Chapter 200: Disney's Attention - Part 1

Ethan admitted to himself that he was rather petty and held grudges deeply. If someone wronged him, he would remember it for a time proportional to the offense.

For instance, those like Nolan Bushnell and Don Valentine, who aggressively sought to claim copyrights, would be remembered for a lifetime. And for potential backers like Disney...

He would assess their actions based on their involvement in the matter.

If they showed malice like the former two, they were definitely on Ethan Jones's blacklist. But if it was just business considerations like MCA, Ethan wouldn't extend the conflict beyond the matter at hand.

After all, coveting in business is all too common, isn't it?

If desiring another's achievements is a sin...

Then no one in this world could be considered innocent.

Of course, Ethan was no fool; he wouldn't ask outright, and Roy Disney hadn't hinted at any prior issues. When he led Ethan and Evelyn to the upstairs lounge of the hotel hosting the Star Wars celebration, he played the perfect host, starting a conversation with a smile.

"Mr. Jones, Miss Johnson, although this is our first meeting, I've known of you for some time. Over the past few years, the media frequently mentioned your games, often highlighting the new records you set. When Snake, Pac-Man, and Star Wars repeatedly succeeded in North America, I kept hearing your names. It might have been in awe, but it felt more like joy to me..."

Roy Disney casually took a pack of Marlboros from his T-shirt pocket, naturally offering Ethan a cigarette. After Ethan declined with a smile, Roy promptly put them away and moved to the liquor cabinet, familiarly grabbing a bottle of apple brandy and pouring two glasses.

Upon the appearance of the amber liquid, smelling faintly of apples, Ethan found it somewhat extravagant, while Roy Disney, returning to his seat, commented, "This is apple brandy from Calvados, brought to our country during the Norman period."

"I heard Mr. Jones has invested in a computer company called Apple?"

"So when I saw you at the banquet, I had someone go fetch this bottle."

"I hope you like it."

"Oh—thank you—" Ethan raised his eyebrows in thanks, taking a small sip.

Mm, this slightly sweet taste should be to Little Joe's liking.

Ethan wasn't interested in prolonging the conversation, and Roy Disney didn't press further, quickly touching on today's purpose of seeking a collaboration.

"You might have heard, our Disney had contacted Atari as early as 1975. At that time, I, or rather, we wanted to acquire Atari because I believed the gaming industry could be a new channel for developing movie characters. If we could turn classic animated characters into games, it could bring significant profits to Disney."

"Unfortunately, I didn't reach an agreement with Nolan Bushnell and Don Valentine at the time. However, the success of Star Wars over the years has thoroughly proven my initial point. When I got your company's arcade game, I knew immediately that such engaging games would attract countless players to cinemas. After watching the movie, it became even clearer. People wanted to become Luke Skywalker, wielding a lightsaber to defeat the evil Darth Vader, and the Star Wars game was the best way to do this."

Holding his glass, Roy Disney continued with a smile, "Now, all of Hollywood envies George Lucas because he not only made a successful movie but also engaged the best minds in video games to promote his film. When both the box office and game revenues soared, everyone, including me, wanted to replicate their success."

"So…"

"I came here."

Roy Disney straightforwardly shared his thoughts, impressing Ethan for not wasting time. However, Ethan wasn't really interested in the proposal.

The reason was simple: Disney's cartoon characters were too iconic.

Take Mickey Mouse, for example. When Mickey stickers were placed on American bombers during WWII, it became more than just a mouse. When Walt Disney personally drew propaganda posters featuring Mickey, it became an indelible symbol ingrained in the American psyche.

When a character becomes a symbol...

Everyone understands it represents endless wealth.

And collaborating with an already successful brand?

That's just foolish! Roy Disney's proposal, unlike George Lucas's request, was about leveraging their brand for profit in the gaming industry, whereas Lucas was making a desperate bid for success.

When the interests of both parties diverge, so does the distribution of benefits.

More importantly, such a collaboration would be thankless for Ethan.

If the collaboration succeeded, the brand would reap the profits.

If it failed, the producer would be blamed.

In such a scenario, Ethan Jones would have to be out of his mind to collaborate with Disney!

Of course, Ethan couldn't outright say this.

As Roy Disney finished speaking, Ethan's silence filled the large lounge with an awkward stillness. Roy Disney watched Ethan with a smile, patiently awaiting his response, while Evelyn, knowing her brother was uninterested, took over the conversation—

"Sorry, Mr. Disney, the collaboration you proposed presents some difficulties for us. We might not be able to give a definitive answer at this time," Evelyn said with a smile. "Because we are not very familiar with animation."

"We've only dabbled a bit in science fiction."

"We're also quite unfamiliar with how Hollywood operates."

"After hearing what I've said, you might be puzzled. You might think, whether it's animation or science fiction, it's just an element of gaming."

"But what I want to say is, there's a significant gap between the two. The latter is like drawing on a blank sheet, relying purely on imagination, while the former has real references to consider. When your company's animated characters are deeply ingrained in people's hearts, creating games around them requires caution..."

Evelyn's words made Ethan nod in agreement.

"Indeed, Mr. Disney, game development can be quite troublesome."

"It's not just about starting a project."

"Especially the kind of collaboration you're talking about; it needs long-term evaluation."

"Oh—is that so—" Roy Disney nodded slightly, understanding.

He seemed to be convinced by their argument but then stood up and walked to the door of the lounge.

Opening the door, he signaled to an assistant waiting outside.

Soon, a black briefcase appeared in his hands.

After seating himself again, he showed the siblings the inside of the briefcase, which contained only a transparent document bag holding two postcards. At first glance, there was nothing special about them, but upon closer inspection, one could see they were illustrated with a green snake and a ghost.

And that...

Was the gift they had sent to children during their last trip to Washington.

This display made Ethan smile and cross his legs comfortably.

Evelyn, on the other hand, leaned back and crossed her arms.

"If I'm not mistaken, these must be your 'Snake' and 'Pac-Man' games, right?" Roy Disney said cheerfully as he opened the document bag and took out the two not-so-finely made postcards. "And if I remember correctly, these are Miss Johnson's creations?"

He looked at Evelyn with curiosity.

"Yeah." Evelyn admitted, nodding slightly.

"Not bad," Roy Disney gave his approval.

Then he changed the subject, "If I'm not wrong, this is the long-term evaluation you were talking about, right? Surprised that you're interested in Hollywood?"

"But that's normal, considering you're friends with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. With them around, entering Hollywood must be very easy, isn't it?"

From the surface, it appeared that Roy Disney was inquiring whether his guess was correct.

But the tone of his voice displayed a sense of certainty.

Ethan did not appreciate Roy Disney's condescending attitude. As he saw the confident smile spreading across the wrinkled cheeks, he no longer stayed passive but took the initiative to ask, "Mr. Disney, I'm not quite sure what you mean."

"Oh—Mr. Jones—" Roy Disney seemed to catch Ethan's displeasure, but it also seemed like he realized his own behavior was a bit over the line. So after Ethan made his stance clear, Roy Disney shook his head and said, "Please believe me, I have no ill intentions towards you two."

"These two postcards were just an unexpected find."

"You know, my father and my uncle made Disney a very big company, so big that we face countless issues, big and small, every day. And these issues might involve every department in America, from top to bottom."

"Because there's so much to handle, we need a lot of people. And with many hands, comes a lot of news. For instance, you must be aware of our efforts to lobby Congress to change copyright laws. These activities have brought us into prolonged contact with departments like the one Professor Barbara works in. So coming across these gifts..."

"That was a very natural occurrence, wasn't it?"

Roy Disney raised his eyebrows at Ethan and Evelyn.

Though he was just sharing a coincidence, his words revealed a sense of power.

Laws not in my favor?

Then change them!

If they don't protect my interests, what's the point of their existence?

Moreover, there was an underlying message...

It seemed he knew they had found a loophole in copyright protection for Destiny Game.

Though it wasn't a big deal, it felt too much like showing off!

Well, that was Ethan's current impression.

Impressive!

"Oh, Mr. Disney, these were just small gifts for the children," Evelyn spoke before Ethan could, passing her empty glass to him.

She had also noticed Roy Disney's veiled threat and signaled Ethan to pour her another drink, then to... keep quiet... for now.

"When Professor Barbara told us that her colleagues and their children enjoyed our games, we were inspired to send them something game-related as gifts," Evelyn said with a smile. "Just like you said, it all happened by accident because it felt so natural. As for your mention of interest in Hollywood..."

"I guess the money we make in a year at Destiny Game probably wouldn't even cover the losses of a single movie, right?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha—" Before Evelyn could finish, Roy Disney burst into laughter. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Oh, Miss Johnson, you're being too modest."

"We all know the movie industry is a gamble. Before a film's official release, no one can be sure of its success. But to say you can't afford to play this game? Others might find your statement reasonable, but..."

Roy Disney raised his glass from the table, finishing the amber liquid in one gulp.

The forty-degree alcohol tightened his features momentarily, but he quickly returned to his normal expression.

"I think you're being overly modest." Putting down his glass, Roy Disney leaned forward, his fingers interlocked, "I've been following the electronic gaming industry since 1972. Five years of attention have given me a deep understanding of this field."

"I dare say, no one understands electronic games better than I do!"

'???'

'WTF?'

Ethan nearly lost his composure at Roy Disney's bold claim.

His mind conjured the image of a red tie, symbolizing a different gaming magnate known for his understanding of the industry. This moment highlighted the gap between their perspectives, with Roy Disney's assertive stance clashing with Ethan's more grounded view of their capabilities and interests in the gaming and film industries.

The tension between the traditional entertainment powerhouse represented by Disney and the innovative force of the gaming industry encapsulated in Destiny Game underscored a broader industry narrative. Despite the skepticism and challenges, it was clear that the intersection of gaming and cinema was becoming an increasingly relevant and contested space. Roy Disney's attempt to bridge this gap, despite his somewhat overbearing approach, reflected the ongoing evolution of entertainment, where old and new mediums converge, often leading to unexpected alliances and insights.