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Chapter 63 - Hudson’s “Iron Collar”
🕑 Added 2025-09-19 10:33:36 +0000 UTCTokyo, Hudson Soft headquarters.
The air in the president’s office felt heavier than the early September heat outside.
Hiroshi Kudo, Hudson’s president, sat upright.
Across from him was a Nintendo representative, impeccably suited, his expression as measured as if drawn with a ruler, devoid of personal emotion.
The tea before the representative sat untouched.
“President Kudo, we deeply appreciate Hudson’s contributions to the Famicom platform,” the representative said, his voice flat, like reading an irrelevant report.
“To optimize our cartridge production line’s overall capacity…”
He paused, his gaze flicking over Kudo’s face, cold and detached.
“…and to ensure all third-party partners meet Nintendo’s consistent high-quality standards, we’ll be implementing stricter batch management adjustments.”
A chill of unease passed through Kudo.
This bureaucratic preamble usually heralded bad news.
“Speak plainly, please,” Kudo said, striving to keep his tone steady.
The representative nodded slightly, as if expecting the directness.
“Regarding your key product slated for early September release—Adventure Island…”
Here it comes.
Kudo’s eyelid twitched.
“Its initial cartridge stock will be reduced by twenty percent.”
Twenty percent!
Kudo’s fingers clenched under the desk, nails digging into his palms.
He took a deep breath, maintaining a respectful facade for their “benefactor,” though his voice betrayed a hint of strain.
“You’re aware, sir, that Adventure Island is our flagship title for the second half of the year.”
“We’ve poured immense resources into promotion.”
“Takahashi Meijin himself has scheduled dozens of offline events, and player anticipation is sky-high.”
He tried to reason.
“Cutting the initial stock by twenty percent isn’t just a number.”
“It’ll severely impact early sales and reputation, potentially sparking player backlash.”
The representative’s expression didn’t flicker, as if Kudo’s concerns were trivial.
“This is Nintendo headquarters’ strategic decision, President Kudo.”
“We trust Hudson will understand and align with the company’s broader goals.”
“‘Understand’?” Kudo nearly laughed but held back.
“Could Nintendo reconsider? Even a ten percent cut would ease the situation significantly.”
The representative shook his head, his tone final.
“This is the decision. No room for negotiation.”
“I’m confident Hudson’s capabilities will overcome this minor challenge.”
Kudo’s chest heaved; he forced a stiff smile.
He stood.
“I understand.”
“Thank you for personally delivering the news to Hudson.”
He politely escorted the representative to the door.
The door clicked shut, sealing off the outside world.
Kudo’s deference vanished.
He spun, slamming a fist onto the expensive wooden desk!
Thud!
The heavy sound echoed his suppressed rage.
Yuji Kudo, his younger brother, who’d been silent in the corner, hurried over, his face equally grim.
“Brother!”
“Nintendo’s always squeezing us third parties!”
Kudo growled, his voice hoarse with anger.
“Why don’t they cut their own August release, Metroid?”
“Is Gunpei Yokoi’s work more precious than ours?!”
Yuji spoke, worry lacing his voice.
“This cut will cripple Adventure Island’s early sales.”
“Once player enthusiasm cools, regaining momentum will be tough.”
Kudo breathed heavily, his anger giving way to resolve.
“This slap only strengthens my conviction.”
He looked up, eyes sharp.
“We need to move faster with NEC!”
“We can’t let Nintendo keep us by the throat forever!”
He recalled secret talks with NEC about high-performance graphics chips and a potential new platform.
That path might be Hudson’s only lifeline.
At the same time, at Capcom headquarters, President Kenzo Tsujimoto’s brows were furrowed.
Nintendo hadn’t sent a representative, but their “concern” had reached him through other channels, pressing heavily.
The “crime” was clear.
Capcom, inspired by Sega’s 16-bit System16 arcade success, had quietly started developing their own 16-bit arcade board—later known as CPS1.
This diverted resources from Famicom game development.
Some new titles’ pace and quality fell short of Nintendo’s near-draconian “expectations.”
No explicit penalties yet.
But the invisible scrutiny, the veiled displeasure, hung like a sword of Damocles over Capcom.
Tsujimoto rubbed his temples.
He had to reassess Famicom resource priorities.
Balancing arcade and console businesses—securing profit growth without angering Nintendo—was a tightrope.
Relying solely on Nintendo’s limited annual game quotas wouldn’t sustain them.
He fumed inwardly but felt helpless.
Nintendo’s dominance was an open secret.
Unlike Hudson’s anger or Capcom’s anxiety, some third parties were calmer.
Namco was one.
After a harsh lesson over Pac-Man earlier in the year, Namco had been meticulously compliant these past months.
They adhered strictly to Nintendo’s rules and schedules, releasing Famicom games methodically.
The company’s atmosphere was cautious, prioritizing stability, avoiding any missteps.
Masaya Nakamura knew the art of endurance.
Konami took a different route—active cooperation, high output.
Quick to adapt after Namco’s punishment, Konami churned out multiple Famicom and Disk System titles.
Their Disk System exclusive, Castlevania (Akumajou Dracula), with its moody gothic style, stellar level design, and music, earned strong praise and sales.
Kagemasa Kozuki played his cards shrewdly.
Yet, whether Namco’s caution or Konami’s diligence, both faced a shared frustration.
The media spotlight was fixed on the Nintendo-Sega clash.
The Fatal Fury tournament’s aftershocks lingered, and Fuji TV’s upcoming live national finals broadcast pushed the “war” to new heights.
Third parties’ carefully crafted games were drowned out by the giants’ promotional blitz.
Their influence, far from expectations, relied on slow word-of-mouth among core players to maintain modest buzz.
Like farmers toiling under giants’ feet, their harvests struggled for market attention.
Survival under the empire’s shadow was no easy feat.
