A Great Success
Just then, LaVelle Smith Jr. walked forward with a smile.
"It seems it's time to let the real professionals step in."
He took off his jacket and casually handed it to a young Sega employee next to him. Beneath the jacket was the physique of a dancer, honed through countless hours of training, every muscle brimming with power.
Smith casually flexed his wrists and ankles a few times, producing a series of subtle cracking sounds from his bones. Then, he glanced at the crowd, his gaze lingering briefly on Nakayama Takuya, a kingly confidence playing on his lips.
As the choreographer of the song "Bad," he can visualize the nuances of every beat in his mind even with his eyes closed.
When Smith stepped onto the platform that held countless expectations, the air in the entire laboratory seemed to freeze instantly, and even the previously noisy discussions caused by excitement disappeared. All eyes were focused on him.
Once again, the music burst forth from those professional-grade speakers.
Smith's body moved almost the instant the drumbeat began. Without the slightest hesitation, every turn, every pause, every Michael Jack -esque signature move was precise to the millisecond, perfectly synchronized with the constantly falling indicator arrows and bars on the screen.
His footwork was swift and light, yet possessed a breathtaking explosive power, as if every step was a challenge to the earth. The comments on the screen, from the very first arrow, were firmly locked onto the dazzling "Perfect!"
It forms a single, golden waterfall, nothing else.
The Sony sound engineer stared, mouth agape, almost forgetting to breathe. He had been smug about receiving a "Great" rating, but now he understood the true difference. This wasn't just playing a game; it was a perfect fusion of art and technology.
As Smith performed with unparalleled skill, the colored lights on the platform and ceiling went completely into a frenzy. They were no longer simply alternating between light and dark or changing colors, but bursting out with unprecedented dazzling light. Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple beams of light precisely chased, swept, exploded, and spun with every move Smith made, enveloping him in the center of a vortex of light and shadow, as if a true king of the stage had descended.
The mirrored walls reflected and superimposed everything dazzlingly, turning the entire laboratory into a bizarre and mesmerizing alternate dimension, where even the air seemed to tremble from the extreme light and sound.
"My God—" muttered a young Sony engineer involved in the lighting programming, referring to the lighting effects he had designed.
It was Smith's interpretation that truly brought out 200% of its potential.
The young development and testing staff from Sega and Sony, who had been watching from the sidelines, could no longer contain their excitement.
What began as quiet gasps of amazement quickly turned into uncontrollable cheers and screams.
Several people even couldn't help but clumsily sway their bodies and wave their arms to the powerful beat of the music, celebrating the miracle they had created together.
A Sega programmer excitedly hugged Sony tester next to him, and the two burst into laughter. The entire laboratory was transformed into a sea of joyful excitement.
The expressions on the faces of the executives at the bar were even more fascinating.
Director Yoshikawa and Masao Suzuki initially held a somewhat superior-like scrutinizing gaze, but as Smith danced, their bodies unconsciously leaned forward, their eyes shifting from focused to absorbed, and now, they could no longer conceal their amazement and ecstasy.
Director Yoshikawa even unconsciously tapped his fingers on the bar counter to the beat. In their eyes, the development plan that Takuya had submitted was just an interesting experiment and was not described in a fancy way. Who would have thought that this thing would so accurately grasp the pulse of young people and have such magic?
Sony Music President Shigeo Maruyama couldn't contain himself any longer. He jumped up from his high stool, strode to the edge of the field, raised his hands above his head, and clapped enthusiastically for Smith, his smile as bright as a child's. "Fantastic! Nakayama- kun, you've done something amazing! Fantastic!" he excitedly turned back Nakayama Takuya, his voice booming.
Excitement gleamed in Chuta Mitsunami's eyes behind his glasses. He adjusted them, nodded repeatedly, and his fingers moved rapidly across the palm of his other hand, clearly recognizing the immeasurable commercial value behind this project.
Ken Kutaragi slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on Nakayama Takuya beside him. A rare complex emotion flickered across his face—a mixture of amazement at the young man's boundless creativity, admiration for Sega's excellent execution, and even...
There was also a hint of barely perceptible admiration. He paused for a moment, then said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Nakayama- kun, Sega always manages to create something unexpected."
Nakayama Takuya met his gaze with a calm and confident smile, a smile that carried just the right amount of youthful spirit.
He knew it was successful.
The huge weight that had been hanging over my heart for months because of this project finally lifted off my feet, bringing me immense relief.
This LD arcade project, which combines Sony's top-notch audio-visual technology with Sega's revolutionary gaming concepts, is already more than halfway to success at this moment.