King of Games C38 I made up my mind

The "PUBG" downloads on the KiShin website were skyrocketing, especially in Asia, with Europe and the USA close behind. The game was definitely making waves in the gaming world, but it still couldn't hold a candle to KiShin's previous smash hit, "Minecraft". PUBG was blowing up all over the globe, no doubt about it.

Nintendo, Konami, Sony, and other bigwig video game studios were initially just mildly intrigued by the idea of snatching up KiShin, but now that their games were shattering records left and right, they were dead set on sealing the deal for real. These gaming giants were going all out.

These major companies were hot on Shinro's heels, trying to acquire his company for hundreds of millions of dollars – not yen, mind you, we're talking US Dollars here.

It was crystal clear that these companies were foaming at the mouth to get their hands on KiShin, and who could blame them? The potential was off the charts. But Shinro? He wasn't biting. He brushed off their offers like they were nothing but pesky flies. Meanwhile, Microsoft had their sights set on a full-blown takeover, but Shinro wasn't having it. He wanted a partnership, not a hostile takeover.

***

In a boardroom in the heart of Microsoft's US headquarters, the bigwigs were gathered around a sleek, mahogany table, discussing none other than KiShin. The executives and board members alike were drooling over the idea of getting their hands on the company while it was still in its infancy, thinking they could snatch it up for pennies on the dollar.

"We should strike while the iron's hot," one executive chimed in. "If we wait too long, we'll be kicking ourselves."

But Will Gates, tapping his fingers on the table, had a different perspective. "According to our man on the ground in Japan, Joseph Rook, the CEO of KiShin, this Shinro Suzuki character, has turned down every offer we've thrown at him. This is a pickle, folks."

"Shinro Suzuki, right? Isn't he just a wet-behind-the-ears 21-year-old?" One executive scoffed. "Joseph should've been able to sweet-talk the kid into signing over the company by now. Maybe we need to send in someone with a bit more finesse?"

Will Gates shook his head, steepling his fingers. "It's not that simple. We've been keeping tabs on this Shinro character for weeks now, and it seems he's only interested in a partnership, not a takeover. He's not budging."

A Japanese-American executive chimed in, "Well, it's no wonder. The Suzuki family is one of the richest and most influential clans in all of Japan. And Shinro's old man? Chairman of the Suzuki Group. They practically have Yen falling out of their ears. Money isn't what they're after."

"Suzuki Group, huh? Sure, they're big in Japan, but can they even hold a candle to us?" A cocky Microsoft executive boasted. "They might have the Yen, but when it comes to tech, net worth, and potential? We leave them in the dust."

Will Gates brought the room back to order. "Enough about KiShin for now. We'll give Joseph Rook a deadline. He better find a way to change Shinro Suzuki's mind about selling his company to us, or else."

The others around the table nodded in agreement, and the meeting moved on to other pressing matters.

***

In a swanky Tokyo restaurant, Shinro and Joseph Rook met for what felt like the hundredth time. Joseph was desperate, his job on the line, while Shinro remained as cool as a cucumber.

"Joseph-san, I've told you before, and I'll say it again," Shinro said, his voice firm but polite, "I am not interested in selling KiShin. We can only proceed as partners."

Joseph's voice betrayed his desperation. "Please, Mr. Suzuki, just give it some more thought!"

Shinro sighed, his patience wearing thin. "I'm sorry, Joseph-san, but my mind is made up. If Microsoft cannot respect my decision, then I'm afraid there's no point in continuing this conversation."

Joseph's eyes widened in panic as Shinro stood to leave. "Wait, Mr. Suzuki! Please, I need you to reconsider! My job is on the line here!"

Shinro sighed, remembering their first meeting when Joseph had been so arrogant. "I'm sorry, Joseph-san, but it's not my problem."

Joseph's desperation reached new heights as he grabbed onto Shinro's suit. "Please, Mr. Suzuki! Give me another chance! If you walk away now, your dream of having your games on our console will be gone for good!"

The commotion was starting to draw attention from other diners, but Joseph didn't care. Shinro frowned, his patience at its breaking point.

"Fine, if that's how it's going to be, then I'll just take my business to Sony. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to have KiShin's games on their consoles."

With that, Shinro left a flustered Joseph Rook behind, the man's pleas falling on deaf ears.

As Shinro climbed into his waiting car, he couldn't help but feel irritated by these big companies and their entitlement. They thought they could get whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Well, they had another thing coming.

Shinro couldn't believe the nerve of these companies, thinking they could just gobble up KiShin whole. A few hours later, he found himself across the table from Ryu Saburo, a representative from Sony.

"Mr. Suzuki, we've reconsidered our offer," Ryu said, his expression unreadable. "Sony Entertainment is now willing to put 150 million dollars on the table for a complete acquisition of KiShin Games."

Shinro's response was as cold as ice. "I'm sorry, Mr. Saburo, but even if you offered me 1 billion, my answer would still be no."

Ryu sighed, clearly frustrated. "You're playing hard to get, aren't you? Alright, what's your price then? Two billion?"

Shinro remained silent, and Ryu took it as a sign that Shinro's price tag was indeed beyond their initial offer.

"Ridiculous," Ryu scoffed.

Shinro finally snapped, "Mr. Saburo, I'm open to partnering with Sony and bringing KiShin's games to the PlayStation console. We can even collaborate on joint projects, but a full takeover? I'm sorry, that's where I draw the line."

Ryu slammed his palm on the table, his patience at an end. "You think we'd let you walk away with your company intact after turning us down? Dream on!"

That was the last straw for Shinro. He stood up, flipping Ryu off as he said, "Then you can go shove it up your ass, dickweed!"

Ryu was too stunned to respond, but when he regained his composure, Shinro was long gone. All that remained was the image of his middle finger and the echo of his words: "A freaking arrogant third-generation Suzuki brat."

***

Shinro drove back to the building where KiShin was renting space, his mind racing. He slumped into his chair, still reeling from the disastrous meetings, when his phone rang. It was Microsoft, again. They wanted to continue the negotiation charade, but Shinro was done playing games. He made it clear – he only wanted a partnership, not a takeover.

The response on the other end was icy cold. "We heard your deal with Sony didn't pan out. Well, if you're not interested in selling, we have no reason to work with you. And who knows, maybe our console might not be so welcoming to your games in the future."

That was all Shinro needed to hear. He hung up, fuming.

"Ridiculous," he muttered under his breath.

It seemed these console giants thought they were too big for their britches, like they could strong-arm anyone they wanted. Well, they had another thing coming.

As 2010 drew to a close, and 2011 loomed on the horizon, the console market was still going strong, even surpassing the PC gaming market in popularity. Only the rise of mobile gaming posed a threat to their dominance, but it wasn't enough to humble the likes of Sony and Microsoft.

"Fine, if you don't want my games on your consoles, I'll just make my own!" Shinro said, a smirk curling his lips.

He'd had enough of their arrogance. It was time to shake things up. As if the system itself heard his thoughts, a system notification popped up in his mind:

[Mission: Build your own company's unique console.]

[Reward: VR Headset Development Technology.]

Shinro's smirk turned into an outright grin.

His sights set on "Tiny World", he muttered under his breath, "Well, let's see how long it takes for a civilization to rise up and develop console technology."