[Chapter 910: An Era Without Taboo]
Looking at the project proposal in his hands, William White felt a bit lost in thought. The red logo of the Umbrella Corporation brought back a flood of memories.
"Fujita, did Capcom agree?"
"Yes, boss. At first, they were a bit hesitant, but once they learned we intended to buy the film adaptation rights, they quickly expressed their willingness to consider it. I just got informed by a colleague."
"Uh-huh, boss."
Seeing Fujita's hesitance, William couldn't help but chuckle. It was clear that this guy wasn't in America; that kind of humility towards a superior was deeply ingrained in their culture.
"Come on, why are you hesitating? You need to get used to the American way of doing things."
"Sure, the main creator from Capcom wants to meet with you. He has some thoughts about the movie and would like to discuss them with you."
"Great, I also want to meet him. Set it up. Whether it's games or movies, there's always a continuity issue to address. I've seen that this game started in Raccoon City, which is fine, but the expansion seems too rapid. If it spreads worldwide in no time, are they really planning to skip Resident Evil 2? Also, the Red Queen should incorporate AI; didn't Terminator already play with that concept?"
"Got it, boss. I'll get in touch with them right away."
"Alright, I look forward to the meeting."
Although Little Paradise struggled to establish itself, its games were reasonably enjoyable. Somi's console was decent, but it lacked content. Regardless, these two were indeed troublesome competitors. For Legendary World, companies like Sega and Capcom were definitely ones to woo.
Legendary had its own advantages: a massive user base and a complete industrial chain. Most importantly, content in the gaming world, Legendary World was a mega monster. There had always been interest in developing shooting games within the company, but unfortunately, due to well-known reasons, cartoony games like hunting or balloon shooting were the only feasible options. Other ideas were a whole different can of worms.
It wouldn't matter much if Japan handled it; if someone was dissatisfied, they could always sell it back in Japan. Zbigniew Brzezinski's speech at White Center didn't evoke much support or opposition.
Of course, that was just surface-level; in reality, Japan's action film market was thriving. It wouldn't be long before the West Coast was in big trouble. Publications like Attic continually tested public and moral boundaries.
It all seemed quite logical and appropriate. No one spoke up about Brzezinski, but they were all firmly executing his agenda. It was terrifying. Brzezinski himself was nothing but a pawn thrown into play. The hidden players lurking in the shadows might just be what people called the shadow government.
Well then, since you all love entertainment, let's keep it entertaining. I may not venture into shooting games, but I could adapt this movie.
"Isn't that just ridiculous?"
Not really; movie ratings and reviews were much more systematic. An R-rated movie was just an R-rated movie, and it didn't really matter. Games were different; the consumer base was hard to identify. Those buying game software might be adults, but you never knew how old the actual users were.
"Don't worry, even if the software clearly stated the age, you'd still end up in trouble when things went south. The U.S. is notorious for acting recklessly, and with gun violence rampant, adding a few unstable characters could really lead to fatal outcomes.
Wait, the U.S. has been letting things slide all this time."
William felt a bit dizzy. Thinking about it, he had become a stumbling block.
Tsk tsk, these guys were something else. If this was what they called international division of labor, William White certainly had nothing to say about it. Japan's sleazy antics had its merits, but the action film industry wasn't so bad. Since they loved video games so much, they should just dive headfirst into it.
How to put it? William might have been overthinking or not thinking enough. There wouldn't really be any answers to such things. His headache was, indeed, somewhat justifiable. If this so-called pacifier plan could be smoothly implemented, then the forces behind it must not be underestimated.
With a massive media organization and the world's largest gaming company, it was no wonder those guys loved to oppose him.
"That's it, Jason. The emphasis on entertainment must be increased. As for those celebrities, we can't keep everything too amicable; we need to create some conflict among them."
"Sir, isn't that risky? This isn't really our style."
"Obviously, start with cable channels. Outside of the news networks, let them tear each other apart. Jason, don't you realize this is an era of entertainment at all costs? This is an absurd world we're living in."
"Sir, even though I don't understand why, I trust you have your reasons. I won't pry. However, there may be some dissent below."
"Then fire them. Anyone."
"Got it, I understand."
William found it difficult to explain himself to his good friend; after all, these feelings were just intuition and guesswork best kept to himself. Jason Garrison could only gaze helplessly at the sky. NBC had its broadcasting separated from production, and external production companies preferred soap operas and variety shows, which had low costs and high ratings. If NBC didn't use them, other networks would certainly buy them.
What initially seemed like a foolish method ended up helping William White immensely. You produced as one company, while satellite transmission was handled by another. It seemed aimed at preventing monopolies, yet was not entirely true. At least those sharp-minded old guys could only drool at NBC's success.
If the production company was absent, the network was effectively a shell. Without the broadcasting company, programs wouldn't even make it to air.
"What's this? Ugh, how did Jason Garrison manage to mess up NBC this badly?"
"Ha, son, don't you know? Just ask directly."
"It wouldn't do any good, dad. This is William White's buddy. He wouldn't say a word if he shouldn't. Moreover, this probably wasn't his idea anyway."
Little Bush felt a bit puzzled. He'd heard Brzezinski's speech, and he figured that William White's view would be different.
Had he changed his stance?
After listening to his son, old Bush was quite happy. Of course, he also felt some sentimentality; his son might be better suited to be a businessman.
"Son, as a politician, it doesn't matter what you say. Many people won't care about your words. But when it comes to actual operations, you need to be cautious. Let me put it this way: Brzezinski's remarks would have William White's support. In reality, he's been doing just that for years.
Don't you notice that some things he simply shouldn't get angry about? It doesn't fit his status at all."
"Dad, I know about the hype. He often says that life is as lonely as snow; even the people having arguments have disappeared. How am I supposed to sell my products now?"
"Pfft, this kid... His father is an upright man; how did he end up with such a son?"
Both fathers and sons could only express their admiration for William White's audacity. The Wall Street Journal was simply absurd, doing things to hurt themselves. Rather than saying William White lost his mind, it was more accurate to say he was taking advantage of the opportunity. Maybe even before your newspaper was published, William White had already prepared everything.
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