During my research concerning the company GGI (ジージーアイ), I came across a fascinating article 1 (in my opinion, obviously) in the July 1995 issue of Coin Journal magazine (page 136).
The central theme of the article is the life of Chōshirō Suzuki (鈴木長四郎). At the time of the interview, Chōshirō was the president of Human (ヒューマン) (a home video game maker). But what interests us here is that he was part of GGI and his role appears to have been significant.
To be honest, only a small portion of the article is of interest for better understanding what GGI was. We mainly learn that GGI was an intense environment, perhaps chaotic, but formative.
The article is a biography that begins with Chōshirō Suzuki's childhood and thus describes the different stages of his life. Chōshirō Suzuki would of course face many difficulties and adventures throughout his existence. Despite his doubts, he never gave up and overcame the trials. The narrative takes us up to the creation of Human and the establishment of the first video game creator training school. To conclude, Chōshirō Suzuki shares with us some thoughts and his vision of life. It's therefore a classic biography that follows an expected framework. But this doesn't diminish its interest and it's very well written.
Moreover, the article once again illustrates how Space Invaders introduced protagonists from the most diverse and varied backgrounds into the arcade game sector.
The article should normally have stopped there, on what is ultimately quite a flattering portrait of the protagonist. But surprisingly, it continues with a second biography, that of his son Takeshi Suzuki (鈴木剛嗣). This second part reveals a less brilliant side of Chōshirō Suzuki. He sacrificed his family to succeed in his professional life. Entrepreneurship in Japan in the 1970s/80s had a human cost, and Chōshirō's family paid the price. Takeshi Suzuki takes a harsh view of his father, but this view evolves as he grows up and forges his own path.
Does this justify posting the entirety of the 8 translated pages here? Of course not.
