
This is the word Lin Lixin can think of that best describes this land.
Money here seems to have lost its value, becoming nothing more than a stack of waste paper with numbers written on it.
Even in the United States, you can only see such a spectacle in places like Las Vegas.
However, Lin Lixin didn't come all this way just to experience exotic local customs.
Satoshi was already waiting at the airport.
"Let's go, we'll talk about it on the way."
"Yes."
What exactly Lin Lixin came here for this time? Perhaps Satoshi is the one in the whole world who knows best, besides Lin Lixin himself.
Gamefreak is responsible for the operation of the Pokémon IP throughout Asia.
Not to mention that the original artwork and soundtrack were originally from Game Freak.
On the way, Satoshi Tajiri looked at Lin Lixin, who was sitting in the back seat gazing out the window in a daze, and took the initiative to speak:
"The coloring was completed in the last two days, and we are now following up on the voice-over and editing work. It definitely won't delay the project schedule."
"Um..."
Lin Lixin hummed in agreement, but didn't say anything more, instead silently gazing at the scenery outside the window.
Posters for anime and video games are everywhere.
It's practically a paradise for otaku culture.
There are some things that can indeed only be done here.
For example... animation.
1989, the golden age of the Japan animation industry.
With money to burn, technology advancing at breakneck speed, and creators having inexhaustible energy, the creative forces are boundless.
Such utter madness is something even Gamenova, the North America entertainment industry giant, could hardly achieve.
It was precisely for this reason that Lin Lixin made a special trip here. And those who could cooperate with a team like Gamenova, composed of a group of lunatics, were naturally a group of equally lunatics themselves.
"Go back and rest first. I'll check on them again tomorrow morning."
Thinking about the situation of his partner, Lin Lixin couldn't help but smile.
Whether in the gaming or animation industry, there are always regrets.
And now he has both the ability and the need to fill these gaps.
Because Gamenova is going to produce a long-running animated TV series adapted from Pokémon!
In fact, Lin Lixin's initial idea was to find OLM, the original production company of the Pokémon anime, to do this.
After all, only the original, authentic version qualifies as a fundamentalist plagiarist.
Unfortunately, OLM hasn't even been established yet.
Expecting him or Satoshi to gather creators scattered all over Japan one by one and form production capacity is simply not something that can be accomplished in a day or two.
Therefore, Lin Lixin had no choice but to settle for second best...
No, it should be said that they went a step further and chose another studio that had just made a name for itself in the animation industry. A studio whose business scope covered the entire ACG field, and even made half of a game business.
A workshop that once created drill bits that broke through the sky.
A studio that has created top-tier, phenomenal ACG works with an extremely stream-of-consciousness style.
An animation company that just rose to fame with the debut film "Gunbuster" directed by " Hoodlum Gunbuster "...
"My God..."
Lin Lixin stood in front of a low, dilapidated office building, his lips twitching.
If it weren't for the [gainax] sign hanging in front of the door, he would have thought he had gone to the wrong place.
He turned and glanced at Satoshi Tajiri beside him, exchanging a look.
"So dilapidated?"
"Haha..."
Satoshi Tajiri gave a slightly embarrassed wry smile. "They're from the Kansai school, so their temperament is indeed a bit different..."
gainax is a typical example of a group of underground doujinshi organizations becoming formalized.
It doesn't have modern office buildings with glass curtain walls, nor does it have glamorous decorations.
Some are just low-rise workshop-style buildings.
Just like those startups in Silicon Valley that started in garages.
Inside the door, Takami Akai noticed the commotion at the entrance, glanced over, and then jumped up from her chair in surprise, rushing forward to greet them.
"President Lin!"
Takami Akai quickly called out to everyone and then hurried to the door.
The strong smell of smoke and coffee hit him so hard Lin Lixin almost stumbled.
"I'm here to check on the project's progress."
Lin Lixin nodded and turned his gaze into the room.
Piles of VHS videotapes, a bunch of mecha models collected by who-knows-who, various tokusatsu art books and light novels... If you didn't know this was an animation studio, you'd think it was a gathering place for hardcore otaku.
Gainax wasn't a legitimate company like Toei Animation; it was a gathering place for eccentrics.
But this also brought a touch of vitality to Gainax, making it unlike traditional Japan companies with strict hierarchical relationships and rigid etiquette.
This is a typical creative company, which reminded Lin Lixin of Bullfrog Studio, where he was still studying in Southern California.
That's the kind of guy Magic Bull's group is.
Who knows what they've turned the studio into by now.
"Rest assured! We will absolutely not disappoint you in terms of production quality!"
Takami Akai's eyes lit up as she reached out and led Lin Lixin into the house.
Although the nominal president is Toshio Okada, producers like him wield considerable influence within the company.
"We'll have to wait until I see the final cut to know."
Lin Lixin turned his gaze back to Takami Akai in front of him.
This guy... he's got real talent. "By the way, I heard Satoshi mention that you're developing video games for Gainax?"
"Well..."
Takami Akai never expected Lin Lixin to bring this up, and her face flushed red instantly.
My God, this is practically a public execution of someone whose dark past has been exposed!
It's true that he's trying to make games, but those things are really embarrassing to talk about, especially to a gaming god like Lin Lixin.
Simply put, it's like Capcom's "underground arcade" game, Mahjong Academy.
In an attempt to reverse Gainax's losses, Takami Akai took a risky approach and planned to develop similar adult-rated works for Gainax.
"That's great. Satoshi knows an expert in this field; you two can talk about it sometime."
Lin Lixin laughed heartily, not minding it at all.
Illusion now spends all his time creating those kinds of low-brow works.
It would be better to just let Takami Akai hand over all his stuff to Illusion and let Illusion try to transform into a publisher.
Toru Muranishi seems to have found his true calling in this area, brimming with boundless energy. "However, this stuff doesn't make you a lot of money. If you're really planning to make a fortune for Gainax through video games, I can point you in the right direction."
Lin Lixin stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then continued,
"Make the most of your expertise as an animation company and create some story-driven games with different branching endings. Ideally, you should find a blank slate that no one has yet explored."
Takami Akai was taken aback, not expecting Lin Lixin to be so open-minded. Instead of scoffing at their vulgar ideas, he offered advice.
"A completely new field? Could you... perhaps President Lin elaborate?"
"Hmm... like... raising?"
"Develop?"
"Yes, a simulation game. You've probably played our company's Pokémon, right? Take the simulation aspect, refine it further, and design the entire game around simulation as its core."
Lin Lixin gave an example: the core of this new Pokémon happens to be the training aspect.
"However, you don't necessarily have to keep Pokémon, or even any animals. With your animation skills, you could be... a little bolder."
You mean... a person?
Takami Akai's eyes lit up, and she immediately had an idea. "I know! Let me think... I can design a game where players raise virtual daughters, and then add the mature content we've accumulated before."
"Hey, you get it right away! I'm rooting for you, kid."
Lin Lixin patted him on the shoulder, smiling broadly.
Who would have thought that the pioneer of the Japanese-style simulation game genre would be an animation company?
In 1991, Takami Akai served as producer for the video game " Princess Maker," produced by Gainax, which pioneered the great genre of Japanese simulation games.
It also became a lifeline for Gainax, whose financial situation was extremely unhealthy.
The later wildly popular game " Volcano Princess " was this type of game, only it was a bit more wholesome.
Years later, when faced with the annual gold award in the simulation game category, Takami Akai still remembers that distant morning when Lin Lixin took him to see another side of video games.
Lin Lixin glanced at the other people in the company.
Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto...
It was truly a time when animation Stellaris shone brightly.
It's a pity that without the three giants of Studio Trigger would later become Gainax, it wasn't the true, complete Gainax. But even so, with the likes of Hoodlum leading the way, it was already a very luxurious galactic battleship.
Using this configuration to make Pokémon anime...
Putting everything else aside, at least the fight scenes are of absolutely guaranteed quality.
This is the studio that created " Gurren Lagann " and " Neon Genesis Evangelion ".
A group of madmen who would invest heavily in creating top-notch works even if it meant losing money.
Lin Lixin doesn't need to worry about the quality of the series at all; on the contrary, he should worry about not turning the Pokémon anime into a super-exciting battle show that children won't like to watch.
"Let's go, take me to see the project."
With a production cost of nearly $800,000 per episode, he'd better see what tricks these guys have up their sleeves.