Children of the Star Ring
The lively atmosphere in the meeting room had not completely dissipated; the directors' faces showed a mixture of approval and relief, as if they were all waiting for Nakayama Atsuo to announce the adjournment of the meeting.
However, at that moment, Takuya's voice rang out again, clear and calm, drawing everyone's attention back once more.
"Everyone, I have one more suggestion regarding ' Sega Galaxy '."
"I suggest establishing a dedicated 'Creative Team' within Sega Galaxy."
"Its core responsibility is to lead and review the story creation and world-building of all of Sega's important IPs."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a slightly hoarse voice of doubt rang out.
It was Director Takahashi, who was in charge of the arcade business. He leaned slightly forward, his elbows resting on the conference table.
"Special Secretary Nakayama, is this really necessary?"
Director Takahashi's gaze swept over Takuya, making no attempt to hide his confusion.
"Isn't the story of an IP just icing on the cake?"
"Especially in our Arcade Division, players crave the visceral, satisfying feeling of every punch and kick, and instant feedback. Who would willingly toss in one 100-pound coin after another just to watch a story?"
He spread his hands, his tone becoming increasingly direct.
"Establishing a dedicated department for something so 'ethereal' will only increase costs and slow down development."
Wouldn't it be more efficient to let each project team take charge of its own project?
His words represented the sentiments of a significant portion of the company.
They are businessmen, and some are even engineers by training, accustomed to measuring everything in terms of cost and benefit.
In their view, the core of a game is its gameplay and commercial returns; the story is merely packaging.
The atmosphere in the meeting room, which had just eased, became somewhat delicate again.
Takuya turned his gaze to Takahashi, his face showing no sign of offense, but rather a slight smile.
Instead of immediately refuting, he steered the conversation to the area the other party was most familiar with.
"Director Takahashi, your Arcade Division should be quite familiar with the ' Art of Fighting ' game currently under development, right?"
Takahashi nodded, seemingly puzzled.
That was the project he had high hopes for.
"So, have you ever wondered why Ryo Sakazaki, the protagonist of Art of Fighting, would appear in South Town, the hometown of Terry and Andy, the protagonists of Fatal Fury?"
This question left Director Takahashi speechless.
He had never thought about it from that perspective. In his view, it was probably just an Easter egg that the developers found interesting and casually put in.
Takuya's voice carried a unique guiding quality as he continued.
"From the very beginning of planning <Fatal Fury>, I never intended it to be an isolated story."
"Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury are actually set in the same universe."
A hushed discussion broke out in the conference room.
Director Takahashi, who had been leaning back in his chair, unconsciously sat up straight.
Seeing the surprised expressions on everyone's faces, Takuya knew the time was ripe.
He unveiled his long-hidden, truly grand strategic plan.
"In the future, Sega will continue to release more games that share this world view."
"Once the arcade game's performance is mature enough and there are enough characters, we will release a masterpiece that brings everything together."
He spoke each word slowly and deliberately, uttering the name that was destined to resonate throughout the future.
Its name is <The King of Fighters>.
>--TheKingofFighterS.
"At that time, the protagonists of Fatal Fury, Art of Art of Fighting, and even star characters from our future games will receive a mysterious invitation to participate in a global fighting tournament."
"And behind this lies a massive conspiracy orchestrated by a mysterious organization."
Takuya paused for a moment, giving everyone time to process what he had said.
He could see that the doubts in Director Takahashi's eyes were rapidly fading, Takuya's grand plan for the game was beyond their imagination.
"Everyone can imagine this."
Takuya's voice was captivating, clearly presenting the business prospects to them.
What can a unified, grand, and compelling worldview foster?
"It's animation, it's comics, it's countless related merchandise."
"When its influence spreads to North America and the whole world, will Hollywood's offer be far behind?"
"At that time, the value of this IP and the company's revenue will grow exponentially."
Director Takahashi opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
What he was thinking about was no longer how much cost setting up a creative team would increase.
Rather, it's about the terrifying profits and influence that this "world of the King of Fighters" will bring if it succeeds.
His initial skepticism appears so short-sighted and so easily refuted in the face of such a grand business blueprint.
He slowly sat down and fell into deep thought.
Having successfully persuaded the most pragmatic Takahashi, Takuya elevated his argument from a specific case to a universal theory.
"The core mission of the creative team is to systematically and continuously infuse our IP with this soul and charm."
"This lays the most solid foundation for our multi-dimensional and sustainable business monetization."
He looked around at everyone with an open and honest expression.
"My energy is limited; I can't possibly protect the growth of every IP by myself."
Takuya's gaze finally settled on the document that had just been signed, concerning the investment in Sunrise Animation.
Have you ever wondered why "Gundam" has such a long lifespan? Why has it become a national IP?
"It is precisely because it has continuously fleshed out its story and worldview through one work after another, and even attracted countless fans to participate in secondary creation, that it has achieved its current vitality. I can even assert that as long as Gundam maintains this momentum, it will surely forge an IP lifespan of decades."
"Among Sega's current IP portfolio, only Pokémon has the initial potential to be compared to Gundam."
"The purpose of establishing our creative team is to incubate more top-tier IPs like Gundam and Pokémon."
These words completely dispelled the last trace of doubt in the meeting room.
Even Nakayama Atsuo's eyes revealed undisguised admiration.
Strategy, this is the real strategy.
It's a plan made for the next ten or even twenty years.
Hattori stepped forward at the opportune moment. He had just been appointed as the head of "Sega Galaxy," and with a gentle smile on his face, he took the initiative to smooth things over.
"Special Director Nakayama's foresight is admirable. Since this creative team is so important, why don't you suggest a name for this extraordinary creative team?"
This proposal both expressed support and eased tensions.
Takuya met everyone's gazes without refusing.
He had already chosen that name.
"Let's call him ' Children of the Star Ring '."
He explained.
"The 'Star Ring' concept echoes our company's ' Sega Galaxy ' vision, where each IP is a star in the galaxy."
"And the 'child' symbolizes our hope that all creators can forever retain a childlike innocence and passion."
"Only with this original aspiration can we create stories that truly touch people's hearts."
Thus, the meeting concluded after this hopeful name was finalized.