Teiko Real Life Stories: Kirigaya Kazuto - A Life Full of Gaming
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Sword Art Online, Alfheim Online, Gun Gale Online and the newest virtual reality game in Teiko, UnderWorld are household names among the youth and even the young professionals. Who would have not known these portfolios that made Teiko Metropolitan Area the heart of United SimNation's gaming industry? From online games to virtual reality MMORPGs, majority of these originated in Teiko and most of them are developed by only one company - Blue Lightning Gaming Corporation.
Easily commanding 90% of Teiko's online gaming market, Kirigaya Kazuto a.k.a. Kirito can any day retire from his work already but had decided to continue his passion for gaming and bring in more innovative ideas the world has never seen. Today, Devon News Online Journal (DNOJ) pays homage to the father of online gaming and the developer of the rather infamous, Sword Art Online.
Kirigaya Kazuto a.k.a. Kirito, the father of online gaming.
DNOJ: Kirigaya-san a.k.a. Kirito, welcome to the show. Without further ado, allow me to directly to my questions. Everybody in Teiko knows Sword Art Online, Alfheim Online, Gun Gale Online and UnderWorld. I mean you are definitely a celebrity. Just a question of interest, how did it all start?
Kirito: Wow. To be honest, I never thought that things would be this big. First of all, I was really a computer maniac from the start. I was born into my late parents in 1976 as sickly boy. I was not allowed to go out so most of the time, I was alone in my room playing computer or doing some random stuff.
Young Kirito facing his computer in his room.
Kirito: Uhm, so this is an image of my neighborhood. The biggest house you see is ours.
Kirigaya Residence at Kaijo District, 1990s.
Kirito: I enrolled at Kaijo Private School back in 1979. I was three years old that time. I don't know why and how but my parents managed to enroll me and being a good only son, I obeyed. School was definitely boring, I could barely remember my elementary and secondary years. Being quite an anti-social, I really never had any chance to go out with friends.
Kaijo Private School, the oldest high school in Teiko.
DNOJ: Uhuh. That's quite a story. So all those years, you never had any major activity that you enjoyed going out with people?
Kirito: There are some school field trips aside from that I think there are none. Most of the times I go to my hideout.
DNOJ: That must have been a lonely life!
Kirito's "hideout", Kaijo library at Kaijo Park. It is also clear that Starbucks coffee was still here, the first Starbucks in Teiko.
Kirito: Well, things worked out like it is until I got enrolled at college in the University of Kaijo. It was the most prestigious university that time and as always my parents wanted the best for me.
Kirito as a student in the University of Kaijo.
University of Kaijo, 1993.
Kirito: In college, I took up computer science and engineering, I was very ambitious in taking up two different course at the same year. In my first year thesis, I created the lightning platform, this was the original software needed for Sword Art Online and in my second year, we have fully launched Sword Art Online 1.0.
Opening Video of Sword Art Online 1.0
DNOJ: We?
Kirito: Ah yes, I met a lot of friends in college who have the same passion as mine but sadly our success was short lived. The game was too expensive to run and nobody wants to support it financially even my parents. It wasn't long until I finally found myself using drugs as defense mechanism for the failure thinking my life was worthless. In the end, I found myself at Too Rehabilitation Center a year later.
Too Rehabilitation Center, Rehab Island, Too in 1996. The facility is now closed down and is transferred to a new location.
Kirito in his later days at Too Rehabilitation Center.
Devon: I'm sorry to hear that.
Kirito: Well, everybody was very very disappointed at me that time. I remember I could not even dare talk to my father.
Kirito at home after his rehabilitation process.
Kirito: However, I still managed to complete my studies in my final year and I immediately set out to restart the computer game again. I loaned some funds from my family, it was actually a reward for graduating, and created Lightning Games Corporation.
Lightning Gaming Corporation Official Logo until 1997.
Kirito: It was really a struggle at first. I was the only one manning the whole thing but my innovative gaming style proved to be eye-catching to some investors. At the end of 1994, Lightning Games turned profitable with the help of some angel investors, we were still around 40 employees that time with three servers running. However, we were still small, so we were doing a lot of cost cutting, in fact, I was force to become the model for Sword Art Online 2.0. Hahaha
Lightning Gaming Corporation, 1994.
Sword Art Online 2.0 Official Art in 1995.
Kirito: However, the economic crises of 1997 and the death of my parents took a big toil on me and the company. It was very difficult to be professional at that time knowing your parents was murdered leaving me as the only survivor of the tragedy. Even until know, although the culprit has been caught, I could still feel some chills running down my spine.
Residential properties were a big hit during the economic crises of 1997. National GNP growth declined to negative for the first time in Teiko's history.
Kirito: In the end, Lightning Games decided to close down. I was on my way to file for bankruptcy when Blue Skyy Financials called me and offered to help the company stay afloat in return for 50% of the company's total stocks and naming rights. At first I was hesitant but I guess the inner passion moved me and I took the deal. in 1998, Lightning Games was relaunched as Blue Lightning Gaming Corporation.
Current Main Office of Blue Lightning Gaming Corporation at Marina-chu, Kiajo.
Kirito: Since then, we have been publishing all sorts of gaming databases, consoles and programs. I think in total we have released 14 games already including UnderWorld. I am really happy and thankful for what happened to me. It was like a fairy-tale but this one's for real.
Sword Art Online 3.0, the current and latest version, poster.
Sword Art Online User Interface at the Virtual World
DNOJ: That is indeed a wonderful tale. So as of the moment, aside from office and gaming what else do you do?
Kirito: Well in particular, I engage in philanthropic works with the Wammy Foundation and at the same time I have to be a father to my three children and a good husband to my wife, Asuna.
Kirito and his wife, Asuna at their resort house in Too District.
DNOJ: Indeed! Thank for your time Kirigaya-san. We are very proud to have such a successful Teikonian like you. As for my last question, what is the advice you can give to our viewers?
Kirito: Uh. Well, life is like a game. No matter how high your level is, it does not make you invincible to problems and just like any game, it does not matter how many times you failed, what matters is that you have completed your quests and you have finished the game victoriously.
Kirigaya Kazuto is a well known fellow in Kaijo District, he is one of the few Teikonian who innovated ideas that are out of their generation. Dubbed as the father of online gaming, Kirito is adored by many gaming developers and is internationally well-known in the gaming world. He is also listed as 29th richest Teikonian and 19 on Teiko's Most Powerful People.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE UNDYING SUPPORT, SEE YOU NEXT TIME!
TEiKO. INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION!
Disclaimer: Some pictures are not mine, all of them are credited to their rightful owners. They are used under the fair-usage policy. If you want your pictures removed, feel free to message me.
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