Sony's Extravagance
On a sultry summer afternoon, Tokyo's sky was pressed low by thick clouds, and the cicadas chirped so loudly that they almost tore the thin air apart, making people upset. In Sony Headquarters's electronics development laboratory, the air conditioner was turned on just right, blocking out the heat outside.
Nakayama Takuya has just concluded the phased discussion on the final assembly and debugging of the LD (LaserDisc) arcade game project. Sony engineers are very enthusiastic about this project that incorporates the latest imaging technology, and various professional terms and data were used during the discussion Charts covered the conference table. Although Takuya was young, he was unambiguous in his grasp of technical details. He answered questions fluently with Sony's engineers and occasionally had insightful insights, which made the Sony technicians present secretly nod.
At the end of the meeting, the atmosphere relaxed slightly. Ken Kutaragi, the most prestigious technical backbone within Sony, personally refilled a cup of coffee for Takuya. He looked at Takuya, This young man, who is much younger than himself, but already holds a high position in Sega, has an inquiring look unique to engineers on his face. When discussing the LD project just now, he was deeply impressed by the professionalism and calmness displayed by Takuya.
He put down the coffee pot and tapped the handle of the cup unconsciously with his fingertips, as if he was considering his words.
"Nakayama Special Agent."
Takuya looked at the assembly and debugging work in front of him without looking back, but replied, "What's wrong?"
Ken Kutaragi leaned forward slightly. "The gaming industry has been really turbulent recently. The PCEngine of Hudson and NEC was so noisy that it almost overturned the entire Akihabara. Over at Nintendo, the reaction of the old president Yamauchi Hiroshi was also thunderous. I heard that many manufacturers were silent."
He paused and looked sharply at Takuya, as if trying to find something under his calm expression.
"But it just so happens that you, Sega, are surprisingly quiet at this time. There are new arcade games coming one after another, and the quality is indeed impeccable, but the home console market... seems to be none of your business."
Ken Kutaragi picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, with undisguised curiosity in his eyes, and even a hint of scrutiny from an onlooker.
"Seriously, Specialist Nakayama, you Sega... do you really have no idea about this new console war? Or do you have other plans that we don't know about?"
This series of questions seemed like casual chatting, but in fact they contained an unavoidable temptation. The air in the reception room seemed to be slightly stagnant for a moment due to this sudden topic.
Takuya heard this and understood. He turned around from the assembly and debugging in front of him, with a nonchalant smile on his face and lightly laughed.
"Kutaragi-san, the arcade market is so delicious!"
He walked over to Ken Kutaragi and sat down, leaning on the sofa with a relaxed posture.
"You see, the arcade owners don't have much sense of belonging to the manufacturer."
"As long as it is a new game that is fun and profitable, they will actively purchase it and are very enthusiastic."
"Our Sega arcade business has always been far ahead, and our reputation and channels are as solid as a rock."
He paused, picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and continued.
"Unlike the home console market, it is still unknown whether players will buy it and whether they will pay for it."
"Why should we give up such a stable cash cow business so easily and go to the red sea of home computers to fight them to death?"
Takuya said it calmly, but he was thinking secretly in his heart: The intertwined arcade factions within Sega are really too powerful.
Especially after the setback in the launch of the SG-1000 in the home machine market, the status of those veterans has increased even more, and they have a strong voice.
If the development of this new home console were not of the same technical platform as the new arcade baseboard System 16, which could ensure that a large number of arcade games could be easily and quickly transplanted, we would not know how much internal obstruction and questioning it would have encountered.
Ken Kutaragi stared at Takuya, seeing that he was full of confidence in his arcade business and seemed to have no idea about the home console market for the time being. A trace of thought flashed in his deep eyes.
He nodded, stopped asking questions, and turned the topic back to the cooperation project in front of him.
"Specialist Nakayama, look."
Ken Kutaragi pointed to a prototype LD game arcade machine not far away, the metal shell glowing with a cold luster under the light.
"The hardware assembly and debugging here are almost in progress, and the core system has been set up."
"When can you see the finished product of your Sega game content, especially the core interactive video part?"
There was concern about the progress of the project in his tone.
Takuya spread his hands, with a hint of helplessness and expectation on his face.
"Isn't this the good news I've been waiting for you Sony Music."
He smiled, with a bit of ridicule.
"I specifically mentioned before that we need the hottest songs, or the hit songs that Sony is going to release next."
"Also, what about the top choreographers that I particularly emphasized?"
Ken Kutaragi Hearing this, a proud smile appeared on his face that could not be concealed. He was obviously well prepared for this.
"Don't worry, Specialist Nakayama, I'm here to let you inspect the goods today."
Ken Kutaragi turned sideways and made an introduction gesture to a dark-skinned man with a muscular build who had been standing quietly behind him.
"This is Mr. LaVelle Smith Jr."
He paused for a moment, observing Takuya's reaction, and then continued, "He is the expert who choreographed the title song for Michael·Jack son's epoch-making album <Bad> to be released this year."
Ken Kutaragi's voice rose slightly, every word was ringing, and there was uncontrollable pride and expectation in his tone.
"Furthermore, we at Sony Music have already obtained the first version of the master tape of the title song <Bad> that has just been completed." He deliberately slowed down his speaking speed and said word by word, "Today, I can give you a sneak peek!"
Finally, he opened his arms slightly, as if displaying a rare treasure. "Isn't this enough to prove the sincerity and strength of our Sony?"
Michael·Jack!
<Bad>!
Master tape!
The choreographer is here!
Takuya's eyes trembled for a moment. Who didn't know in his previous life, Michael Jackson, that was the Pop King! I have to say, Sony's gesture was really too big and arrogant.
Takuya suppressed the excitement in his heart and stepped forward, holding LaVelle Smith Jr.'s hand tightly with both hands. The strength was so strong that the strong black dancer even raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Mr. Smith, I have long admired you! It is a great honor to cooperate with you!" Takuya suppressed the excitement in his voice and talked with Smith.
After shaking hands, Takuya was so impatient that he didn't even bother to say another polite word. He immediately took Smith and had a heated discussion in English about the design concept of the dance part in the LD game. After all, he was from China in his previous life., Chinglish, which is not stained by the Japanese accent, can still be understood by Smith without having to find a translator. He suppressed the speed of his speech and carefully explained the dance design requirements to Smith, and at the same time brought out the connection between the game and the dance itself and some linkage functions.
Smith is obviously an expert. He was a little surprised by the combination of games and dance at first, but soon understood Takuya's core requirements for game dance. He didn't even sit down, but simply exchanged a few words with his assistant, turned on the tape recorder he carried with him, played a brief rhythm, and then began to make gestures in the air. With a few impromptu movements, he already had the rudimentary charm of <Bad>, which made Takuya nod his head repeatedly, and the light in his eyes became brighter.
During the discussion, Takuya slapped his thigh suddenly and turned to Ken Kutaragi.
"Kutaragi-san, costume!"
"The costumes and props must also keep up!" He seemed to have just remembered.
"It is best to completely reproduce Michael·Jack son's classic look in the <Bad> MV. The leather jacket, metal buckles, zippers, and even one of MJ's habitual gestures must be perfectly reproduced!"
"Every detail must not be overlooked! Only in this way can we achieve the best audio-visual effect and sense of immersion! When <bad> becomes popular all over the world, our game will be the most shining stage in the arcade."