Planning the Second Esports Tournament
The discussion about the content direction stirred up a huge wave, and when the topic turned to how to bring the game to market, Nakayama Takuya once again made a surprising statement.
Director Yoshikawa pondered, "Such a groundbreaking product must be launched with an equally groundbreaking approach, to achieve instant success and ignite the entire market."
Nakayama Takuya's eyes flashed, and he picked up the conversation, his tone filled with unquestionable confidence.
"I believe we can learn from the success of Sega First Esports Tournament."
He looked around at the crowd, his voice clear and firm.
"The 2nd Esports Tournament & <DanceDancerRevolution> Global City Championship, jointly hosted by Sega and Sony!"
These words were like a bombshell dropped into a calm lake.
Director Yoshikawa's spirits lifted. Although Sega's foray into esports was just beginning, the first tournament had far exceeded expectations, earning Sega a tremendous reputation.
Global City Championship!
He blurted it out almost without thinking, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
"Using DDR as the core project will definitely attract the attention of all young people!"
After a brief moment of surprise, Sony executives, including Mitsui Chuta and Shigeo Maruyama, quickly grasped the immense value of the proposal.
Shigeo Maruyama clapped his hands in praise:
"That's brilliant! This will not only quickly boost DDR's brand awareness, but also perfectly showcase Sony's hardware advantages— Trinitron TVs, professional-grade audio equipment, and our music content—to gamers worldwide!"
Mitsui Chuta nodded repeatedly, already sketching out the blueprint for this grand event in his mind, and even starting to plan which of his businesses would be included in the competition.
"Through city-level selection competitions, national representative competitions, and finally the global finals, the competition progresses step by step, generating a lot of buzz and creating immeasurable publicity."
"We could even consider adding some exhibition matches, such as inviting artists from Sony Music to participate, to further expand our influence. The female idol groups and Pokémon characters that Nakayama. Nakayama just mentioned would be perfect for performances interspersed throughout the competition," he added, clearly indicating that they had already entered the practical thinking stage.
"Sony Music's resources," Nakayama Takuya chimed in at the opportune moment, his smile carrying a deeper meaning. Shigeo Maruyama immediately understood, bursting into laughter. "That's right! Our resources are their resources, and their stage is our stage!"
The executives from both sides almost immediately reached an agreement.
"Establish a joint organizing committee immediately!"
Director Yoshikawa made a quick decision, his gaze fixed intently on Mitsui Chuta.
Without hesitation, Mitsui Chuta stated firmly, "Sony will fully cooperate and allocate its most elite team to participate in the preparations!"
Marketing Department, technical support, and legal counsel – we can't do without any of them!
The conference room seemed to instantly transform into a highly efficient strategic command center.
From competition format design, city selection criteria, referee training, and publicity and promotion strategies, to the venue design for the global finals,
The initial framework began to take shape rapidly in this imaginative laboratory, amidst the intellectual exchange of several industry giants.
Some people have even started whispering about the direction of the event's theme song.
A global dance storm is brewing.
The atmosphere in the laboratory gradually shifted from initial amazement and elation to boundless anticipation for the future and down-to-earth planning.
Technical and marketing personnel from both Sega and Sony have spontaneously gathered together, disregarding their positions, to engage in enthusiastic initial discussions on specific issues such as DDR technical optimization, content update scheduling, and initial market promotion strategies.
The young employees who had previously been just bystanders now gathered around, their eyes sparkling with excitement at participating in making history, eager to jump in immediately.
LaVeleSmithJr. was also surrounded by people from Sony Music and Sega Game Development Department.
With his signature smile on his face, he patiently listened to everyone's questions, occasionally demonstrating a few dance moves to explain the technical terms, drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd.
He smiled and said he would be very happy to be deeply involved in the subsequent creation of dance content, dancer training and global promotion activities, and could even help connect some internationally renowned dancers to participate in performances or judging.
This world-class dance master was clearly also attracted by the immense appeal of the project, and he was well aware of how rare such an opportunity for social mobility was for someone like him.
The meeting was drawing to a close, but no one seemed tired at all; on the contrary, they were full of energy, as if they had just drunk the strongest coffee.
Director Yoshikawa and Mitsui Chuta, representing Sega and Sony respectively, expressed their high appreciation and sincere satisfaction with the successful prototype demonstration and the deep cooperation agreement reached by both parties. During their handshake, both executives gripped each other's hands exceptionally firmly.
Nakayama Takuya and Ken Kutaragi's eyes met once again.
This time, both sides shared unwavering confidence in the project and anticipation for broader cooperation in the future.
As the Sega delegation left Sony's Sony Headquarters Building amidst enthusiastic, even somewhat reluctant, farewells from Sony executives, night had already fallen, and Tokyo's neon lights illuminated the city that never sleeps.
As they sat in the car returning to Sega Headquarters, the atmosphere inside remained lively. Director Yoshikawa could not hide his excitement. He patted Nakayama Takuya heavily on the shoulder, his voice tinged with emotion.
"Takuya, you've once again put Sega ahead of the times! I... I really don't know how to describe my feelings! You know, Mr. Maruyama just told me privately that he thinks Sony struck gold. I said, it's Sega that struck gold!"
Nakayama Takuya wore his usual humble smile, yet it also carried a hint of youthful pride.
"Mr. Yoshikawa, you flatter me. This is the result of the collective efforts of the entire team, including the Sony team. Without Sony's technical and content support, our ideas would have remained just castles in the air."
He paused, gazing at the fleeting Tokyo nightscape outside the window, but his tone remained unusually clear.
"Sony's formidable strength in audio-visual technology and content resources is the key to our success this time. Therefore, Sega must also take advantage of Sony's momentum to propel DDR, and ourselves, to new heights. Moreover," he smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes, "This momentum isn't something they can simply borrow for nothing; they have to show some sincerity, don't they?"
Director Yoshikawa was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, filling the car with a cheerful atmosphere. This Nakayama Takuya not only had foresight, but also a clarity and shrewdness beyond his years; he was truly Sega's Kirin.