CH161 - Theatres Deal

Ethan Jones asserted his firm stance, and the theater owners along with the executives from Fox fell silent. They glanced at each other, then smiled, allowing Ethan to showcase his arcade machine. After all, the owners had come specifically for the electronic arcade machines. They didn't care about the movie "Star Wars"; they only wanted to break through Hollywood's blockade and carve out a piece of the gaming industry for themselves. 

This was a hard truth Ethan was aware of, and he knew he couldn't change it. Shaking his head, he stood up to take the stage. At that moment, George Lucas pulled him aside. 

"Thank you," Lucas said softly, his eyes briefly welling with tears. 

But it was a fleeting moment. Lucas blinked away the tears and gave a thumbs up. 

"Keep it up." 

This response made Ethan smile. 

He reached out his right hand for a high five. 

"Give me five!" 

The crisp sound was heard by everyone. Perhaps they had already heard about the game's excellence from Fox, so the owners didn't rush him. When Ethan took the stage and presented "Star Wars," its performance, rivaling even "Pac-Man," left them extremely satisfied. 

No, it was more than that—it was a delightful surprise. 

"How much for one machine?" 

After Ethan finished introducing the machine, AMC's owner Stanley Woodworth decisively asked, "Is it the same $2,000 as 'Pac-Man'? If so, I'll take a thousand units." 

"We have over five hundred theaters. We can place two to three in urban areas and one in rural ones." 

"Oh, and can I get a discount if I'm buying so many?" 

"A thousand five hundred each?" 

"After all, your 'Snake' game was only sold for twelve hundred, right?" 

This remark elicited laughter from everyone present. 

GCC's owner, Richard Smith, waved his hand, saying, "Oh Stanley—'Snake' sold for twelve hundred because it was a circuit board game!" 

"There's not much technology involved, so it's normal for the price to be low." 

"But now we're in the era of CPUs!" 

"If you still want to buy arcade machines at the price of circuit boards, that's really not showing any sincerity!" 

"If you can't afford it, just say so early and don't waste our time here!" 

"Who can't afford it? It's just two million. For us at AMC, it's a piece of cake!" Stanley Woodworth became unhappy upon hearing the mockery, saying, "We at AMC will take a thousand units. How many can you, GCC, take?" 

"Your chain has more theaters than us!" 

"You can't possibly order less than us, right?" 

Although AMC's owner had a provocative tone, GCC's owner didn't take it personally. 

He smiled at Ethan, saying, "Before the movie releases, I hope to have a thousand arcade machines in my theaters. That shouldn't be difficult for Destiny Game, right?" 

"After all, most of our theaters are in California." 

AMC and GCC were just sparring verbally before deciding to purchase two thousand arcade machines in a decision that was both easy and joyful, a rarity in this world. 

Meanwhile, this number made the owner of Mann Theatres, Ted Mann, a bit anxious. 

As soon as Richard Smith finished speaking, he also quickly said, "We at Mann Theatres will take two thousand units, with an average of three machines per theater!" 

"I've looked into your company, and I know you definitely won't be able to deliver in a short time, so I can let those theater managers drive directly to your factory to pick them up!" 

"But at the same time, I also have a request, which is that you can't sell 'Star Wars' arcade machines to other companies or individuals. We in North American theaters want to enjoy a unique gaming bonus!" 

When this statement was made, not only AMC and GCC's owners who had already spoken but also the owners of the smaller theaters unanimously nodded their heads. 

They thought it was a good proposal! 

After all, they all were in Hollywood, and everyone understood that monopolizing was the best kind of business in the world. When a game is related to a movie, having it appear in theaters is a logical move. Firstly, it helps advertise the movie, and secondly, it allows viewers who have just watched the movie to immediately play the game. When such a business model that sells tickets by looking up and collects money by looking down appears, they certainly didn't want others to share in it. 

Regarding this proposal, Ethan just smiled and said, "Although you three have ordered four thousand units, I don't think the remaining owners will be able to order another four thousand, will they?" 

Everyone didn't understand Ethan's point. 

Ethan didn't beat around the bush and continued,

 "It's not that I'm arrogant, but none of the games I've created have ever sold less than twelve thousand units." 

"Neither 'Snake' nor 'Pac-Man' did." 

"And now, all of America knows that Ethan Jones has a new game." 

"Under these circumstances, even if you don't buy, other merchants will snap them up." 

"So, if you want to monopolize, then show some sincerity." 

"I'll produce twenty thousand units, and you take them all." 

"If you agree, then I can assure you, I won't sell arcade machines to anyone else for a year!" 

Indeed! 

Ethan was clear that the North American theater owners in front of him were the best customers he could find, but he still didn't plan to flatter them! 

This was not only because he was confident that "Star Wars" would be a hit but also because he had confidence in his reputation! He firmly believed that with "Snake" and "Pac-Man" backing him, this new game called "Star Wars" would sell even better! 

Moreover, after he painstakingly rode the wave of "Star Wars'" popularity, what he wanted to do was not just sell a machine but ride the tide of the times and set a new sales record for "Star Wars" arcade machines, telling everyone— 

Magnavox and Atari are rubbish! 

They only dare to argue because they can't sell arcade machines better than me! 

In such a scenario... 

North American theater owners want to monopolize the industry with a few thousand arcade machines? 

Heh— 

Big shots! It's time for a rebuttal! 

And when Ethan openly expressed that he was the dominant party in this negotiation... 

Those owners who had boldly criticized the movie fell silent. 

Because they knew Ethan was speaking the truth. 

In the past few years, without their participation, Ethan had already sold out arcade machines through retail alone. 

Now, they were indeed begging Ethan to let "Star Wars" arcade machines enter their theaters. 

If Ethan disagreed and sold freely, the theaters would be the ones to lose in the end. 

After all, once the game became popular, they had to show the movie no matter what. 

Thinking of this, the North American theater owners also began to look around. 

After exchanging glances, they expressed their need for a private space to have a brief discussion. 

Ethan agreed to this reasonable request. 

Since it was already mealtime, he took Lucas with him to get some food from Fox's cafeteria, and by the time he returned to the screening room, the North American theater owners had made their decision. 

"We can only take up to six thousand units," said Ted Mann, owner of Mann Theatres. 

"And these six thousand units must all be delivered by May 25th, the official release date of 'Star Wars,' no later than 12 a.m. Pacific Time on May 24th." 

"Also, we hope that for three months after the official release of the movie and game, you won't sell 'Star Wars' arcade machines to anyone else." 

"If you can agree, we can give a forty percent down payment within a week." 

"The rest will be paid upon delivery." 

Ethan smiled at these words. 

He liked this compromise! 

But he didn't like the timeline. 

"Max one month," he said. "I can only give you a month's head start." 

"This one month will allow you to earn back several times the revenue. Even if I continue selling arcade machines afterward, you, with your theaters, still have the geographical advantage." 

"Also, you must promise me that in the first week of the movie's release, 'Star Wars' screening volume can't be less than fifty percent!" 

"I only need this one week, because the results will prove everything." 

"If you can agree, then let's sign the contract right away." 

Yes! 

This was the real reason Ethan and the North American theater owners were negotiating cooperation! 

In the past, "Star Wars" wasn't immediately widespread across North America. 

Because no one was optimistic about it, major theaters only screened it on a small scale. Only after the movie's reputation exploded did they expand the screening volume to satisfy the thirsty fans. 

But this time, Ethan didn't want to wait! 

After he named his game after "Star Wars," what he most wanted to see was— 

The game and the movie, soaring together! 

If "Star Wars" took even a bit longer to become popular, it would be disrespecting the reputation he built with "Snake" and "Pac-Man," and to "Star Wars," the first IP of America! 

Why was he in such a hurry? 

It's simple! 

Other things, he could afford to take his time. 

But striking down opponents must be done with the speed of lightning, achieving success before they can

 react! 

Since the punch was thrown— 

It must land with the force to bury the opponent! 

TL Note:

The "The Mummy" game was only placed in IMAX theatres in New York and Los Angeles.

"Space Invaders" was the first arcade machine to become popular in North American bowling alleys, dance halls, and pool halls, and was the first to truly enter gas stations, movie theatres, and other public places. North American theatres were indeed threatened by Hollywood before daring to heavily promote arcade machines. The point at which the balance was broken was indeed when Warner officially acquired Atari. "Star Wars" is a fairy tale, as Lucas said in an interview with Time magazine on May 30, 1977, "A film for a generation growing up without fairy tales."

North American theatres are of three types: commercial theatres (current chain theatres), drive-in theatres (outdoor movie screenings where audiences watch from their cars), and independent theatres (Shaq once owned one, showing art and foreign films). Together, these three types form thousands of screens, but only commercial theatres simultaneously screen Hollywood movies, so don't think selling six thousand units at once is too few; I actually inflated the number by 1200. A bit of exaggeration, please understand.