With that, Takuya Nakayama stood up and walked to his desk, picking up the calendar Tom had just covered in circles. He casually tore off a page.
"The remaining dirty work will fall to you, our North American president."
"I knew it wouldn't be good news," Tom said with a wry smile, spreading his hands. "So, who do I need to sweet-talk first?"
"Minoru Arakawa of Nintendo."
Tom's expression turned complicated at the mention of this name. After all, Sega and Nintendo were locked in a bitter rivalry in North America, and their mutual jabs were commonplace.
"Don't look like that," Takuya Nakayama said, patting his shoulder. "Arakawa is a pure businessman. While his vision might not be grand, he's far more flexible than that stubborn old man in Kyoto—Yamauchi Hiroshi. As long as we show him that withdrawing from CES will save a fortune on exhibition fees and provide better exposure, he'll agree. With him and us leading the charge, the resistance from the old guard within Nintendo will be much weaker."
"Alright, Minoru Arakawa will do anything to save money," Tom said with a wry smile, acknowledging the plan.
"And EA and 3DO," Takuya Nakayama continued, naming more companies. "Trip Hawkins has become incredibly ambitious these past couple of years. He left to start 3DO because he wanted to establish his own empire. People like him are suckers for the 'co-founder' routine. Give him a title like vice president of an association or a board member, stroke his ego a bit, and he'll be more enthusiastic than anyone."
"What about Europe?"
"Notify the Guillemot brothers at Ubisoft and have them reach out to the European manufacturers. They're already getting into game development, so this is a perfect opportunity to boost their industry standing. They'll jump at the chance to run errands for us."
After outlining the strategies for North America and Europe, Takuya straightened his tie and looked eastward. "As for Tokyo, I'll handle Sony and Matsushita. Sony is probably secretly working on a new console right now, and they'll be desperate for a platform to showcase it. Bringing them on board will significantly boost our overall visibility."
Tom Kalinske looked at the much younger boss before him and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
This guy, who was just burping from drinking soda a moment ago, had already schemed his way into controlling half the gaming industry in the blink of an eye.
"Takuya, you're treating me like a pack mule," Tom grumbled, though his eyes shone brighter. "We have to deal with the hearing, win over those rivals to form the association, and prepare for next year's big expo."
"The capable get more work," Takuya Nakayama said, picking up his briefcase and turning at the door with a smile. "Just imagine it—next May, when we hang the 'Electronic Entertainment Expo' banner at the Los Angeles Convention Center and see the sea of players, you'll realize all this running around is worth it."
"Electronic Entertainment Expo—E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo," Tom savored the name, then grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. "That sounds way sexier than the Consumer Electronics Show. Alright, get back to Tokyo already. Don't keep me from calling Minoru Arakawa."
As the office door closed behind him, Takuya Nakayama's trip to the United States came to an end.
The air in Tokyo carried the damp, earthy scent of spring.
Takuya Nakayama had just tossed his suitcase into the entryway of his home. Before he could even shake off his jet lag, he was confronted by a mountain of sales reports piled high on his desk.
"Managing Director, here are the first-week sales figures for the [ Sakura Wars ] MD Cartridge Edition," the Section Chief said, knocking on Takuya's office door with the report in hand. "We shipped 450,000 units in the first week, and additional orders are already backed up until next month."
Takuya casually flipped through the data, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Last year's Sega CD version of [ Sakura Wars ] had been a critical and commercial success, but the expensive peripheral had been a barrier for many.
To cater to budget-conscious MD players, releasing a cartridge version had been a necessity.
While limitations in cartridge capacity meant the original lavish cutscenes were replaced with static CG, and the voice acting from Mayumi Tanaka and Chisa Yokoyama was reduced to a few battle-cry lines for special moves, this had done nothing to dampen the players' enthusiasm.
After all, as long as the story remained intact and the beloved LIPS System was still present, these devoted fans were willing to open their wallets.
"How are the reruns on TV Tokyo performing?" Takuya asked, setting the report down and picking up his teacup.
"The ratings are up two points from the premiere!" the Section Chief exclaimed, gesturing excitedly. "Especially with the release of the MD Cartridge Edition. The GG Department's decision to replace the GG anime commercials with MD version ads has had a dramatic effect."
Takuya Nakayama nodded. This was the benefit of an integrated, full-chain strategy.
His father-in-law's TV station handled the broadcasting, while his own factory counted the money. It was a comfortable business arrangement.
With the data looking good, it was time to enjoy life. After a busy period in the United States, a proper rest was in order.
On a weekend, Ueno Park was more crowded than the cherry blossoms.
Pink and white petals drifted down like snow, carpeting the stone paths.
The air was thick with the aroma of takoyaki sauce and the sharp tang of cheap beer.
"Slow down, Kazuki!"
Nakayama Eri, dressed in an elegant beige trench coat and clutching a freshly bought cotton candy, kept her eyes fixed on the small, cannonball-like figure darting ahead.
Two-and-a-half-year-old Nakayama Kazuki was in his prime, his tiny legs churning as he wriggled through the crowd, his curiosity piqued by everything he saw.
Takuya Nakayama trailed behind, carrying a heavy picnic basket filled with the tamagoyaki and onigiri Eri had made that morning. He resignedly played the role of flower guardian and porter.
"This isn't a flower viewing, it's a military march," Takuya grumbled, finding a relatively flat patch of grass and spreading out the picnic blanket. He plopped down with a sigh. "This is more exhausting than negotiating with old Turner in the States."
Eri smiled and sat beside him, pulling a bottle of oolong tea from the basket and handing it to him. "Be grateful. If the company staff saw the usually formidable Executive Director Nakayama acting like this, their jaws would drop."
"Daddy! Daddy! Look at that girl!"
Kazuki came running back, his little legs stumbling as he pointed excitedly at an old cherry blossom tree not far away.
Takuya followed his son's finger and almost spat out the oolong tea he had just taken a sip of.
Under the cherry blossom tree stood a girl in the iconic red and white hakama, a wooden longsword at her waist and a massive red bow in her hair. She was striking a pose as if drawing her sword, while a companion snapped photos.
Though the outfit looked a bit rough and her sword-drawing stance was awkward, the spirit she exuded was undeniably reminiscent of Sakura Shinguji.
Even more absurdly, a guy beside her was wearing an Imperial Combat Revue uniform, clumsily mimicking Ichiro Ogami's salute. Passersby stared, and a few brave souls even approached to ask for photos.
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