Maybe it's because the entertainment industry is all about showing off, or perhaps because Universal Studios is also the headquarters of Universal Pictures.
In any case, when Steven Spielberg brought Ethan Jones and Steve Jobs into his cafeteria, the space—spanning more than 10,000 square feet.
The buffet-style setup and the assembly-line arrangement of the three-tiered menu counters practically carved the word luxury into the place.
Whether it was Pacific cuisine with its seaside flavors, Southwestern cuisine heavily influenced by Mexican traditions, or Cajun cooking that blended French, Native, and African elements—everything was there.
On top of that, there was Southern soul food represented by pulled pork and fried meats—what Americans often call home cooking—along with New York cuisine shaped by waves of immigrants, and hearty New England fare with its roots in Anglo-American traditions.
It was no exaggeration to say that Universal Studios cafeteria already offered a taste of all the most popular cuisines in the United States.
After browsing, Ethan chose a seafood platter, a spicy meat-and-bean stew, and Texas barbecue. Spielberg ordered a grilled steak, eggs Benedict, and pecan pie. Jobs went for a pear-and-cheese salad, a burrito, and shrimp gumbo.
After a bite, Ethan immediately gave a thumbs-up:
"Oh fxxk! This barbecue is really good!"
"Oh, Ethan, glad you like it" Spielberg grinned. "Our chefs here are masters with over twenty years of experience. Many are directly recruited from regions where the cuisine originates, so the dishes stay as authentic as possible.
For example, that Texas barbecue you're eating was brought straight from Austin and prepared by the Mueller family chefs. The founder of their family was the first master in the country to introduce beef ribs to the barbecue world."
"Really? Then I'm lucky today." Ethan looked pleasantly surprised. "Although I was stuck in traffic and missed lunch, being able to enjoy a master's cooking when I'm starving—it really is a happy thing."
"I'm not exaggerating," he added. "Getting exactly what you crave at the right time just multiplies the satisfaction."
Spielberg's eyes lit up. "Oh Ethan, you're absolutely right."
Jobs raised his brows and gave a subtle nod of agreement.
Though everyone had come to the cafeteria to eat, it was their first meeting, so conversation flowed naturally. After praising the food, Ethan broke the ice:
"So, how did you two meet?"
Spielberg chuckled. "How did we meet? Same as you—through games. Steve told me you two first crossed paths when selling games? Well, in my case, it was the opposite. I met Steve while buying a game. Back then, he was in Los Angeles promoting Gran Trak, if I remember right?"
At this point, Spielberg turned his head and glanced at Jobs.
"Yeah Yeah"
When Jobs heard the question, he nodded.
"Gran Trak, that's it. That was the first time we met."
He took a sip of the apple juice brought by the waiter, then complained, "To be honest, when we first met, Steven gave me the impression of being a madman. At that time, he pulled out a thousand dollars in cash to buy an arcade machine."
"Really! I was stunned! A thousand dollars! Who carries that much cash around?"
"Oh, who made me want to play games?"
Jobs's words made Spielberg burst out laughing. "If I remember correctly, Atari's delivery time at the venue was three days. But three days was way too long for me. I didn't want to wait, so I just took out the cash and bought it."
"But the problem," Jobs cut in, suddenly animated, snatching Ethan's pen to gesture, "is that it was all in hundred-dollar bills! A whole stack of them! I didn't even dare to take it. I thought he might be laundering money, and I was even more afraid that carrying it around would get me robbed later!"
"Oh, oh, you can't blame me for that." Spielberg spread his hands in defense. "Sure, I could've brought twenties, but a thousand dollars in twenties is fifty bills! That's way too much! How is that convenient for buying an arcade machine?"
Jobs frowned. "So you scared me to death just for your own convenience?"
Spielberg waved him off. "It's just because you've got no psychological resilience!"
"Oh! Shit, Steven! What did you just say?"
"What did I say? I told the truth!"
Their bickering made Ethan laugh, and the way it looked like they were about to square up made him shake his head. He had no intention of intervening—it wasn't anything serious.
The issue of denominations in U.S. currency had been a talking point for years. The dollar was powerful, but in everyday life, the twenty-dollar bill was king—it was enough for a family's grocery run. Higher denominations? Those were mostly circulating in shady trades.
Hundred-dollar bills, for example, were often used by money launderers or counterfeit dealers. If someone was caught and shot over them, few would say it was unjust.
So when Spielberg tried to pay for an arcade machine with a fat stack of hundreds, of course any normal person would be spooked. Ethan understood—and was more than happy to sit back and watch the show.
After a few more heated exchanges, the two realized the argument was going nowhere and let it drop.
That was when Ethan stepped in at the right moment and asked whether Spielberg might face trouble for leaking news earlier.
After all, according to what Ethan and Jobs had heard, MCA wanted to acquire Atari. But while talks were underway, Spielberg had shared Atari news with outsiders. That kind of move could easily come back to bite him.
When Ethan voiced his concern, Jobs chuckled. "Trouble? Oh, Ethan—you really underestimate Steven. He's always been the prince of Universal! The prince of MCA! Who would dare cause him trouble?"
Ethan was momentarily stunned by Jobs's words. Then, realizing, he smiled and shook his head. "Yeah I was being superficial."
"Jaws is the first movie in history to gross over 100 million at the box office! With results like that, no one in Hollywood would dare offend him!"
But before Ethan could finish, Jobs smiled, shook his head, and said,
"No, no You still don't understand, Ethan. Before Jaws was even filmed, Steven was already running around the world! Because he only had to report to one person—the CEO of MCA and president of Universal, Sidney."
"What?" Ethan was puzzled.
Spielberg chuckled, waved his hand, and said, "Steve, keep a low profile."
Seeing Ethan's confused expression, Spielberg explained,
"Ethan, don't listen to his nonsense. Sidney is my boss, my leader, and the mentor who guided and educated me. I respect him deeply."
Through Spielberg's story, Ethan finally began to understand what it meant to be "the chosen one."
Since childhood, Spielberg had wanted nothing more than to make movies. After high school, he applied three times to the University of Southern California's film school, but his C-level grades led to rejection. Instead, he enrolled at California State University, Long Beach.
The problem was, Spielberg didn't care much for academics—he only wanted to make films. In his spare time, he often went to Hollywood, hoping to find a way into the industry. One day, he heard about a Universal Studios tour where visitors could see behind the scenes. He signed up immediately—but with a trick in mind.
During the tour, he asked the guide if he could use the restroom, slipped away from the group, and began sneaking around the studio to watch other people filming.
Of course, this sneaky behavior might have seemed shameless to others, but Spielberg didn't see it that way.
After all, This was learning!
Still, his secret wandering didn't go unnoticed by Universal's management.
While Spielberg roamed the lot, he was spotted by Chuck Silvers, a project leader at Universal. When Silvers asked about his intentions, Spielberg admitted that he had ditched the tour group just to learn how films were made, because he wanted to become a director. Impressed by his passion, Silvers decided to give him a three-day pass that allowed free access to the studio.
And from that day on, Spielberg became part of Universal. Although the pass was valid for only three days, Spielberg spent the entire summer on the lot.
"When the fourth day came," Spielberg laughed, "the security guards at Universal didn't stop me at all. They just waved me in. At first, I thought they had forgotten the date on my pass. But later, I learned someone had spoken up for me. They said if I had the discipline to show up on time for three days, then I had earned the chance to keep watching and learning how movies were made."
"Is that Chuck Silvers?" Ethan asked with a smile.
"Yes, that's him. He's a good man," Spielberg nodded, his face softening with a nostalgic smile.
Clearing his throat, he continued, "Then, I became a member of Universal. At the time, I didn't know someone had spoken up for me, so in order not to get caught, I pretended to be a Universal employee. I acted as if I worked there.
The office Steve just showed you—that was my office back then. It was shabby and old, but I didn't mind. No one used it anyway, so I just claimed it. It became a place for me to rest and think."
"Ethan, I don't know if you've ever had this feeling: once you get used to lying to others, you slowly start believing your own lies. I stayed at Universal so long that I began to believe I actually belonged there. Until one day, someone from Universal came up to me and said, 'You've been studying here a long time. If you have your own ideas, show us.' That's when I realized—they had known all along."
He leaned back, fiddled with his fork, and said with a nostalgic chuckle, "I was scared at the time. But they were kind. They told me to prepare a project of my own. If it passed the test, I could have a job. I already had ideas, so I wrote a script and borrowed $100,000 from a friend to make a short film called Amblin."
"To be honest, I wasn't very satisfied with that film. But Sidney—he must have been vice president of Universal at the time—thought it was good. He had the authority to sign contracts, so he gave me a seven-year deal as a director. A steady salary, a chance to practice on all sorts of projects."
He smiled wryly. "Of course, I messed up a lot of those projects. But with Sidney backing me, no one dared to criticize me. He once told me, in front of a crowd: 'A lot of people will stick with you in success; I'll stick with you in failure.' With those words, I was able to take on project after project. So what Steve said earlier was right…"
Spielberg tapped his index finger lightly on the table and lowered his voice. "No one here would turn me away. And after Jaws came out—this really became my territory."
As Spielberg spoke with a smile, Ethan was at a loss for words. A future world-famous director had once roamed around like a kid, just to make movies?
Oh no—wait. For ordinary people, maybe it would be embarrassing. But for a celebrity, it was simply a thirst for knowledge! After all, once a person becomes famous!
"So that's how it is?" Ethan finally nodded with a smile and said with emotion,
"No wonder the security didn't stop Steve from bringing me in today. They must know Steve often comes to Universal to see you, right?"
"Yes. Snake Game was sent by me." Jobs nodded. "Didn't I disappear on the afternoon of the new product launch? I just went to deliver an arcade machine to him."
"Is that so?" Ethan suddenly remembered.
On the afternoon of the Snake Game press conference, the only one left at Atari was Nolan Bushnell. At the time, Ethan had assumed Jobs went off with the others to make deliveries. Who would have thought he had given one to Spielberg alone?
So their relationship is really that good… Ethan sighed, then rejoined the conversation.
They talked about games, movies, and Hollywood. When Ethan found out that Spielberg actually knew Barbra Streisand, he couldn't help making a request.
"Oh, Steven, can I trouble you with something?"
"Go ahead," Spielberg said with a smile. "As long as it's within my ability, I'll definitely help you."
"Can you get me a signed copy of Barbra Streisand's album? My sister loves her."
"This is too simple. Why stop at one? I'll get you a whole set." Spielberg waved his hand casually. "Whether it's a music album or a film, I can get it for you. Just talk to my assistant later and she'll handle it. Don't worry—though it might take some time, you'll definitely get it before you leave. Of course…" he knocked on the table and grinned, "don't tell me you're leaving right now! After all, I'm not Superman."
"Hahaha No, no way" Ethan beamed. "Oh, Steven, thank you so much. I've only just met you and already I'm troubling you. I really don't know how to—"
"Don't know what to do?" Spielberg cut in. "That's easy. Answer a question for me, and I guarantee you won't feel any distance between us."
"...A question?" Ethan tilted his head. "What is it?"
Spielberg made an overly serious face, staring intently at Ethan until he frowned in confusion. Then Spielberg burst out laughing, rubbing his hands together.
"It's very simple! When are you going to release a new game? I can't wait anymore! Snake Game is great, but I still want something new!"
"Okay…" Ethan was dumbfounded. What kind of question is that? Isn't this supposed to be a pleasant fan meeting? How did it turn into an offline face-to-face reminder to hurry up and release something new?
Though confused by Spielberg's thought process, Ethan still gave an honest answer. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head.
"Oh, Steven, I don't want to lie to you. I do have new ideas in my head, but I can't realize them yet."
"What?" Spielberg was surprised. "Why not? Technical reasons?"
Ethan shrugged helplessly. Before he could answer further, Jobs spoke up, explaining the actual situation.
When Spielberg learned that the obstacle was the patent issues surrounding video games and training devices, he was shocked.
"Oh, Ethan, can't you get authorization?"
"If I really wanted to, I probably could. But the price would be… inappropriate," Ethan said sincerely. "Steven, you know this from filmmaking—inspiration itself has value. If that value is shared with the theater chains who provide venues, that's fair. After all, their role is to give audiences a place to watch movies. But if most of the profit ends up going to Edison…"
Before Ethan could finish, Spielberg smiled and said, "No need for hypotheticals. Edison's behavior has already been recognized as a monopoly."
"But Magnavox can hardly be considered one, right?" Ethan countered with a smile. "After all, Professor Bear is different from Edison. He never buys up patents. The ones under his name aren't even his alone—he leads a research and development team. And since he's involved in so many fields—like aerospace, deep-sea exploration, medicine—he's even waived patent fees in many projects. So when it comes to video games, neither the courts nor the government will step in."
Spielberg nodded slightly. "Then this problem can't be solved?"
"I mean, I'm really looking forward to your next game," he clarified.
"I understand. No bad intentions." Ethan smiled. "Actually, I do have a solution, but it'll take time. I need to meet Professor Ralph Bear. I don't know him personally, but I've asked my sister's teacher to reach out. The word I've gotten is that the earliest meeting would be at the end of the year. So… you might have to wait."
Because Spielberg was genuinely curious, Ethan didn't hide the truth.
But after hearing it, Spielberg froze. Then the young man scratched his head, frowned, and asked, "You mean Professor Ralph Bear can help you solve the patent issue?"
"If he's willing to cooperate with me, yes," Ethan nodded. "Then I'll have a legal way to bypass the patents. Steve can vouch for that."
He pointed at Jobs. Jobs, already using the MOS 6502, nodded. "Yes. We have the method—we just need the right person."
Just when Ethan thought the topic was finished, Spielberg suddenly said, "Is that all? Then just go make games! And I'll be the first player!"
"...?" Ethan was stunned. "Steven, I don't get what you mean."
"Don't get it?" Spielberg blinked. "It's simple—my father knows Professor Bear. They're close.
"When Magnavox's Odyssey was released, my father even told me about him. He said Professor Bear's skills in electronic engineering far surpassed his own. So if you want to reach Professor Bear, I can just ask my dad to call him for you.
I don't know exactly what you want from him, but I can guarantee this: even if your request is outrageous, Professor Bear will at least listen out of respect for my father. Ethan was completely shocked.
"You'r.e serious??" he asked in disbelief.
"Of course!" Spielberg looked at him strangely. "Why would I lie about something like this? What, are you surprised?"
"Surprised? It's… totally unexpected! Don't you think it's strange that your father and Professor Bear know each other?"
"Hm?" Spielberg frowned, genuinely puzzled. The ones even more confused than him were Ethan and Jobs—both equally dumbfounded.
Because this kind of thing was beyond abnormal!
Notes:
① Gran Trak is a racing game produced by Atari. To be precise, it was plagiarized—its style and production methods are almost identical to a racing game created by Professor Ralph Bear in the Magnavox Odyssey.
② The details about Spielberg becoming a director come from a BBC interview with him, still available on the BBC's UK official site.