Lord of Entertainment-Chapter 262: Arthur’s offers

(3rd Person POV)

Arthur continued presenting the game development process to his guests, leading them deeper into the intricate world of video game creation.

The more he explained, the more astonished and impressed his guests became.

At first, they had assumed that video games were simple entertainment, something that merely ran on a TV screen.

But now, witnessing the process firsthand, they realized how much effort, creativity, and technical expertise went into each game.

One businessman muttered under his breath, "I always knew making video games was complicated, but I never expected it to be this intricate..."

Yamauchi, standing nearby, overheard and nodded slightly.

Another businessman, watching the artists sketching characters while the programmers wrote lines of code, added, "Yeah, but even though it looks complicated... it actually seems kind of fun."

Yamauchi silently agreed.

Even he hadn't expected game development—something meant for children's entertainment—to be so complex and meticulous.

Beyond programmers, there were game designers, art directors, story writers, sound designers—each playing a crucial role in shaping the final product.

For the next hour, they continued learning as Arthur guided them through every step of the process.

The tour eventually ended at the sound design department, where a team worked on composing music and sound effects for upcoming games.

Arthur turned to face his guests, who were still stunned from everything they had seen.

With a calm smile, he said, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I don't mind."

For a moment, the room fell silent as the businessmen exchanged glances.

Then, Yamauchi stepped forward, clearing his throat.

"Video game development is far more complex than any of us imagined," he admitted, gesturing to the others. Some nodded in agreement. "I don't think we have the capability to produce a game with this much thought put into it."

An elf businessman sighed. "I agree. Even if we had the funds to start a game project, we don't have the people qualified to program on computers."

"Exactly." Another chimed in. "Computers only recently came into the market, and they aren't even widely used across the world yet."

Arthur listened patiently, his expression calm and unreadable.

Then, with a confident smile, he raised one finger.

"I understand your concerns," he said, "but you don't have to worry so much. Because my company, Hellfire Electronics, will provide the computers, training, and resources you need."

The room fell silent again—but this time, it was from pure shock.

Yamauchi and the other businessmen exchanged astonished looks.

Arthur continued, "All you need to focus on is funding your game company. The rest? My company will handle it."

A ripple of murmurs spread through the group.

"Isn't that too good to be true?" someone whispered.

"Providing computers and training? That sounds... unreal."

"With support like that, making games would actually be possible..."

For a brief moment, optimism filled the air.

But then—Arthur's next words changed everything.

"However," he said, his voice steady, "your game companies will be under Hellfire Games."

The room went still.

Arthur continued, "This means my company will hold shares in your game company. And for every video game sold, Hellfire Games will receive a percentage of the profits."

The atmosphere shifted.

The excitement drained from their faces, replaced by something less enthusiastic.

The deal had sounded perfect—until now.

They would be taking all the risks, investing their own money to build their studios—and Arthur would still take a cut of their profits?

Something about that didn't sit right.

Even Yamauchi, who had been eager about this opportunity, felt a pang of discomfort.

It was a golden opportunity, no doubt—

But at what cost?

Arthur looked at the gathered businessmen, his expression calm as he addressed them.

"If any of you are uncomfortable with this arrangement, we can discuss it further. I'm open to negotiations."

The room remained silent for a moment. Then, one businessman cleared his throat before speaking.

"I can see that the video game market is largely unexplored and full of opportunity. But I'm not sure I want to take on that much risk—especially when you, Arthur, would be profiting with far less at stake."

Several others nodded in agreement.

"Exactly," another added. "If the game doesn't sell well, we could end up losing an enormous amount of money, while you would still profit no matter what."

Arthur simply smiled, unfazed.

"You're overlooking something important," he said smoothly. "Computers, training—resources."

He met their eyes, letting his words settle before continuing.

"Of course, I understand the risks. That's why I'm willing to invest in each of your companies under the condition that a percentage of the game's profits will be shared with Hellfire Games."

The businessmen exchanged glances, their hesitation lingering.

Arthur raised a hand slightly.

"That said, we don't have to follow a single structure. We can approach this in multiple ways—seed investments, royalty-based agreements, loans, revenue-sharing deals. Each of you can decide what works best for your company."

He let the offer sink in before adding with a casual but knowing smile—

"After all, this is business. And I hope you understand—I'm also taking risks here. Video games are an overlooked industry, a market that's practically untouched. Right now, it's like striking a mine before anyone realizes there's gold beneath the surface."

Silence stretched across the room as the businessmen considered his words.

Arthur leaned back slightly.

"It's completely up to you. The offer is on the table."

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then, Yamauchi stepped forward.

"I'll take the offer." His voice was firm, unwavering. "Though I'd like to discuss the details further."

Arthur's smile widened as he approached Yamauchi, extending his hand.

They shook hands firmly, sealing the deal.

Moments later, others followed suit, one by one stepping forward—some out of ambition, others out of fear of being left behind in a golden opportunity.

Eventually, no one could resist.

They each chose their own path—

Some accepted seed investments, agreeing to be fully integrated under Hellfire Games.

Some opted for loans, preferring to remain independent but taking the financial boost.

Others negotiated revenue-sharing agreements, maintaining ownership of their studios while giving Hellfire a share of profits.

The deal was sealed.

And with that, the video game industry, once solely controlled by Hellfire Electronics, was about to change forever.

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But while video game development was taking a major step forward, another technological breakthrough quietly unfolded the very next day—

The launch of Hellfire Web.

Yet, the announcement barely made a ripple.

With The Two Towers still dominating headlines and public attention, the groundbreaking introduction of the internet was, for now, overshadowed by the hype surrounding the movie.

However, in the Horn Kingdom, computer users subscribed to Hellfire Telecommunications suddenly found something new on their systems—

A freshly installed application labeled "Hellfire Browser."

At first, they thought it was just another system tool, but upon launching it, they quickly realized it was far more than that.

For the first time, they could read news directly on their computers, much like flipping through a digital newspaper.

Yet, there were only two websites available at launch—

"Hellfire Newspaper", the first-ever digital news outlet, covering politics, entertainment, and world affairs.

And "Forbes . hell", a financial magazine, reporting on business trends, stock markets, and economic movements.

Aside from those two, there was one more option that immediately caught their attention—

"Hellbook . hell."

Curious users clicked on it, only to find something entirely new—

A platform where, after creating an account, they could post messages and communicate with others.

Unlike Hellfire Messenger, which was limited to direct contacts, Hellbook allowed users to see posts from people they didn't know.

It was an open forum, a shared digital space where discussions could spread beyond their personal circles.

Even more shocking, users discovered they could share files, including photos.

Though the images appeared slightly blurry, the ability to transfer pictures digitally left many speechless.

At first, most didn't realize the significance of what they had just discovered.

But soon, it would become clear—

This wasn't just a minor update.

Hellfire Web had just introduced the world to the internet age.