Supporting Third Parties

After meeting with the arcade enthusiasts, Takuya threw himself back into his busy work.

A few days later, the assistant knocked on the Managing Director's Office door again.

"Executive Director, this is the initial sales feedback following the release of <Shinobi> and <Ace Attorney>."

Takuya looked up from the pile of documents, gesturing for him to continue.

"<Shinobi> lived up to expectations, selling 80,000 copies in its first week. Players gave it very high praise, calling it a must-play action game on the Mega Drive. Many game magazines lauded it as the best action game on the Mega Drive."

The assistant's tone was full of pride.

This was an undisputed success, a direct reflection of Sega's strong first-party development capabilities.

Takuya simply nodded calmly, his gaze falling on another report in his assistant's hand.

The assistant opened the report, his tone slightly hesitant.

"As for Ace Attorney, its first-week sales were only 34,000 copies."

When the assistant uttered the number, his voice unconsciously lowered, as if the number carried a weight of shame.

Compared to the brilliance of "Shinobi," this new IP, first-party published by Sega, seems somewhat overshadowed.

The atmosphere in the office seemed to freeze for a moment because of this number.

However, Takuya's expression remained unchanged; he didn't seem to care much about the seemingly poor sales figures.

"What about player feedback and magazine reviews?"

He cares more about this.

"Ah, the feedback assistant obviously didn't expect the executive director to ask this first. He quickly flipped to the second half of the report, which compiled letters from readers of major game magazines, as well as some scattered feedback collected from video game stores."

"Feedback - Very peculiar."

"The player reviews after purchasing it are incredibly positive; many have written in saying, 'This is the most unique game they've ever played.'"

Some say that "the suspense of the plot rivals that of any mystery film."

Some people said, "After playing through the entire night to finish the first case, I felt like I really was a lawyer, even more exciting than reading a mystery novel."

"Some people also said, 'When I raise my objection in court, I feel like I've really become a lawyer.'"

"Some female gamers even said, 'Finally, there's a game that's not just about fighting and killing. I hope Sega will release more titles like this.'"

"Our slogan, 'You too can become a famous detective,' seems to have sparked a lot of discussion among gamers, who think it's a very apt slogan."

As the assistant listened to these responses, the confusion on his face gradually gave way to a strange excitement.

A slight smile finally appeared on Takuya's lips.

That's enough.

He took the report from his assistant, his fingertips lightly tracing the number "thirty-four thousand," but there was no trace of disappointment in his eyes.

"The seeds of good reputation have been sown, and they're sprouting faster than I expected. What we need isn't to force growth, but to patiently wait for it to grow into a forest."

He said to his assistant.

"Continue to monitor long-term feedback and inform the Sales Department that this game does not require price reductions or promotions; just maintain normal stock levels. Pay special attention to restocking in the next two weeks and make sure to keep up with demand."

"Yes."

The assistant respectfully agreed, and the slight worry in his heart completely disappeared.

The executive director's composure is the best reassurance.

Not long after, Masao Suzuki from the Marketing Department came to report on his work.

"Executive, the third-party communication and coordination mechanism you previously instructed us to establish is now operational."

Masao Suzuki's expression was very serious, clearly indicating that he had devoted a great deal of energy to this task.

"Most of the capable third parties are very cooperative. We have a general understanding of their development plans for the next six months, and some coordination work has already been communicated with the relevant manufacturers in advance."

"Very good."

Takuya agreed with this.

Masao Suzuki changed the subject, a hint of difficulty appearing on his face.

"But—a new problem has also arisen."

"Several small third-party companies, all recently transitioned from the PC platform, are still unfamiliar with the hardware architecture of MD, and the porting work is progressing slowly, which is causing them great anxiety. Several companies have requested technical support from us."

This was within Takuya's expectations.

A closed hardware platform is indeed a significant hurdle for developers accustomed to open PC environments.

"That's a good thing."

Takuya's answer surprised Suzuki.

"Their eagerness shows they have confidence in our platform and want to launch their products and make money as soon as possible."

Takuya leaned forward slightly, looking at Masao Suzuki.

"We can't stand by and watch them struggle; we must respond to their pleas for help."

"Go back and tell the heads of all the Development Department to send their best personnel, according to game type, to provide point-to-point technical support to these third parties."

Suzuki frowned.

"Executive, sending the headquarters developers to do technical support might upset them; they might feel like they're being exiled. After all, our current development workload is quite heavy."

This is indeed a tricky problem.

Takuya tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and after a moment, he looked up.

"Inform the heads of each development team."

Starting today, we are launching Third-Party Technical Support Incentive Plan.

"What?"

Masao Suzuki paused for a moment.

"For any development team that successfully helps a third-party developer complete game development, and whose game release is free of serious bugs, I, as an executive officer, hereby grant special approval to increase the development budget for that team's next project by 5% to 10%."

Takuya's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resonant.

"If we help them create a masterpiece that sells over 100,000 copies, then the marketing and distribution costs will also increase by 5% to 10%."

Masao Suzuki's eyes lit up instantly.

This is hardly an exile; it's clearly a gilded mission that paves the way for one's future.

Using your mature skills to guide others not only earns you a good reputation, but also genuinely helps you secure more resources for your next project.

"I understand, Executive Director!"

Masao Suzuki bowed slightly, his voice trembling with excitement.

"I will pass this spirit on immediately, and I believe everyone will be very happy to help our new friend."

"Remember, make it clear to third parties that Sega's platform is not just a landlord collecting rent."

Takuya added.

"We aspire to be a platform where all developers can create with peace of mind, a partner where everyone can work together to grow the pie."

After seeing Masao Suzuki off, the office fell silent again.

Takuya was alone, his thoughts drifting to distant places.

The initial frenzy and the New Year's red envelope effect were like a dazzling fireworks display that lit up the night sky, but will eventually return to calm.

Market enthusiasm is limited, and so are players' wallets.

He could foresee that MD's sales might enter a relatively flat "post-holiday period" in the coming period.

He took out a software release schedule for the next few months from the drawer.

The table shows several noticeable gaps between the works that have already been announced.

Something must be done to maintain market enthusiasm and continue to give players and the industry confidence.

He picked up a pen and slowly wrote a few words on a brand new sheet of white paper.

Software diversity.

Continued exposure.

Developer support.

Overseas expansion.

The expansion of MD is a long and arduous task.

He put down his pen, dialed his assistant's internal phone, and spoke in a calm and clear voice.

"Notify the main leaders of the Marketing Department and Development Department that a meeting will be held next Monday at 3 PM in the Development Department's conference room."

The topic is: how to stockpile ammunition for the MD's next offensive.