Takuya Nakayama had barely settled into his office chair when the phone on his desk rang sharply.
He picked it up. It was Director Takahashi.
"Takuya, finally! You're back!" Takahashi's voice was anxious. "There's trouble in the States."
The smile on Takuya's face hadn't yet faded. Leaning back, he asked casually, "What happened? What could make you this panicked, Takahashi-san?"
Takahashi let out a deep sigh. "Spielberg said last year he was going to shoot Hook, right? Well, guess what—he didn't start filming until this February! Hollywood's speed is enough to make a man curse!"
Takuya's fingers tapped lightly on the desk. His heart sank.
"What about our game?"
"That's the problem!" Takahashi's voice sped up. "The arcade division kids are too damn good—real elites! When they were rushing the schedule, they didn't even wait for System 32. They just built the whole game on System 16! And now… it's in final integrated testing."
Takuya frowned.
System 16 was an old board.
System 32 was Sega's newest powerhouse, the one meant to dominate arcades this year.
"And Spielberg's movie? When is it supposed to release?"
"He says post-production will go into late summer. Then they need to pick a release slot. I'm guessing… earliest would be after Thanksgiving." Takahashi's voice was heavy. "Takuya, you understand what this means, right?"
Of course he did.
He could already picture the disaster.
At year's end, Metal Slug—developed on the brand-new, top-tier System 32—would launch alongside Hook, stuck on the outdated System 16. Put the two cabinets next to each other and the comparison would be brutal.
Even with Spielberg's name and the movie's IP, players weren't idiots.
Such a public execution would tank Hook's arcade sales and make people mock Sega for "clearing out old hardware stock."
Arcade operators wouldn't place big orders either.
"...Mm. Wait for me. I'll come over."
Takuya hung up and headed toward the arcade development department.
When he pushed open the door, Director Takahashi was indeed there, standing stiffly in a corner, staring at a test cabinet with a face like thunder—his entire posture screaming Do not approach.
The project lead, a young man named Ono, was enthusiastically pointing at Captain Hook, sword in hand on the screen.
The surrounding team members were murmuring in excitement, their faces showing exhaustion and triumph.
They had no idea their proud creation was a ticking bomb.
When Takahashi saw Takuya, he rushed over as if spotting a lifeline and pulled him into the emergency stairwell, shutting out the noise behind them.
"You see the situation?" he whispered harshly. "They're celebrating. I don't even know how to tell them."
Takuya looked past him toward the room of blissfully unaware "heroes," and said calmly, "Takahashi-san, they are elites, aren't they?"
"Elites? What good is that? They messed up!"
"No." Takuya shook his head. "Their efficiency is why this happened. It's not their fault."
Takahashi froze—then slumped helplessly against the wall, rubbing his forehead. "What does it matter now? Am I supposed to go in there and say, 'Good work, everyone… now we're canceling the project'?"
"Why cancel it?" Takuya asked.
Takahashi jolted upright. "Not cancel it? You want to wait until year's end and let it get slaughtered beside System 32 releases!?"
"Takahashi-san, you're forgetting the MD."
Takuya's words struck like lightning.
Takahashi stared. "The MD… you mean—"
"Exactly." Takuya nodded. "System 16 experience ports beautifully to the Mega Drive. This version can go straight into the MD adaptation."
Takahashi's mind raced.
"At least the past half-year won't go to waste. But for the arcade version—what do we do?"
"For arcades, we use our strongest weapon." Takuya shrugged. "Starting today, the arcade team rebuilds the game from the ground up. Based on this version, but using System 32—make me a bigger, flashier, more stunning Hook! Spielberg's delay gives us the time we need."
Takahashi's tense expression eased—only for new worries to rise. "But… the team… They just finished a sprint. Now you want to move the finish line and make them run again? Their morale will collapse!"
"Morale?" Takuya's lips lifted slightly. "Takahashi-san, what if we tell them this: after completing the new version, the entire team will fly to the U.S. on company expense to attend the Hook world premiere—and take a commemorative photo with Mr. Spielberg?"
"..."
Takahashi's eyes lit up. He smacked his fist into his palm. "Yes. That'll work."
"And we can make this a standard perk for similar projects," Takuya added.
Takahashi nodded, took a deep breath, opened the stairwell door, and walked in with Takuya following behind.
He cleared his throat loudly.
"Everyone, quiet down. I have a few announcements."
The devs turned, excitement still glowing on their exhausted faces.
"First of all," Takahashi said, "your half-year of hard work—Nakayama-san and I have seen every bit of it. This version of Hook is excellent. It exceeded our expectations. Truly—good work."
He bowed deeply.
The team exchanged looks. Something felt wrong.
This "praise before the hammer drops" tone was rarely good news.
Project lead Ono stepped forward cautiously. "Director Takahashi… did something happen?"
Takahashi straightened and gazed at the pixelated yet striking Captain Hook on the screen.
"This version cannot be released in arcades."
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