Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 1016: Thank You for Playing My Game

To be honest, Jimmy really wasn't used to the kind of wild cheering that young people did these days.

He preferred watching movies in quiet, focused silence.

But he knew going in — this movie was made to please gamers.

As long as the gamers were enjoying themselves, what other viewers thought didn't really matter.

That had been one of the reasons he initially disliked the film.

"Look! It's the Mario Golf world!"

"Dragon Quest!"

"Final Fantasy!"

"I'm so touched, seeing so many characters all at once — I could cry!"

...

...

Jimmy remained calm, unable to understand why people were getting so emotional.

"Dad, why aren't you reacting at all?"

"I don't play games, of course I don't feel anything. I don't even know what you're talking about."

"That's such a shame. You had the chance to understand all of this, but you chose to close yourself off."

His son shook his head, disappointed, then turned back to the screen with full focus, afraid to miss even the smallest detail.

And this movie was packed with detail.

Just like how Takayuki had filled the world of GTA with immersive elements, Ready Player One contained hundreds of Easter eggs.

Most were related to Gamestar Electronic Entertainment, while others came from IP licenses that Jesse Hormier had secured through his industry connections.

Jesse had once suggested not to let the film become just a giant Gamestar ad. He believed the movie could be much more.

Takayuki fully agreed. He just didn't know much about the broader cultural landscape of this world — which IPs had the most impact, which ones resonated with people.

This world didn't have Gundam or The Iron Giant. Trying to stuff in too many of his own IPs might feel awkward or forced.

Spielberg had carefully chosen which IPs to include in the original film — nothing was random.

So Takayuki let Jesse, the professional, take the reins. If Jesse thought an IP fit, he was free to reach out, and Gamestar would support him however they could.

Later, Jesse even reached out to MicForce and Suri Electronics — Gamestar's direct competitors. Some of their IPs were perfect for this project.

Jesse had been worried that Takayuki might reject them for being rivals.

But Takayuki didn't care. His own games were always the centerpiece — letting a few competitors in wouldn't hurt that.

In fact, including them made the film feel less like a corporate product and more like a genuine, heartfelt creation.

Sometimes, you could hear audience members cheer after spotting one of those special Easter eggs — especially the ones from Suri or MicForce. It made them happy.

Just like Takayuki once said: "Gamers are one big family. No one should blindly worship a single company just because they like one game. That's fan culture, not gaming culture. What matters is making the best games possible."

In the movie, the protagonist and his friends journeyed through a virtual world, trying to find three keys left behind by the founder of the OASIS.

Whoever found the keys would gain control of the entire OASIS.

Each key corresponded to one of the film's three acts — a classic three-act structure.

That clever alignment of story and filmmaking technique genuinely impressed Jimmy.

But as the film progressed, all the little game and pop culture Easter eggs began to stir something inside him.

Once, Jimmy had been a rebellious teenager too. He had his own beloved subcultures.

Sure, they seemed outdated now. Old-fashioned.

But Jesse wasn't the kind of director to only use modern pop references.

If this was going to be a movie filled with Easter eggs, it would also include retro music and cultural callbacks.

Jimmy didn't understand games — but he was moved by the nostalgic cultural elements.

"That's Hello Sun by Sea King Band. Not bad — the film has taste."

"Director Jesse really is something. Even this kind of movie can be so powerful."

The plot itself was simple — in a future world, a poor protagonist challenges a powerful corporation for control and success.

To Jimmy, it all felt a bit childish. Just three virtual keys leading to massive wealth, and a series of game-based challenges to win them?

At first, he couldn't understand what was so special about it.

But then he noticed the way his son watched — fully engaged, eyes wide.

He even joined the other viewers in cheering when iconic game references flashed across the screen.

It reminded Jimmy of the joy he felt earlier when seeing a quick glimpse of some retro culture from his youth.

Gradually, Jimmy began to understand something.

He remembered the massive standee outside the theater.

The tiny line printed at the bottom:

Thank you for watching this film. Thank you for playing my game.

In the movie, video games were portrayed like a living history of the industry itself.

Some of the games shown even dated back before Takayuki had crossed into this world.

Back then, games already existed — but people had more than enough entertainment elsewhere. Gaming wasn't taken seriously. Technology was still limited, and without true creative visionaries, no one imagined how much joy games could bring.

This movie brought some of those ancient titles back into the spotlight, enriching the film with even more layers.

As the film reached its final act, the protagonist — eyes filled with tears — held the golden egg in his hands.

The theater went silent. Viewers and gamers alike stared, quietly moved.

That egg seemed to represent everything games stood for.

Then, the digital version of Halliday — the OASIS founder — looked at the hero and smiled shyly.

And said the line Jimmy believed was the film's true soul:

"Thank you. Thank you for playing my game."

Just like that line on the billboard outside.

And in that moment, Jimmy felt something shift.

Video games, in his heart, began to gain a soul — not unlike that of cinema.