Hayao Nakayama nodded slightly, not refuting.
He recalled the internal disagreements within Sega regarding its home console strategy.
Many were still caught in the path dependency of arcade porting, believing that simply moving popular arcade games to home consoles would lead to huge sales.
"Can we at Sega achieve this 'save' technology now?" he asked.
Takuya shook his head.
"Technically, it's not impossible to achieve, but we don't have time to develop a disk drive with the same large capacity."
"Our Master System's market share would also make related efforts half-hearted."
"Nintendo is pushing forward with hardware (the disk drive) and software (the legend of zelda) simultaneously this time, which is clearly a long-planned move."
"Long-planned…" Hayao Nakayama repeated these four words, a hint of a cold, sharp curve on his lips.
"Hiroshi Yamauchi, that old fox, always manages to put in effort where others can't see."
He paused, seemingly digesting the information.
"So, what's your suggestion?" Hayao Nakayama pressed.
Takuya pondered for a moment.
"Avoid their sharp edge, but that doesn't mean doing nothing."
"We should continue to leverage our advantages in the arcade sector and maintain our momentum."
"Furthermore, we should put the research and development of the next-generation 16-bit home console on the agenda, to completely surpass Nintendo in terms of performance and features.
But before that, in the home console market, we can only lie low and build up strength."
Takuya's eyes revealed the sharp spirit unique to young people.
He once again brought up the plan for the next-generation 16-bit console that he had discussed with his father last time.
"We can't always just imitate Nintendo; we need to come up with something truly belonging to Sega that can lead the trend."
"For example, stronger graphics processing capabilities, more impactful sound effects, or introducing new game genres.
However, all of this requires powerful machine capabilities and sufficient storage capacity as support; the current hardware level simply cannot support such plans.
Without a new console, all of these can only be mirages."
Hayao Nakayama looked at his son, his eyes revealing undisguised admiration for the first time.
This kid not only saw the threat but had already pointed out the way to break the deadlock last time.
Moreover, his thinking was clear and went straight to the heart of the matter.
He leaned back in his chair, picked up the cigar cutter from the table, and with a click, snipped off the cigar tip.
"Next-generation console…" he slowly uttered these words, deep in thought.
"It seems it's time to make those old guys move their butts."
He lit the cigar, took a puff, and amidst the curling smoke, his eyes sharpened.
"Takuya, regarding the planning for the next-generation console, do you have any more concrete ideas?"
"After Nintendo's new game is released, combine their game performance and compile a detailed report for me."
"I want to let those people on the board hear how we, the young people of Sega, view the future."
Takuya's heart stirred; he knew that his father was truly placing him in a position where he could influence the company's strategic decisions.
"Yes, Father," he replied.
In late February in Tokyo, the last vestiges of the New Year's relaxed atmosphere in the air were completely dispelled by a sudden market frenzy.
On February 21st, Nintendo's meticulously prepared FC Disk System (FDS) and its flagship title, the legend of zelda, officially launched into the market.
Like a depth charge, it instantly ignited the entire consumer electronics sector.
Outside major electronics stores, queues snaked endlessly through the night, players' eyes gleamed with a desire and excitement for a brand-new gaming experience, and the buying frenzy even made it onto the social news pages.
A few days later, the time came to the last week of February.
At the Sega Headquarters building, the morning sun cut bright patches of light on the floor through the glass curtain wall.
Takuya Nakayama, dressed in a well-tailored suit, walked briskly through the lobby.
The air was filled with the mixed scent of coffee and printer paper.
He habitually paused at the reception desk, his gaze sweeping over the latest issues of mainstream gaming magazines that had just arrived on the newsstand.
The receptionist smiled and handed him a few magazines.
"Good morning, Nakayama-san."
"Good morning."
Takuya casually picked up the top issue of Fami Tsū, an eye-catching headline almost filling the entire cover.
"First Perfect Score in History? the legend of zelda — A Game of Epochal Significance!"
The cover of the nearby Dengeki magazine was equally striking.
"Call of Hyrule! FC Disk System Ushers in a New Era of Home Gaming!"
Another magazine, Beep, focused on a core feature.
"Save! Never Fear Mom Coming Home Again! The Revolutionary Experience Brought by the legend of zelda!"
Everywhere, there were praises and analyses of the legend of zelda and the FC Disk System.
Takuya walked slowly towards the elevator, holding the magazines, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the smooth surface of the coated paper.
He quickly skimmed through several core reviews, all of which were filled with the highest praise.
The reviewers meticulously described the game's rich content, excellent fun, ingenious gameplay design, and the convenience brought by the save function.
Players could finally immerse themselves for tens, even hundreds of hours, in a vast fantasy world.
This kind of gaming experience, capable of deeply binding players' time and emotions, was decisive for solidifying the FC ecosystem, almost a dimensionality reduction attack.
In addition, many game designs in the legend of zelda were unprecedented and could provide a lot of inspiration for game developers.
Takuya's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
the legend of zelda was indeed "the best in the world," just as it was evaluated in his previous life.
Its guiding significance for game developers was equally important.
"If you don't know how to make a game, just copy Zelda" wasn't something that only appeared in the mobile game era; many people were already doing this in this era.
This pressure was heavy.
However, this might also be a good thing.
Instead, a barely noticeable curve appeared at the corner of Takuya's mouth.
In another month, the world would for the first time witness the power of a true flagship title in adversity; the combined sales punch of the legend of zelda and the Disk System would wake up the old conservatives on the board.
With the legend of zelda as this "super reference point," those old guys on the board who held conservative views on investing heavily in the research and development of a 16-bit home console should now have a clearer understanding of the importance of technological generational gaps and content innovation.
Without truly cross-generational products, it would be impossible to shake Nintendo's foundation in the home console market.
"Ding." The elevator doors opened.
Just as he was about to step into the elevator, the receptionist's slightly apologetic voice came from behind him.
"Ah, Nakayama-san, please wait a moment."
"You have a package."
Takuya turned around, a little surprised.
The receptionist handed him a thin brown paper envelope with both hands.
"A package?"