Takayuki had been somewhat distracted these past few days.
He had clearly foreseen the coming era of internet-enabled mobile phones.
And it left him with a slight sense of helplessness.
It seemed inevitable now that handheld consoles would have to be temporarily set aside.
It wasn't a matter of giving up on them entirely—just that his focus would have to shift toward more complex, high-quality console games.
Investing too heavily in handhelds could drag him down.
Still, distracted as he was, Takayuki never lost his passion for game development—he wasn't letting up one bit.
This was his main profession, after all—something he could never abandon.
...
Even when the age of smartphones arrived, he still wanted to make games.
In this world, video games were already indispensable. Even if they were impacted by smartphones, at the very least, he'd never go hungry.
But just then, Takayuki received a very special invitation.
It was from the Millicent Film Awards Committee, inviting him to attend the annual Millicent Film Festival.
The Millicent Awards were this world's equivalent of the Oscars—just under a different name.
He had been invited because of one particular film released the previous year: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
This film was groundbreaking. A fully CG movie that created an incredibly realistic world using digital technology—not only did it have a profound impact on the game industry, but it also shook the film industry.
Though this world's technology was highly advanced and its media landscape was quite rich, there were still some oddities—such as a surprisingly slow adoption of new technologies in film compared to his original world.
By the timeline of this world, there should have been Avatar-level VFX movies even before the millennium.
But there weren't.
Or rather, no one had been willing to invest that much in full special effects. Even in the biggest blockbusters, filmmakers preferred practical effects, only using heavy VFX in a few sci-fi flicks.
So when Advent Children was released, it was like a revelation. People suddenly realized, "So this is what a full-CG film can look like. This is how cool it can be."
The movie sold over a million DVD copies, and the box office in Japan alone quickly surpassed 10 billion yen. Several media companies, including Detroit Pictures Group, scrambled to launch their own fully-CG film projects—and most of them used the Unreal Engine.
Whether as the provider of Unreal Engine or the pioneer of new film techniques, Takayuki was well worth inviting to the Millicent Film Awards.
The letter also noted that Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children had been nominated for multiple categories, including Best Foreign Film, Best Animated Film, Best Screenplay, Best Action, Best Music, and more.
Clearly, the committee deeply recognized the film's value.
Even if the movie was a little over-the-top and edgy, its technical prowess was undeniable.
It was truly impressive—something few people could pull off.
The Millicent Awards were to be held at the end of March, in Las Vegas, USA. All the big names in the film industry would be attending. Takayuki would be the only guest not from the movie world to receive a personal invitation from the committee.
That was a huge honor—there was no way he'd decline.
Not attending would make him seem aloof or unsociable.
And this was a perfect opportunity to further promote his IP. He wasn't about to miss that.
Right now, the Final Fantasy brand and its related merchandise were selling extremely well—almost on par with his Mario and Pokémon franchises. In the future, Final Fantasy could easily become a world-renowned mega IP. It was the perfect time to build its momentum.
After receiving the invitation, Takayuki didn't hesitate—he quickly booked a flight to the US. He also planned to use the trip to discuss several upcoming game projects with his American teams.
Joining him were several game producers, as well as Airi Hayasawa and Aya Tsukino.
The first-class cabin on the plane had been fully booked by Gamestar Electronic Entertainment. Everyone was resting with their eyes closed. Aya Tsukino sat beside Takayuki, thoughtfully mulling over gameplay mechanics for a new game.
Takayuki quietly read over some files on his laptop.
They were all about Myron Case.
Most of it detailed Myron's recent activities.
His company was clearly preparing a major new product. A press conference would likely be held soon—and it would no doubt make waves once revealed.
Takayuki sighed softly.
Aya Tsukino noticed.
She put down her handheld console and looked at him.
After a few seconds, Takayuki turned his head, catching her gaze.
"You okay, Aya?" he asked curiously.
"You're troubled," she said.
Takayuki didn't bother hiding it. He nodded. "Yeah, I've got something on my mind. Not exactly work-related, though."
"It's about Myron Case, isn't it? Your browser history's been full of searches about him."
"Yeah, it is. He's quite impressive."
Aya frowned slightly. "Impressive? Wasn't he just the guy who released a few successful music players? What's the big deal? There's nothing groundbreaking about those."
"But… they're popular," Takayuki replied.
"Hmm… even so, combined sales are what? Maybe 10 million units? Our latest console has already sold over 30 million. How could that even be a threat to us? Are you seriously worried that some tiny gadget might affect our console sales?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what are you worried about?"
"I guess… the future."
"The future?" Aya looked even more confused.
After a moment of silence, she looked at him seriously and said, "Takayuki, this isn't like you. You're usually calm no matter what crisis is coming. But now… you seem powerless."
"Yeah… maybe it's because this time it feels like it's going to be much harder than anything before."
Takayuki understood better than anyone what the arrival of the internet era meant.
Video games would continue to explode in popularity, that was certain. But the home console and handheld sectors would take a massive hit—especially handhelds.
And that's what made it so hard for him.
Because Takayuki loved handheld gaming.
And now, that love was on the verge of being forced into the shadows.
It was hard not to feel conflicted.