Suzuki-san, I've recently received some unconfirmed news.
"What news?" Suzuki Masao instinctively sat up straighter.
Takuya slowly said, "Hudson and NEC, these two companies, seem to have been unusually close recently. There's intelligence suggesting that they might be secretly collaborating on the development of a brand-new game console."
As soon as he said this, it was as if a huge stone had been thrown into a calm lake. Suzuki Masao's heart suddenly constricted, and his breathing hitched. Hudson? NEC? New console?! These words combined instantly made him feel an inexplicable pressure. These two companies were quite powerful in the industry; if they truly joined forces…
Takuya's gaze was as calm as water as he continued, "Send someone to discreetly monitor this matter, collect relevant information. There's no need to rush to verify its authenticity, and certainly don't alert them."
He paused, and the curve at the corner of his mouth subtly reappeared, carrying a hint of playfulness: "At the appropriate time, I will consider 'accidentally' leaking this news to certain 'enthusiastic' media outlets."
Suzuki Masao's breathing hitched again. He wasn't foolish; he almost immediately grasped Takuya's deeper meaning. "Does the Managing Director mean… diverting the trouble eastward, attracting Nintendo's firepower?"
Takuya nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "Exactly. Give them something to do, and also buy us more valuable research and development time for our new console, as well as a relatively more relaxed market warm-up environment." He gently tapped the car window, as if tapping a chessboard, "On the chessboard, sometimes you need some smoke bombs to disrupt the opponent's vision and judgment."
Suzuki Masao felt a chill quietly rise from his spine, but it immediately transformed into endless admiration for Takuya's foresight. This young Managing Director's meticulous mind and far-reaching planning far exceeded ordinary imagination. Working with such a person was both stressful and full of anticipation.
"Understood, Managing Director. I will immediately arrange for reliable personnel to handle it." Suzuki Masao respectfully replied, already planning how to quietly gather intelligence.
Takuya hummed in acknowledgment, said no more, and closed his eyes.
In the following days, Takuya began frequent trips between Sega Headquarters and Sony Headquarters.
The LD player game collaboration project officially launched, with all work proceeding in an orderly fashion.
To Takuya's slight surprise, the key person responsible for the project on Sony's side was none other than Ken Kutaragi.
This technical expert, who would later be known as the "Father of PlayStation," had not yet fully revealed his brilliance, but his dedication and obsession with technology were already clearly visible.
However, at this stage, Ken Kutaragi should have been the technical lead for the collaboration between Sony and Nintendo.
Takuya keenly noticed that Sony's senior management seemed to be consciously having Ken Kutaragi accumulate experience in various aspects of the gaming industry, guiding and cultivating him towards the gaming business.
In numerous project meetings, Takuya and Ken Kutaragi engaged in several in-depth discussions and clashes regarding the characteristics of LD games, technical implementation details, and user experience.
Ken Kutaragi, initially relying on Sony's many technical patents for the project's core position, might have harbored some inherent scrutiny of Takuya, this young Managing Director, as a technical person.
But as their exchanges deepened, he discovered that Takuya's understanding of game concepts, his grasp of product direction, and his endless creativity far exceeded his imagination.
Ken Kutaragi's gaze towards Takuya grew increasingly filled with that unique recognition of an excellent product manager, typical of a technical professional.
At the same time, the work of contacting third parties for Sega's new console was also secretly underway under Takuya's leadership.
The Marketing Department, with Bandai's help, also secured the game authorization for Toei's robot animation.
He gave a brief report on the initial progress to the Sega Board of Directors.
"Regarding Konami, given the consistent style of its president, Kozuki Kagemasa, and Konami's past ties with our Sega, the possibility of gaining their support is relatively high."
"Nintendo's contract, I'm afraid, has limited binding force."
"Square, Koei, and several other companies with closer ties to us, whether through equity or indirect control, basically pose no major issues."
"As for Capcom, Taito, and Enix, they can currently be described as staunch allies of Nintendo, and it will be extremely difficult to shake their stance in the short term."
"As for Namco, according to the information we have, they are very likely to have already sided with the new console camp secretly being developed by Hudson and NEC, becoming their first batch of third parties. The hope of winning them over is minuscule."
"Other small and medium-sized developers are mostly fence-sitters and need to wait for the right moment, moving with the prevailing winds."
The members of the Board of Directors listened quietly to Takuya's analysis, nodding in agreement from time to time.
They had already established a considerable degree of trust in Takuya's judgment and planning.
Time quietly slipped by, and Tokyo's weather gradually grew hot, with early summer already approaching.
During this period, Takuya did not forget another important matter.
He formally delivered the complete script of the first pokémon theatrical film, Mewtwo Strikes Back, which he had meticulously prepared, to the animation production company GALLOP.
"For the theatrical version's production, we must ensure the highest quality."
Takuya earnestly instructed the head of GALLOP.
"Don't worry about funding; Sega will provide full support."
"I hope this work can become a new milestone for the pokémon series. After completion, Sega will invest heavily and hand the film over to Toho for distribution and promotion."
The head of GALLOP naturally agreed repeatedly, his eyes filled with even greater anticipation and excitement for the further expansion of this super IP.
Just as all matters seemed to be progressing smoothly, on a hot afternoon, the calm industry was suddenly struck by a thunderclap.
Without any warning, major Japanese game media and computer magazines simultaneously published detailed reports about a new game console named PC Engine.
The reports not only detailed the PC Engine's hardware specifications but also heavily emphasized its combination of an 8-bit CPU (HuC6280, core based on 6502) and a powerful 16-bit graphics processing chip (PPU HuC6270).
The media used highly inflammatory language, claiming that the PC Engine possessed "quasi-16-bit" powerful capabilities.
Its graphical performance far exceeded that of the mainstream FC console currently on the market.
The reports also included several stunning, colorful game concept images and design drawings of the console's compact and exquisite appearance.
These images, for players and industry professionals accustomed to the somewhat simple graphics of the FC, undoubtedly had a strong visual impact.
As soon as this news broke, the entire Japanese gaming industry, and even some members of the public interested in cutting-edge technology, were shaken.
The sudden emergence of the PC Engine, like a dark horse, instantly captured everyone's attention.
For Sega, which was secretly developing the true Mega Drive, the appearance of the PC Engine undoubtedly meant that a new, powerful competitor had already drawn its sword.
This sudden turn of events, while not entirely unexpected by Takuya, could even be said to be something he had been waiting for.