Hiroshi Yamauchi, who led Nintendo from 1949 to 2002, is remembered not only for turning a card company into a global gaming giant, but also for his tough negotiating style. In the mid-80s, several publishers faced this.
Tetris Chairman Hank Rogers recalls an episode from 1985–1986 in the book «The Perfect Game: Tetris: From Russia With Love». At that time, five companies — T&E, Falcom, Bullet-Proof Software, Square and Enix — approached Nintendo to ask about the possibility of publishing games for its platforms.
The answer was unambiguous:
You don't know how to make games for Nintendo — go home.
According to Rogers, even Square and Enix were refused, which came as a surprise to all participants in the negotiations.
Over time, Rogers managed to convince Yamauchi to issue a license to publish a game about Go, found on the Commodore 64. This episode became one of the behind-the-scenes stories of the 80s industry, described in the book, which also clarifies the real events surrounding the release of Tetris in the West.
Rogers noted that Yamauchi remained a tough and old-fashioned negotiator, but at the same time he was able to change his position, making deals literally with a handshake — without lengthy discussions and contracts.
