1988 Retro Game Tycoon - Chapter 63



Only Noblemtl

63rd – Game Art Graphic Contest

I decided to hold a computer graphics competition to fill the company’s art position and discussed specific methods.

“What would be a good format for a graphic contest? Should we do something like last time, accepting applicants, holding a preliminary round, and then gathering them in the auditorium to draw?”

“No. I don’t think it’s necessary to gather together and hold a digital drawing contest this time. Art is different from development.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes, this isn’t something you can just copy someone else’s solution to a problem or something. You have to submit different pictures.”

“Oh, that’s true. Even if you give the same subject, each person draws a different picture.”

Manager Park looked a little disappointed.

“Why? Sir, I feel like you’re feeling a bit disappointed.”

“No, it’s not. That’s not possible. It’s just that there have been so many on-site events since I joined the company. I just thought it would be the same this time. It’s true.”

Manager Park waved his hand and said, “No.”

“What should I say? It’s the confidence that comes from having participated in an event with over 20,000 people? I kind of thought that it was just a competition with a few dozen people at most, or maybe a few hundred people at most.”

“Well, the last event was really big, right?”

“I wasn’t in charge of the baseball game, and honestly, even when I was at Myungsung Electronics, I’d never done anything like that. But who would have thought that I’d end up in such a big trouble as soon as I got dispatched? Hahaha!”

Manager Park smiled as if he felt embarrassed.

The employees who were dispatched from Myeongseong Electronics joined us early this year. It’s only been three months since the beginning of April, but there’s been a lot of work in the meantime.

The fact that the company is small may also have an effect.

In a large company like Myeongseong Electronics, even if something big happens in the company, there are many cases where people just hear about it unless they are in charge of the department.

But a small company like ours can’t do that. When something big happens, we all have to work together, regardless of whether it’s our work or yours, to solve it.

“When I first told my colleagues at Myungsung Electronics that I was going on a business trip, most of them tried to stop me. Some said that I would ruin my career, and others even asked me outright if I was going to work for a company. At that time, rumors had already spread throughout the company that the CEO was the chairman’s son.”

“Was it so?”

Manager Park was the first to talk to me about himself. It may not seem like it, but it seems like he had been thinking a lot about it when he was sent to our company.

Well, why not? Not only was it neat, but there wasn’t a single decent game development company.

There is a condition that you can return after a year, but if you fail and return, it will definitely be a loss for your career.

It would be stranger if a good, competent employee at a large company didn’t worry about being sent to such a small company.

“There were a lot of false rumors at the time. The chairman didn’t give permission, so we couldn’t use the word ‘Fame’ in the company name. The chairman only gave permission for one year, so the company would disappear after one year. Things like that. Thinking back now, they were all false rumors, but at the time, they sounded plausible.”

“Well, it must have seemed strange to people. The chairman’s son left a perfectly good conglomerate to start a company, a gaming company that no one had ever heard of, and it didn’t have a single employee.”

“There were more than one or two strange things. I once talked to Manager Song and Assistant Manager Oh while drinking. Manager Song felt that since his promotion path was already blocked, he had no choice but to give them a higher salary, and Assistant Manager Oh also said that he really wanted to come because he really liked games.”

I nodded as I listened.

I felt that the three dispatched workers all had different positions and thoughts.

“But right after came out and Return of the Stars ended, I started getting phone calls. They asked me to let them know in advance if I was hiring a dispatched worker again. The people who were gossiping back then are probably gossiping again that I’ve succeeded in getting on the line. They have no idea what I do here.”

“People like that can be found everywhere. Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, of course. I don’t care at all. I’m so busy with work that I don’t have time to care. Now that I think I’m going to rest a bit, something like this comes up again, right? Hahahaha!”

“Are you going to turn this around and criticize me? Right now?”

“Oh my~, how could that be? How dare I say that to you, sir. Hehehehe!”

We were having a meeting and laughing because it was so funny.

It was fun, but it also made me feel good. I thought that now I could talk about this and laugh with Manager Park, the oldest person in our company.

Because we worked together to do both small and big things, we became closer to each other.

If that is the charm of a small company, then another characteristic of a small company is that new things are constantly being done without a moment’s rest.

We’re back to talking about the graphic contest again.

“I think that graphic contests are better at demonstrating true skill when you take your time and create the best work possible, rather than just drawing quickly under time pressure.”

Of course, art professionals with quick hands are always welcome.

However, computer graphics are also strictly a part of the realm of fine art.

It takes more than just aesthetic sense and creative sensibility to create game art that really touches people’s hearts, not just something that looks cool and pretty.

Even if ten moderately good people get together, they can’t beat one person with a truly outstanding sense. In that sense, it’s somewhat similar to sports.

“So how are you going to announce the graphics contest? Are you going to advertise it in a computer magazine?”

“Computer magazines are a given. This time, I’m thinking of advertising in newspapers as well.”

“Even newspaper ads? Of course it would be good to do that, but if your goal is recruitment, is it really necessary to go that far?”

“I don’t want to limit this to just recruiting. There were a lot of people who wrote letters saying that the title screen we made was cool after watching the recent TV broadcast of Return of the Stars. It’s not just about playing games. It’s about being able to create such cool pictures on a computer. I want to show more people this.”

After the Return of the Stars event match, several videotapes arrived at the company from MBS.

In addition to the tape containing the entire game, there was also a separate tape containing the trailer and intro scenes that we had edited separately, containing the CG scenes we had worked on.

It was made in a hurry in a short period of time, but looking back at it, I think it was well made.

“I think now is a good opportunity. We are holding a computer graphics competition open to the entire nation to raise awareness about computer graphics and stimulate people’s curiosity.”

“For the entire nation···?”

Manager Park, who had just said that an event with tens of thousands of people would be easy, trembled slightly.

“Yes, I think the recruitment process would be to give the winners an interview opportunity. They would receive a diskette containing the drawing file by mail.”

“Ah! I think that would work. It wouldn’t be easy to examine each and every one of them, though.”

“I think it’s worth the effort. And I’d like to receive students’ work as well. I’m not planning on hiring students, but I think it would be a good idea to use this opportunity to instill some interest in computer graphics in children.”

“That’s good too. Maybe the kids who win awards here will join our company later?”

“That could very well be the case. Then we should publish another article then.”

“If you look closely, the CEO seems to be very good at using the media. He picks out things that people might be interested in at the time.”

“If I don’t do this, who will be interested in games? I have to keep making issues and spreading the word. It’s not enough to just make fun of things we like. Games still have a long way to go before they are recognized and established as a culture.”

There are other things that are just as important to me as making fun games.

It is to spread a healthy gaming culture as widely as possible among Korean people. Not only is there still a lack of awareness of games, but even the basic gaming infrastructure, such as computers, consoles, and arcades, that serve as the basis for games, is severely lacking.

Although Gemix is ​​quite popular in the gaming wasteland of Korea, there are probably not even 500,000 units in circulation. It was not until the 1990s that computers became widely available in Korea.

When you think of arcades, you always get the feeling that they are dark, gloomy, and a little bit bad. Naturally, the perception of games is not very good either. Or, you are completely indifferent. Because you don’t know much about them.

The fact that I chose baseball as my second game after and that I held a large-scale event called Return of the Stars that did not fit our company’s weight class are all in a similar context.

To let the world know that there is a game like this.

We wanted to show that we were making fun games, that it wasn’t a bad thing at all, and that it was a healthy form of play that people of all ages could enjoy.

This graphic contest is also in a similar direction for me.

Of course, we need to hire art staff, but since we’re doing it, we plan to do it in a way that will help people better promote game art as a part of game culture.

If this work inspires people to become interested in computers, graphics, and game art, it will be truly meaningful to me.

Just as I dreamed about games with my Jemix, I also want to plant dreams in people’s hearts through various paths. That will be a way for me to give back to the world what I have received and enjoyed.

I decided to split the graphic contest into two groups.

[ General Department ]

– Adults over college age / 320 x 240 size or larger / Use 8 or more colors.

– Subject: 1 on the appearance of Gyeongseong Jongno in the 30s, 1 on a free subject, 2 in total

– Prize: 1st place prize of 2 million won

[ Student Department ]

– For high school students and younger / 256 x 192 size or larger / Black and white available.

– Topic: Choose between Republic of Korea 30 years later or a free topic

– Prize: 1st prize: Latest model computer

It was a time when computers had not yet been standardized.

We recommend using graphic programs such as Deluxe Paint, which is frequently used in game development, but we decided to leave it open so that other programs can also be used.

The first place prize for the general division was 2 million won.

This is equivalent to a few months’ salary for an average office worker, so it should be enough to grab people’s attention. It’s not too much either.

The student division decided to offer prizes such as the latest computer or Gemix console rather than cash prizes.

After organizing the content to some extent, I asked Director Park of Myeongseong Planning to run a newspaper advertisement.

“This prize money is quite a lot. I guess I should start learning computer graphics from now on.”

“Then, Manager, you should apply too. Do you have a computer at home?”

“No, not yet. Can’t you try borrowing it from a company that has one?”

“It doesn’t matter what computer you use. However, please submit your application using a pseudonym. If it’s someone I know, it will be difficult to conduct a fair review.”

“How could I not get a bare-chested award?”

“If they find out that I am Manager Park, they will disqualify you immediately. Participation is free, but please apply under a pseudonym.”

“Hmm~, I guess I should just continue doing what I was doing. Then, will you personally do the judging?”

“Me too. I’m going to ask for advice from an expert who knows a lot about art. By the way, did Manager Choi say he was on vacation?”

“Yes, I’m a friend who doesn’t usually take vacations. I guess the return of the stars was quite difficult. Well, it wasn’t usually a big deal.”

During the Return of the Stars event, not only the booth design but also the goods, especially the baseball caps, baseball jumpers, and t-shirts, were really popular.

We still receive inquiries through fan letters asking where they can buy baseball jackets, caps, and t-shirts.

I heard that even though Manager Choi’s artistic skills are excellent, clothing design is something else entirely, so it was quite difficult to create the products.

Plus, we’ve had two massive offline events over the past few months to release two games, so it’s understandable why people are so exhausted.

“Well, Manager Choi, you don’t only work for our company. I think you must be really tired.”

“That’s what all salarymen are like, you know. But why are you looking for Manager Choi? Is there anything special you want to say? If it’s urgent, should I contact you? I’ve given you his emergency contact information.”

“No. He’s resting. We’ll take our time when we get back.”

I hope you come back after getting some rest and recharging.

I have a special request to make.

Because there is still so much we need to do together in the future.

***

Two days ago, Manager Choi Han-il’s first day of vacation.

Choi Han-il visited the coffee shop of the Seorabeol Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in Seoul. A senior acquaintance contacted him after a long time and arranged to meet him.

As soon as I entered the coffee shop, my senior approached me as if he knew me.

“Oh~, Hanil! Here you are. Long time no see. You’ve become famous recently and your face has gotten better too. Huh?”

“I’ve become famous. What am I? My senior is still the same.”

“Oh, I always do. Sit down, sit down.”

The senior pulled Choi Han-il’s arm and guided him to his seat, then pulled out a chair and had him sit down.

I wondered why my senior was like that, but there was a person sitting in front of him that Choi Han-il didn’t know.

“Welcome, Manager Choi. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Excuse me, who are you···?”

“I am Park Jun-young, the Chief Planning Officer. We advertisers should meet and interact with each other often. It’s my first time meeting with Manager Choi. It’s nice to meet you.”

“The best···plan?”

At that spot, the head of the planning division of Korea’s top advertising agency was waiting to meet with Choi Han-il, the manager of Myeongseong Planning.