Chapter 86: Top Player - Part 1

In fact, when Ethan discovered the movie posters of "Amplin" and "Jaws" on the walls of this office, he had already guessed who the person was, the one fiercely battling in front of the "Snake Game" arcade.

And when the other person revealed his identity, Ethan smiled and reached out his right hand, shaking it firmly.

"Steven? Steven Spielberg?"

"The hottest director in Hollywood right now?"

"Oh! Nice to meet you!"

As they shook hands, Ethan felt a bit sentimental.

If he had thought more, considered that MCA owned Universal Pictures, and pondered that Spielberg, the hottest director at Universal Pictures, had directed "Jaws," then maybe he would have figured out who was helping him much earlier.

Because in his previous life, Spielberg was universally recognized as the top player.

Not just because he directed the movie "Ready Player One," but also because he fell in love with video games from the very beginning of their existence. Astonishingly, from 1972, when it all began, to the year 2023 when Ethan crossed over, Spielberg's passion for video games never waned. In the eyes of many, this guy, who had set the trend for generations, was the king of the film industry. However, in the eyes of many game developers, he abandoned all of that.

In Ethan's past life, while following the gaming industry, he saw Spielberg going to the launch event of "Shamu" and reporting that he demanded an autograph from Yu Suzuki. He also heard that after the release of "Metal Gear Solid," Spielberg praised Hideo Kojima and speculated that if he made a movie, he would be a top director. Ethan even knew of Spielberg's interest in the story of "BioShock" and his desire to turn it into a film.

When this decades-long love surfaced...

Ethan could understand why this guy didn't hesitate to reveal MCA's secrets to him.

For others, such an action might seem crazy, but for Spielberg, it was normal.

Because of his deep love for video games.

"Oh, Ethan, you say you're glad to meet me?"

"Of course!"

"Hahaha—this is the best news I've heard today!"

He laughed heartily, opened his arms for a hug, then held Ethan's shoulders, excitedly saying:

"A few months ago, around April, Steve told me that Atari was going to release a new game."

"This game is unlike any other on the market because it can be played by one person."

"And, this game is very special because the difficulty increases with skill improvement."

"When I heard about these details, it felt like there were big hands scratching inside my heart."

"Because I really wanted to see what kind of game it was, with difficulty increasing as the player's skill improved!"

"You know, most games on the market now are two-player, and the difficulty is the same. After playing a few times and mastering the patterns, it becomes boring!"

"So, on the day of the release, I had someone buy one for me, and then..."

"I discovered a new world!"

Spielberg's eyes sparkled.

Then, he furrowed his brows, puzzled, and said, "What was I doing at that time?"

"Uh... I think I was preparing for the release of 'Jaws'?"

"Yes, yes! That's it! My 'Jaws' was released in June this year! And your game came out in April!"

Spielberg raised his voice, then laughed towards Ethan, saying, " 'Jaws' is my most important film this year and the most invested film I've made. For all directors, when such a life-changing masterpiece is about to be released, they would be very nervous. But not me, because I've been playing your game! Playing 'Snake Game'!"

"Because it's so much fun! Fun enough to make me want to know how to fill the entire screen with the snake's body!"

"It's you! It's your game that got me through the most nervous moments of my life!"

"Oh, Ethan! Do you know? When Steve told me that Atari was targeting you, I went straight to Sidney!"

"I even wanted to go to Los Gatos to scold Nolan! Because he's a thief!"

"He not only stole Professor Ralph Baer's 'Ping-Pong,' but also wanted to steal your 'Snake Game'!"

"If Steve hadn't held me back, I would have gone over and given him a couple of punches!"

"But..."

"Fortunately, everything is back on track, right?"

"You're fine, oh—I'm really happy!"

Ethan's head throbbed with words like a Gatling gun.

At this moment, he wasn't even sure how many words Spielberg had just said.

But whether he understood the content or not was not important anymore.

When Spielberg patted his shoulders vigorously, trying to control his tear-filled excitement...

Ethan knew what he should say.

"Oh, Steven, I know you're happy, and honestly, I'm happy now too."

"Because I never expected that the hottest Hollywood director at the moment would be my enthusiastic fan."

"Now, I just want to say thank you!"

"Thank you for liking my game!"

"At the same time, I'd like to add a postscript."

Ethan looked at Spielberg, his face showing a sincere smile, and said, "I also love your movies."

Ethan wasn't lying! In his previous life, he grew up watching Spielberg's movies.

He would never forget the first time he saw the scene of "Jurassic Park" on VCD.

When the lifelike tyrannosaurus rex appeared, he, still young, just stood there stunned!

Because he couldn't figure out how they filmed extinct creatures like dinosaurs!

From that moment on, he tried to search for information about the director named Steven Spielberg on VCD discs.

Oh yes, those were pirated discs, smuggled from Hong Kong.

Then, he found "Indiana Jones," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" in the video store.

After that, as time passed, movies like "Saving Private Ryan," "Minority Report," "Catch Me If You Can," and "The Terminal" entered his view and became part of his growth.

Honestly, even though he got older and his knowledge broadened, every time he watched a Spielberg movie, Ethan felt a sense of shock. Because he couldn't understand why there was a director in the world who could master different styles of movie content?

Especially when he learned that Spielberg, in the same year he made "Jurassic Park," also made "Schindler's List." The two films were the extremes of commercial and artistic movies!

If an outstanding creator made movies with different styles at different stages of his life, that could be understood.

Because a person's understanding of the world changes with time.

But switching between commercial and artistic films in the same year?

This was damn...

It sounded like cheating!

At that time, Ethan couldn't figure it out, but now, he thought he might have the chance to witness it.

And all of this was brought by Steve Jobs...

Uh...

Steve Jobs? Wait a minute!