Takuya Nakayama wiped the sweat from his forehead and carefully tucked the thick MGS2 Project Proposal back into his briefcase, handling it like a live bomb that could explode at any moment.
"Understood, Managing Director. I'll arrange for the warehouse to seal it immediately."
Watching his subordinate retreat, Nakayama sank back into his chair and massaged his throbbing temples.
That Hideo Kojima guy is going to be furious for a while, but there's no choice. At this critical juncture, political correctness takes priority over any AAA masterpiece.
After all, Sega was still basking in the glow of its "disaster relief hero" image. That golden sheen was worth more than millions in sales.
Still, when he shifted his gaze away from the suffocating pile of post-disaster reports, the days on the calendar seemed to fly by.
Though a somber, self-imposed "restraint" atmosphere permeated the country, Nakayama knew the battlefield across the ocean wouldn't wait.
Less than three months remained until the first E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles in May.
This was the IDSA's grand debut, their first independent venture after breaking away from the CES Consumer Electronics Show.
Nintendo, Sony, and Sega were set to clash head-on at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Even the lukewarm 3D0 and the struggling Atari Jaguar were planning to join the fray, after all, they were also co-founders of the IDSA.
Since we have to play the underdog domestically for now, we'll be the big shots in the United States.
Takuya Nakayama tossed the stack of public relations documents into the shredder and headed to the Development Department.
He needed to inventory their "arsenal" to see what else they could unleash in Los Angeles besides the shelved MGS2.
Reaching the independent office at the end of the department, Takuya knocked, then pushed the door open without waiting for a response.
Hideo Kojima was sprawled on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, his iconic round glasses askew and his stubble thicker than last time.
The rejected MGS2 Project Proposal lay on the coffee table, next to an overflowing ashtray.
"What, already contemplating the meaning of life?" Takuya kicked the coffee table leg.
Kojima jumped up as if electrocuted, hastily straightening his glasses. "Managing Director. I was just wondering—what does 'indefinitely postponed' really mean? The team's morale is pretty low right now."
"Who told you that an indefinite postponement meant you could just take a vacation?"
Takuya Nakayama pulled over a chair and sat down, casually picking up the Project Proposal and flipping through it. "We can't sell it domestically, but I never said we couldn't sell it in the U.S. I've already secured the best booth for MGS2 at the Los Angeles E3 Expo in May. We won't just exhibit—we'll have live demos on-site."
Kojima's eyes lit up instantly, his previously slumped posture straightening up like a shot. "Really? They don't do that kind of thing in the States?"
"Those American beastly types don't care what happened in Kobe. All they care about is whether you can satisfy them." Nakayama smiled. "Just tweak the sensitive terms in the Japanese version and go all-out polishing the English version. At E3, I want you to show those American beastly types the limitless potential they never imagined Jupiter could unleash, the same Jupiter that brought you Sonic 3D."
"No problem! Absolutely no problem!" Kojima rubbed his hands together, his old fervor returning. "Even though the current version is already pressed, I've been thinking we could still optimize the lighting and shadows further. If we're going to E3, it has to be the ultimate, perfect version—"
"Alright, that's enough," Takuya Nakayama said, raising his hand to stop Kojima's technical rambling. "Go prepare the trial demo for E3, but I'm here today for something more important."
"What is it, sir?"
"Over the next few months, while you're preparing for E3, you can't let the team sit idle." Nakayama tapped Kojima's temple. "Now that MGS2 is done, isn't it time to unload those ideas that didn't make it in?"
Kojima froze for a moment, then his face lit up with the expression of someone whose deepest thoughts had been exposed.
He pulled a crumpled notebook from the sofa cushions and flipped it open with a rustle, revealing pages filled with densely packed hand-drawn storyboards and messy notes.
"Managing Director, you truly... understand me so well." Kojima pointed at the scribbled drawings, his words tumbling out in a rush. "When we were making MGS2, we had to cut about a third of my ideas due to the tight schedule and Jupiter's current tools. Especially the discussions about information control and memes, and some particularly interesting boss battle designs—they just didn't fit."
His excitement grew as he spoke, his hands gesticulating wildly. "And the story wasn't even finished! While Snake's arc may have reached a conclusion, there's still a massive piece missing from the grand puzzle of this world's lore. If I don't get to make those, I won't be able to sleep properly."
"Then don't sleep."
Takuya Nakayama stood up, adjusted his suit collar, and said, "Starting today, the MGS3 project is officially greenlit. Since you didn't get enough out of the second game, you'll continue the story in the third. I'll give you whatever people you need and whatever money you want."
Kojima's mouth hung open, seemingly caught off guard by this sudden stroke of luck.
"What? Is the money burning a hole in your pocket?"
"No, no, no!" Kojima clutched the notebook tightly, as if afraid it might be snatched away. "It's just... MGS2 hasn't even recouped its costs yet. Starting MGS3 now, the finance department—"
"I'll handle the finance department. Just remember one thing." Takuya walked to the door, glancing back at the future game god. "I don't want a reskinned sequel. I want a monster that will shatter the industry's ceiling once again. Got it?"
"Got it!"
With Hideo Kojima settled, Takuya Nakayama immediately moved to another large office.
Here sat the development team that had completed Sonic 3D at the end of last year.
As he pushed the door open, a strong aroma of coffee mixed with an indescribable scent of late-night work hit him.
The team was clearly still recovering from the crunch period of their last game, but the Managing Director's presence forced them to rally their spirits. Some even excitedly pulled out a pre-prepared project proposal from under their desks.
"Managing Director! You've come at the perfect time."
The Development Team Lead spoke, pushing a thick document across the table to Takuya Nakayama. "This is the result of our brainstorming sessions after the holiday break—Sonic 3D 2. Since we've got the engine running, we want to strike while the iron is hot and start designing the levels again—"
"Stop."
Nakayama didn't even open the cover. He pressed two fingers against the document and gently pushed it aside.
That push chilled half the team's enthusiasm.
"Sonic 3D was a good attempt, but releasing sequels too frequently can lead to player fatigue. Unless you've made significant breakthroughs in gameplay systems or feature development, I suggest you work on something else for a while to clear your heads." Nakayama pulled a fax from his briefcase and slapped it onto the table. "Take a look at this."
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