A reporter from NetGeneration raised her hand, holding out her voice recorder.
"In the trailer, we saw Buzz Lightyear gliding on the updraft from a typhoon fan and navigating between desks on a remote-controlled car. Was this level design a Pixar initiative or a Sega one?"
Lasseter leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table.
"It was a collaborative effort," he explained. "Mr. Yuji Naka is a master of high-speed physics and collision, and he brought Sonic's fluid platforming feel to the 3D environment. Our Pixar team, on the other hand, focused on providing the everyday logic of the toys."
He picked up a ballpoint pen from the table and twirled it between his fingers.
"To a normal human, a desk is just a place to write. But to a plastic toy only a few inches tall, a desk is a cliff, an AA battery dropped on the floor is an energy source, and the dog chained in the backyard is a deadly monster. We provided these toy-perspective, micro-level conflicts to Sega, and their development team transformed them into tangible obstacles and levels in the game. They've captured the film's world and style with incredible accuracy—that's exactly the feel we were hoping for."
A ripple of laughter filled the conference room.
The reporters scribbled furiously in their notebooks, capturing every word of Catmull's lively presentation.
"To be honest, when we saw the final real-time demonstration, several animators from our studio almost wanted to kidnap Sega's Development Team," Catmull added, spreading his hands. "With their years of experience in game development, they could quickly write the logic for the toys' movements. While we also use similar techniques, this is our first attempt at a full CG animated film, and Sega's assistance made things go twice as smoothly."
"Of course, even though we didn't succeed in the kidnapping, we managed to keep Yuji Naka's team around a bit longer, and we worked together on a lot of action storyboard research."
The reporters chuckled again.
In a corner, Disney's PR manager let out a sigh of relief. The interview atmosphere was far better than he'd anticipated.
He had initially worried that these technical animators might say something wrong and offend the media.
"The film and game are both releasing at the end of the year," said a GamePro editor, flipping through his notebook and posing a business-oriented question. "Won't that create internal competition? If players buy the game, won't they skip the movie?"
Lasseter shook his head.
"Quite the opposite. The game showcases the toys' physical interactions in their miniature world, while the film tells their emotional story. The two are complementary." He glanced at the group of reporters. "After a child spends hours on the TV, controlling Woody as he leaps over a canyon in a remote-controlled car, they'll absolutely drag their parents to the cinema to see how these two guys became friends. This is a coordinated effort."
A contributing writer for Wired magazine asked the final question.
"What is Mr. Steve Jobs, Pixar's investor,'s opinion on this collaboration? We know he has exceptionally high standards when it comes to computer graphics technology."
Lasseter and Catmull exchanged a glance.
"Steve has finished reviewing the full demo Sega sent over," Lasseter said, stroking his chin. "He was very pleased with the results and is eager to explore the possibility of future collaborations with Sega."
The interview lasted over an hour.
The reporters, satisfied with their answers, packed up their recording equipment and prepared to leave.
Lasseter stood up and shook hands with the reporters in the front row as they departed.
The recording and transcript of the interview would soon be featured on the front pages of major newspapers and magazines.
The gaming community was buzzing about far more than just Sega's own titles.
The show-stopping reveals from the major players at the E3 Exhibition had spread through every corner of the gaming world via video tapes.
Sony's Jumping Flash! had gained a dedicated following for its unique first-person jumping mechanics.
The entire industry was undergoing a visual revolution, transitioning from 2D to 3D.
Tokyo, Sega Headquarters Building.
Takuya Nakayama flipped through the media clippings on his desk.
These weren't core gaming publications like Famitsu or GamePro, but rather outlets focused on animation and film, such as Animage, Kinema Junpo, and even The Hollywood Reporter.
"The cross-media interview feedback data is in," Oguchi Hisao said, placing a report on the corner of the desk and pulling out a chair. "The audience overlap between Ghost in the Shell and Toy Story was 30% higher than expected. After the joint interviews ran, pre-sale box office revenue in North America and Japan saw a significant increase."
Takuya Nakayama picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"The gaming community is a closed loop," he said, setting down the cup and stacking the clippings into a neat pile. "Relying solely on hardcore players won't be enough to push sales beyond the usual range. We need an external force. By having non-core media outlets interview Mamoru Oshii and Pixar, we're creating the illusion that even the film industry is paying attention to Sega's new game."
Oguchi Hisao opened another report. "Shochiku and Disney have been very cooperative. They originally saw the game as just a side project for licensing fees, but after seeing the buzz at E3, they proactively shifted their promotional resources. This artificially manufactured cross-over effect is far more effective than spending millions on TV ads that just end up as GG."
"The film distributors need buzz, and we need sales. It's a win-win," Takuya Nakayama said, pushing the newspaper clipping aside. "Don't let up on the promotional momentum. Have our North American division keep tabs on Pixar's development progress and release behind-the-scenes footage at the right time. I want to make those people who only ever go to the movies feel the urge to buy a game console."
Sega's cross-industry collaborations had become the talk of the town, drawing the attention of its rivals.
In Minato Ward, Sony Headquarters.
The blinds in the president's office were half-open.
Nobuyuki Idei gazed out at the Tokyo Tower, idly twirling a pen in his hand.
Ken Kutaragi sat opposite him, flipping through an internal evaluation report on the E3 Expo.
"Sega's approach of bringing Hollywood and Japan's animation industry into the promotion is brilliant," Kutaragi said, closing the report. "The all-CG demonstration of Toy Story drew in many parents who weren't originally interested in games. They're riding the film's momentum to boost console awareness among non-gamers."
Idei turned from the window and walked to his desk.
"They've tasted success in this area before," Idei said, placing the pen back in its holder.
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