CH147 - Brother

"Ethan, was what you said earlier true?"

On the way back to Universal after leaving Fox, Spielberg asked with caution, "Do you really want to create a video game under the name of 'Star Wars'?"

Despite Spielberg's bold demeanour in front of Fox executives, he was well aware of the numerous issues plaguing the "Star Wars" movie.

For instance, the visual effects weren't fully completed; the editing and narrative were in utter disarray. Under these unresolved issues, Ethan's willingness to create a game under the "Star Wars" name was akin to charity.

Because it was tantamount to vouching for others with his own reputation. When "Snake" and "Pac-Man" were causing sensations in North America and beyond, the name Ethan Jones essentially represented money. Before Ethan's official failure, merchants would blindly purchase his invented games, and consumers would eagerly spend their hard-earned money to appreciate his creations.

As for the reason?

It could be seen as a kind of celebrity effect.

"Of course," Ethan replied with a smile. "Steven, you don't think I'm joking, do you? If so, that would hurt my feelings."

"No, No, No, I didn't mean that…" Spielberg hurriedly waved his hands.

His flustered demeanor made Ethan drop the teasing—

"Brother, don't worry, I was just joking. I indeed want to create a game about aliens. I actually had a specific concept in mind, but after seeing 'Star Wars,' I've fully fleshed out the overall design of the game. If George doesn't mind, I'll name the game after 'Star Wars.' But if he does mind…"

"He won't mind!" Spielberg immediately interjected before Ethan could finish.

His decisive words surprised Ethan, "Oh Steven, you can make decisions for him?"

"Sort of…" Spielberg nodded, perhaps because the recent argument had drained all his energy.

But it could also be that Ethan's response gave him confidence.

After affirming his answer, Spielberg leaned back in the car seat and said, "Ethan, let me tell you this, we've known each other for ten years, long enough to make some decisions for each other…"

Spielberg and Lucas met around six or seven years ago when they were still novices in the film industry. Spielberg had been rejected by his dream college, and Lucas, despite his young age, already had many short films to his name. What shocked Spielberg the most was a short film titled "Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB."

The short film depicted:

In a dystopian underground future city where humans have no names, only mechanical codes, a person named THX 1138 4EB refuses to live this way and decides to escape. The government, noticing his escape attempt, uses computers and cameras to track him, attempting to stop him, but ultimately fails;

With 4EB's successful escape, the mechanized government, to maintain its rule, mourns his partner, claiming 4EB destroyed himself during his flight.

Such a story, if placed in the 21st century, would be considered a common fantasy, as these things might really exist with the advent of the internet age. However, in the 1960s, when computers were not yet widespread and the internet was nonexistent, George Lucas's futuristic vision was a stunningly unparalleled genius inspiration. And so…

"I began to interact with him, getting to know each other." Spielberg said, "George is the most imaginative person I've ever met. Throughout our time together, he has inspired me greatly. Most importantly, he taught me how to make a real movie!"

"This might sound strange, but it's actually quite simple. Because he was friends with Francis Ford Coppola, I could freely enter and observe the shooting of 'Rain Man' and 'The Godfather' under his guidance…"

"Ethan, you've never made a movie, so you might not know, but closely observing the filmmaking process on set is what a novice should do most. Most of the problems that exist on a set can't be taught through verbal communication. You have to see it with your own eyes to know how to solve them."

"If it weren't for George's help, I might never have been able to make 'Jaws'…"

"So, when he needs me, I'll help him unconditionally."

"Now, he needs to succeed! 'Star Wars' must succeed! He has bet everything on this movie! He cannot accept its failure!"

"So…"

At this point, Spielberg turned his head and looked earnestly at Ethan, "If you're really willing to make a game for 'Star Wars,' I would be very happy. And regardless of George's reaction, I'll persuade him to accept it…"

"Now is not the time to be stubborn."

His heartfelt words made Ethan nod slightly.

"Thank you for your trust," he said.

This response caught Spielberg off guard, and the next second, he burst into laughter—

"Oh Ethan, I should be thanking you! If it weren't for your inspiration from 'Star Wars' just now, I'd have been furious today!"

"Those administrators know nothing about movies!"

"A bunch of idiots—"

Whether Fox's people understood movies or not, Ethan wasn't sure, but he knew that once he returned to Universal with Spielberg, Spielberg immediately contacted his connections at Warner to inquire about Atari's development status. Within just two hours, a document signed by Steve Ross, the current CEO of Warner, was presented to him.

This document detailed everything related to Atari's home console—

The new Atari machine used the Intel 8080 CPU, costing twenty-two dollars per piece; the built-in storage was Texas Instruments' 128-byte memory strip, but to accommodate more games, they also expanded it with two 1024-byte memory boards, costing ninety-six dollars; when the costs of the two main components reached a hundred and eighteen dollars, to ensure profitability, they set the machine's retail price at one hundred ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents.

Though it seemed expensive, with built-in games like "Breakout" and "Pong," along with "Racing," "Pinball," and other games available for play...

The price was acceptable.

Indeed.

In the document Spielberg acquired, Atari had not launched a game inspired by "Pac-Man," a fact that allowed Ethan to breathe a sigh of relief.

Since Atari hadn't started to draw inspiration yet, it meant things hadn't reached their worst possible outcome.

Of course, Ethan didn't let his guard down.

Because there was currently no information about Magnavox's actions. Unable to gather relevant news for the time being, Ethan could only deduce from Magnavox's acquisition behaviours and console release timings that their likelihood of imitating was relatively low.

As Ethan prayed for divine protection in any form, George Lucas, having temporarily dealt with his work, visited Universal that afternoon. The bearded giant first had a one-on-one discussion with Steven Spielberg, then both appeared in front of Ethan.

George Lucas, with a smile, said, "Ethan, I'm very thankful for your help. Steven and I have discussed and decided to collaborate with you, inviting Destiny Game to develop a game named after 'Star Wars' to assist in better promoting the movie."

"Since our collaboration is unlike others, where companies might sell publishing rights and develop games, our request is for licensing and promotional support. Therefore, I'm curious about your thoughts on the promotional fees. What's your expected budget, and what about the payment method?"

Here, Lucas rubbed his hands together somewhat sheepishly, "Ethan, Steven must have told you, I'm currently out of money, so... would you be able to accept deferred payments?"

'???'

Upon hearing Lucas's words, Ethan's face screamed WTF?

He wondered if he had misheard. He was going to use the "Star Wars" name for a game, and then Lucas would pay him?

Could there really be such good fortune in the world?

However, after a brief moment of astonishment, Ethan quickly caught on.

Lucas and Spielberg felt as if they were riding on his coattails! While the situation sounded amusing, Ethan didn't take it seriously.

Shaking his head with a smile, Ethan said, "Oh George, don't mention the promotional fees again."

"After all, the inspiration for the game came from your and Steven's movie."

"You trusted me enough to let me use the name, and that's enough for me."

"As for other matters?"

"Hey! When Steven helped me by connecting me with Rudolf, that's Professor Ralph H. Baer, he didn't ask me for any referral fee! Now, he's gotten me some information without asking for any documentation fees! So, let's not bring up all this mess again!"

"Or else I'll get angry!"

Ethan feigned anger.

Lucas's face lit up with excitement.

Spielberg nudged him, laughing, "Oh George, I told you Ethan genuinely wants to help us, right?"

The bantering made Lucas nod repeatedly, and he then turned to Ethan with open arms.

"Ethan! Thank you!"

"From today on, you're my brother!"

"From now on, if there's anything you need, as long as I can help, I will. And even if I can't help—I will!"

Brother?

This title made Ethan smile broadly.

Becoming brothers with Lucas?

Oh—

That sounded quite interesting~

Ah, but then—

He glanced again at Spielberg.

That face, brimming with laughter, made the situation even more amusing~