1988 Retro Game Tycoon - Chapter 25



Only Noblemtl

Episode 25 – Myeongseong Planning

Oh, why does my ear suddenly feel so ticklish?

Where and who is cursing at me?

“Where are you uncomfortable?”

As I frowned and picked my ear, Manager Mo, who was driving, asked me.

“No. Just a little earache. I’m fine now. How much longer will it take?”

“We’re almost there now.”

After a while, I arrived at Dongdaemun. After passing the Peace Market, I saw Dongdaemun Stadium. The tall light tower above the white wall was very welcome.

“Wow, Dongdaemun Stadium! How long has it been since I’ve been here?”

I remembered a long time ago when I was a student watching a baseball game at Dongdaemun Stadium. Was it the Phoenix Flag? Or was it the Golden Lion Flag? I’m confused.

Our school, which had been dragged along until the 7th inning, reversed the game in the 8th inning and it was a real mess.

Come to think of it, there will be professional baseball in 1988. You can’t leave out sports games from video games. If we were to make a sports game in our country, it would definitely be baseball, but where are the professional baseball teams now?

“Manager, how many professional baseball teams are there now?”

“There are seven in total.”

When I died, there were 10 clubs. Now there are 7, so that’s a lot more than that.

But, it seems like it would be a bit of a headache to get a license from KBO. And the players’ portrait rights, right? Since it’s the 80s, would it be possible to sign a contract by hitting them hard?

“Do you like baseball?”

“Me? Of course. I don’t like it that much, but I like most sports. And they’re games, right?”

“It would be great if Myeongseong Group also operated a baseball team.”

It was surprising. It was the first time that Manager Mo asked me such personal questions and even shared his opinion.

But sir, Myeongseong Group’s future is uncertain, so it would be a bit difficult to run a sports team.

Of course, it is not yet decided that Myungsung Group will fail. I don’t know what will happen in this life, and I don’t know how the aftermath of my founding will affect Myungsung Group. I plan to help as much as I can.

“I don’t know about Myeongseong Group, but if my game company does well in the future, I might be able to run a baseball team.”

“You don’t have to do that. I made a slip of the tongue. Please pretend you didn’t hear me.”

Is it because you don’t play video games that you don’t trust my company? Or is it a mistake to bring up such a personal topic?

I was curious, but seeing her mouth shut, I didn’t think I would be able to get an honest answer even if I asked.

“We have arrived.”

In the meantime, we arrived at our destination. The place we visited today was Myeongseong Planning.

Myeongseong Planning is an advertising agency that mainly handles advertising/PR work for Myeongseong Group. Today, we visited to design the ROM cartridge case for and produce magazine advertisements.

“You didn’t mention who I was, did you?”

“Yes, I was recommended by Myeongseong Electronics. I just said it was a video game company. I didn’t even reveal that I was part of the secretarial department.”

“Good job. It’s not worth causing a fuss. Manager Mo, please pretend to be an employee of our company today. I know you won’t like it since it’s a game company.”

“No problem.”

is almost finished, but it’s not over just because it has software. It needs a game package to be sold.

ROM pack cartridge designs, game case package designs, posters, and advertising pages for various computer magazines.

At the very least, you need to have this much to properly launch the game.

If you’re really in a hurry, you could sell it by just sticking the sticker on the Alpha Pack without a case, but that’s not very good. A great product requires great packaging. And this will be a work that will go down in Korean gaming history.

Oh, and I should also make a game company logo while I’m at it.

We went up to the Myeongseong Planning office. Perhaps because it was an advertising agency, the lobby seemed neater and more organized than other companies.

It’s been polished to a crisp with marble. But I can’t help but feel a strangely rustic look.

“Hello. This is Agent Lee Myeong-han. Thank you for taking the time to come.”

A short but neat man dressed in a suit came out to greet us. His hair was covered in pomade and held in place, and it looked like it would stay that way even if he put on or took off his helmet.

But he greeted Manager Mo, not me.

“The boss is not me, it’s this person.”

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry. Excuse me. My name is Lee Myeong-han.”

“Hello. I am Seo Nam-joon, the CEO of Starbeat.”

He glanced at me as he greeted me, then scanned me up and down in an instant. His eyeballs were incredibly fast.

It’s possible to greet Manager Mo first. Anyone would think that Manager Mo is a higher-ranking person.

Manager Mo is older than me, but he dresses differently. Manager Mo is wearing a suit and a coat, but I am wearing jeans and a knit. I also wear Air Jordan 1 basketball shoes.

These are all new things I bought when I went to the department store with my mother a while ago. I didn’t have time to go shopping for clothes, so I bought a lot in one trip.

I just swept up all the jeans and sports brands that I drooled over when I was young, like Levi’s, Guess, Lee, Marie-François Gerber, Nike, and Reebok.

You’ve really made it, Yoo Seong-woo. When you were young, you were the top maker that Jodash could wear.

And Hunt, Chase Cult, and Omphalos. I didn’t even have a single pair of Prospecs or Le Coq Sportif sneakers. Now, how dare I say Air Jordan!

“Namjoon-ah. Now that you’ve started your own company, can you afford to just buy clothes like that? You should get a suit tailored to you, too.”

“It’s okay. I’ll wear this when I go to work.”

“Are you a new generation person too? Since you’re the boss, you can wear whatever you want, but you need to wear it when you meet other people.”

So, I ended up getting my mother to take me to an expensive suit. Three sets in navy, black, and gray.

“Look at this. It’s really cool. Our Namjoon.”

My mother smiled happily when she saw me in my suits. But all those expensive suits are in the closet.

I had a bit of a hard time choosing clothes in the morning. Should I wear a suit anyway? However, I ended up going for casual clothes.

Starbeat will be the first proper game company in Korea. I am currently creating a new path.

I want to break the mold, think freely without boundaries, act flexibly and quickly, and create a free company where everyone can actively express their opinions.

It would probably be a very unconventional company in Korea today. People might wonder what kind of company it is.

Just because it’s different from other companies, wouldn’t there be people who look down on it and criticize it? Are all game companies like that?

In that case, it would be better for all game companies to be confident and go forward from the beginning, without being too tied down by the formalities, face, and rules of today’s society.

In any case, the fact that a third generation chaebol would start a gaming company is a groundbreaking idea that is hard to imagine in Korea today. I will face countless prejudices and speculations in the future.

I will go my own way regardless of what others think or make fun of me. So, is it really necessary to be concerned about what the world thinks about even the clothes I wear?

“This way. Our manager is waiting.”

After finishing the scan in a flash, Lee Myung-han, the deputy manager, guided us to the meeting room. Judging from the look in his eyes, I think I know why my mother told me to wear a suit. From the start, he looked at me with a slightly contemptuous gaze.

This is something I expected to some extent. But since it is an advertising company, I thought it would have a more free atmosphere than other companies. It doesn’t seem to be like that here.

The more this happens, the more I must act confidently.

“A video game company? That’s quite an unusual company.”

“Because it’s a new business, you’ll be doing a lot of work with us in the future.”

“Yes, that’s right. What kind of work do you want me to do?”

“I need a package for my new game, a poster, and a magazine ad. And I also need a company logo.”

“Oh, I see. But are the advertisements only in computer magazines? Don’t they appear in newspapers or women’s magazines?”

“It’s still a bit early to advertise in newspapers. We should start advertising in newspapers sometime next year. Women’s magazines don’t fit our target audience.”

“I see. Well, where would a big company be from the start? To be honest, I just didn’t realize that there were companies that made video games.”

Park Joo-bong, the head of the planning team 3 of Myeongseong Planning, laughed heartily as he spoke. His attitude was not much different from Lee Myeong-han’s.

He was polite on the outside, but he seemed to be secretly ignoring me. He looked disappointed when I told him there were no newspaper ads at the moment. He seemed annoyed because there was a project coming up at the end of the year that didn’t seem to be contributing much to the results.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you enough money. I’d like to have the best team from Myeongseong Planning take charge of it. Especially the art team.”

“Our Myeongseong Planning team, including myself, is comprised of the best experts. Don’t worry.”

“I heard from Myeongseong Electronics that Manager Choi Han-il of the art team here is quite skilled.”

Before coming to Myeongseong Planning, I did some research through the secretary’s office. They say that large companies work with systems rather than people, but advertising agencies are closer to art than business. The results can vary greatly depending on who is in charge.

Since time is of the essence and good results are needed, Myeongseong Planning wanted to entrust the job to the best ace. He is said to lack teamwork and have some troubles within the company, but if he is chosen as an ace, it means that his skills are certain.

But Manager Park Joo-bong’s response was lukewarm.

“Manager Choi Han-il? Oh my, you must have heard it right from Myeongseong Electronics. But, he’s not necessarily the best; he just works hard, and his personality is not that bad.”

“That’s even better. I like people who express themselves so clearly. If possible, I’d like to work with them. The game packages currently being distributed are quite childish, so I want to create a package that’s on a completely different level.”

“No, an advertising agency isn’t a room salon, so it’s difficult to ask someone to be the art team member as if you were naming them. Hahahaha!”

Manager Park laughed as if it were a witty joke, downplaying the level of his own work.

But Manager Mo and I sat there blankly without any change in expression.

“So you’re saying it’s impossible?”

“Ahem, first of all, I’ll check with the art team to see if Manager Choi Han-il’s schedule is possible.”

Lee Myung-han left the meeting room and came back a little later. When he whispered something to the manager, the manager said with a serious face.

“Oh, what should I do? Manager Choi seems to be busy with something else right now. I think it’ll be difficult this time. Don’t worry. There are many talented people in our art team.”

I looked at the art team advertising portfolio presented by Manager Park Joo-bong, but I didn’t like it very much.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll get back to you shortly.”

“Would you like that? Yes, it’s cold, so be careful when you go in.”

We got back in the car and left the company. I was silent for a while in the car. Then, out of the blue, I asked Manager Mo a question.

“It seems like a lie, right? Manager Choi Han-il saying it can’t be done?”

“I feel that way too.”

“It seems like they are uncomfortable working with Manager Choi.”

“Maybe so.”

“That won’t work. I tried to do it as quietly as possible.”

And the two of us were silent again. I felt a little confused.

I’m young, I don’t have a company name, the industry is unfamiliar, and the size is small. I feel like people are looking down on me in many ways.

In the end, should the chairman have come down quickly from the beginning? If so, the president of Myeongseong Planning would have come out first to greet me.

But that wasn’t what I wanted. I just wanted to work on the project as a client. Maybe I was too naive.

I came home and made a phone call.

“Yes, Director Ahn. This is Seo Nam-joon. I have a favor to ask of you.”

***

Rooftop of Myeongseong Planning office.

Park Joo-bong, the head of the planning team 3 of Myeongseong Planning, was smoking a cigarette with Lee Myeong-han, the deputy manager.

“Oh my~, it’s cold. Myunghan, what was that beat earlier? Starbeat? How are they? Do you think they’ll come back again?”

“Well, sir. I guess you didn’t like the way I looked when you left earlier.”

“I wish you hadn’t come. Oh, and you chose the portfolio you brought earlier. You chose the best ones. Good job.”

Manager Park tapped Assistant Manager Lee on the shoulder.

“We’ve already met our performance targets for this year, so why bother messing around again? We don’t even have a single newspaper ad, just a few computer magazine ads that stick on someone’s nose. It’s all trivial and a lot of work. We’ve been busy because of the Olympics, so we should take a break at the end of the year.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hey, who recommended us from Myeongseong Electronics? Whose line did we come from and we got something that’s not even the size of a palm, but the size of a booger?”

“I’m fine with that.”

“Haa···, Myungsung Electronics, you know. Since we’re an agency, you think we’re just going to take care of your business? We’re also part of Myungsung Group, so why don’t you just take care of the little things for us? And why are you wearing those clothes like that? You look like a rich kid starting a business out of play. Man, the world is so funny.”

“That’s right. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone dressed like that.”

“Ugh~, where did you hear that crazy story about Choi Han-il? I guess there were some pretty good rumors about that guy at Myeongseong Electronics?”

“By the way, what happened with Art Team Manager Choi?”

“Hey, don’t be ridiculous. That kid said before.”

“Oh, you’re here. I’ve been looking for you for a long time. Manager Park! Hurry up! The boss is looking for you! He said to come right now.”

The head of Planning Team 3 ran up to the rooftop in a panic and looked for Manager Park. When Manager Park heard that the CEO was looking for him, he quickly put out his cigarette and ran to the CEO’s office.

“Ha···, Manager Park. Manager Park, you rascal. What are you going to do about this?”

“Yes? What should I do, sir? Is there a problem···?”

Manager Park Joo-bong became nervous when he saw the president sighing with a serious expression.

“You met a client today? He’s a bit young.”

“Today? Oh, yes. We did meet, but it was small, and the art team specifically wanted to work with someone, so they made some strange requests, so I responded appropriately, but they said they would come back next time and just left.”

“Yes, you said you came through the introduction of that client, Myeongseong Electronics.”

“yes.”

“But why did you do that?”

“yes?”

“You didn’t think anything of it when you heard the client’s name? Didn’t you even check with Myeongseong Electronics to see who it was?”

“Well… the size was too obvious.”

“It was Mr. Seo.”

“Yes, that’s what happened, but···?”

In that moment, an intense sense of crisis spread down Park Joo-bong’s spine and throughout his body.

“Sir, sir, sir, sir, really···?”

“I heard you are the chairman’s son.”

“yes···?”

“You keep acting like you’re being a jerk and you’re the one who’s throwing everything away? What are you going to do? If I get fired next year during the personnel reshuffle, you’re going to take responsibility? Okay?”

“yes···?”

Manager Park Joo-bong barely managed to keep himself from collapsing when his legs gave out. Thoughts of his wife, children, and the 12 years and 3 months left on his apartment loan flashed through his mind.