Hattori chuckled with satisfaction, thoroughly impressed by the young man's quick wit and strategic finesse.
"Go on, get back to work. I'll have Honda keep a close eye on Sotsu's progress—we won't let them drop the ball."
Takuya Nakayama gave a slight bow and slipped out the door.
In the hallway, several Sega Galaxy employees hurried past, clutching files and their faces alight with purpose.
Takuya paused, gazing out the window at the bustling Tokyo skyline as sunlight washed over his face.
Bandai, once an indomitable titan, was already disintegrating from within.
Chuta Mitsui's betrayal was merely the appetizer for this grand drama.
Once the Sotsu acquisition was announced, it would be the final straw that broke the camel's back.
He had all the patience in the world now, ready to sip his coffee and comfortably watch the play unfold toward its climactic finale.
Takuya pushed open the heavy wooden door to the Executive Office and loosened his tie.
The central air conditioning's chill instantly washed over him, dispelling the lingering early-summer mugginess he'd brought in from the hallway.
He walked over to the spacious leather executive chair, sinking comfortably into its back. He reached for the glass on his desk, took a sip of water, and let out a contented sigh.
A firm, rhythmic double-knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Takuya Nakayama said, setting down his glass.
Oguchi Hisao entered, carrying a deep blue folder. He closed the door behind him with a crisp motion, then pulled out the chair opposite the desk and sat down—his movements as efficient and precise as his usual working style.
"Managing Director," Oguchi said, opening the folder and holding it out with both hands. "The final progress report for this year's Los Angeles E3 Exhibition preparations."
Takuya took the folder and flipped through a couple of pages. The dense tables and data were meticulously detailed, but he glanced at them only once before setting the folder back down on the desk.
"I reviewed the specific lineup and booth designs a couple of days ago," Takuya said, leaning back in his chair with his fingers interlaced over his stomach. A casual, almost careless smile touched his lips. "Don't bore me with these dry numbers. Just tell me: is there any friction between the departments? Any unexpected obstacles from the outside?"
Oguchi closed the folder and straightened his back, sitting as rigid as a soldier awaiting inspection.
"Internal progress is smooth. The Hardware and PR departments are fully aligned with your directives. As for external matters, the IDSA has completely standardized its procedures after the last two events. They're handling venue rentals, security, and media coordination seamlessly. Tom and Frank in the US were briefed long ago, and the guest list for the distributors was finalized last night—all top-tier treatment."
Takuya Nakayama nodded in satisfaction.
"What about the other manufacturers? Any major moves from Sony or Nintendo lately?"
Oguchi Hisao pulled a small notebook from his jacket pocket, flipped through its pages, and reported, "Nintendo is sticking to their old playbook this year, pushing a few first-party N64 titles. Shigeru Miyamoto is personally leading the charge; it looks like they're trying to compete on software quality alone. As for Sony, Ken Kutaragi seems desperate. He's trying to make a play for third-party support, waving his checkbook everywhere to sign several exclusivity deals. But the big publishers aren't fools—the titles they've secured are all minor ones. Eidos's Tomb Raider sequel is the biggest card they have to play right now."
Hearing this, Takuya Nakayama couldn't help but laugh out loud, his voice laced with a hint of mockery.
"Let them fight. Nobuyuki Idei's money doesn't grow on trees." Takuya Nakayama shifted into a more comfortable position. "Last year, when Square's Final Fantasy VII launched, the foundation for this console war was already set. The four-disc capacity was a crushing blow, and with the global sales figures fermenting over the past few months, the Jupiter's installed base has already left them far behind. At this year's E3, Sega doesn't need any earth-shattering news. Just holding our ground and playing our cards right will be enough to drive them to despair."
Oguchi Hisao nodded in agreement. "Exactly. The trend of third-party developers flocking to us is very obvious now. The Development Department is buried under a mountain of proposals, and every third party is actively applying for technical support. Sony is throwing money at exclusives, but they can only secure a few scattered projects—it won't change the big picture. Players have sharp eyes; they'll buy into whichever platform has the best games."
Takuya Nakayama pushed the documents on the table aside, leaned forward, and rested his elbows on the surface, his gaze fixed intensely on Oguchi Hisao.
"This brings us to your next assignment."
Oguchi Hisao stiffened, immediately sitting up straight. The pen in his hand froze mid-air, and he even held his breath.
"The Human Resources Department will formally issue your appointment letter tomorrow morning." Takuya Nakayama's tone turned grave. "Operations Director of the Sega Games Division. Mr. Koguchi, once you take this seat, you must hold the line for Sega Games."
Oguchi Hisao swallowed hard, remaining silent. His eyes betrayed a mix of excitement and awe at the weight of this responsibility as he waited for the rest.
"Before, you were merely assisting me with interdepartmental coordination—essentially acting as my deputy. But now, things have changed." Nakayama raised a finger, tapping it in the air. "From project approval at the initial stage, to progress control during development, all the way to the final marketing and sales strategy—it's all under your jurisdiction. The producers in the Development Department—Yu Suzuki, Yuji Naka, Hideo Kojima—they're all brilliant but eccentric characters. How you manage to bring them together, ensure their projects are delivered on time, and still sell well... that is your core challenge."
Oguchi Hisao quickly jotted down several key points in his notebook, the pen scratching softly against the paper.
"I understand, Managing Director. I will continue to implement and deepen the modern development management processes we've been rolling out." Oguchi looked up, his gaze resolute. "The creativity belongs to them, but the schedule and budget belong to me. I won't let them run wild."
"Remember, you're Sega's Operations Director, not a babysitter for that bunch of geniuses." Takuya Nakayama lifted his water glass and pointed at Oguchi Hisao. "If you run into anyone pulling rank to demand more budget or drag out the schedule, don't worry about saving face for me. Just follow the rules. If anything goes wrong, even if the sky falls, I've got your back!"
With those words, Oguchi Hisao felt completely reassured and nodded firmly.
"Also, although the Bandai acquisition hasn't officially started, it's bound to happen sooner or later. Once the Sotsu process is complete, Bandai will be next. When that happens, the toy production lines and the Game Development Department will definitely face a major purge and restructuring." A sharp glint flashed in Takuya Nakayama's eyes. "You need to prepare a preliminary plan for integrating Bandai's Games Division. Bandai is sitting on a goldmine of anime IPs like Gundam and Dragon Ball—these are ready-made hits for game development. You need to come up with a brilliant strategy to turn these dormant IPs into sales on Jupiter. I won't let these gems gather dust in a warehouse."
"I'll immediately assemble an elite task force to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of Bandai's IP library. We will squeeze every last drop of commercial value out of them," Oguchi Hisao replied decisively.
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