Chapter 106 Use gas to change the world
Although the well-known Sony Computer Entertainnt will not be established until the end of 1993, as early as 1986, Ken Kutaragi, who has been working for Sony for 11 years, has already started working on ho gas that have left his own strong imprint. machine.
And on the day that Roland fell into a ti loop, January 1, 1990, Sony announced the PS-X, an epoch-making ho console model, and they will develop a ga console with a large-capacity CD-ROM specification with Nintendo to achieve Completely unify the specifications of ho computers, and position its own technology as the benchmark in the industry.
Of course, the contract signed by the two parties maintained the usual ambiguity of the island country’s comrcial contracts. Sony stated in the contract that it could formulate a specification to make CD-ROM and Nintendo’s SFC interchangeable. At the sa ti, Sony was using Nintendo’s SFC After the influence is opened up, they can also use the contract loopholes to develop consoles compatible with the original ga specifications, but Nintendo cannot be compatible due to contract reasons. In this way, Nintendo's market dominance will be taken by Sony .
After discovering this situation, Nintendo, who realized the potential aggressiveness of Sony's future strategy, turned back on May 29, 1991. They turned to Philips, which has similar mass-storage technology, to keep Sony at bay.
However, in that country where 18 lawyers had to go over the contract before signing it, the formal announcent of the breakdown of the cooperation was dragged on infinitely long until May of this year (1992), when they announced the termination of the relationship.
At this ti, Sony’s president Norio Oga wanted to officially withdraw from the ho console industry. They felt that it was not a wise decision to fight Nintendo, but Ken Kutaragi wanted to fight Nintendo once.
He wants to bring Sony into the ho console industry when the embezzlent plan breaks down.
...
"You also heard the news in May?"
"It seems that no matter how chaotic Los Angeles is, it can't stop us from playing gas..."
When Roland tentatively reported the na Sony, Spielberg laughed and knocked on the table, got up and searched for a long ti in the pile of docunts on the side, and then threw a thin stack of docunts into the On the table.
"Take it and see."
The casual words were like a cute cat's paw, constantly scratching Roland's heart. He wanted to run away with the script, coughed, pretended nothing happened, and sat down again. went back.
That heartfelt move also made Spielberg smile and take a sip of tea, and after taking a sip, he explained: "Now Sony wants to make its own ho ga console, which is the PS-X they announced last year. "
"We all know that the fundantal developnt of ga consoles is not the performance of the console, nor the ga paraters that the public can't understand, but the gas that are rooted in the console, and those gas that make ga fans willing to pay for it."
"So, they found through Sony Pictures Entertainnt, hoping to buy the ga rights of "Jurassic Park."
"Because they can't find a ga manufacturer willing to cooperate in the developnt of gas now."
Yes, despite the fact that the PS ga console is one of the three giants that will dominate the ga industry in the future, but in the early stages of developnt, no ga manufacturer was optimistic about them. Square Enix, which made the "Final Fantasy" series, set the research and developnt condition for the PS console to be released. It reached 3 million units, and Enix, who made the "Dragon Quest" series, told Sony that with a shipnt of 3 million copies, the RPG gas they produced would not lose money. As for Capcom? They even asked Sony to customize the machine specifically for them.
Faced with this severe situation, Sony had to rely on external forces if it wanted to develop.
The gamification copyright of Spielberg's works is the best external force.
That's right, even if Spielberg's "E.T. Aliens" is the last straw that destroys the arcade market in North Arica, gas related to him, even if they are made of garbage, can sell more than one million copies in North Arica every year .
To put it bluntly, even he himself doesn't understand how many diehard fans he has in the ga circle.
And these diehard fans are what Sony needs most now. In their view, players who can accept Spielberg's adapted shit-like ga will definitely hear "Jurassic Park" After the ga ca out, I bought a PS ga console that I had never heard of. As for the reason? Maybe it's Spielberg's personality?
Because of this, when they decided to enter the field of ho ga consoles, they sent Spielberg a cooperation invitation. For them, as long as Spielberg nods, their ga console production target has been completed three tis. One-tenth.
"but-"
"What does this have to do with ?"
When Roland quickly read the five thin pages, there was only envy on his face.
Because the terms offered by Sony are really generous.
As long as Spielberg licenses the ga copyright of "Jurassic Park" to them for ten years at a price of one dollar, they will give Spielberg five dollars for every PS console sold in the next ten years Remuneration, every ti a box of the ga is sold, they will also give a profit of three dollars. If it is calculated according to the shipnt volu of the previous PS console in Roland's mory, as long as Spielberg nods, in the next ten years, this guy can be stable. Earn 500 million.
That’s right, the first generation PS console sold 100 million units.
Five billion!
Don’t worry about anything, just sit at ho and get free money!
Thinking differently, if Roland is Spielberg, then he...
Well, if he didn't have the mory of his past life, he wouldn't have signed this contract either.
because-
"Nintendo also wants copyright?" Looking at the second contract thrown by the other party, Roland felt that he had picked up a ton of lemons.
Those staring eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets!
Roland's shock was actually expected by Spielberg, "Yes, Nintendo paid 20 million yuan to buy out the ga copyright. Not only that, they are also willing to give 15 points of the ga share."
After Spielberg's na is attached to all film works, their derivative copyrights will increase exponentially.
And this kind of growth rate is sothing that no novel author on Dianniang dare to write.
Because readers will think it is too exaggerated, how could the copyright of gas in the 1980s and 1990s be sold at such a high price?
But the problem is, people sell it at this price!
For Roland, the invitation and contract that Spielberg threw at him was simply opening the door to his new world. The copyright of the ga can be sold for eight figures? Is this called an IP production machine?
Surprised is surprised, and puzzled is puzzled. After hastily flipping through the two docunts, Roland still didn't understand why the other party showed these things to himself, "Uh...Steven, I don't understand what you an ..."
"I don't seem to be able to help with this kind of transaction?"
Roland never underestimates others, and he doesn't think highly of himself either. Yes, he can indeed beco a sweet momo now, but when it cos to behemoths like Sony and Nintendo, he can only look at it.
No way, he is a giant.
Facing a guy who can kill himself with money, he can't do anything!
However, Roland's bewildernt did not make Spielberg frown. After Roland asked, he said again: "Can't help?"
"No, you can help."
"Tell , after seeing these two docunts, who would you prefer to cooperate with?"
"Who do you prefer to cooperate with?" Roland didn't think about it, and said directly: "Is there a need to ask? Of course it is Sony!"
"What's the reason?" Spielberg asked again.
"Of course it is..." However, before he finished speaking, Roland stopped.
He knows that PlayStation can produce 100 million units, but Spielberg doesn't know!
So, his thoughts suddenly changed, and he quickly changed his rhetoric, "Because Sony is not Nintendo."
Such a subjective answer made Spielberg stunned on the spot, and stared at Roland for half a minute with straight eyes under the lens, and then smiled, "Yeah, yeah, yeah...Sony is indeed not Nintendo."
Youdao is hard to buy, I am willing!
Spielberg was already worried about Nintendo's **** of the North Arican ga market. In this case, when Roland emphasized his tone and said Nintendo, how could this guy not understand that Roland's starting point was to hold vengeance?
But he understands better that all business activities cannot carry their own emotions.
If you do business with emotions, it will only make you worse, "but that's not the fundantal reason."
"Nintendo's global shipnts will allow to earn 50 million in this transaction."
"so…"
"I need you to convince not to cooperate with Nintendo now."
When Roland heard the dull words, he, who was still at a loss, imdiately understood that Spielberg didn't want to cooperate with Nintendo, but he didn't believe that Sony's ho console could do it. .
This is actually a very simple thing—
The current gas are different from the future computer gas. They are not actually the cheapest way of leisure, because if you want to play, you must buy a console, and once you want to buy a console, it will make adults feel like playing with things. Don’t think that The idea will only appear in China. In fact, as early as when Marvel and DC were fighting, there was a saying of "comics harming the country" in Arika at that ti.
After all, the entertainnt thod of movies has passed the test of ti, and it exists for a short ti, so it will not occupy the children's life ti for a long ti. The most important thing is that the current parents and adults have been watching movies since the age of watching movies. They ca here, but video gas are different. Not only are they not accepted by parents, but they will occupy children’s lives for a long ti. In this way, if you want to use an unknown machine to compete with Nintendo, which already has a broad market, It is very difficult to lay in the early stage.
As a result, it is naturally not favored by people in the industry.
But these are not problems for Roland.
Now that I understand that Spielberg has been entangled, and know that the other party really doesn't want to cooperate with Nintendo, then—
He only needs to talk about Sony's good, and that's it!
And Sony is good, only gas?
of course not!
"Steven."
"Um?"
"Actually, it is in our best interest to cooperate with Sony."
"Why? If they fail, then this copyright is equivalent to a net loss."
"But are we making gas now?"
"Don't do it."
"That's right! We don't make gas now! Our foundation is still movies! But Sony wants to develop gas into their fifth pillar industry! If we cooperate with them now, then we can actually plan their first The four pillar industries, that's why they asked you to do it—”
"Movie…"
When Spielberg himself said the word movie, he looked at Roland, and he had already got Roland's idea.
Movies are their roots! And this is what Sony wants!
Unlike the eight major industries of Sony in the future, Sony now only has finance, semiconductors, image products and film industries. The gas they are about to develop can only be ranked fifth. Music, one of the three major industries in the future, will have to be developed after the millennium. They have a plan, and when the film industry is half dead and the ga is struggling, only the first three can really make money!
In this case, things beco very simple.
Sony spent more than a billion to develop gas?
No problem, Spielberg can license the ga copyright of "Jurassic Park" to them without paying a penny.
Why?
Because money is useless to him, what is really useful is the Columbia Samsung International Publishing Group under the na of Sony.
In fact, as early as 1920, the eight major Hollywood companies had already deployed their overseas distribution agencies all over the world, but at that ti the transportation was inconvenient and the transmission of information was inconvenient. How to take it seriously, apart from collecting local newspaper film reviews, business conditions among peers in the sa period, audience composition ratio, public opinion's reaction to the film and many other information, they have nothing else to do.
It wasn't until the 1980s, when the transportation was convenient and television brought news to millions of households, that they began to really pay attention to overseas distribution.
But this year, their overseas release speed cannot be compared with the global simultaneous release in the future.
As for overseas distribution companies?
Most are losing money.
United International Pictures, like Universal, Paramount, and MGM, has offices in 16 countries around the world and has authorized cooperation with 43 countries, but the high cost also makes them unable to persist.
And in the case of MGM's continuous losses, he can only withdraw...
As for Disney's Bowei International, they established the company in 1930 and have only released seven works so far.
Warner’s international distribution departnt has only made four films alone…
The cost is too expensive to afford.
They are more willing to distribute overseas distribution to agency companies, and they are too lazy to run by themselves.
Too much trouble.
But after Sony bought Columbia Pictures and Samsung Pictures, the situation was different.
Since 1990, they have made seven films released overseas, and they will make five more this year.
As foreigners, they knew very well that this thing must be done, otherwise they would be blocked by other giants in Hollywood.
So they would rather lose money than support companies that issue overseas.
The reason is to live.
But in fact, they can't bear it.
Because before the advent of the Internet age, to distribute a movie globally, the person in charge had to break through four figures.
If the energy cannot be issued continuously, then supporting these people is giving away money for nothing.
And if the box office of the released movie dies suddenly, it will only lose more.
This is also the reason why many second- and third-tier film companies would rather be stuck by the giants than do their own distribution.
One is that they are monopolized by the giants and cannot do it, and the other is that even if they break through the monopoly of the giants, without a steady stream of film sources, they can lose 100 million in cash flow a year...
It is easy to issue, but difficult to maintain.
Otherwise, Universal, Paramount, and MGM would not have joined forces to ss with international distribution companies.
In the previous life, DreamWorks was actually focused on establishing and distributing films, because Spielberg's film production ability is too terrifying, and all giants know that if he makes a distribution, then no one else will have anything to do, especially in the When George Lucas and Steve Jobs were waiting for Spielberg's distribution company, the three of them played together, and there would be no Disney in this world!
And when DreamWorks, Pixar, and Lucas rged...
The IPs on the film history box office list are all in their ho.
As for no capital?
You know, even in 2019, even after the acquisition of Fox, Disney Chairman Bob Iger said that if Steve Jobs was still alive, then Disney had rged with Apple...
Not to ntion, it was Microsoft that supported DreamWorks at the beginning.
Unfortunately, DreamWorks in the previous life did not make it. Even if Spielberg got Microsoft's investnt, they would not be able to release it under the circumstances that the giants jointly blocked it, but—
Roland hoped that they could do it in this life.
In addition to Spielberg giving himself too much help, he actually hopes that the bigger his umbrella, the better.
He never thought that he was an all-rounder. If he was really that smart, he would have already been outstanding in his previous life.
As for starting your own company? Invest yourself? Make a film yourself? Publish it yourself?
Oh co on...
These things cannot be handled by one person.
It is Roland's creed to let the people in the eting do the right thing.
What's more, when he didn't do anything, he was able to get "Terminator 2", "Jurassic Park" and the default "Spider-Man". These resources alone have allowed him to see the future—
Want to make a movie?
Just make a phone call, and soone will help him get the copyright.
No need for him to speak, the people up and down have already ford it.
What, is this daydreaming?
When Spielberg threw Sony and Nintendo offers to him, he knew he wouldn't daydream.
Besides, even if Spielberg is now talking to Sony about overseas distribution, no one else will stop him.
because-
"Jurassic Park" is not out! "Toy Story" is not out! The "Star Wars Episode" series did not co out!
Those giants in the previous life wanted to block them, because their movies sold so well!
But now, Industrial Light and Magic has not revealed its ferocious minions, Pixar has not yet told the world what computer 3D is, and the Arican national IP of "Star Wars Episode 1" has not been seen at all!
In this case, even if Spielberg talks about overseas distribution, people will only think that he wants to marry Amblin into Sony...
And this is the best chance to change the world...
so-
When Spielberg said the word movie, Roland stood by the table, looked at each other seriously, and said:
"Steven, Amblin is one less distribution company."
"A distribution company that can lay out channels both locally and overseas."
"You've seen it before, what happened when we were filming Captain Hook in Arica, and the guy in London would notice sothing was wrong and tell us by email..."
"How convenient..."
“The Internet is the trend of the future. I believe you know this better than .”
"And when the whole world is connected by the Internet, it will not be a dream to release a movie simultaneously around the world."
“So, right before the internet, we need a distribution company.”
“A distribution company that we can use.”
“It’s a good thing that Sony needs your Jurassic Park rights now.”
"Because we can give him the copyright in exchange for their overseas distribution group shares."
"Sony wants to make a ga console now, and he needs your fa. For them, Columbia Samsung International is actually a burden they have to carry. If they withdraw from United International Pictures like MGM, they will lose If it is released overseas, they will definitely not live for five years..."
"We intervene at this ti, not only can we help them with gas and disgust Nintendo, but also can eat as much as possible of their distribution company's shares, and in the field of movies, they have always wanted to cooperate with us, so..."
“Personally, I think choosing Sony is a very good deal…”
"After all, everyone has a day to go it alone..."
When Roland looked at Spielberg with serious eyes, Spielberg admitted that the little guy's words said that he was in his heart. He hated Nintendo, and he never wanted to cooperate with Nintendo, but he couldn't find it. , the reason for refusing money.
In fact, after "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List", he has no film arrangents, because his filming contract with Universal has expired, and then, it is his own ti.
He wants to form an entertainnt company involving live-action movies, animation, and music.
and release, is the problem he has been pondering.
Now, Roland proposes that, like Universal and Paramount, share a distribution company with Sony?
Well, although Sony’s distribution company is not as fast as United Pictures, in general, it’s actually only two months away...
“This is indeed a persuasive proposal.”
"I like…"
After pondering for a mont, Spielberg finally laughed.
And when he said 'It'stomyliking', Roland also heaved a sigh of relief.
However, just as he picked up his teacup to drink water, Spielberg asked again:
"So, student Roland Allen, how do you feel that I have the idea of going it alone?"
"How did you know about United International Films?"
Spielberg is not a fool. What Roland said just now has proved that he knows too much.
However, when faced with such a question, Roland was not nervous. Instead, the gentleman said frankly: "I have listened too much."
"Of course I know."
"Listen too much? Who said it?"
"Jas Caron…"
Roland knows more people, so he can throw the bla at will.
Anyway, Spielberg would not ask Caron about this matter, so Roland was not worried at all, and he would be exposed.
And Spielberg also asked casually.
Originally, he just wanted Roland to help him find a way to reject Nintendo, but now, he is trying to exchange the ga copyright of "Jurassic Park" for shares in overseas distribution channels?
This idea can indeed be tried.
Money is actually not important to him anymore. How to expand the business and make the company unique is what he wants to do most, but now...
Looking at the guy in front of him who brought him enough surprises, Spielberg sent out an invitation: "It's past four o'clock, and I can go ho. How about it? Go to my house for dinner?"
"Okay, but you have to take care of my driver and assistant's dinner, and they have to send back at night." Roland nodded readily.
"Oh, why don't you go to Malibu to buy a villa? There is a house next door to my house for sale, and it's only over 20 million."
"More than 20 million yuan? Steven, are you killing ? How can I have so much money?"
"Don't pretend, I know everything about Ronald, and he made 100 million in three months? Who has money if you don't have money?"
"Shh... can you talk about this matter casually? And I bought Berkshire Hathaway stock with my money!"
"Hey, I get a headache when you talk about it. Why do you only buy Warren Buffett's stock? You can invest in other companies too! If you buy Microsoft with all your money, you can beco a minority shareholder... "
"Yeah, I am a shareholder, and then the information is announced, right?"
"No, I have William's phone number. You haven't t the disclosure standard. I can ask him not to announce it."
"William?"
"Oh, William is Bill Gates..."
"Hiss... Forget it, I'll look for you when I want to buy it... Hey, tell , you really wanted to sell the ga copyright of "Jurassic Park" to Nintendo?"
"If Steve is still at Apple, and he also wants to make a ho ga console, then I will definitely sell him."
"Then now?"
"Didn't you say that it would be more cost-effective to sell to Sony? Then I'll send soone to talk to Sony, but I think that group of them should agree, because—they have long wanted to form a long-term cooperative relationship with ."
Note: ① The developnt history of Sony ga consoles is not written, it is too long. Back then they really wanted to buy "Jurassic Park". On January 1, 1990, at the joint press conference between Sony and Nintendo, they released a demo image of Jurassic dinosaurs. After Pierberg rejected them, Ken Kutaragi still released a computer-made dinosaur DEMO at the industry developer conference. ②I actually don’t know why Spielberg’s copyright can be sold so expensive, but they can sell it so expensive. ③When the ga console was first made, there was indeed no ga manufacturer Bird Sony. Because of the cold reception, Sony later acquired ga studios frantically. ④ Overseas distribution, now only Sony, Warner, and Disney do it alone. One is Warner International, the other is Bowei International. Columbia Samsung International was integrated into Sony International in 1995. Universal and Paramount have been They all went to United International Pictures, and it is the sa now. It is really a loss to do distribution. If the volu cannot be achieved or there is no blockbuster, then it is a waste of money, but if there is no such thing, it will be blocked. So in fact, as early as the 1990s, Sony wanted to pull Panasonic’s Universal together. We did, but Universal was sold by Panasonic before Universal withdrew from United Pictures. This is why it was integrated in 1995. Originally, we wanted to wait for Panasonic to co up with a na. Moreover, at that ti, Sony had been licking Spielberg through his forr agent, trying to compete with Universal. The Jewish gang in the 1980s and 1990s was too fierce. In the top ten of the year, at least four were theirs.
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