Release Preparations for Chrono Trigger

Minister Tanaka's buttocks, which had just settled, tensed up again involuntarily. "Yes, Executive Director, their momentum is very strong, and our distributors are already feeling the pressure—"

"That's the right amount of pressure," Nakayama Takuya interrupted him, his tone relaxed. "So, it's time for our big guy to make his appearance."

He pushed a document in front of Tanaka: "Sega CD will be officially released in November, with the launch title being Chrono Trigger."

Department Head Tanaka looked at the release date on the document, his brow furrowing even deeper. "Executive Director, the price of the Sega CD----"

Forty-five thousand eight hundred Japanese yen —even if we've moved most of the manufacturing to China and pushed costs to the limit, this price is still too high for the average player. The target audience is destined to be only a very small, core group of wealthy players. I'm worried about sales—"

"When did I ever say I expected it to sell millions of copies?" Nakayama Takuya retorted.

Minister Tanaka was taken aback.

"The first users of Sega-CD were destined not to be ordinary consumers." Nakayama Takuya leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed in front of him. "They were believers, fanatics willing to spend a fortune for the best experience. For them, our previous unconventional promotional methods were of little use."

"So, what is our marketing strategy?"

"We'll give them a ceremony befitting their loyalty." Nakayama Takuya's lips curled into a slight smile. "Remember how we sold Final Fantasy IV in North America?"

Minister Tanaka's eyes lit up instantly. "Collector's Edition! Includes the original soundtrack and art book!"

"That's right." Nakayama Takuya snapped his fingers. "This time, we're going to go even bigger."

He took out a pen and started writing and drawing on a piece of white paper.

"The game itself, that's the foundation."

"All the music composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and his team was made into vinyl records and CDs."

"All the original drawings and concept art personally drawn by Akira Toriyama have been compiled into a hardcover art book."

Minister Tanaka looked at the familiar formula and nodded repeatedly. This approach had proven successful and was a plan that had been decided upon beforehand.

However, Nakayama Takuya's pen did not stop.

He tapped the words "Chrono Trigger" on the paper, then tapped the watch on his wrist.

"The game is called Chrono Trigger, right?" He looked up at Tanaka, his eyes gleaming with a light that both excited and thrilled the latter. "Then how can our 'holy code' be without something that truly represents 'time'?"

"Representative... time?" Minister Tanaka seemed a little confused.

"Go contact Casio, or Seiko and Citizen," Nakayama Takuya, uttering a name. "We want to collaborate and release a limited edition ' Chrono Trigger ' watch, sold separately."

"A wristwatch?!" Department Head Tanaka was genuinely shocked this time. He adjusted his glasses, his voice trembling slightly, "Executive Director! This—this cost is on a completely different level! This is simply—"

"This is insane, isn't it?" Nakayama Takuya laughed. "Cost? No, Tanaka, this is an investment."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the bustling street below.

"This is an investment in Sakaguchi Hironobu and his dream team," letting them know that at Sega, their hard work will receive top-tier treatment. It's also an investment in the reputation among all players, letting them understand that Sega sells more than just games; it sells a dream worth cherishing."

He turned around and said with a hint of mockery, "Didn't Mr. Sakaguchi publicly accuse us at CES in front of the whole world, saying we'd tormented him terribly? Consider this watch compensation for his emotional distress."

Minister Tanaka burst out laughing at these words, all his doubts and worries vanished, replaced by a surge of passionate excitement.

He finally understood Nakayama Takuya's plan completely.

The Sega-CD version is destined to be niche, but it aims to elevate the Chrono Trigger IP to a legendary status through its lavish, cost-no-object approach, making it an unattainable legend among core gamers.

Once their reputation and word-of-mouth have reached their peak, they will release a Mega Drive cartridge version with reduced animation and some music to capture the vast market of ordinary gamers.

First, deify them, then save all living beings!

Moreover, all this was partly to compensate for the fact that the sales of Chrono Trigger on Sega-CD were destined to be lower than those on Mega Drive.

If sales figures aren't made to look better using these things, even with Nakayama Takuya's prestige, there will inevitably be people gossiping behind his back.

"I understand, Executive Director!" Department Head Tanaka immediately stood up and bowed.

"Go ahead." Nakayama Takuya waved his hand.

Two days later, the red light on the internal telephone on Nakayama Takuya's desk started flashing.

"A call from Mr. Sakaguchi Hironobu of Square."

"Bring him in."

Soon, Sakaguchi Hironobu's voice, characterized by its sincerity and a touch of excitement, came from the other end of the phone.

"Nakayama -san! It's me, Sakaguchi!"

"Good afternoon, Sakaguchi-san. It seems that Minister Tanaka is very efficient." Nakayama Takuya leaned back in his chair and said with a smile.

"That's more than high!" Sakaguchi Hironobu's voice rose several decibels. "I just finished reading your marketing plan—'The Holy Book'? You actually call it 'The Holy Book'?! I thought the Final Fantasy IV Collector's Edition was the limit, but I didn't expect you guys to come up with something even more outrageous!"

His tone conveyed the immense satisfaction a creator feels when their hard work is packaged in the most glamorous way.

"I finally understand what you meant by 'torture' at CES." Sakaguchi Hironobu's tone carried a hint of self-deprecating laughter. "This feeling of having a gold mine behind you, indulging your talent to the fullest without considering the costs—it's so exhilarating, but also so unsettling. Sega-CD sales are destined to be low. Are we really okay with what we're doing?"

"There's a problem," Nakayama Takuya answered bluntly.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"The biggest problem is," Nakayama Takuya changed the subject, his tone becoming more relaxed, "That I'm afraid players' wallets will complain about us. So, I deliberately held back a little."

"Um?"

"Mr. Sakaguchi, are you worried about that collaboration watch? Afraid it won't make it in time for the game's release?"

"Yes," Sakaguchi Hironobu admitted frankly, "Casio said that the design, mold making, and production timelines are extremely tight, and they definitely won't be able to deliver on the launch day."

"If you can't catch up, that's for the best." Nakayama Takuya chuckled.

This illogical statement completely stunned Sakaguchi Hironobu.

"Mr. Sakaguchi, do you think it's better to be able to buy a sacred object easily, or to require a little waiting and devotion before bringing it home?" Nakayama Takuya asked slowly in return. "The word-of-mouth for Chrono Trigger needs time to build. Players need to fall in love with the story and the world first. Around Christmas, when their appreciation for this masterpiece reaches its peak, we can tell them, 'Hey, here's a gift that truly represents time, allowing you to wear this feeling on your wrist forever.'"

Nakayama Takuya added, "A watch that costs more than a collector's edition game would be a perfect Christmas gift to myself. Paying for it separately gives players' wallets a break, doesn't it?"