It had to be said, California really was a land blessed with outstanding people and abundant opportunities.
California, Los Angeles, El Segundo.
Konami's American branch was established in this small city.
The bright red KONAMI logo stood out against the pristine white company logo wall. At the end of the corridor, an important strategic meeting was underway inside the conference room.
Tanaka, the Marketing Director of the American branch, stood in a perfectly tailored suit, pointing at the figures on the whiteboard with an animated expression.
"Gentlemen, the numbers don't lie. GAMENOVA's success has proven that the commercial potential of the arcade market is still far from being fully tapped."
"We've just received news from headquarters in Japan. Yie Ar Kung-Fu, which was recently released on the Famicom, is selling like crazy. Kids absolutely love this kind of fast-paced fighting game."
"So..."
He rapped his knuckles firmly against the whiteboard, instantly drawing everyone's full attention.
"We're going to port it to the arcade market and release it across America! This is a chance to make big money!"
"If a small company like GAMENOVA can do it, then of course we can too!"
Tanaka understood very well that although America's attitude towards home consoles remained uncertain, the situation was entirely different when it came to arcades.
"Let's make the graphics more colorful, crank up the sound effects, and add a couple more stages."
"The market is recovering right now. Whoever moves first will seize the empty market!"
Before American game publishers could react, they had to bring over as many successful titles already proven in the Japanese market as possible and cash in on them.
In the end, under Tanaka's determined push, the meeting reached a decision. The arcade port of Kung-Fu would begin development immediately.
The goal was to fill arcades across America in the shortest possible time!
...
"So, you're really sure that Konami will make an American arcade version of Yie Ar Kung-Fu?"
"Even if it isn't Kung-Fu, they'll pick another title, Sam."
Inside the studio, Ethan stood behind the lighting equipment, watching Brandon record fighting motions while casually chatting with Sam.
"You're a veteran gamer yourself. Don't tell me you don't know what Konami's like."
Ethan rolled his eyes.
With the arcade industry booming like this, there was no way Konami would stay out of the action.
"The moment they spot a business opportunity, they'll cling to it for dear life and squeeze every last drop of commercial value out of it until everyone gets sick of seeing it."
Ethan truly had very little good to say about Konami as a purely profit driven company.
Owning so many outstanding IPs yet somehow managing to ruin every single one of them, that was a feat ordinary companies simply couldn't accomplish.
If it weren't for pachinko machines and Yu-Gi-Oh! keeping them alive, they would have long since deserved to be swept into the garbage heap of history.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Oh right. I'd better secure Castlevania and Silent Hill as early as possible too."
"Ah-ta!"
Brandon's shout interrupted Ethan's thoughts.
Genetics were truly a frightening thing. For that brief instant, Ethan actually had the illusion that it was Bruce Lee himself performing those moves.
Brandon let out a slow breath before cleanly retracting his kicking leg. His body didn't sway in the slightest, his stance as solid as if it had been cast in concrete.
The camera crew had captured every movement perfectly. These recordings would all become invaluable development material.
"Brandon, could you record that side kick by itself one more time?"
After reviewing the footage, Ethan called out to Brandon.
He had already decided on the special moves for Bruce Lee's character.
The One-Inch Punch.
The Side Kick.
And the nunchaku.
"Got it."
Brandon smoothly assumed his stance, naturally bouncing back and forth across the floor.
This footwork was precisely what Bruce Lee had developed after absorbing techniques from boxing and other martial arts, taking their strengths while discarding their weaknesses before integrating them into Jeet Kune Do.
Ethan carefully observed Brandon's movement, then suddenly froze in surprise.
"Neutral game... so this is where it came from?"
One of the most important concepts in modern fighting games had actually drawn inspiration from Jeet Kune Do.
The neutral game referred to maintaining a position outside the opponent's effective attack range through movement, spacing, and probing.
"Hwah!"
A perfectly clean kick stopped with pinpoint precision in midair.
Sam stared in stunned silence before instinctively sneaking a glance at Ethan. For some reason, a chill suddenly ran down his spine.
….
Arnold had finally received the phone call from Ethan that he'd been eagerly waiting for.
Without even asking what it was about, he hurried to the studio with his agent, Dave.
"Arnold, it's been a while."
Ethan greeted him with a smile and led him straight toward the dressing room.
"This time, I'd like you to serve as the model for one of the playable characters in the game. I call him 'Guile', a tough as nails soldier."
Arnold's eyes lit up.
He immediately instructed Dave to take care of the business arrangements before following Ethan into the dressing room. The moment he entered, he spotted a neatly folded set of green camouflage military fatigues on the table.
And beside them… a blonde... wig?
"Uh... Ethan, what's this?"
"Oh, this is the wig I designed for the character Guile. You'll wear it during the motion capture later. Pretty handsome, isn't it?"
Struggling to keep a straight face, Ethan personally helped Arnold put on the wig.
Arnold looked at himself in the mirror.
If not for that bizarre hairstyle, the military uniform alone would have made him look unbelievably cool.
"Ethan... I think it'd look better without the hair..."
"No!" Ethan replied with absolute seriousness, rejecting the suggestion on the spot.
"It's the soul, Arnold! That's the soul!"
"..."
Guile's motion design was still handled by Brandon.
Although Ethan clearly remembered all of Guile's special moves, it was difficult for him to describe them precisely.
Fortunately, as long as he conveyed the images in his memory, Brandon could always design exactly what he had in mind.
Although Arnold was packed with muscle, his entire frame was larger than Ethan and Brandon combined and he wasn't particularly skilled at fighting, let alone street fighting.
Fortunately, Guile himself was a charge character, whose movements were solid, deliberate, and methodical, making the recording process relatively straightforward.
"Arnold, next comes the final move, 'Sonic Boom.' Cross your arms quickly like this and make a forward sweeping motion."
Following the choreography sheet, Brandon began guiding Arnold through the final recording.
Suddenly, Ethan interrupted them.
"Hey, Arnold. When you perform this move, remember to shout, 'Sonic Boom!' The louder, the better."