Gabe Newell responded to Jimmy Chen's statent with a slight smile, then leaned forward slightly and asked, "With all due respect, Mr. Chen—you were a developer at Atari, right? So you probably have a solid understanding of how the traditional ga developnt cycle works, correct?"
Mr. Chen nodded confidently. "It's okay, Mr. Newell, yes—I'm clearly aware. First of all, there should be an idea, then concept art. After that cos the design phase, gaplay structure, music composition, followed by thorough testing before we finally release the ga. That's the simple version of it."
Gabe nodded, clasping his hands together. "Exactly. That's right. The standard process generally flows like this: Idea → Concept → Art Direction → Ga Developnt → Testing → Release. Each phase requires its own dedicated ti, team, and creative energy to complete. It's a structured pipeline that's been followed for decades not just for gas but for Softwares in general."
He continued, now addressing both Chen and the audience. "From the mont an idea is ford to when it becos a tangible concept, countless hours are spent brainstorming things like gaplay chanics, character design, world-building, and core gaplay loops. That alone can take months. Once the concept is nailed down, we shift into art direction—handling music composition, visual thes, and overall aesthetic. Especially since the 16-bit era, that phase has beco critically important. Again, that can take weeks or even months, depending on the scope normally."
He gestured animatedly as he spoke. "Next cos developnt—actually coding the ga, building it level by level, system by system. And of course, we move into rigorous testing. Bugs pop up constantly, and debugging can be a nightmare. Once all that's done, we finally release it. That's the 'normal way'—and it typically takes 6 months to a year, sotis even more depending on the complexity of the project."
Gabe then paused, grinned slightly, and said, "But at ZAGE, we don't do it that way anymore."
"Our boss, Zaboru Renkonan, is one of the most relentless and hardworking people I've ever t. He's a pure genius, and you know how terrifying it is when a genius actually enjoys hard work, right? Now imagine that sa genius also loving what he does—ga developnt. That's not just scary, that's borderline mythical. A genius who loves hard work and also loves his craft? Nothing is more unstoppable than that.
Let give you a glimpse into how things work at ZAGE. When we get wind of a new ga Zaboru wants to release, he doesn't co to us empty-handed. No, he already has the entire ga planned out and prepared. He hands us folders—thick, chaotic, incredible folders—filled with everything: idea breakdowns, concept sketches, art references, mood boards, even notes that seem more like journal entries. There are even insights from a developer's perspective, like he anticipated the kind of questions and challenges we might face. We end up skipping so many early-stage steps because the groundwork he's laid out is so detailed.
But what's really insane is the texture of those folders—they're ssy, sure, but in a raw, emotional way. It's like he pours his entire heart and soul into them. Every scribble feels intentional. Every note, no matter how small, feels alive. And that's not an exaggeration. All of ZAGE's current major releases, in ZEPS 3, followed this exact thod.
And if you're a developer, you'll understand this—sotis, there's that one stubborn issue. That glitch, that bug, that piece of code that refuses to work no matter how many tis you go at it. It drives teams mad for days?"
Jimmy Chen nodded slowly, still processing the information, and Gaben continued with greater enthusiasm, "If our boss sees that kind of issue, most of the ti he'll solve it in, at most, an hour. Seriously—just one hour. Do you realize how crazy that is? Our entire team, made up of highly talented, experienced ZAGE developers, can spend five days banging our heads against the wall trying to figure out a stubborn bug or so complex engine behavior, and still not crack it. Then Zaboru walks into the U.S. office—he's just flown in from Japan, mind you—and within one hour, he not only solves it, but he solves it in a way none of us ever saw coming. A thod so elegant , so simple, so unexpected, it makes you sit back and wonder am i stupid or this guy just insane?."
Gaben laughed a little, shaking his head in awe. "We've learned so much from him. He's not just a brilliant problem-solver—he's also a phenonal teacher. He's patient with us. He understands how different team mbers work, what pace they need, when to push, and when to support. He drives us to do better without making us feel like we're failing. He pushes hard, yeah, but he always treats every single one of us like human beings. That's why we're able to build top-quality, cutting-edge gas in such short developnt windows."
He leaned forward slightly and added, "And I haven't even ntioned the custom engine he built. That thing is a beast—it's incredibly versatile, optimized for cross-platform performance, and it's made our lives so much easier. It's like he thought about every pain point we ever had and just solved them in advance."
Then Gaben chuckled again and turned his gaze back to Jimmy. "Now, about your statent that he steals ideas—from his developers, employees, or close friends—I have just one question for you: who exactly is that? Who, specifically, has had their ideas stolen by Zaboru Renkonan? Because if there really is soone like that out there—soone with an endless stream of revolutionary ideas, at the exact sa rate and quality as Zaboru—then maybe that person is the actual God of Video Gas. Because that's the only explanation that makes sense."
Jimmy Chen sat in silence, clearly deep in thought. Gaben, known for his blunt honesty since his days at Microsoft, never sugarcoated things—he always spoke the truth, even if it stung his team.
"That still doesn't make sense," Jimmy finally said, brows furrowed.
Gaben nodded. "True. But our boss, Zaboru, is a super genius who just happens to love hard work and is genuinely passionate about what he does. And on top of that, he has a kind and honest heart. He's not your typical businessman driven by profit—he's driven by passion. That's exactly what makes him capable of doing what most people can't even imagine."
Walt Disney burst out laughing, his voice booming across the room. "HAHAHA! That's absolutely true—Zaboy is a terrible businessman! The man couldn't negotiate a lunch deal without accidentally buying the restaurant. He is not cruel and shrewd. But what he lacks in business sense, he more than makes up for in wild, limitless creativity. His imagination is off-the-charts. That's why I even considered selling half of Disney's rights to him back then!.
When he shared his idea with us, it was mind-blowing. We didn't just tweak our plans—we scrapped our entire brainstorming pipeline because what he gave us cut through weeks, even months, of work. It was as if a divine bolt of creative genius had hit our studio. The idea wasn't just good—it was transformational. His concept was so complete and so bold, we didn't even have to think twice. It practically carried the project on its back.
The Little rmaid, The Lion King, and now the recent Hercules—all of them were originally his ideas. And let give you a little spoiler—we've already got more films lined up based entirely on Zaboru's creative roadmap. Hahaha! It's wild, but true. The man probably mapped out a decade's worth of hits on napkins and scratch paper.
Selling 50% of Disney to soone like him—a guy who doesn't think like a businessman but instead operates purely on passion and raw creativity—was the best decision this old man ever made. He doesn't chase profit, he chases magic, and sohow that magic turns into success. And trust , that kind of decision takes guts, but when you see what cos out of it, you know it was worth every risk.
And listen—no, you can't steal sothing like that. How do you even begin to steal what only one person in the world seems capable of imagining? You can't. Because the kind of originality Zaboru brings to the table doesn't exist in a place where you can just reach in and grab it. He's not copying from anyone. He's building from sothing none of us can even comprehend. You don't "steal" blueprints from soone whose mind is already living in the future while the rest of us are still trying to find the present."
He leaned back, exhaling with a satisfied grin. "I've worked with legendary artists, visionaries, storytellers—but what makes Zaboru different is that he's all of those rolled into one. And not in a gimmicky way. He's not chasing fa. He's not even trying to make a na for himself. He just wants to make cool, beautiful things—and that sincerity shows."
Walt then grinned and added, "Here's a fun fact: he actually asked us not to credit him in any of the movies that were clearly planned out by him. His reason? He said, 'I didn't join the developnt team, so it wouldn't be right.' I an, how can soone be like that? He doesn't want fa—he just wants to see his ideas co to life. That's all that matters to him. Just sitting back, quietly watching his visions unfold on screen, without needing his na attached. It's unbelievable, but it's exactly who he is but well i reject that idea and still put his na nonetheless." Walt Grinned.
Walt then turned his gaze directly to Jimmy Chen, his smile fading into a more serious tone. "You, Chen—watch what you say. Brat, you better contain those words before they bite back at you in the future. Because when they do, you'll realize you were doubting soone who's been five steps ahead of everyone else since the beginning."
Matt, the host, cleared his throat and said with a playful grin, "Mr. Disney… umm, just so you know—we're live right now." His codic tone lightened the mood, drawing laughter from everyone in the room.
With the tension eased, Matt turned to Kingo, the drumr of the Zankoku band. "So, Kingo, what do you think about Zaboru—since he's the boss of your band, Zankoku?"
Kingo scratched his afro and said in his thick Japanese-accented English, "Our boss... well, let's just say he's really, really good! Back before he recruited us, Zankoku was just a casual band. We weren't aiming for anything big—we were just a bunch of friends playing music together, doing birthday parties, small gigs, bar shows. That kind of thing. We didn't even think about going big. But everything changed the mont he found us. After he brought us in and turned us into Z&Z, we shot up. It was like flipping a switch—from small-ti to worldwide, just like that. He saw sothing in us we didn't even see in ourselves."
Kingo chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Though, to be honest, it's kind of a letdown that he doesn't want to perform with us more often. Seriously! The fans love him, and when he joins us on stage, the energy just explodes. But he's not really care about the spotlight sotis. Still, I completely agree with what Newell-san said—our boss is a true genius. Like, not just smart—he's the kind of genius who works harder than anyone else. He really loves what he does. One ti, he walked into the studio while we were just ssing around and said he had a new song in mind. No preparation, no planning, just pure inspiration. And then, boom—within three hours, the whole song was done. Written, arranged, recorded. Everything."
He leaned in slightly, smiling. "And do you know what song that was? It was 'Hysteria.'"
The whole room gasped. Even the live audience let out a collective reaction. 'Hysteria' was one of Z&Z's most famous tracks, widely known and loved, a song that had broken genre barriers and beco sothing iconic. What most people didn't know was that it was actually inspired by Muse's 'Hysteria'—a mory from Zaboru's past life. The energy, the structure, the emotion—it all beca sothing completely new in this era. The result was a genre-defying masterpiece that catapulted Z&Z into a new level of musical innovation.
Matt's eyes widened. "Hysteria was written in under three hours? That's unbelievable!"
Kingo nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and believe it or not, it's not even the first ti he's done sothing like that! Our boss is ridiculously good with musical instrunts. I an, he improves at a crazy pace. When he first joined us, he could barely play anything aside from guitar. He was just decent at it—good, but not mind-blowing. But within just six months, he beca insanely good not just at guitar, but also at bass, keyboard, and drums. I'm telling you, it's wild how fast he picks things up. It's like watching soone go from beginner to world-class right before your eyes. Hehehe... it's honestly scary, but I'm super proud to call him my boss!"
Kingo grinned even wider. "And here's sothing else most people don't know—our boss never takes any money from Z&Z performances. Not a single cent! All the revenue from our gigs goes to the rest of us in Zankoku—, Miki, Jun, and Masashi. We're the ones who get paid. He insists on it. Maybe it's because he's already wealthy or sothing, but he's so humble about it. No ego, no demands. He just wants to create great music and support us however he can. Honestly, I've never t anyone like him. A genius musician, a great leader, and one of the kindest, most generous people I know."
Matt chuckled. "The more I hear, the more unreal it sounds. Do you guys seriously think Zaboru is one of those once-in-a-million-years geniuses?"
Gaben smirked and said, "Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration… but our boss is definitely one of a kind."
Walt Disney burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Zaboy really is a genius!"
anwhile, Liam Ernest leaned in, eyes widening with realization. "So... it's not that Zaboru is actually multiple people or so hidden collective behind the curtain—it's just that he's an insanely talented genius? A single guy with an outrageous work ethic and this deep, obsessive love for his craft?" He paused for a beat, then his eyes lit up with genuine excitent. "That actually makes him even more amazing! Hehehe!"
He sat back, shaking his head in disbelief. "You know, the idea of a whole secret team kind of made sense to . But now that I know it's really just him—working that hard, pushing himself that far—that's sothing else. It's way more impressive, and honestly, kind of inspiring."
Liam glanced around the room, clearly energized. "It's intimidating, too, in a good way. Makes you wanna go ho and actually do sothing with your life, doesn't it?"
anwhile, Jimmy Chen sat silently, arms folded. He didn't say a word. His expression was unreadable—caught sowhere between reflection and discomfort. Whatever was going on in his head, one thing was clear: for once, the loudest skeptic in the room had been completely silenced.
The show continued for a while, building toward a joyful conclusion. When it finally ended, Ayumi grinned mischievously and said, "Hehehe, take that, you Jimmy Chen fool! Hahaha!"
Zaboru chuckled warmly beside her. "Ayumi, you're scary, you know that?"
Suddenly, their baby, Zenshin, woke up and started crying. Ayumi instinctively picked him up and gently breastfed him. Zaboru watched with a quiet smile, his eyes soft.
"You're really loved by your coworkers, huh, Zabo?" Ayumi teased, glancing up at him with a sly smirk.
Zaboru scratched his head and laughed. "Well, maybe they just want a raise? Hmm... but Mr. Disney said it too, didn't he?"
Ayumi laughed as well. That's exactly what she loved about him the most. Despite the fa, the fortune, the legendary status—her Zabo was still the sa. The sa awkward, determined 17-year-old kid she once dragged into teaching her how to make video gas when they first t.
He never showed off his wealth. He still mostly rode his bike everywhere, the bike that he treasured so much he gave na "Silver Wrecker", still loved grabbing food from hole-in-the-wall places, still acted like a regular guy. He didn't waste money or behave like a flashy celebrity. He was just Zabo—her Zabo. Her priceless treasure, unchanging, and impossibly dear to her heart that's why she is obsessed with him.
To be continue
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