Monday, November 25, 1991
The sales of ZAGE's three new games were exceptional. Even though only two days had passed since their release, they were already performing beyond expectations. Now, Zaboru sat in his office, deep in discussion with his lawyer, Kudou.
"Kudou, what do you think is the best way to prevent our employees from leaving for our Future competitors?" Zaboru asked, tapping his fingers on his desk.
Kudou, ZAGE's official lawyer, adjusted his glasses and replied, "The best approach would be to add a non-compete clause in their contracts. Even if they become permanent employees in the future, the clause will still be valid, preventing them from joining future competitors. However, these types of contracts often have loopholes that sneaky companies might exploit. But don't worry, I'll make sure the contract is airtight."
Zaboru nodded in agreement. "Alright, work on that. Also, what do you think is the best course of action for handling employees who want to leave versus those who want to stay?"
Kudou thought for a moment before responding. "For those who wish to stay, we should offer an upgraded contract with slightly better benefits and bonuses while incorporating the non-compete clause. As for those who want to leave, we should allow them to go but ensure they sign an agreement preventing them from returning to ZAGE in the future, no matter the circumstances."
"That makes sense. I was thinking the same," Zaboru said, leaning back in his chair. "Continue working on it. Also, Kudou, I might need to hire another lawyer to support you. Do you have anyone in mind?"
Kudou nodded. "I do have someone in mind, but why the sudden decision?"
Zaboru smiled. "Your workload is about to increase significantly. I plan to patent all my game mechanics—not to restrict others from using them, but simply to prevent anyone else from claiming them first. I'll still allow other developers to use them freely, no matter what. Is that possible?"
Kudou furrowed his brows in confusion. "It's possible, but why go to such lengths?"
Zaboru's expression remained firm. "Like I said, my goal is to make video games great again and encourage more developers to emerge. If someone were to patent my mechanics in a way that made it seem like they discovered them first, I want to be able to stop that."
Kudou sighed. "That's going to be a lot of work. But fine, I'll handle it. I'll also let you know when I find someone suitable to assist me."
"Good. You're dismissed for now," Zaboru said. Kudou nodded, bowed slightly, and left the office.
Once alone, Zaboru opened his desk drawer, revealing stacks of beautifully drawn artwork. He had been practicing his drawing skills, recreating art from games of his previous life. Ever since he gained Enlightenment, his abilities had improved drastically. Not only could he draw at a professional level, but he also found playing musical instruments easier and could learn new skills at an accelerated rate. He barely even got tired—just one hour of sleep was enough to function, and two hours made him feel completely rested.
'I can't believe my body is capable of this now,' he thought, flipping through his drawings. 'I have so much free time that I ended up making a ton of concept art. Still, I shouldn't overdo it with game releases. I can't push out more than three games at a time, but I can always develop them in advance and stagger the releases.'
He reviewed his current projects. Ninja Gaiden, Gun-Nac, and Metroid are already 60% complete. The ZAGE employees are working hard on them for a December release. For January, I plan to release two additional games alongside Ayumi's Karate Bunny. Ironically, Karate Bunny turned out to be a solid game. She's really talented.
'But what games should I make next?' He leaned back in his chair, contemplating. 'I've been thinking about introducing famous cartoon and animated characters as video game protagonists. I could redesign a game from my past life and swap in a well-known cartoon character. Maybe it's time to bring SpongeBob into the mix?' He chuckled to himself. SpongeBob was one of his favorite shows—funny, relatable, and a massive hit in his previous life.
'As for the last game… should I make a sequel to an existing one? No, that can wait. Should I introduce Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy now? No, not yet. Those should only come after The Legend of Zelda, but I haven't planned that one yet. In the near future, definitely, but not now.'
Then, suddenly, an idea struck him. A Super Sentai game! His eyes widened in excitement. 'Oh damn, that's right! I've been planning to make a Jetman game and improve upon it, i even go as far as struck deal with TOEI!. Yes, let's settle on that!'
With renewed determination, he grabbed a notebook and jotted down his finalized plans for January's game releases. SpongeBob, Jetman, and Karate Bunny from U-Rabbit!
Grinning to himself, he prepared for another intense brainstorming session. Even though he gains Enlightenment ability Zaboru is still Himself.
To be continued…
*Author note : I've planned to add Cartoons, Show, or Animated characters to game world. I've might re-skined some games, changing it themes with Cartoons , or Shows, hope you all like the idea*