Next-Generation New Players (4,000 Words)

"What's wrong, Mr. Chubachi?" Kozuki Kagemasa refilled his cup with sake, the clear liquid making a pleasant sound as it was poured. "Is the sake not to your liking, or the food?"

"No, it's absolutely delicious." Ryoji Chubachi put down his glass, forcing a smile. "I just didn't expect that Kozuki's president would have such a thorough understanding of industry trends."

"Haha, when you get old, you just like to hear some new things to relieve your boredom." Kozuki Kagemasa waved his hand, looking like it wasn't worth mentioning.

"However, in this era, things change very quickly. You might have a great hand and think you've got the game in the bag, but who knows if someone else is already playing a straight flush under the table?"

He raised his wine cup and Ryoji Chubachi toast to Nakabachi Ryoji.

"Sometimes, the person who runs the fastest is also the easiest target for everyone. Don't you agree, Mr. Chubachi?"

At that moment, Ryoji Chubachi finally understood completely.

Kozuki Kagemasa accepted his invitation not only to hear about Sony's plans, but also to discuss cooperation.

He was showing Konami what wasn't even his trump card, clearly telling Sony —I know all your cards.

Want me to join Konami? Sure, but you'd better show me something real. Show me your ship, whether it's bigger and more stable than Panasonic's, or even surpasses Nintendo and Sega.

I couldn't eat any more of this meal.

Ryoji Chubachi a deep breath, stood up, and solemnly bowed to Kozuki Kagemasa.

"Thank you for your hospitality today, President Kozuki, and thank you for your 'reminder.' I have urgent business to attend to and must return to Tokyo immediately, so I'll take my leave now."

"So soon?" A perfectly timed look of surprise crossed Kozuki Kagemasa's face, before he quickly regained his warm smile. "Alright, then I won't keep you any longer. Please give my regards to President Ohga."

It wasn't until he stepped out of the ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) and was hit by the cool night breeze of Osaka that Ryoji Chubachi realized his back was completely soaked.

He glanced back at the elegant shop hidden deep in the alley, and it seemed to him like the open mouth of a giant beast.

He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, no longer caring about etiquette, and practically ran towards his car parked on the street corner.

We must tell President Ohga and Ken Kutaragi this news immediately!

Tokyo, Sony Headquarters.

In President Norio Ohga's office, sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, making the expensive black walnut wood desk gleam.

The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of fine Uji Gyokuro.

Norio Ohga calmly held his teacup, looking at Ryoji Chubachi and Ken Kutaragi sitting upright opposite him, and found it somewhat amusing.

It was just a meal with Kozuki Kagemasa in Osaka, why is it acting like the sky is falling and they have to arrange an emergency meeting?

Even if Konami signed an exclusivity agreement on the spot, it wouldn't warrant such a large-scale event.

Ken Kutaragi was also completely baffled. He had just been called from the lab, his mind still filled with the PlayStation design drawings, and he felt that Ryoji Chubachi a molehill.

"Tell me, Chubachi- kun," Norio Ohga took a sip of tea, "What kind of spell did the president cast on you Kozuki?"

Ryoji Chubachi ignored the president's teasing. He hadn't slept well all night since returning from Osaka, and the smiling face of Kozuki Kagemasa had been lingering in his mind all night.

He took a deep breath, his voice a little hoarse.

"Panasonic is about to enter."

The office fell silent instantly.

Ken Kutaragi's impatience froze instantly, and his brows furrowed tightly.

Norio Ohga paused for a moment in mid-air with his hand holding the teacup, then casually placed it back on the table with a soft "tap".

Without pausing, Ryoji Chubachi dropped a second bombshell. "Also, EA's founder, Trip Hawkins, has resigned and is preparing to start a new company."

Even Ken Kutaragi's breathing became heavier.

One was a lifelong rival in the home appliance industry, and the other was the Godfather of North America game software.

These two pieces of news, taken individually, are enough to shake the industry. Now that they have been casually linked together by Kozuki Kagemasa, the implications are bound to make people think more deeply.

Ken Kutaragi of Panasonic spoke first, his technical instincts immediately kicking in as he began analyzing the competition's strength. "While they may lack our experience as suppliers to Sega and Nintendo, their technological reserves and cash flow are simply too formidable. With the Japan economy in such a slump, Panasonic can buy out any poorly managed company in the gaming industry at any time if Panasonic willing to spend the money. They can pave their way with money!"

Norio Ohga listened, he showed no sign of tension; instead, a playful smile appeared on his face.

He picked up his teacup and blew on the steam. "The fact that Panasonic wants to get in proves that the path we've chosen has unlimited potential. Since it's a broad and promising road, it's normal for more people to want to take it. Besides, after being a supplier for Nintendo and Sega for the past few years, we know this industry isn't easy to enter. There's no need to worry about Panasonic trying to take advantage of us."

The president's composure eased the tense atmosphere in the office considerably.

"Kutaragi- kun just said has reminded me," Norio Ohga, setting down his teacup and glancing at the two men. "Since acquisition is a shortcut, why don't we at Sony take the first step?"

He leaned forward slightly, his tone calm, but what he said sent a jolt through both of them.

"Columbia Pictures, which we acquired two years ago, is still losing money, and the board is under considerable pressure, so they certainly can't make any more big acquisitions. But acquiring a few Japan game companies wouldn't cost much. These companies aren't incapable of making good games; they're just dragged down by their cash flow. After all, the Japan economy isn't doing well right now. Even large corporations like ours have to be careful with cash flow, let alone the small and medium-sized companies that were blinded by the stock market and real estate boom last year."

Norio Ohga took another sip of tea and continued, "As long as we inject funds to help them catch their breath, and allow them to continue their existing development work before our own console is released, breaking even won't be a problem."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Ken Kutaragi.

"I remember, wasn't TechnosJapan facing a tight cash flow because of the huge investment in building its new headquarters?"

Ken Kutaragi's eyes lit up, and he immediately chimed in, "That's right! The president is brilliant! But I don't quite understand those people. They're so aggressive in real estate, yet so conservative in games. The Mega Drive has been on the market for two years, and the games they develop for it are still mostly based on the Famicom."

It's a carbon copy of the "Hot-Blooded Series and " Double Dragon," except for slightly better graphics; there's nothing new about it.

I really wonder if they used all their development funds to tile the building!

This sarcastic remark, tinged with the typical resentment of a technical professional, made Norio Ohga laugh.

"Haha, that's easy." He waved his hand. "Once we buy the company, how we develop it is entirely up to us, isn't it?"

Sega has released so many new and interesting games in the past two years. Even if they just stick with old IPs and try to incorporate some new elements, it's still better than their current half-dead state. As for other acquisition targets, Mr. Chubachi, you should also look into them, get Kutaragi's confirmation, and then submit them to the board for a vote."

"Yes!" Ryoji Nakamoto nodded in agreement.

The atmosphere in the office completely Panasonic.

Norio Ohga changed the subject, looking at Ryoji Chubachi: "As for Trip Hawkins —that old fox Kozuki Kagemasa, he's probably trying to tell us that Hawkins might be planning to build his own mainframe, and that his partner is very likely Panasonic."

"We don't need to let this throw us off balance." Norio Ohga's fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound. "Intelligence work needs to keep up, but we can't lose our own pace. The development of PlayStation must proceed step by step; rushing things will only lead to mistakes."

His gaze deepened.

"Look at Sega, the Mega Drive, and the Game Pocket. Both launches were meticulously planned, with every step perfectly timed. Now look at Nintendo's Super Famicom. Despite having such a strong financial foundation and tens of millions of players built up by the Famicom, it's been almost six months since its release, and sales are still so low. It barely has any presence in the market. How can players possibly be interested in a console like that?"

An emergency meeting that could have thrown Sony into chaos was transformed into a well-organized strategic planning meeting by Norio Ohga.

A final resolution was reached quickly.

Ryoji Chubachi was responsible for maintaining intelligence coverage on potential competitors such as Panasonic and Hawkins, while also beginning to look for suitable acquisition targets within the gaming industry and submitting a proposal to the board of directors as soon as possible.

Ken Kutaragi was given a strict order to eliminate all distractions and continue focusing on the development of the PlayStation, to develop this true next-generation performance monster as quickly as possible.

After the meeting, Ken Kutaragi felt full of energy and couldn't wait to rush back to the lab.

When Ryoji Chubachi walked out of the office, the turmoil in his heart had completely subsided, replaced by a deep admiration for the president's foresight.

Kozuki Kagemasa to raise Konami's price with two major announcements, and incidentally, make things difficult for Sony?

He probably never dreamed that his calculations would become the catalyst that accelerated Sony's acquisition!

Sony should thank him for the reminder.

Tokyo, Sega Headquarters.

In Nakayama Takuya's Managing Director's Office, in addition to afternoon tea, black tea, and wagashi (Japanese sweets), a stack of routine intelligence emails from the United States branch had just been delivered.

He leaned back comfortably in his chair, enjoying the rare moment of leisure as he casually flipped through the pages.

Most of it was market trends and sales data, until one name caught his eye.

EA founder Trip Hawkins has announced his resignation and is seeking external investment to start a new company.

Nakayama Takuya's hand, holding a cup of black tea, froze in mid-air.

Hawkins?

This name brought to the surface a long-buried memory deep within his mind.

3D0.

In the history of gaming, the name is more like a business case than a successful product.

A grand vision spearheaded by the founder of a software giant, attempting to unify hardware standards and then profit from licensing and software sales.

His lips unconsciously twitched slightly.

Recalling the exorbitant initial price of that console in his previous life, and the chaotic multi-manufacturer licensing model, Nakayama Takuya almost burst out laughing.

He's practically an "idealist" in the world of video game consoles, and an unrealistic one at that.

But then, the smile on his face vanished.

He put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

wrong.

In this life, everything is different.

The flapping of his own wings has already changed the winds of the entire gaming industry.

With Sega's meteoric rise, Nintendo's passive response, and Sony's Trojan horse lurking behind the scenes, what kind of chemical reaction will occur when these two well-funded electronics giants, along with a genius who understands the North America game market and software development best, come together?

That's right, 3D0 isn't just from Panasonic, Samsung is too.

Just because 3D0 failed in the previous life doesn't mean it will be repeated in this life.

What if Panasonic throws money at the problem regardless of cost, while Hawkins learns from his mistakes and comes up with a more sophisticated solution?

Sony is already a force to be reckoned with, and now Panasonic might emerge as well.

"It's getting lively here," Nakayama Takuya muttered to himself, his eyes revealing not worry but rather the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

He pressed the button on the internal phone.

"Matsuda, come in for a moment."

Soon, his assistant on duty that day, Matsuda, came in with a notebook.

"Special Affairs."

"Just received United States intelligence," Nakayama Takuya pointed to the email, "... regarding Tripp Hawkins ' resignation."

"Yes, the United States side considers it of great importance and has specifically highlighted it."

"Yes, create a separate file for this matter." Nakayama Takuya's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable command. "I need to know everyone he meets next, every company he contacts, and especially the source of his funds."

We are also paying close attention to two companies: Matsushita Electric and Samsung.

"Panasonic and Samsung?" Matsuda was somewhat surprised, but quickly made a note of it.

"That's right. Raise the priority of this file to the board level and add it to the high-level regular intelligence briefings. I need to see updates every week." Nakayama Takuya paused, thought for a moment, and added, "The file code name—let's call it ' Hawkins New Console Factory '."

"Hawkins New Console Factory?" Matsuda wrote down this strange code name in his notebook without asking any further questions.

"Go."

After the assistant left, the office returned to silence.

Nakayama Takuya picked up his now-cold black tea again and looked out the window.

I wonder how Sony will react to this news.

They thought they were the only Greek warriors to infiltrate Troy, but little did they know that other covetous armies had appeared outside the city.

"That's really interesting."

Nakayama Takuya downed his cup of black tea in one gulp, feeling a surge of heroic spirit coursing through his chest.

The next-generation poker tables are now truly full.

Nintendo, Sony, Panasonic —and himself.

This game of chess is getting more and more interesting.