All night long, Shigeru Miyamoto tossed and turned, unable to decide whether he should leave Nintendo and join Galaxy Games.
Although he had only been at Nintendo for about a year, he genuinely loved the company's unique atmosphere — a place that encouraged freedom and creativity. He enjoyed working there.
However, at Nintendo, he saw no opportunity in the near term to turn the ideas in his head into reality. For now, all he could do was design character models based on his superiors' instructions — essentially, working as a tool rather than as a creator.
On the other hand, if he joined Galaxy Games, he would immediately become the company president's assistant, participating directly in game design and development, learning much more along the way. After a year or two, he would even become head of the game development department, leading projects of his own — finally bringing his imagination to life.
Still, joining Galaxy Games wasn't without risks. Even though the company had developed Hong Kong Blocks, and Yamada Hideyoshi had told him that Galaxy Games had partnered with Taito Corporation and earned substantial profits, that didn't change the fact that Galaxy Games was a small company.
If, over the next year or two, its new games failed in the market, the company's fate was easy to predict.
Unlike Nintendo, Galaxy Games lacked stability and resilience. Bankruptcy was a real possibility.
Both companies had their advantages and disadvantages, leaving Miyamoto unable to decide whether to stay or go.
Because of this internal conflict, Miyamoto barely slept that night. Even during work the next day, he was distracted and made several small mistakes.
As his direct superior, Gunpei Yokoi immediately noticed that something was off.
"Miyamoto, what's wrong with you today? You seem distracted. That's not like you — you rarely make such simple errors. Did something happen?"
Yokoi had only been mentoring Miyamoto for a few months, but in that short time he had grown fond of the talented young man. He had taught him a great deal, and they had built a friendly relationship — more than just a superior and subordinate.
"Senior Yokoi, the truth is…"
After a brief hesitation, Miyamoto told him about Galaxy Games' offer and his hesitation, hoping his mentor could give him some advice.
"Ah, I see."
Yokoi nodded with understanding. No wonder Miyamoto had been so out of focus. He wasn't angry; instead, he thought for a moment and said,
"Alright. Let's have dinner together after work and talk about it then."
"Yes, Senior," Miyamoto replied.
After Miyamoto left, Yokoi stared at the telephone on his desk for a while, debating whether to call Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo's president, to report the matter. In the end, he chose not to.
That evening, after work, the two went out to a small restaurant.
Over dinner, Yokoi said,
"Miyamoto, if you don't mind, tell me everything from the beginning."
"Yes, Senior."
Miyamoto did exactly that, recounting the entire story in full detail, without holding anything back.
"Hmm… judging from what you said, Hong Kong Blocks sounds like an excellent game. It's a pity Galaxy Games has already signed an exclusive publishing deal with Taito Corporation — otherwise, our company might have considered publishing it ourselves."
Yokoi nodded with some regret. Of course, he didn't know that the exclusivity covered only arcade rights, not console rights — something even Miyamoto himself didn't realize.
"The game's design is truly clever," Miyamoto said. "It only uses a few simple blocks, yet by arranging them in different patterns, players can score points — it tests intelligence. Both kids and adults love it."
"To create such a game, this Mr. Lin Baicheng must be remarkable. You say he's not even twenty and already owns his own company? A true prodigy."
Yokoi genuinely admired Lin Baicheng's talent and wasn't angry that Lin was trying to recruit from Nintendo. After all, though Yokoi held a senior position, he owned no shares in the company himself.
"So, Miyamoto — what do you think you'll do?"
"Senior, that's exactly what troubles me. I don't know whether I should accept."
Miyamoto sighed, explaining his concerns about Galaxy Games' size and uncertainty.
"Your worries are valid," Yokoi nodded. "I can't say what Galaxy Games' future will be, but here at Nintendo, opportunities won't come quickly. You'll need to wait at least two or three years — that's the best-case scenario."
"And since Nintendo is a big corporation, with Japan's traditional seniority system, unless President Yamauchi personally recognizes your ability and overrules the board, you'll just have to wait for your turn."
"I know, Senior. That's exactly why I'm even considering Galaxy Games. Otherwise, I wouldn't think of leaving — it's still such a small company, and it's based all the way in Hong Kong."
Miyamoto's tone was frustrated.
Yokoi looked at him and said,
"Miyamoto, from the company's perspective, of course I'd prefer you stay. I know your potential — you'll create great value for Nintendo one day. But as your friend, I think it's worth at least considering Galaxy Games. There, you can grow faster and show your talent sooner."
"There's something you might not understand yet. Nintendo is a publicly traded company. Management must answer to the board, and the board only cares about short-term profits. Long-term potential rarely interests them."
"You're still young, and leading a game project here would be risky. The board would almost never approve it — unless President Yamauchi himself backed you and convinced them."
Truth be told, Yokoi hadn't been happy at work recently either. As a hardware developer, his projects required heavy funding and high sales volumes before yielding any profit. Management and the board had been pressuring him constantly; one wrong move could see his projects shelved.
"Thank you, Senior. I think… I've made up my mind."
Yokoi's meaning had been clear enough. His words tipped the balance in Miyamoto's heart — the decision he'd been struggling with was finally made.