Sink or Swim

Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan, 1983

I was faced with becoming a publisher, but I had no money. While I was going full bore developing Black Onyx, I had to take time off to find money. I was pretty sure I knew how to build a game. I was very sure I knew nothing about raising money. I was going to need a stroke of luck.

The stroke of luck came to Japan from Bangkok. Halpin Ho, the eldest son of the Mr. Ho, the biggest gem dealer in Bangkok, happened to come to Japan on business. He asked if we could meet. I took a day off and travelled with him. He asked me what I was doing. I told him. He asked me if he could see my prototype.

I couldn’t very well ask him to visit my tiny development room at my in-laws place in Yokohama. So, I met him at his hotel, the Pacific Hotel in Shinagawa, and we went to Akihabara. I found a computer shop and proceeded to show him my game, the monsters, the humans, the 3D and a sample fight. Before I knew it we were surrounded by a bunch of kids admiring what I’d done so far. They were commenting excitedly. I did not understand Japanese at the time, so I had no idea what the kids were saying. But Halpin, who went to college at Tokyo’s Sophia University (the school my dad had tried to get me to attend), understood enough of the excited conversations. I guess this made an impression on him.

We ended up back at his hotel. In the coffee shop Halpin asked me what my plan was. I told him frankly that I thought I knew how to make a game, but I had no idea of how to run a business. I knew nothing about accounting, marketing, sales and management. He said he could handle all of those things. He studied business and he was at home in this area.

He said he would invest in my business. In my simple mind, I thought I would do the work and he would put up the money and manage things. “How much do you need?” I calculated in my head how much I would need until money from the sales of Black Onyx would pay the bills. “$50,000” I said. “You really don’t know anything about business do you?” said Halpin. He was right. I didn’t. I offered him 50% of the company for $50,000. He agreed. I didn’t know how to negotiate or how much my fledgling company was worth.

Halpin Ho never actually set foot in my company. He was a total no-show. My wife, Akemi, did all of the business side. She incorporated, set up accounting, answered the phone, rented a small office. I hired some testers and got serious about finishing Black Onyx in time for Christmas.

A few years later, I bought out Halpin Ho for $200K. In a way, he taught me how to run a business. It was the school of hard knocks. Sink or swim all the way.

I could not have done it without Halpin. He was there for me when I needed help.