Restless Electronic Arts

Yoshikawa leaned back in his chair, let out a long sigh, and said with a teasing tone, "You little rascal, you're really getting better and better at causing me trouble. So, tell me, are you planning to make a rally racing game next, and then have me invite all the car manufacturers in the world to host a Sega Cup?"

It was originally a joke, meant to tease Nakayama Takuya's whimsical imagination.

To everyone's surprise, Nakayama Takuya's eyes lit up instantly after hearing this.

"Huh?" He leaned forward slightly, looking at Yoshikawa with a serious expression. "Director Yoshikawa, how did you know I'm planning to launch a rally racing game next? I really am thinking about it, and I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again! But it will be a few more years before the technology is mature enough to make a rally racing game, what a pity—"

Yoshikawa's smile froze.

He pointed at Nakayama Takuya, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Are you kidding? No, look at the kid's eyes, he's serious! He's actually serious!

How did a casual remark I made become his next work plan?

A brief silence fell over the office as he felt his blood pressure slowly rising.

Finally, he waved his hand helplessly, surrendering completely.

"Alright, alright, I give up." He placed the F1 request on the table. "I know Honda well, I'll contact them first. As for your rally racing thing—don't tell me the details yet, let me catch my breath, please."

Working with this guy is a real test of my nerves.

Although his crazy schemes always yield amazing returns, the process is also incredibly exciting.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Having achieved his goal, Nakayama Takuya stood up decisively, bowed slightly, and turned to leave the office.

When Nakayama Takuya returned from Director Yoshikawa's office, it was already close to dusk.

He stretched and was about to pack his briefcase and slip away when the internal phone on his desk rang at an inopportune moment.

When the call connected, Tom Kalinske's signature booming voice came through the microphone, full of energy, as if he had just downed a whole bottle of cola.

"Hey, Takuya! I've got some news, not sure if it's important. Those guys at NEC's pulled off something new in North America."

Kalinske briefly explained that NEC and Hudson had established a new company in North America called Turbo Technologies Inc., and launched an all-in-one machine called TurboDuo, which combined their main unit and CD drive.

"An all-in-one PC? That sounds convenient," Takuya casually replied.

"It's easier, but it's not very useful." Kalinske's tone carried a hint of disdain. "Their distribution channels are a complete mess, their marketing is a joke, and this is just a desperate measure."

"TurboDuo?" Takuya paused for a moment, running the name through his mind before remembering that it was the half-dead PC Engine.

He couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Tom, you still care about this? I thought it was already buried."

"Hey! I'm just reporting my work!" Kalinske on the other end of the line sounded a bit impatient. "They've bundled the main unit and CD drive together, lowered the price a bit, and it looks kind of impressive."

"There are plenty of gimmicky things out there, and this thing is so expensive." Takuya's tone was as casual as if he were talking about the weather. "Without games, it's just an expensive plastic box. We kept it to annoy Nintendo, but its historical mission is complete now. Don't waste a minute on it."

The PC Engine was indeed a great help to the Mega Drive in breaking Nintendo's third-party blockade.

But now, times have changed, and it's almost no longer even qualified to be Sega's rival.

Takuya changed the subject. "Instead of Kung Fu, why don't you send a couple more people to stake out Trip Hawkins ' new office building? You're all in California, so close by, you might even be able to get a free lunch."

"It makes me so angry!" Kalinske's voice rose an octave at the mention of Hawkins. "Those bloodsuckers at EA are getting more and more outrageous lately. They've come to us again, wanting to lower the royalty rate by another percentage point! Their sports games sell well, but they can't be this greedy!"

"Reduce the royalty?" Takuya leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his tone completely calm.

Let them make a fuss.

"What?" Kalinske thought he had misheard.

"Tom, remember this: you can't tame a wolf, no matter how much meat you give it." Takuya's voice was calm and clear. "When the next generation of consoles comes out, they'll be the first to betray us if someone offers a higher price. It's written in EA's DNA. You know, Trip Hawkins and EA still have very close ties. I reckon that as soon as the console Trip Hawkins and Panasonic are working on comes out, EA will jump off Sega's train."

"So we're just going to let them take advantage of us?" Kalinske was still unwilling to give up.

"Of course not." Takuya chuckled. "So, don't get entangled with them. You guys can start looking for some promising sports game development teams; we'll handle it ourselves. Have Mark Cerny oversee the talent selection, and if you don't have enough money, just submit a report, and I'll approve it."

"Also, contact VisualConcepts. They used to be outmaneuvered by EA, but now that we're giving them a boost, they'll definitely be interested."

There was a full three seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Kalinske burst into laughter. "Haha! I knew it! Takuya, that's a great idea! I'll get on it right away!"

Then he hung up the phone.

Sony Headquarters, senior management conference room.

"--The above is the preliminary result of our talent recruitment plan."

Ryoji Nakabachi, who was in charge of the recruitment, Ryoji Chubachi the folder. His tone was calm and even, but the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his inner smugness.

"Although we encountered some resistance with a few top producers, we successfully brought in more than one hundred experienced developers from companies such as Sega, Konami, and Namco."

They yearn for a completely new, unconstrained platform to showcase their talents.

Sitting next to Norio Ohga, Nobuyuki Idei tapped the table lightly. "Chubachi- kun, if I may be so bold, I've looked at the list, and it seems there isn't a single person who can be called an 'industry star'. We spent so much money, and all we've invited is a bunch of—second-tier talents?"

The question was rather direct, and the meeting room fell silent instantly.

Ryoji Chubachi's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Idei- san, stars aren't born, they're made by the platform. We give them a stage where they can create miracles, and naturally, future stars will emerge from among them."