Broken Spear

Thus began a well-organized and coordinated "procurement operation".

Several children darted back and forth in front of the shelves like little squirrels, carefully comparing the descriptions on the back of the games and enthusiastically discussing which one offered better value for money.

"That Tanaka guy is going to regret this so much," Kenta whispered gleefully, clutching two game boxes. "He was bragging to me last week about his Super Famicom, saying that was the real next generation. And now? He only has one Mario game to play, while we have so many!"

"That's right! Even my dad says that only fools would waste money like this. He even praised Sega's promotion as a smart move."

Finally, the children, carrying a large game cartridge, walked contentedly to the cashier.

When the cashier packed seven or eight boxes of games into a large bag, the heavy weight brought smiles to the faces of every child.

Stepping out of the electronics store, the cold winter wind couldn't extinguish the warmth in their hearts.

A group of children's shouts echoed through the street, unaware that their small, joyful "group purchase plan" was just a microcosm of countless families and groups of gamers across Japan.

This wave, formed by countless acts of "cleverness," is quietly shifting the balance of power in the battle.

Kyoto, Nintendo Headquarters.

The festive atmosphere of the New Year holiday has vanished here. The air is cold and heavy, as if it's about to drip water.

In Yamauchi Haku's office, the ashtray was already overflowing with the remains of cigars. On the table in front of him lay a newly compiled report on the Christmas and New Year's business battles.

A department head, head bowed, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, reported in a dry voice.

"President, during the holiday, the SFC console and Super Mario World still ranked first in sales among all products, and they also had the most coverage and buzz in major game magazines." He paused, then changed the subject, his voice unconsciously lowering even further.

"However, Sega's promotional activities had an impact that exceeded our expectations. According to data we collected from our channels, MD cartridge sales exploded in the latter half of the holiday. Third-party manufacturers cleared out large amounts of inventory, and retailers saw a surge in foot traffic and sales." (To get to the point...)

Yamauchi Haku exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, the two words seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

The supervisor shuddered, forced himself to turn to the next page, a page he himself couldn't bear to look at.

"This was the first third-party game we supported, Quintet's <ActRaiser>, which was released at the end of December, right in the middle of the peak sales season. But, however, sales were far from ideal."

"Not ideal?" Yamauchi Haku eyelids twitched slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"... far below expectations." The manager's voice trembled. "It's been... drowned out of the ocean of discounted MD games."

Their marketing resources were limited, and although Enix tried their best, the results were minimal. Some players even reported that this new Super Famicom title had less presence than last year's Famicom title, * Dr. Mario *.

The temperature in the office seemed to have dropped a few degrees.

Dr. Mario! A puzzle game for the NES!

Trying to compete with a block game on an older console by having a major ARPG title on a next-generation console like the Super Famicom (SFC) have its place in the market is an extreme form of humiliation.

Yamauchi Haku didn't speak, but simply picked up the report and began flipping through it page by page.

The only sound in the office was the rustling of papers turning.

The supervisor didn't dare to breathe.

He knew that the president had lost his temper for the first time before the release of the SFC because of insufficient production capacity from suppliers.

And now, this is the second time.

"Ha."

Suddenly, Yamauchi Haku let out a short, cold laugh and slammed the report onto the table with a loud bang.

"A win-win situation!" He pointed to the report's analysis that "Sega's third-party partners and retailers are all happy," each word carrying a chilling undertone. "The market we painstakingly built, the users we educated with 2.5 million consoles, have ultimately become philanthropists helping Sega clear out its inventory?"

He stood up, went to the window, and looked down at the desolate street below.

"I spent money to break down the production line, not so you could tell me how well Sega's old stock is selling! Enix's reputation..."

Is that all the sales volume we're worth? Or is it that our Super FC, besides Mario, can't sell anything else?!

He practically shouted the last sentence.

The supervisor lowered his head even further, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

"Useless! You're all useless!" Yamauchi Haku whirled around, his eyes sweeping fiercely over everyone in the office. "Are you all being kept around so that Nakayama Takuya can throw a wild party on SFC's face with a bunch of outdated trash?!"

The office was deathly silent.

Yamauchi Haku's chest heaved violently. After a while, he seemed to have calmed down a little, but the coldness in his tone was even greater than before.

"Go tell those third parties who are still waiting in line for development kits."

He sat back down in his chair, lit another cigar, and spoke softly, but everyone could hear him clearly.

"If you want a ticket to the Super Famicom, show some sincerity. From today onwards, anyone who dares to get involved in Sega's promotions will never set foot in Nintendo's doors again!"

The supervisor stood hunched over, his collar soaked with sweat. He trembled for a long time, but finally gritted his teeth and lowered his head even further.

"If that's the case, then the expansion speed of the SFC's initial game lineup will be even slower."

Yamauchi Haku slowly turned his head. He didn't look at the supervisor, but instead cast his gaze out the window, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather. "Slow?"

He repeated the word, then let out a short laugh, a laugh devoid of any warmth.

"Our Super Famicom (SFC) outperforms Sega's Mega Drive (MD), and isn't much more expensive. Besides, Nintendo itself is the best game developer in the world."

He returned to his desk and pointed to the dismal sales figures for "ActRaiser" on the report.

"What's the point of keeping a game that can be easily drowned out by a few discounted old titles, a company that can't even handle its own marketing? Are they just embarrassing my Super Famicom?"

The supervisor's cold sweat trickled down his temples and dripped onto the floor; he dared not utter a word.

Yamauchi Haku continued speaking to himself, his voice not loud, but like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of everyone in the office.

"Now, it's Nintendo's giving them a chance. It's me who allowed them to board the Super Famicom. And they don't appreciate it, clinging to the ship's railing, trying to flirt with another broken ship?"

He picked up the cigar, flicked off the ash, and took another deep drag.

"Then let them stay on that crumbling Sega ship. Pass on my message: for all third-party developers involved in Sega's New Year promotion, the price of their development kits will be increased by another 10%."

"As for the queue," Yamauchi Haku exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, his expression somewhat blurred by the swirling smoke, "Let them line up at the very back. I'll consider them when I'm in a better mood."

These words caused the air in the office to freeze completely.

This is no longer a business strategy; it's a monarch punishing his subjects.

"As for the game lineup," Yamauchi Haku's gaze finally fell on the manager, "Go tell Shigeru Miyamoto to immediately double the number of people in the Development Department, or even triple it if necessary! The Super Famicom has been out for over a month, and we only have a few of our own games? The development work is a complete failure!"

He shoved the cigar into the ashtray with force, sparks flying everywhere.

"I want everyone to see clearly that Nintendo doesn't need a bunch of fickle fence-sitters to prop up its image!"

"We ourselves are the face of the business!"