Matsuoka Satoshi was a native of Tokyo, with his home located within the Tokyo Metropolis. With Iwata Satoru guiding the way, Kobayashi Tetsu easily found his home and brought along a gift for the occasion.
Kobayashi Tetsu had specifically asked Iwata Satoru about Matsuoka Satoshi's preferences. He learned that Matsuoka had few hobbies—aside from electronics, he only had a passion for daifuku, a traditional Japanese sweet. In fact, he was an extreme enthusiast, someone who couldn't go a single meal without them.
Therefore, the gift Kobayashi Tetsu brought today was a box of daifuku.
The three of them met at Matsuoka Satoshi's home and exchanged formal greetings.
Matsuoka Satoshi had a very earnest-looking face, the kind that immediately signaled he was a brilliant mind in the sciences and engineering.
"Iwata-san, and... who is this?" he asked, glancing at Kobayashi Tetsu, a complete stranger.
Iwata Satoru introduced them. "President, this is Matsuoka Satoshi. Matsuoka-kun, this is the President of our company, Atlas, Mr. Kobayashi Tetsu."
Understanding now, Matsuoka Satoshi invited them inside, and Kobayashi Tetsu handed him the gift.
Custom dictates that gifts be unwrapped in the presence of the giver, so Matsuoka Satoshi tore open the wrapping paper and lifted the lid of the box to reveal six plump, round daifuku squeezed together.
Matsuoka looked up at Kobayashi Tetsu.
The packaging and the shape of the sweets were, by any standard, a bit crude.
"They're not from a store," Kobayashi explained. "My girlfriend and I made them by hand."
Only then did Matsuoka's expression clear. He nodded and popped one into his mouth. The sticky, soft texture, paired with the strawberry filling, was truly satisfying.
"Your lady's skills are remarkable. They're no worse than those from some of Tokyo's most famous confectionery shops. Please, come in."
Kobayashi Tetsu tilted his head slightly.
His lady? She certainly wasn't that yet.
He followed Iwata Satoru into the room and took in Matsuoka's space. It was impeccably clean, lacking the typical clutter of a science student's room. Even the books and documents were neatly categorized and arranged.
Kobayashi had once met a famous person who claimed to have read all twenty-four histories of China, yet a glance at his study revealed that every book was merely a decorative piece, without a single trace of ever having been read.
In Matsuoka Satoshi's room, every single book—no matter how well-preserved—showed signs of wear and dog-eared pages, as if he had read them all.
"Let's not beat around the bush, then. Matsuoka-kun, Atlas is forming a Technical Development Department to research various hardware and software technologies, as well as related equipment and programs. Iwata-kun recommended you to me with great earnestness, and I trust his judgment. So, Matsuoka-kun, come join us at Atlas."
Kobayashi Tetsu got straight to the point. There was no need to mince words with a science and engineering student like this.
Matsuoka Satoshi, who had been about to take a second bite of his daifuku, paused mid-motion and sank into thought.
A moment later, he bowed deeply to Kobayashi Tetsu.
"I am very sorry, but I cannot accept."
Kobayashi Tetsu was not surprised by this answer. Judging by Matsuoka Satoshi's life trajectory, he was someone who planned his future with meticulous care—from his undergraduate and doctoral studies to his career path at Tokyo Tech, everything was already mapped out.
Clearly, Atlas was not an option in Matsuoka Satoshi's current life plan.
Tetsuya Kobayashi didn't rush to persuade him. Instead, he asked, "May I know why?"
Matsuoka Satoshi bowed deeply, a full ninety degrees, showing utmost respect and ensuring no one would feel slighted by his refusal.
"Atlas is a great company. I play games sometimes, and I've always been impressed by some of their designs. For instance, the fake-scroll mechanic—first used in Megami Tensei and later perfected in Ninja Gaiden—is a brilliant solution to a technical limitation. But Atlas's direction doesn't align with my own."
Matsuoka Satoshi pushed up his glasses with his knuckle. "Forgive me, Mr. Kobayashi, but I have a question. If Atlas forms a Technical Development Department, the patents it acquires will be applied to game development and related hardware, correct?"
Seeing Kobayashi Tetsu nod, Matsuoka Satoshi continued, "So, imagine there's a technology that might be useful to you, or might not. You don't even know if it can be successfully developed. In such a situation, would you still be willing to keep pouring resources into this bottomless pit? Even if the technology is eventually developed, it might still be completely useless."
Kobayashi Tetsu fell silent.
He could have lied and said yes, but his brief hesitation had already betrayed his true thoughts.
Kobayashi Tetsu wouldn't do it.
He had chosen Capcom's CPS1 back then because he knew it would succeed. Otherwise, he would never have invested so decisively in an industry with no guaranteed return.
Matsuoka Satoshi understood from that brief hesitation.
"Therefore, my development direction is not aligned with Atlas's, so I'm very sorry. If you still need to recruit technical engineers or other programmers, I have some juniors I can recommend, but as for me, I'll have to pass."
Matsuoka Satoshi tapped his temple and explained, "I know. Technical development is ultimately for profit; no one would do this kind of work for free. But we need money, and we also need more advanced technology. Perhaps one day, the technology we create will play a crucial role in the future. However, as a for-profit company, Atlas's goals are completely at odds with my own development plans."
Kobayashi Tetsu let out a sigh of relief, showing no resentment at being rejected. At least Matsuoka Satoshi was a straightforward person. Since he had decided not to join, he told Kobayashi Tetsu directly.
Kobayashi Tetsu then reached out and shook Matsuoka Satoshi's hand.
"I understand. Then let's forget about this matter. Today, we won't talk about recruitment or work. We'll just enjoy some games as players, just like you guys do. After this, I'll have to trouble you, Matsuoka-kun, to introduce some of your acquaintances."
Matsuoka Satoshi shook Kobayashi Tetsu's hand in return.
He had initially thought Kobayashi Tetsu might still try to persuade him relentlessly or even throw money at him with the air of an entrepreneur. But Kobayashi Tetsu's decisive statement that he would no longer bring up the matter made Matsuoka Satoshi breathe a sigh of relief.
Without any pleasantries, he grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down a few names.
Some were students at Tokyo Tech, while others, like Matsuoka, were graduate students.
"These people are all very reliable and capable. I'm sure they'll be useful to you, Mr. Kobayashi."
Kobayashi Tetsu took out his wallet and tucked the slip of paper into one of its compartments.
"Important information goes in an important place," Kobayashi Tetsu said with a smile. "So, shall we start the game?"
Matsuoka Satoshi nodded.
Alright, let's start the game!
The two gathered around the console in the room, playing and critiquing as they went.
This wasn't an Atlus title, but the FC version of Contra recently released by Konami.
With the experience of two lifetimes, Kobayashi Tetsu could play with ease, even without the thirty lives cheat code.
Matsuoka Satoshi assisted from the side, occasionally reaching out to grab a daifuku.
He's actually a pretty good gamer, Matsuoka thought, chewing on a matcha daifuku.
And of course, the daifuku are delicious, too.
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